Rough Draft Self-Edit Guidelines
1. Label your paragraphs:
Introduction, 1st body paragraph, 2nd body paragraph, 3rd body paragraph, and conclusion paragraph
2. Read your introduction. Highlight in yellow your thesis sentence. (This is the sentence that holds the main idea of the rest of the essay.) Make sure your introduction paragraph is at least 3-5 sentences.
3. Read your 1st body paragraph. Underline the main idea of this paragraph. Highlight in green your sentence that specifically supports the main idea with an example, evidence, or personal experience.
** You must elaborate! If you don’t have an example or supporting evidence to support the paragraph’s main idea you will revise by adding it now**
Hint: Look back at your yellow thesis sentence in the Introduction paragraph. Does your underlined sentence support the thesis?
4. Read your 2nd body paragraph. Underline the main idea of this paragraph. Highlight in green your sentence that specifically supports the main idea with an example or evidence.
** Revise by adding or enhancing example/evidence/personal experience if necessary. **
5. Read your 3rd body paragraph. Underline the main idea of this paragraph. Highlight in green your sentence that specifically supports the main idea with an example or evidence.
** Revise by adding or enhancing example/evidence/personal experience if necessary. **
6. Read your conclusion paragraph. Highlight your restatement of your thesis in yellow.Underline your feeling sentence. (This sentence should express your overall emotion towards your belief of The American Dream.)
** A good idea for a sentence in your conclusion paragraph is to have a future statement. (What do you believe the American Dream will be in the future, or what does the future hold for the American Dream) This is only one sentence inside of the conclusion paragraph. **
7. Read all of the paragraphs, scanning for vague language such as: a lot, little, big, very, etc… CIRCLE WORDS SUCH AS THESE WITH A RED PEN.
Revise by rewording/rewriting with careful word choice.
** DO NOT just substitute “large” for the word “big”**
Look at the whole sentence and decide how you can improve with more mature writing.
8. Find sentences that start with the word “There” and using a red pen put a box around the word “There”
Revise these sentences.
Example: There are many different kinds of dreams for people. COULD BE REVISE/REWORDING AS: Dreams vary for each individual.
10. Read your green highlight sentences. (Supporting sentences for the body paragraphs) Select ONEof these to revise by incorporating descriptive language. Make the example “come alive!”
In class/homework assignment:
After self-editing your rough draft, create a NEW copy of your rough draft, skipping lines (double spacing.) Number each sentence. Bring this numbered REVISED ROUGH DRAFT to class tomorrow!! THURSDAY, September 2nd.
** This REVISED ROUGH DRAFT will be counted as a daily grade, so take the time to complete it. **