2. No contractions in formal papers. Dont – do not Wasnt – was not Doesnt – do not Could of/Should of/Would of – NO!!! Youre really saying couldve/shouldve/wouldve which should actually be could have/should have/would have because you are not supposed to use contractions in formal papers. Do not use you or I in formal papers. For you, say the reader or a person. You do not need to use I think or I feel in formal papers. It is obvious that you think or feel a certain way. It is your paper.

3. MLA format Ive often wondered why more colored girls never passed over (Larsen 25). Thesis statements Should be the last sentence of your first, introductory paragraph Your three main points should be listed in your thesis. Body paragraphs should follow the format of your thesis. Point A of your thesis should be the topic of your first body paragraph, etc. Delete space between paragraphs.

4. Make sure to link your ideas to the story. Pick ONE turning point and have three reasons or examples as to why it is the turning point. The reasons or examples should be three effects of the action or event.

5. Numbers 20s, 30s Not 20s, 30s 1-9: spell out One, two, three 10+: use the numeral 10, 220, 1,309 Mistakes

6. Agreement If a person has a problem with drugs, they have a lot to figure out. NO! If a person has a problem with drugs, he/she has a lot to figure out. If people have a problem with drugs, they have a lot to figure out.

7. 5 standard areas spelling punctuation sentence structure paragraph structure syntax errors Transition use Use of quotes and cites 2 successes/2 areas of improvement Must be signed!

8. What do you know about writing a thesis statement? What makes for a good thesis statement?

9. A thesis statement indicates the purpose of the composition and makes clear what aspects of the topic you will discuss. As you limited your subject and evaluated your topic, you focused on specific aspects of the topic. Through classifying and arranging ideas, you found relationships between your ideas and details.

10. Remember to think in terms of 3s You should have three points that back up what you are trying to prove. The thesis statement is the last line of the first paragraph.

11. Remember to: Give the purpose of your composition Make it clear what aspects of your topic you will discuss Example: In Othello, the theme of racism is seen through Brabantios disapproval of Desdemona and Othellos marriage, racist comments by the characters, and Othellos isolation from others.

12. How do you usually organize your paper? What experience do you have with outlines?

13. A preliminary outline is a list of ideas to cover in your paper in the order you plan to cover them. The order of the headings in your paper reflect your purpose.

14. Example: Thesis: In Othello, the theme of racism is seen through Brabantios disapproval of Desdemona and Othellos marriage, racist comments by the characters, and Othellos isolation from others. I. Brabantios disapproval of Desdemonas marriage A. He warns Othello that Desdemona deceived him and may deceive Othello too (Page 30). B. Part of the reason Brabantio doesnt like Othello anymore is because he is dark skinned (Smith, Blooms Notes). C. Brabantio feels like Othello stole his daughter (Jones, Blooms Notes).