USEFUL TECHNIQUES FOR REVISION

• Allow time between drafting and revising, so you can approach your essay from a fresh perspective. Try to leave enough time to set your draft aside overnight if possible.
• Listen for problems as you or a friend reads your draft aloud. Listening carefully can help you identify awkward wording, vague or overused expressions, or main points that are unclear or lack adequate support. A reader less familiar with the text than you may also slow down when reading or misread confusing passages, providing a hint for areas that need revision.
• Ask a classmate to read and comment on your paper. This process, called peer review, is discussed in detail later in this chapter.
• Look for consistent problem areas in your writing. Develop a checklist of common problems — such as confusing organization or a lack of concrete supporting details — by listing issues from several essays you have written; then check for these problem areas as you revise.
• Read a printed copy. You will be able to analyze and evaluate your writing more impartially, and you can write marginal annotations, circle troublesome words or sentences, and draw arrows to connect details more easily.
• Draw a graphic organizer or outline your draft. A graphic organizer or outline allows you to see how your thesis and topic sentences relate to one another and helps you evaluate content and organization. If you spot a problem, such as a detail or an example that does not support a topic sentence, write notes to the right of your organizer (or outline), as shown in Figure 9.2. (For more about creating a graphic organizer, see Chapter 3; for more on outlining, see Chapter 7.)

FIGURE 9.2 Sample Graphic Organizer for Revision