Revision Stations Review Sheet

Brooks Lampe / 2015

Quotations
Formatting
Citations go between the ending quotation mark and the period: missing
out on (Huth).
If the quotation ends in a period, do not include it. Only put a period after
the citation.
If the quotation ends in a question mark or exclamation point, include it in
addition to the period after the citation: or is this an ugly
reality? (Morris).
The quotation and any additional phrases of your own before or after
should form a complete, grammatically correct and punctuated sentence.
Note changes to capitalization in brackets: phones > [P]hones
Quotations that span more than three lines in your essay must be block
quoted.
Citations
Unless you clearly identify the source in a lead phrase, cite the source in
parentheses at the end of the sentence or section where you use the
source.
Citations always contain (1) identification of the source and (2) page
number, if available.
In citations, always identify the source by identifying the first item listed in
that sources Works Cited reference.
Do not put author names in quotations, italics, or other font styles.
Put article titles or titles of smaller works (like songs) in quotation marks.
Put book titles or titles of longer works in italics.
In citations, shorten titles to a word or short phrase. Skip the, a, and
an.
Always cite the source you used, even if the source is referring to other
writers and sources.
In citations, if there are two or three authors for a source, list each authors
last name. If there are more than three authors for a source, give the first
authors last name followed by et al.
Block Quotes
Block quotes are indented an additional inch from the left (2 total from left
edge of page).
For block quotes, remove the double quotation marks around the
quotation.

For block quotes, the citation goes outside of the final period or
punctuation mark.
There is no extra spacing before or after block quote (one double-spaced
line).
Embedded Quotes
If there are quotations marks in the text you are quoting, change them to
single quotation marks. Put double quotation marks around the quoted
text.

References / Works Cited Page

every source you use in your essay is listed
only the sources used in your essay are listed (sources cut during revision
should be removed)
you include interviews and surveys
there are no URLs
you italicize titles of longer works and put quotes around titles of shorter
works
you list the medium for each source: Print or Web
you put periods in the right places
web sources include the website name and sponsor
authors and titles are spelled correctly
the Works Cited page is alphabetized (Ignore the, a and an.)
dates are formatted properly: Day of month, month (abbreviated), and
year: 13 Sep 2015.
Works Cited page begins on a new page
Works Cited page has the phrase Works Cited at the top, centered,
without quotations or font styles
Works Cited references are in hanging indent
Works Cited references are double spaced: no additional space between
references

Style
1.

Proofreading

Turn hypotheticals into real examples (best) or general claims (okay).

You walk into a bar and see everyone on their iPhones. No one is
talking to each other.
i
Real Example: Last night in Newark, Delaware, of the hundreds of
UD students at Grottos, the local watering hole, only a few were
talking to strangers. The rest were on their phones.
General Statement: It is common these days to walk into a bar and
see almost everyone on their phones.

2.

Turn questions into statements.

If more women have equivalent degrees or higher degrees than
men, why are men outnumbering us in the workforce?
i
More women have equivalent or higher degrees than men, but men
are outnumbering us in the workforce.
Exceptions: Questions work well sometimes, especially in your title,
subtitle, or carefully worded questions at key points. Its a judgment
call.

3.

Delete obvious statements or to give them tension by adding a phrase

that challenges the statement or increases its complexity.
Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have changed society forever.
i
Give tension: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have changed
society foreveror so it seems.

Formatting
last name and the page number in the top right of each page
top left of front page should list your name, my name (Dr. Brooks Lampe),
the course number (ENGL110) and the submission date (7 December
2015)
the title appears just below the heading, is centered, with no special font
styles or quotes
entire essay is double-spaced with no extra space before or after the title,
paragraphs, or block quotes

Proofread for typos and inconsistencies. Starting at the end of your essay,
read each sentence, one at a time, in reverse order.
Common mistakes to look for:
Incorrectly autocorrected words: thorough vs. through; theses vs.
these, etc.
The first time you mention someones name, give the first and last
name. After that, only give the last name.
Inconsistent verb tense
Incorrect plural pronouns: When a student gets on Facebook, their
mind wanders. When a student gets on Facebook, her mind
wanders.
Hyperbole: At this rate, no one will have any more fulfilling
relationships!

Topic Sentences Station

First Sentences of Story Paragraphs
Specific: Use proper nouns (e.g., The University of Delaware, Michael,
Super Mario Cart) rather than generic nouns (a university, a student, a
video game).
Action: Use a verb that shows the character doing (picked, swiped) not
being (was/is/are).
External Acts: Describe an action in the physical, external world (he
crashed the Honda Civic), not a characters mind (he thought about
crashing).
Concision: Omit needless words. Shorten wordy phrases. Short and
snappy is best.
Low-ladder: For story paragraphs, stay as low on the ladder abstraction as
possible.
First Sentences of Other Paragraphs
Point Down to the paragraph: What is the paragraphs point? State it.
Point Up to the bigger picture: Why does this point matter in the bigger
picture? Show it.
Directly Name the Topic: Snapchat is better than This app, even if
its clear from the previous paragraph what youre referring to.
Positive Form: Put statements in positive form. Avoid no and not.
Concision: Omit needless words. Shorten wordy phrases. Short and
snappy is best.
Low-ladder: Whenever you can, use words low on the ladder of
abstraction.