Revising and Editing

For more revising and editing strategies, see Ch. 23.

Your revising, editing, and proofreading will be easier if you have accurate notes on your observations. But what if you don’t have enough detail for your draft? If you have doubts, go back to the scene to take more notes.

Focus on a Main Impression or Thesis. As you begin to revise, have a friend read your observation, or read it yourself as if you had never seen the place you observed. Note gaps that would puzzle a reader, restate the spirit of the place, or sharpen the description of the main impression you want to convey in your thesis.

WORKING THESIS After morning classes, students have fun relaxing on Smalley Green with their dogs and Frisbees.
REVISED THESIS When students, dogs, and Frisbees accumulate on Smalley Green after lunch, they show how much campus learning takes place outside of class.

For practice supporting a thesis, go to the interactive “Take Action” charts in Re:Writing.

Add Relevant and Powerful Details. Next, check your selection of details. Does each detail contribute to your main impression? Should any details be dropped or added? Should any be rearranged so that your organization, moving point to point, is clearer? Could any observations be described more vividly, powerfully, or concretely? Could any vague words such as very, really, great, or beautiful be replaced with more specific words? (As you spot too much repetition of certain words, use your software’s Edit–Find function to locate them so you can reword for variety.)

To see where your draft could need work, consider these questions:

REVISION CHECKLIST

  • Have you accomplished your purpose — to convey to readers your overall impression of your subject and to share some telling insight about it?
  • What can you assume your readers know? What do they need to be told?
  • Have you gathered enough observations to describe your subject? Have you observed with all your senses when possible — even smell and taste?
  • Have you been selective, including details that effectively support your overall impression?
  • Which observations might need to be checked for accuracy? Which might need to be checked for richness or fullness?
  • Is your organizational pattern the most effective for your subject? Is it easy for readers to follow? Would another pattern work better?

See more editing and proofreading strategies.

After you have revised your essay, edit and proofread it. Carefully check the grammar, word choice, punctuation, and mechanics — and then correct any problems. If you have added details while revising, consider whether they have been sufficiently blended with the ideas already there. Here are some questions to get you started:

EDITING CHECKLIST

Find the relevant checklist sections in the Quick Editing Guide for more help. See also the Quick Format Guide.

Is your sentence structure correct? Have you avoided writing fragments, comma splices, and fused sentences? A1, A2
Have you used an adjective when you describe a noun or pronoun? Have you used an adverb when you describe a verb, adjective, or adverb? Have you used the correct form to compare two or more things? A7
Is it clear what each modifier in a sentence modifies? Have you created any dangling or misplaced modifiers? B1
Have you used parallel structure wherever needed, especially in lists or comparisons? B2