Assessment Targets - cracking the code
- Revise the rules for punctuating speech - then re-edit the conversation in your story
- Think carefully about the structure of your story - do you give enough time and detail to the right parts - or do you labour over the introduction and rush through the climax?
- Proof read your sentences - beware of comma splices Complete the activities here: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/page_47.htm
- 4.Care with paragraph distinction - change for change of time, place, event, focus, speaker, mood.
- Are all the events and actions credible? Re-read with a cynics eye and ask yourself - does that convince me?
- Rework the ending - it's left too open here - the reader has too many questions needing an answer.
- Revise your use of apostrophes for possession.
- Ensure characters choices are believable - why did they act, not run for example?
- Proof read carefully to take out any unintentional repetition - of words in sentences or of the beginnings of strings of sentences.
- Proof read your sentences - beware of sentence fragments - Complete the activities here: http://depts.dyc.edu/learningcenter/owl/exercises/fragments_ex1.htm
- Try to tie up loose ends - if you include a detail that seems significant, make sure you resolve it somehow.
- Better to focus on ONE event in a short story - write a lot about a little, not a little about a lot!
- Take care to avoid very long complicated sentences that go on too long and become confusing
- Closer proof reading needed - use spell check and grammar check as a start, then look over it carefully yourself.
- Greater care needed with consistency of verb tense - the changes here confuse a little
- Try to avoid horror cliché's and Hollywood style storylines - be original!
- Care with comma placement - have a go at this then revise your work: http://depts.dyc.edu/learningcenter/owl/comma_placement.htm