Tips for revising and submitting your final essay

As I read and respond to your essays, here are some important tips, reminders, and cautions:

• You MUST choose a format (MLA, APA, etc) and then submit your essay within the guidelines of the format chosen, including proper title page, headings, page numbering, etc. You must title your essay (and do NOT format your title in any way, no UL, no QM, no BLD) and include all proper information on the essay, including page numbers. Select a reasonable font (Times, for example) and use ONLY 12 pt. size and 1" margins all around with double spacing only.

• Be careful with your clarity and specificity. . .avoid "it," "this," "how," "thing," etc.; see 24 here for more help and 19 here.

• Details, details, details. If you mention your school, doesn't it have a name? If you mention a real person, doesn't he/she have a name? Do not avoid details, add them, look for them, use them.

• Stating something doesn't make it true. All, I mean ALL, claims made in an academic essay must be supported by evidence. That evidence must be credible. And if that evidence is from a source, it must be CITED and cited properly.

• Giant paragraphs are not appealing to readers. Consider the length of your paragraphs as well as your sentences. In general, paragraph and sentence lengths are best if you have purposeful VARIETY.