HOW TO REVISE AND EDIT EFFECTIVELY

REVISION VS. EDITING  Revision is content-focused. Revision is a time to identify holes in an argument, information that may need to be added or subtracted, and to wholly rewrite passages of text that may not make sense.  Editing is what we might call the refined details of a paper. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling are all things to be looked for during editing.

REVISING AND EDITING TECHNIQUES  It’s hard to revise a paper when you’ve just finished writing. It’s good to get some distance from the text. Take a break and let it sit for at least a few hours before going back to reread it. Otherwise, you might glance over errors you’ve made because you’re too familiar with the text.  Edit in multiple ways. Read through your paper after you’ve written it on a computer, but also print out a copy and go over it with a pen in your hand. Reading it out loud to yourself is also a good idea. It’s easier to catch confusing phrases or mistakes that way.

REVISING AND EDITING TECHNIQUES  Make sure you revise without distractions. Even if you write with music on or the TV playing in the background, don’t revise in the same way. Not only will you be more effective, but the process will go a lot faster.  When editing, look for one type of error at a time. Read your paper once for spelling, once for punctuation, etc.  Read your paper backwards. This may sound weird, but it will be more effective since you’re reading the paper in an unfamiliar way.  Have someone else read your paper. Even if they can’t advise you about content, they can edit for you, and they’re more likely to catch mistakes because the paper is unfamiliar to them.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN REVISING  Content (proven claims, supporting evidence, examples)  Structure (introduction, conclusion, thesis, transitions)  Paragraphs (topic sentences, length, transitions)  Clarity  Style (formal vs. informal, sentence structure, tense)  Much of what you do when revising will be instinctual. Do what seems right to you, even if you’re not sure.

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN REVISING  In your physical textbook, on pages , there are lists of strategies to use when revising. Use these lists to your advantage!

THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN EDITING  Correct Citation Format  Spelling  Grammar  Punctuation

THE 20 MOST COMMON STUDENT ERRORS  Your online handbook lists the top 20 student errors. Look for these when editing your paper.  While this list will be helpful during the editing process, remember that it is not comprehensive. There are lots of other kinds of mistakes!

CORRECT CITATION FORMAT  Treat in-text citations and Works Cited citations separately.  For in-text citations, make sure you have the author’s last name and a page number for every sentence that includes either a paraphrase or a direct quote in your paper.  For Works Cited citations, make a list of what each type of citation should contain. Then go through each type of citation checking to make sure all the relevant information is there.  Remember to use your online handbook and the Purdue OWL to help you with MLA format.

SPELLING  Using the spellcheck feature on your computer is always a good way to start, but you can’t stop there. Spellcheck does not catch everything, so you need to look over your paper yourself to make sure there are no mistakes.  Watch out for commonly misspelled words, or similar words that are easily interchanged. Spellcheck won’t catch these!

COMMONLY MISSPELLED WORDS  accept // except  affect // effect  breath // breathe  desert // dessert  hear // here  it’s // its  lose // loose  past // passed  reign // rein  set // sit  cite // sight // site  than // then  their // there // they’re  to // too  who’s // whose  woman // women  you’re // your

GRAMMAR  It’s impossible to know all the rules of grammar. When editing for grammar, it’s best to rely on instinct. If it seems right, leave it the way it is.  Watch out for grammar correction in word processing software. It’s usually wrong. Go with your gut and do what seems right.

PUNCTUATION  Commas  Semicolons  Exclamation Marks  Quotation Marks  Apostrophes  Check your online handbook for help using these and other punctuation marks.

OUTSIDE RESOURCES  There are places you can go to get help with your paper.  We’ve already heard about the Writing Center.  There will also be more study sessions for the drafts that you can attend.