The Fourth Step in Essay Writing "If you don't write well, you don't think well, and if you don't think well, someone else will do your thinking for you." --George Orwell Chapter Five The Fourth Step in Essay Writing

Revise and Edit Your Work Strategies for revising sentences: Use parallelism. Use specific words. Use a consistent point of view. Use active verbs. Use concise words. Vary your sentences. Revise and Edit Your Work

By balancing the items in a sentence, you will make the sentence clearer and easier to read. Ex.: My job includes checking inventory, initiating orders, and to call the suppliers. calling Use Parallelism

Use a consistent point of view: verbs Do not shift verb tenses unnecessarily. Ex.: Jean punched down the risen dough. Then she dumps it onto the worktable. dumped Use a consistent point of view: verbs

Practice Do activity 1-2 pp 107-109

Use a consistent point of view: pronouns Do not shift point of view unnecessarily Ex.: One of the fringe benefits of my job is that you can use a company credit card for gasoline. I Use a consistent point of view: pronouns

practice Do activity 3 pp 110-111.

To be an effective writer, you must use specific words rather than general words. General: The dog ran down the street. Specific: The mangy stray loped down Broadway, dodging cars and startled pedestrians. Use specific words

practice Do activity 4 pp 112-113.

Specific sentences Use exact names. (Not “the boy,” but “Vince.”) Use lively verbs. (Not “ate,” but “slurped.”) Use descriptive words. (Not “the car,” but “the rickety old Buick.”) Use sense descriptions. (“Vince slurped his ice-cold chocolate milkshake while sitting on the squeaking front seat of his rickety old Buick.”) Specific sentences

Prefer the active voice When the subject receives the action, the verb is in the passive voice. The computer was bought by Hakim. When the subject of a sentence performs the action of the verb, the verb is in the active voice. Hakim bought the computer. Prefer the active voice

Practice Do activity 6 p 115.

Wordiness -- using more words than necessary -- is often a sign of lazy or careless writing. In this paper, I am planning to describe the hobby that I enjoy of collecting old comic books. Revision: I enjoy collecting old comic books. Prefer concision

Practice Do activity 7 pp 116-117.

Vary your sentences by… Effective writing is writing that is varied and interesting. Adding a second complete thought. Adding a dependent thought. Beginning with an opening word or phrase. Placing adjectives or verbs in a series. Vary your sentences by…

Adding a second complete thought… transforms simple sentences (which can be monotonous) – Greg worked on the engine. The car still wouldn’t start. into compound sentences: Greg worked on the engine, but the car still wouldn’t start. Adding a second complete thought…

practice Do activity 8 pp 118-119.

Revising by Adding a dependent thought… transforms simple sentences (which can be monotonous) – The library was very quiet. I couldn’t concentrate. into complex sentences: Although the library was very quiet, I couldn’t concentrate. Revising by Adding a dependent thought…

Practice Do activity 9 pp 120-121.

Beginning with an special opening word or phrase … transforms simple sentences (which can be monotonous) – Paul was concerned about his daughter’s fever. Paul called a doctor. into varied sentences: Concerned about his daughter’s fever, Paul called a doctor. Beginning with an special opening word or phrase …

Practice Do activity 10 pp 122-123.

Placing adjectives or verbs in a series… transforms simple sentences (which can be monotonous) – The truck bounced off a guardrail. It sideswiped a tree. It plunged into the ditch. into varied sentences: The truck bounced off a guardrail, sideswiped a tree, and plunged into the ditch. Placing adjectives or verbs in a series…

practice Do activity 11 pp 123-124.

After revising, check for mistakes in grammar, punctuation, mechanics, usage, and spelling. Edit according to the conventions of written English, aka sentence skills. Editing sentences

Check the edited draft of your paper for typos and other other careless errors. Proofreading

practice Do activity 12 pp 126-127.