Revision Strategies

Here is what I have devised for my students:

Revisions – Writers revise everything. They revise more than once.

They want the text to mean something.

They want the text to speak to the reader.

They want the text to sound good.

How to revise a paper

Look at instructor and peer suggestions

Implement changes according to those suggestions if you agree

Look for passive construction –anything verbs that include “to be” or “to have” – “ing” verbs

Can you use an active verb? Whenever possible, substitute that active verb

Look at sentence structure. Just because I didn’t mark something, doesn’t mean that it is well-written.

Look for ways to combine sentences, eliminate redundant prepositional phrases

Look at punctuation – commas, quotation marks, end punctuation

Look at diction –

Does it meet academic standards?

Is it too conversational?

Do the words add meaning

Are you using vague words that say very little?

Look for ways to add style to your paper

Look for fulfillment of the prompt.

Look for revisions that have no teacher/peer marks.

Don’t assume that if a section has no little marks on it that it’s perfect.

Teachers cannot find everything.

On first drafts, I primarily look for fulfillment of the prompt. If you’ve got all the requirements of the assignment, I spend more time on sentence structure.

It is your job to read, review, revise—to develop the ability to create an effective, persuasive text.

LOOK AT FORMATTING! - MLA – Next time you will look half a grade for failure to follow formatting –

Look at your metadiscourse in the intro. Does it match the organization of your essay?

Look at your organization? Does it make logical sense? Do the ideas follow each other easily?

Strategies for revision:

Read and re-read for comprehension.

Read aloud and listen to your voice. Does your text make sense? Is there more eloquent way to say something? A more direct way?

As I write, I am always going back up to the top and reading through as I go.

I am looking for sentence structure, style, clarity, the way sentences connect to each other.

And then I return to the section I am currently writing—I want that section to fit what I have already written.

Keep your prompt near you so that you can check off all the things you are required to do.

Common Errors –

Format for longer quotes

Floating quotes – Always give context for quotes, before or after. Quotation sandwiches. (See TSIS)