Essay checker that reviews your draft before you submit
The deadline is tomorrow and you are not sure if your essay actually answers the question. This prompt has your todo.is agent read your draft against the assignment brief and check thesis, structure, evidence, grammar and citations, then hand you a short fix list in order of what matters most.
The prompt
- Check my essay before I submit it: [ESSAY FILE]. The assignment is [ASSIGNMENT QUESTION OR BRIEF], and it is for [LEVEL AND SUBJECT]. Word limit: [WORD LIMIT]. Check, in this order: 1) does it answer the question and is the thesis clear, 2) structure and paragraph flow, 3) whether each claim has evidence, 4) grammar, spelling and punctuation, 5) citations in [CITATION STYLE] and matching reference list. Do not rewrite the essay for me. Give me a checklist with pass / needs work for each area, the 5 most important fixes with the paragraph number, and comments in the margin of a Word copy. Tell me the current word count.
What to change
- [ESSAY FILE]: Attach your Word file or PDF, or paste the text.
- [ASSIGNMENT QUESTION OR BRIEF]: Paste the exact question, or attach the brief or rubric.
- [LEVEL AND SUBJECT]: e.g. "first-year university sociology", "high school English, grade 11".
- [WORD LIMIT]: e.g. "1,500 words, +/- 10%".
- [CITATION STYLE]: e.g. "APA 7", "MLA 9", "Harvard", or "none".
Example result
- Essay check: "Does social media weaken local communities?"
- First-year sociology · APA 7 · 1,612 words (limit 1,500, so cut about 110)
- Checklist
- • Answers the question: needs work. The thesis says social media "has pros and cons" but never takes a position on "weaken".
- • Structure: pass. Clear intro, three body sections, conclusion.
- • Evidence: needs work. Paragraphs 4 and 6 make claims with no source.
- • Grammar and spelling: pass, with 9 small fixes marked in the file.
- • Citations: pass, but 2 in-text citations are missing from the reference list.
- 5 fixes that matter most
- 1. Paragraph 1: sharpen the thesis. Example shape: "Social media weakens some local ties, such as X, but strengthens others, such as Y, because Z." Use your own position.
- 2. Paragraph 4: "Most people no longer know their neighbors" needs a source or should be softened to what your sources actually show.
- 3. Paragraph 6: the community Facebook group example is strong but has no citation. Add the article you took it from.
- 4. References: (Garcia, 2020) and (Kim & Patel, 2019) appear in the text but not in the list.
- 5. Paragraph 7 (conclusion): it introduces a new idea about schools. Move it to the body or cut it, which also helps the word count.
- Easy cuts to get under 1,500
- • Paragraph 2 repeats the definition from paragraph 1 (about 60 words)
- • Phrases like "it is important to note that" appear 4 times (about 25 words)
- What already works
- • Topic sentences tell the reader what each paragraph is about
- • Good mix of studies and real examples
- • Formal tone throughout
How to do it with todo.is
- Fill in the prompt with your assignment question, level, word limit and citation style.
- Attach your essay and send it to your agent in todo.is, or on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- You get a checklist, the top 5 fixes and a Word copy with comments in the margin.
- Make your changes, then send the new version and ask "check it again, only the parts I changed".
Tips for a better result
- Always include the exact question or rubric. Most lost marks come from not answering the question, not from grammar.
- Run the check a day before the deadline, not an hour before, so you have time to fix the big things.
- Ask for comments, not a rewrite. You learn more and the essay stays in your own voice, which is what your school expects.
- Follow your school's AI policy. If you must disclose AI help, a feedback-only check is usually the easiest to explain.
essay checker: FAQ
- What does an essay checker look for? A good check covers whether the essay answers the question, a clear thesis, logical structure, evidence for each claim, grammar and spelling, and correct citations.
- Will it rewrite my essay? Not with this prompt. Your agent comments and explains what to fix, and you make the changes, so the essay stays your own work.
- Can it check against my teacher's rubric? Yes. Attach the rubric and ask your agent to score each criterion and say what would move it up a level.
- Does it check for plagiarism? It can search the web for distinctive sentences to spot passages that match published text, but it is not a full plagiarism database like the ones schools use.
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