1. Is the primary purpose of the story to inform or to entertain?
2. Is the story largely narrative and descriptive? Is it largely explanatory? Is it largely direct or indirect quotation?
3. If the story is narrative in form, is the order chronological?
5. Does the narrative move slowly or briskly? Why?
6. Are accounts of the event by participants or eye-witnesses used? If so, are these accounts in direct or indirect quotation form?
7. Are remarks and conversation of participants and eye-witnesses given?
8. Is the description detailed or suggestive? Is it effective? Why?
9. Is there a striving for effect in the description?
10. If the story is that of a speech, report, etc., is the material arranged in logical order?
11. Is much or little made of the personal, or human interest, element in the story of the speech or the interview?
1. Has the story a summary lead or an unconventional beginning?
2. Does the lead contain the essential facts concisely presented?
3. Is the most striking detail played up as the feature in the first group of words of the opening sentence of the lead?
4. What other element in the news might have been featured in the lead?
5. Is the lead proportionate in length to the whole story?
6. How are the details arranged in the body of the story?
7. Is there any evidence that the story was cut down in making up the paper?
9. Is there unnecessary repetition in the story?
10. Could the arrangement of the details be improved? How?
1. What is the average length of the paragraphs?
2. Are any of the paragraphs too long or too short?
4. Are the details well arranged and closely connected in the paragraphs?
5. Does the first group of words at the beginning of each paragraph attract the reader as his eye glances down the story?
6. Could any of the paragraph beginnings be made more effective? How?
1. What is the average length of the sentences?
2. Are any of the sentences too long or too short?
3. Is the construction of each sentence evident in rapid reading?
4. Is each sentence a unified expression of a closely related group of ideas?
5. Are the parts of the sentences combined in firm, closely knit construction?
6. Do the sentence beginnings attract the reader by the importance and the interest of the ideas expressed in the first group of words?