Final Editing Checklist: 

1. Format: Is your paper laid out in the formatting that the assignment requires?
2. Length: Does your essay meet the assignment’s length requirement?
3. Introduction: Is the introductory paragraph a suitable lead into your topic and main idea?
4. Thesis: Is your thesis at the end of the introduction? Does it directly respond to the assignment question?
5. Body Paragraphs: Does each body paragraph have a clear topic sentence? Is the topic sentence, which is the generalization of the whole paragraph, supported sufficiently with reasons, examples, and other types of details?
6. Structure: Is the sequence of the paragraphs logically arranged? Does the essay flow well with properly used conjunctions and transitional phrases, supporting your thesis statement
7. Citation: Are you carefully citing and introducing all source materials? Do you have an additional page for a list of sources?
8. Grammar/Style: Have you gone through the essay to ensure that you’ve corrected spelling or working errors?
9. Conclusion: Does the conclusion complete the essay effectively?

Proofreading requires patience; it is very easy to read past a mistake. Set your paper aside for at least a few hours, if not a day or more, so your mind will rest. Some professional proofreaders read a text backward so they can concentrate on spelling and punctuation. Another helpful technique is to slowly read a paper aloud, paying attention to every word, letter, and punctuation mark.

If you need additional proofreading help, ask a reliable friend, a classmate, a peer tutor, or make an appointment with the Writing Center to make a final pass on your paper to look for anything you missed.