There are three main areas you need to consider when writing an essay. You need to evaluate your (1) focus, (2) content and (3) organization. While each of the three has its own vitality, the “trinity” is inseparable.
First, your essay must have a purpose, which has clearly defined and effectively communicated. This is the focus of your essay. Your essay must fulfill the requirements for the purpose it is trying to accomplish. In addition, your work must be well balanced; you should neither do too much in the essay, nor mark your goals too limited and inconsequential. Also, the needs, interests and expectations of your readers should be considered and met.
Besides focus, content is an essential part if your essay. Considering your controlling purpose, you ought to discover whether there is adequate support and whether your essay development fulfills the commitment started or implied by the controlling purpose. What supporting details or evidence you have provided and how adequate they are is equally important. All your details, evidence, or counter arguments should not only relate clearly to your controlling purpose, but should have the purpose of strengthening the essay.
Both the focus and content are strengthened and enhanced by the organization of the essay, which must follow an overall organization strategy. You may want to test the effectiveness of such strategy by outlining or summarizing your essay. The organization of your essay must follow logically the commitment established by your controlling purpose. You must insure that your readers will be able to follow the organization and easily make sense of it. Furthermore, you should ask yourself whether or not your introduction and your conclusion could more effectively open and close your essay.
After all of the above has been observed; now you ought to consider such things as grammar, spelling, word choice, sentence structure and mechanics. Despite its importance, grammar is often ignored in the writing classes. It is the student's responsibility to acquire the grammatical skills necessary to succeed in a writing class.
Evaluating focus, content & organization:
Focus:
1- What do I hope to accomplish in this essay? How clearly have I defined my controlling purpose? How have I communicated this controlling purpose?
2- is my essay appropriate? If it is an academic essay, how does it fulfill the requirements of the assignment?
3- Have I tried to do too much in the essay? Or are my goals too limited and inconsequent?
4- does my essay considers the needs, interests, and expectations of my readers? How does the essay respond to them?
Content:
1- how does my essay develop or support my controlling purpose? How does it fulfill the commitment stated or implied by the controlling purpose?
2- what supporting details or evidence have I provided for my most important generalizations? Are these supporting details and evidence adequate? Do they relate clearly to my controlling purpose each other?
3- what details, evidence, or counter arguments might strengthen my essay?
4- have I included any materials that are irrelevant to my controlling purpose?
Organization:
1- what overall organization strategy my essay follows?
2- Have I tested the effectiveness of this strategy by outlining or summarizing my essay?
3- to what extent does the organization of my essay flow logically from the commitment established by my controlling purpose?
4- will my organization make sense to my readers and be easy for them to follow?
5- to what extent does my essay follow the general conventions appropriate for this kind of writing?
6- could my introduction and conclusion be more effectively open and close my essay?
After all the above, now consider such things as grammar, spelling, word choice, sentence structure, etc.…
