Revising, Editing, and Proofing

Step One: Revision

Revision concerns the substance of your paper, the meat and potatoes of your argumentation. In this phase, you should focus your attention of the development, placement, and flow of your ideas

When you revise your paper,

  • review the paper as a whole.
  • identify and fill in gaps and missing transitions.
  • delete extraneous material.
  • move texts as needed for logic, flow, or emphasis.

Revising the Whole Essay

  1. Does my draft satisfy the purpose of the assignment?
  2. Is my tone consistent with the purpose?
  3. Is there a beginning, middle, and end?
  4. Does the introduction prepare the reader for what is to come?
  5. Do I have a clear thesis statement at the end of the introduction that address the “so what” of my essay?
  6. Does the thesis need revision/specification?
  7. Did I discuss everything promised in my thesis?
  8. Did I present my ideas in a logical fashion?
  9. Are there clear transitions between paragraphs that allow the reader to follow how the structure connects?
  10. Does my conclusion sum up my main points and reemphasize my thesis?

Revising Body Paragraphs – Development, Unity, and Coherence!

  1. Is each topic sentence adequately developed and supported with evidence?
  2. Does each paragraph address the “so what” question?
  3. Does each body paragraph have one main idea?
  4. Does every sentence in each paragraph relate to the paragraph’s topic sentence?
  5. Does each paragraph relate logically to the thesis?
  6. Are the relationships between sentences in each paragraph clear?
  7. Are the relationships between each paragraph clear and fluid?

Do not leave this phase of the writing process until you are satisfied with the development of your ideas!

Step Two: Editing

The editing process concerns polishing language in order to convey ideas as clearly, correctly, and coherently as possible. This step involves focusing on word choice, grammar conventions, and sentence level clarity.

Get out your handbook, review your class notes, and refer to your instructor’s comments on previous writing assignments in order to better address problem areas.

Revising Sentences

Have you avoided

  • wordiness?
  • unnecessary repetition?
  • missing words?
  • confusing shifts in tense, voice, mood, person, and number?
  • misplaced and dangling modifiers?
  • split infinitives?
  • excessive subordination?

Have you

  • varied your sentence structure?
  • used commas, semicolons, and colons correctly?
  • addressed standard grammar conventions? (fragments, s/v agreement, incorrect verb forms, inconsistent tenses, etc)
  • used quotations correctly?

Revising Words

Have you selected words that

  • adequately reflect your intentions?
  • are specific, concrete, and unambiguous?
  • are appropriate for an academic audience?
  • are not biased in nature?

Remember to check for over-usage of “to be” and insert active verbs where possible.

Step Three: Proofing

Reread every word carefully and check for

  • typos.
  • quotations/documentation.
  • paper format.
  • spelling.
  • similar words (to, too).
  • capitalization, italics, etc.

Remember, the WritingCenter is a valuable resource at West Georgia. Tutors will not proofread your papers. However, they will read and comment on your work and help you identify and correct grammar and mechanical problems.

First Draft

From Thanksgiving, young boys and their parents are bombarded by ads for violent toys and video games. Stupid toy manufacturers persist in thinking that only toys that appeal to children’s aggressiveness will sell. Video games have escalated the level of violence. Young girls are also faced with toys and games that stress beauty and gendered behavior. Why blind as a bat parents continue too buy these violent toys and games for there children.

Revised Draft

From Thanksgiving until Christmas, young boys and their parents are bombarded by ads for violent toys and video games. Stupid Toy manufacturers persist in thinking that only toys that appeal to children’s aggressiveness will sell. One television commercial praises the merits of a commando team that attacks and captures a miniature enemy base. Toy soldiers wear realistic uniforms and carry automatic rifles, pistols, knives, and grenades. Another commercial shows children laughing and shooting one another with plastic rocket launchers. Despite claims that they (unlike action toys) have educational value, video games have escalated the level of violence. A parents’ watchdog group has estimated that during the past three years, violent video games have increased sales by almost 20 percent (“Action Toys Sell” 17). The most popular video games involve children in strikingly realistic combat situations. One game lets children search out and destroy enemy fighters. Other best-selling games graphically feature dismembered bodies and chilling sound effects. Young girls are also faced with toys and games that stress beauty and gendered behavior. The real question is why blind as a bat parents continue too buy these violent toys and games for their children.

(. . .) The real question is why parents continue to buy these violent toys and games for their children.

Young girls are also faced with toys and games that stress beauty and gendered behavior. (. . .etc. . .)

(. . .) The real question is why parents continue to buy these violent toys and games for their children.

In addition to targeting the aggressive nature of young boys, toy manufacturers assail young girls are also faced with toys and games that stress beauty and other gendered behavior. (. . .etc. . .)