Indent Paragraph(s) Complete Sentences (each has a subject and predicate) Capitalization • Do all sentences begin with a capital letter? • Do all proper nouns begin with capital letters? Punctuation • Are periods and commas used correctly? • Are quotations punctuated correctly? Verb Usage • Do all main verbs agree with the subject in person and number? • Are any parts of verb phrases missing or incorrect? Are verb endings correct? • Is the verb tense correct? • Are helping verbs used when needed? Noun Usage • Do regular plurals end in “s”? Are irregular plurals correct? • Are articles (“a,” “an,” and “the”) used correctly? • Does every pronoun have a clear referent? Correct Spelling (Be careful of words that sound the same but have different meanings.) Descriptive Words • Are words used that give a picture of what is taking place? • Are transitional words used? Word Variety • Do sentences begin with different words? • Did the writer use a variety of words in each sentence?
From: http://jc-schools.net/write/checklist.pdf
Transition Words
Transition words and phrases help establish clear connections between ideas and ensure that sentences and paragraphs flow together smoothly, making them easier to read. Use the following words and phrases in the following circumstances.
To indicate more information: Besides Furthermore In addition Indeed In fact Moreover Second...Third..., etc. To indicate an example: For example For instance In particular Particularly Specifically To demonstrate To illustrate
To indicate a cause or reason: As Because Because of Due to For For the reason that Since
To indicate a result or an effect: Accordingly Finally Consequently Hence So Therefore Thus
To indicate a purpose or reason why: For fear that In the hope that In order to So So that With this in mind
To compare or contrast: Although However In comparison In contrast Likewise Nevertheless On the other hand Similarly Whereas Yet
To indicate a particular time frame or a shift from one time period to another: After Before Currently During Eventually Finally First,...Second,..., etc. Formerly Immediately Initially Lastly Later Meanwhile Next Previously Simultaneously Soon Subsequently
To summarize: Briefly In brief Overall Summing up To put it briefly To sum up To summarize
To conclude: Given these facts Hence In conclusion So Therefore Thus To conclude
Confluence Campus Library Best Websites
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Homework Help: Authoritative Online Resources
Aboriginal Canada Portal http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/acp/site.nsf/en/index.html Information about Canada’s aboriginal people, including research information, statistics, and maps.
Alberta Education- Previous Achievement Tests and Answer Keys/ Alberta Education- Previous Diploma Exams and Answer Keys (http://education.alberta.ca/admin/testing/achievement/answerkeys.aspx) (http://education.alberta.ca/students/exams/answerkeys.aspx) Copies of previous Government Achievement Tests and Diploma Exams (with answer keys), available for non-commercial use.
Chemtutor (http://www.chemtutor.com/) General information to help chemistry students with definitions, basic chemical equations, and more.
Digital Library for Earth System Education (http://www.dlese.org/library/index.jsp) Online resource promoting education about the Earth system, funded by the National Science Foundation.
Fear of Physics (http://www.fearofphysics.com/) Contains a link to “visual physics”, a physics dictionary, a homework help section, and more.
Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing (http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/) Tips and tricks to improve student writing, presented in both written or podcast format.
Intute: Helping you find the best resources for study and research (http://www.intute.ac.uk/) Search engine points users to authoritative, hand-selected, information on the search topic.
Learnalberta.ca http://www.learnalberta.ca/Home.aspx Databases to support Alberta Education’s K-12 curriculum. Selecting the Online Reference Centre tab allows you to access credible information to support homework assignments, from home, anytime. Logon : LA60 Password: 5754
Library and Archives Canada: Learning Centre (http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/education/008-2020-e.html#d) Check out the “History” sub-category for resources relevant to the Social Studies Curriculum, including information about the World Wars, Confederation, and more.
Math Goodies (http://www.mathgoodies.com/students.html) Worksheets, articles, games, tutorials, and puzzles on a variety of math-related topics.
National Science Digital Library (http://nsdl.org/) Portal directs students to credible science and math resources and tools online. A “Highlights” article appearing on the website’s front page alerts students to science-related current events.
No Fear Shakespeare (http://nfs.sparknotes.com/) Shakespeare’s plays side-by-side with modern English translations.
Political Ideologies- Canadian Encyclopedia (www.thecanadianencyclopedia. comindex.cfmPgNm=TCECategories&Params=A1SUB48CAT230) Brief articles outlining the basic tenants of numerous political ideologies.
Purdue Online Writing Lab – Grades 7-12 (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/677/01/) Resources to help with the research process, tips about style and language, information about citation and plagiarism, and more.
Shmoop Literature Study Guides (http://www.shmoop.com/literature/study-guides/) Authored by Ph.D. and Masters Students from top American universities, these literature study guides can be used to enhance student understanding of novels, plays, and poems.
Statistics Canada: Canada Yearbook Historical Collection (http://www65.statcan.gc.ca/acyb_r000-eng.htm) Statistics Canada data from 1867-1967, includes historical text, tables, charts and maps, and an especially helpful “Browse by Topic” function.
UNdata: A World of Information (http://data.un.org/) All UN statistical databases under a single-user friendly search. Includes country profiles, 55 million data points, a glossary, a wiki, and a helpful “Monthly Bulletin” section.
University of Arizona: Biology Project (http://www.biology.arizona.edu/) An interactive resource to help students master basic biology concepts- includes multiple choice quizzes on a variety of topics.
Wolfram MathWorld (http://mathworld.wolfram.com/) Math encyclopedia containing information and interactive activities on a large variety of math-related topics.