6.5: Revise

Revise.

Once you’ve gotten feedback, it’s time to revise. Remember, to revise means to go through and change large sections of your paper. Sometimes this is difficult. You worked hard on the first draft, and now you have to change or delete some of it. You might even have to rewrite the entire thing! However, revising, that is changing, deleting, rewriting, is how writing works. Every writer goes through the same thing, even professionals. It is how we improve our work and skill. Writing is hard! Isn’t it nice to know that you don’t have to get it perfect the first time?

When revising, start big and go small.

Paper organization.

Does the paper explain and support your thesis? Do all of your paragraphs point back to your thesis? Do your ideas flow from paragraph to paragraph? Are they in a logical order? Are paragraphs covering similar ideas together or do the topics of the paragraphs jump around? Do you need more information anywhere? Did you cram everything you wanted to say into three paragraphs instead of letting the content of the paper determine how many paragraphs to write?

Paragraphs.

Look at the organization of each paragraph. Does it contain a transition and topic sentence? Does the topic sentence explain the main point of the paper? Do you explain what you mean and offer evidence? Did you explain why the evidence is important or how it relates to the main idea of the paragraph? Do you have a conclusive sentence that explains how this paragraph supports your thesis?

Does your introduction prepare your reader for your paper in an interesting and relevant opener? Did you use ordinary openers like a question or definition or did you make it more compelling? Did you include enough background information so your reader understands your topic and perspective? Did you include a thesis statement that meets assignment requirements?

What is your conclusion like? Does it sum up your thesis and main points without repeating them word for word? Did you explain how the main points relate to the thesis? Did you explain why this topic is important or relevant to your reader? Does it end with a conclusive sentence so that the paper feels finished?

Sentences.

Take a look at your sentences. Do they get straight to the point or do they ramble? Can you clearly identify the subject and verb? Are they in active tense for most of your text? Do you use active verbs and precise details?

Check for common errors such as fragments, comma splices, or run-ons.

One of the best ways to check sentence structure is to read your work aloud. That way, your ear can tell you if it flows and makes sense.

If you’re having trouble writing a sentence, stop for a second and take a breath. Out loud, ask yourself what you want to say. Then explain it as if you were speaking to someone else. Quickly write what you just said. Dictating what you want to say and then transcribing is another useful way to hear your writing. After all, writing isn’t just for the eyes; it’s for all of the senses.

Now, go back and revise if you haven’t already and evaluate again. Do this as many times as it takes to get the result you want. Writing can be time consuming and require patience. Allowing yourself plenty of time helps alleviate the stress of having to hurry to meet a deadline. It also gives you a chance to take a break, relax, and regain your energy to continue.

Edit

Once you’ve decided you are finished revising, it’s time to proofread and edit. Proofreading reading through your work, looking for errors. A helpful way to proofread is to read your work aloud. Doing this will help you slow down so you can catch double words or homonyms. You will also hear any thing that sounds odd like awkward wording or rambling sentences. Editing is polishing or fixing errors in the paper. It is the final check to be sure everything is in order.

Some of the things you should check are:

• Format/citations and bibliography.
• Punctuation and capitalization
• Spelling
• Grammar

Take advantage of editing software to help you with this. Keep in mind that these editors aren’t always right, so double check every suggestion to be sure you have the correct information. Try to learn as you edit, so it takes less and less time as you progress in your writing.

Once you’ve done your editing, you are ready for the final read-through. A good way to do this is, again, to read it aloud. Another way is to read from the end. That is a good way to catch homonyms that a program would miss.

Publish.

Once you’ve finished, it’s time to share your ideas with the world. This may mean submitting your work as an assignment. You might also share your work with your classmates in a peer review workshop.

Using the writing process might seem cumbersome at first, but once you use it a time or two, you’ll notice that your writing becomes more efficient and of higher quality.