Revising and Editing
You've probably heard someone say they were going to revise or edit an
essay. Did you know these are different things? When we revise, we think
about the big picture in an essay: the thesis, the main ideas, the
supporting details, the organization, etc. When we edit, we focus on the
sentence-level points: spelling, grammar, word choices, etc. Both are
important and must be done when we complete your essay on the exam. This
resource provides strategies for revising and editing that you can
practice before your exam to help you strengthen the final essay you
submit.
Revising Stage 1: Seeing the Big Picture
When you first begin your revision process, you should focus on the big picture or issues at the essay level that might need to be addressed. The following questions will guide you:
- Do you have a clear thesis? Do you know what idea or perspective you want your reader to understand upon reading your essay?
- Is your essay well organized?
- Is each paragraph a building block in your essay: does each explain or support your thesis?
- Does it need a different shape? Do parts need to be moved?
- Do you fully explain and illustrate the main ideas of your paper?
- Does your introduction grab the reader's interest?
- Does your conclusion leave the reader understanding your point of view?
- Are you saying in your essay what you want to say?
- What is the strength of your paper? What is its weakness?