OR, HOW TO GET A BETTER MARK! RACHEL MAISSAN Editing your assignments

There are a variety of things you can do...

LEAVE YOUR DRAFT A FEW DAYS BEFORE BEGINNING TO EDIT, THEN CHECK: 1.STRUCTURE – CLEAR INTRODUCTION, BODY AND CONCLUSION 2.PARAGRAPHS – EACH WITH A CLEAR MAIN POINT THAT RELATES TO THE ARGUMENT AND ARRANGED IN A LOGICAL ORDER 3.SENTENCES – WORDS MEAN WHAT YOU THINK THEY MEAN, CORRECT PUNCTUATION AND SPELLING (USE A GOOD DICTIONARY) 4.TRANSITION SIGNALS – CAN THE READER FOLLOW THE IDEAS FROM SENTENCE TO SENTENCE AND PARAGRAPH TO PARAGRAPH? UNSW says:

‘DOES IT LOOK CONVINCING? IF THERE ARE ANY SIGNS OF INACCURACY AND CARELESSNESS AT THE SURFACE LEVEL OF YOUR ESSAY, THESE WILL INVITE SUPERFICIAL CRITICISM FROM YOUR READER – AND MAY WELL DISTRACT HIM OR HER FROM A MORE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION OF THE REAL ARGUMENT’ (1997, P. 81). 1.DEPARTMENT/JMC OFFICIAL GUIDELINES – HAVE YOU FORMATTED THE ASSIGNMENT CORRECTLY? 2.SURFACE LEVEL – SPELLING, PUNCTUATION, GRAMMAR 3.QUOTATIONS – ACCURATE, ACKNOWLEDGED, REFERENCE FORMAT, GRAMMATICALLY INCORPORATED 4.REFERENCE LIST/BIBLIOGRAPHY – CORRECTLY SET OUT 5.TITLE PAGE/SYNOPSIS – CORRECT Essay Writing for Students says:

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR WRITING STYLE – A CHECKLIST: 1.READ YOUR WORK OUT LOUD – ‘THE EAR WILL HEAR WHAT THE EYE DOES NOT SEE’ (2009, P. 93). 2.USE ROLE-PLAY – IF YOU’RE HAVING A HARD TIME PUTTING A CONCEPT INTO WORDS, THINK ABOUT HOW YOU WOULD EXPLAIN IT TO SOMEONE ELSE 3.STICK TO THE FAMILIAR – AVOID COMPLEX- SOUNDING WORDS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON’T FULLY UNDERSTAND THEM. Brilliant Writing Tips for Students has:

4.BE CONCISE – CUT OUT MEANINGLESS, REPETITIVE AND LONG-WINDED WORDS AND PHRASES 5.VARY RECURRING WORDS AND PHRASES – USE A THESAURUS 6.WATCH OUT FOR SIMILAR-SOUNDING WORDS – E.G. AFFECT/EFFECT, THERE/THEIR/THEY’RE, PRINCIPLE/PRINCIPAL, COMPLEMENT/COMPLIMENT, ETC. 7.AVOID CONTRACTIONS – DON’T USE THEM, IT’S LESS FORMAL 8.BEWARE OF THE COMPUTER SPELL/GRAMMAR – CHECKER – IT’S NOT ALWAYS CORRECT Brilliant Writing Tips for Students cont:

VARY YOUR SENTENCES – SHORT SENTENCES AT THE BEGINNING OR END OF A PARAGRAPH MAKE AN EXTRA IMPACT. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE AND CONVENTIONS – KNOW THE PERSON MARKING YOUR ASSIGNMENT, AND FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH EXPECTED THE STYLE. READ SAMPLES OF EXCELLENT WORK OF THE TYPE YOU HAVE TO WRITE – YOU’LL GET A FEEL FOR THE STRUCTURE, LANGUAGE AND POSSIBLE CONTENT. My tips for higher quality writing:

ASK SOMEONE KNOWLEDGEABLE FOR HELP – AN ACCOMPLISHED FRIEND, THE LECTURER OR ACADEMIC SUPPORT PERSON. START EARLY – THIS GIVES YOU TIME TO GET MORE RESEARCH AND REVISE. READ YOUR WORK OUT LOUD – YOU’LL FEEL SILLY, BUT YOU’LL CATCH LOTS OF MISTAKES. THINK ABOUT PAST MISTAKES – CHECK YOUR OLD RUBRICS. More tips for higher quality writing:

Check Moodle for more:

CLANCY J & BALLARD B 1997, ESSAY WRITING FOR STUDENTS, 3RD EDN, ADDISON WESLEY LONGMAN AUSTRALIA, SOUTH MELBOURNE. COPUS J 2009, BRILLIANT WRITING TIPS FOR STUDENTS, PALGRAVE MACMILLAN, HOUNDMILLS, HAMPSHIRE. THE LEARNING CENTRE 2013, ESSAY WRITING: THE BASICS, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES, VIEWED ON 3 APRIL 2013,. References

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EDITING, IT’S PROBABLY BEST TO BOOK A ONE-ON-ONE OR SMALL GROUP APPOINTMENT WITH AN ACADEMIC SUPPORT PERSON (AND BRING A SAMPLE OF WRITING WITH YOU). ME AT OR COME TO THE LIBRARY TO BOOK AN Finally,

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