A few vital items to tick off the list before you hand in your work!

Before we get started…

  • Not every time item on this checklist will be relevant to every assignment you take on – your task sheet and your teacher has the final say!
  • Use this resource to remember that all the details need to be checked carefully, because no one wants to lose a mark over one too many misplaced commas. 

Start with the basics:

  • Check your word count: are you too far over? Too far under?
  • Do you have/need a title page?
  • Do you have correct reference? Are they formatted correctly in-text and in bibliography?
  • Have you read through the work in its entirety? Have you deleted any extra notes, tracked changes etc? 

Formatting:

  • Check font, font size, and line spacing. If these aren’t specified in the task sheet go for 12pt Times New Roman, double spacing never goes wrong!
  • Check that paragraphs are clearly distinguishable.
  • Check you have clear titles, headings and subheadings.
  • Is your work clearly named? Do you also need to include a student number?
  • If you have images, figures, graphs – are they clearly labelled/captioned? 

From the task sheet:

  • Work through the criteria sheet systematically, focus on the areas you know you struggle with. Consider how those criteria points appear in examples of the assignment or situations you have discussed in class. Use those models to shape your own work.
  • Make sure that your assignment has a clear argument/thesis.
  • Check that you have fulfilled your role as a creative writer/persuasive speaker/analytical essayist/mathematician etc. Sometimes assignments have you emulating specific roles like a speaker at a convention. Check those details.

Check carefully:

  • All your spelling – this needs to be gone over with a fine tooth comb. Check tricky words (Shakespearian, Biological etc). One of the best ways to ensure that your spelling is tight is by reading it OUT LOUD. Doing so make it more likely that you will pick up on small errors missed while skim reading. Get a human (Not AI) to read over your work for you also.
  • Grammar also needs to be looked over carefully. Check for common errors, such as the misuse of comas, quotation marks and proper nouns.