Does the draft address a question, a problem, or an issue that readers care about?
Is the draft appropriate for its audience? Does it address the audience's knowledge of and attitudes toward the subject?
Is the tone respectful?
Focus
Is the thesis clear? Is it prominently placed?
Does the thesis answer a reader's “So what?” question?
If the draft has no thesis, is there a good reason for omitting it?
Organization and paragraphing
Is each paragraph unified around a main point?
Does each paragraph support and develop the thesis?
Have you provided organizational cues such as topic sentences and headings?
Are ideas presented in a logical order?
Are any paragraphs too long or too short for easy reading?
Content
Is the supporting material relevant and persuasive?
Which ideas need further development? Have you left your readers with any unanswered questions?
Are the parts proportioned sensibly? Do major ideas receive enough attention?
Where might redundant or irrelevant material be deleted?
Point of view
Is the dominant point of view—first person (I or we), second person (you), or third person (he, she, it, one, or they)—appropriate for your purpose and audience? (See 13.)