Editing and Revision

Learn a professional advice on how to edit and revise your writing and make it excellent

Re-write your essay as many times as possible

Global Revision

Novice writers sometimes think that running spell-check counts as revising. Generally, this is not the case. Grammar, spelling, and stylistic issues are really the last steps in the editing process. The first kind of revision you should tackle is global revision.

Global issues deal with larger elements of the essay: argument, whole paragraphs, focus, organization, and content, for instance. Sometimes, the changes you make during global revision will be quite large. Whole parts of your paper might be reworked or reorganized. Your argument might get refined and refocused, resulting in the elimination of entire paragraphs. Students are occasionally reluctant to make these kinds of big changes, but the pay-off in essay quality can be enormous.

Some things to consider in global revision:

• Purpose

Does your draft accomplish what it was supposed to do?

• Introduction and Conclusion

Does the introduction announce your topic and state your thesis? Does it lead the reader into your paper?

Does the conclusion restate your thesis in different words? Does it seem to "wrap up" the paper?

• Argument

Do you have a strong thesis statement that is specific and debatable? Does the entire essay refer back to and support that thesis?

Are there holes in your argument? Sections that need expansion? Sections that should be deleted?

Have you addressed any counterarguments?

• Organization

Are your ideas in an effective order?

Are there organizational signposts for readers?

Are any paragraphs too long or too short?

• Clarity and Focus

Overall, are your ideas clear?

Do you stay focused on your argument or topic, or do you stray?

• Additional Revision Checklists

List of revision questions

More revision questions

Sentence Level Revision

Once you have dealt with larger issues in your paper, you can focus on words and sentences. At this level, you examine issues of word choice, grammar, transitions, sentence length and variety, mechanics, and punctuation.

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Consider what Peter Elbow has to say about revision: "Look for places where you stumble or get lost in the middle of a sentence. These are obvious awkwardness's that need fixing. Look for places where you get distracted or even bored - where you cannot concentrate. These are places where you probably lost focus or concentration in your writing. Cut through the extra words or vagueness or digression; get back to the energy. Listen even for the tiniest jerk or stumble in your reading, the tiniest lessening of your energy or focus or concentration as you say the words... A sentence should be alive" (Writing with Power 135).

Proofreading

The final step in the revision process is closely reading your paper one last time to check for errors. Sometimes, it is helpful to read your paper aloud. This will help you spot missing words and notice typos.

Peer Review

As mentioned above, it can often be helpful to have someone else read over and revise your term paper or essay. To get the most out of this, ask for specific comments. Comments such as "I like it," and "Good job," really aren't very useful. Ask for concrete suggestions and reactions from your reader - you want to know specifically which parts of the paper work well and which don't.

Here are some questions that can be used for peer review.

References

Elbow, Peter. Writing With Power. New York: Oxford UP, 1998.

Hacker, Diana. A Writer's Reference. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003.