Getting an A on an English Paper

Jack Lynch,
Rutgers University – Newark

Before you hand in your paper, look for the following things. A significant booboo in any of them may well sink your chances of getting an A.

Do you avoid big, vapid generalities? Don't open your paper by offering grand generalizations about humanity since the beginning of time: it's just wasting space. Get to business right away.
Do you have a clearly stated thesis? Remember, it should be possible to state a good thesis in a single sentence with an active verb, and if someone asks, “What do you prove?” you should be able to answer with that sentence. If you have to start, “It's about . . .” you don't have a thesis yet, you have a topic. Be sure your thesis is clearly stated very early in the paper.
Do you back up your thesis with plenty of close reading? God and the devil have both been said to be in the details. If you don't get your hands dirty with lots and lots of careful examination of the words of the text, you won't get an A.
Are your mechanics clean? Even a few minor booboos can sink you in your professor's estimation. An otherwise fine paper that confuses its and it's will get a less sympathetic reading.
Do you use all your terms precisely? We English folk take words seriously. If you call a short story an essay, or vice versa, we can't help feeling you don't take words seriously.
Do you have a clear conclusion? Remember, that's the last thing your professor will read before he or she assigns a grade. Use it the way a lawyer uses a closing statement: to wrap everything up convincingly, and to burn your message into the reader's brain.

from Jack Lynch's guide,
Getting an A on an English Paper