Revising a Rough Draft

REVISING A ROUGH DRAFT

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