After you have written a rough draft, use this checklist before you make revisions for the final version of your paper which you will turn in to your instructor.
1.
Do you have an introductory paragraph
that contains a thesis statement? The topic sentence
for this paragraph is your thesis statement.
2.
Do you have fully developed body
paragraphs, each one with a topic sentence?
3.
Do you have enough examples,
details, illustrations, and concrete facts to back· up what you say in your topic
sentences? Use
at least three examples, facts, details, etc.
4.
Do your paragraphs have unity? This means that you do not have any ideas in your
paragraph that do not relate to the topic sentence. In other words, do you stick
to the same subject within the paragraph?
5.
Does each paragraph have coherence? That is, does every sentence
present a logical idea that is followed naturally by another idea in sequence? Does
each sentence state a complete thought?
6.
Do you make transitions (bridges)
between paragraphs? Transitions between paragraphs are
affected by sentences that lead you from one topic to the next. Frequently the topic
sentence also serves as the transitional sentence.
7.
Do you have a conclusion paragraph
that re-creates your thesis statement and the major points of your body paragraphs?
8.
Does your over-all essay give
a clear idea of what you wanted to say? If it does not,
go over the above items more carefully than you previously have done. Have someone
else read your paper and give you suggestions.
9.
Read your paper aloud to catch
any awkward sounding sentences and to help you punctuate more correctly.
10.
Proofread your paper to check
your spelling, grammar, appearance, style, and tone.
Revising
Your Rough Draft
One of the most frequent complaints of university professors is that
students too often submit as final papers writing which is at best a first
draft. They are not
so much disappointed with students as they are frustrated by what
they see as
a failed
opportunity . If
the student had just
set aside more time to revise,the final
paper would have improved dramatically.
Most students think of revision as an eleventh-hour exercise, a quick encounter with a spell checker a few minutes before the paper is turned in. In reality,professional writers dedicate fully 50% of their time and effort to the revision
process. That means that when working
with a deadline, the revision process needs to start several days before
the paper is submitted.
{For help in creating a timeline that willallow you enough time to revise,see "Overcoming Writer'.s
Block")
Make multiple passes over
your writing
Think of the revision
as happening in several discrete passes over
the writing. In
each revision of
the paper, focus on
a different kind of concern.
Remember,"revision" means
literally to "see again" and that's what you are tr
ying to accomplish by coming back
to the paper repeatedly over several days, each time with a fresh perspectiv e.
Paradoxically,this way of
thinking about revision-as multiple
passes-is liberating. It
removes much of the stress
connected with catching or fixing everything at the same
time.
Practicing deep
rather than superficial revision teaches
you a tremendous amount about the relationship
between words and ideas. Indeed,
it is the only way to
move from writing adequately to writing well, which
is the
mark of a successful professional in any field.
First reading:
ORGANIZATION
Underline or highlightthe topic sentence in each paragraph.
(If you discover you
don't have a top
ic sentence, write one!)
1.
Read through
only
the
topic sentences in
your paper,or block these into a second document on your word processor.
a) Does each sentence logically follow the one preceding it?
b) Do
the topic sentences form a reasonable
mini-essay in themselves?
c)
Move ideas-whole paragraphs,sentences,parts of text-around like blocks to improve ORGANIZATION.
2.
To insure overall CONTINUITY among paragraphs,tell your reader what point you're discussing, what you'll talk about next, etc. You may need to write some new sections, transition sentences or whole paragraphs. Make navigation within the essay easy for the reader.
Second reading:
PARAGRAPHS AND SENTENCES
Take one paragraph at a time and read it out loud. Then ask yourself:
1. Does each sentence in the paragraph refer to the central idea stated in the topic sentence? Throw out IRRELEVANT SENTENCES or move them to a better location.
2. Look at the LENGTH OF THE PARAGRAPH on the page. If a paragraph is short, see if you've left questions unanswered; develop your ideas further. If it's too long,see if you can break it up into two or more shorter paragraphs.
3. Does each sentence
follow the preceding
one logically? Do you give your readers clues (words such as thus, therefore,first,because,but, etc.) to help them follow your thoughts? Rearrange sentences and add TRANSITIONS if necessary.
4. Do your sentences sound dull because they're too SHORT?
Do they sound complex because they're LONG? Combine some; break others up into simple sentences. Variety in sentence length makes
your writing more interesting to read.
5. Do you REPEAT the sa me words too often ? Do you use words you don't need? Omit NEEDLESS WORDS and search the thesaurus for useful synonyms . Be sure that words convey what you mean.
6. Circle all VERBS. Change passive voice
to active voice. Search for fresh,
powerful verbs. For example, change "Signs were seen by.." to "Witnesses detected...:·
7. Read eac h sentence in the paragraph
aloud to recognize ERRORS IN GRAMMAR,SPELLING, AND PUNCTUATION. Correct these mistakes, as well as typos.
Third reading: CONTENT
Ask a friend, your professor,or TA to read your paper
and give you feedback . Then ask yourse lf;
1.
Do you BELIEVE what
you've written? Do you UNDER STAND your own ideas and your reasons? If necessary,reconsider your thesis or discuss your ideas with your professor.
2.
Does every paragraph,sentence,and word serve to DEVELOP YOUR THES IS? Speak SIMPLY and clearly to your reader. Edit out irrelevancies.
Have
you documented with references
and footnotes all
of your quotat
ions?
Made sure not
to use too
many quotes? Confirmed that your final
draft is clean and
easy to read?
Check your STYLEBOOK
for
