Elements of Peer Conferencing Revision, Editing, Proofreading

Revision Addresses large-scale issues like: General focus Purpose Content Audience Organization

Editing Addresses smaller-scale issues like: Word choice Style Tone Effectiveness of essay’s transition

Proofreading Concerns the appearance of a document. Check for: Errors in punctuation Spelling Usage Typos and errors in formatting

A Plan for Revision There are two keys to revision:

First Try to see your project through another reader’s eyes.

Second Give yourself enough time to decide on the changes you want to make, and then make them.

Don’t be concerned with editing or proofreading. Think about the whole piece of writing.

Reading for Revision To revise effectively. Imagine you are someone who is: Uninformed about the topic or Informed but hold a different viewpoint

Reading for Revision Read the draft aloud and make note of any parts that need to be addressed. Consider the questions on the handout.

Making the Revisions Consider: Do I need more info from the library? Do I need to think of more reasons and details? Do I need to rearrange paragraphs? Etc.

Editing Read Draft Aloud Mark those places that are confusing, hard to read, awkward or choppy Mark punctuation and spelling errors

Editing Underline all transitional words and phrases Are there places that need stronger transitions?

Editing Mark any wordy phrases or sentences Look for: run-ons, fragments, dangling modifiers, vague pronouns Do sentences starting with “it is” and “there are” require stronger, active verb?

Editing Re-read intro and conclusion Is opening interesting and effectively introduce the project? Does the ending pull the paper together and leave the audience satisfied?

Proofreading Spelling, mechanics, and formatting don’t affect the quality of your argument, but they do affect your credibility.

Proofreading Spell Check is great but not perfect. It won’t catch words like “to”, “too” and “two”

Proofreading Print a copy of your draft and read through carefully. You will catch many errors by reading aloud.

Proofreading Use your peers as a second and third set of eyes. These eyes are fresher and will catch errors you keep skipping over.

Proofreading Make sure the draft is correctly formatted according to the assignment instructions.

Closing Thoughts Don’t be afraid to tell your peer if something doesn’t work. Constructive criticism will help them develop a worthwhile paper. You’ll want a peer to help you make your paper the best it can be so return the favor.

Credits Substantial Writing Component Resource Office at the University of Texas at Austin