1. Bedford Guide for college writers Ch. 23
Revising and Editing
Bedford Guide for college writers Ch. 23

2. Macro (Global) Revisions
Overall revision of your paper.
You will focus on purpose, organizations, and audience.
Purpose: Have you refined what you want to accomplish?
Thesis: Could you state your main point more accurately?
Audience: Should you address your readers differently?
Structure: Should you reorganize any part of your writing?
Support: Do you need to add, drop, or rework your support?

3. Micro (Local) Revisions
Micro revisions pay attention to sentences, words, punctuation, and grammar.
Emphasis: Can you position your ideas more effectively?
Conciseness: Can you spot extra words you might cut?
Clarity: Can you make any sentences and words clearer?

4. Macro: Revising for Thesis and Purpose
To revise for purpose make sure your writing accomplishes what you want it to do. Concentrate on what is actually in your paper, not what you assume is there. Create a thesis sentence (if you haven’t), or revise your working thesis, see examples on page
Reconsider how it is worded:
Is it stated exactly in concise yet detailed language?
Is it focused on only one main idea?
Is it state positively rather than negatively?
It is limited to a demonstrable statement?
Does your thesis represent your main idea?
Does each part of your essay directly relate to your thesis?
Does each part of your essay develop and support your thesis?
Does your essay deliver everything your thesis promised?
Take a moment and go through each of these questions with your own essay.

5. Macro: Revising for Audience
What works for one audience may not work for another. Step back and imagine reading your essay from your reader’s point of view.
Follow the checklist on page 461.

6. Macro: Revising for Structure and Support
Are your opening and closing paragraphs relevant, concise, and interesting?