1. Peer Revision Kentlake Writing Seminar Fall 2008 1Kentlake Writing Seminar

2. What is Peer Revision? You aren’t out to pass judgment. Aware of strong & weak points. Make impartial observations. 2Kentlake Writing Seminar

3. Your Work as a Peer Reviser Determine the purpose of paper. Determine the sequence of ideas. Determine the accuracy of facts. 3Kentlake Writing Seminar

4. A Few Sample Questions Is the arguments convincing? Can parts be cut? Comments on the conclusion? Does writing support the thesis? 4Kentlake Writing Seminar

5. Before You Begin Get a pen/pencil paper. Short comments in the margin. Longer on another piece of paper. You need minimum of 30 minutes. 5Kentlake Writing Seminar

6. Peer Writing Groups Improve by critiquing others. Not be afraid to make mistakes. Groups share concerns. 6Kentlake Writing Seminar

7. A Strategy for Peer Revision 7Kentlake Writing Seminar

8. Overview Skim through the paper. Main idea of the paper. Summarize each paragraph. Write down the conclusion. Compare main idea to conclusion. 8Kentlake Writing Seminar

9. CRISP Done, before the final edit Cut words Reduce clauses Intensify verbs Sharpen diction Pack phrases 9Kentlake Writing Seminar

10. When to do this If your paper, do it all If another’s paper do one body Do not do more for others Burn out is a possibility 10Kentlake Writing Seminar

11. Cut words Cut out unnecessary words. That gets "due to the fact that" and "in order to" and all other wordy constructions that don't say anything. 11Kentlake Writing Seminar

12. Reduce Clauses Many clauses can be reduced to phrases. Or eliminated. 12Kentlake Writing Seminar

13. Intensify verbs Circle verbs Intensify the weak ones. 13Kentlake Writing Seminar

14. Sharpen Diction Find the very BEST words Think of the audience Think of the purpose. 14Kentlake Writing Seminar

15. Pack Phrases Move them behind the nouns. Passive "A proposal presented by Derek Bok, the president of Harvard, was defeated.“ Active "Harvard president Derek Bok's proposal failed." 15Kentlake Writing Seminar

16. Thesis Does it express a specific idea? Right scope for a paper? Is it clear? If not, what would help? 16Kentlake Writing Seminar

17. Development Goes beyond class discussion? Have adequate support? Does the author use quotes? Do the quotes really help? 17Kentlake Writing Seminar

18. Style Words should be clear. Ideas expressed in active voice. Are some words used too much? The conclusion restates the thesis. 18Kentlake Writing Seminar

19. Questions? HUNTER COLLEGE READING/WRITING CENTER THE WRITING PROCESS 19Kentlake Writing Seminar