Dr. Horton's English 1101
 
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Revise and Edit

This guide will help you through the final stage of fixing your paper. First, make changes to your draft using the "Revise" guide; then print out a clean copy and work through the "Edit" guide. If you follow the detailed advice below, the final draft of your paper should be easier to read and easier to follow.

Revising Stage
  • Double-Check the Content:
    (Make sure you have written sentences that correspond to each section of your outline)
    1. Beginning
      • Reach out to your audience (engaging hook)
      • Prepare your audience (relevant background)
      • Preview your argument (interrelated points)
      • Thesis statement (topic and position)
    2. Middle (look at each paragraph)
      • Topic sentence (main idea of paragraph)
      • Supporting details (concrete evidence)
      • Closing statement (demonstrate proof)
    3. Ending
      • Explain importance (why it matters)
      • New information (extend the discussion)
      • Final comments (satisy the reader)
    4. If you use a counter-argument paragraph in the middle, make sure it includes
      • Statement of the opinion that differs from yours.
      • How or why this opinion makes sense.
      • Rebuttal of this opinion.

  • Double-Check the Organization:
    1. Put a * by your thesis, each topic sentence in the middle, and the first sentence of the end.
    2. The logical progression of these sentences should be an orderly thought process.
    3. Make sure your thesis clearly and directly focuses your topic and states your position.
    4. Make sure your main points are not three unrelated ideas but three steps of ONE argument.
    5. Make sure the last sentence of each middle paragraph DOES NOT mention the topic of the next paragraph.
    6. From beginning to end, your essay should be persuasive, not a summary of events.
    7. Make sure that each of your paragraphs is the same length.

  • Write a title:
      Make a two-part title to catch attention and be informative.
      ex. Sitting in the Stands: Disappointment on Graduation Day
      ex. Telling the Boss Off: How I Learned to Stand Up to a Tyrant
      ex. Lower Test Scores: How No Child Left Behind Leaves Every Child Behind
      ex. Turning Our Backs on Spirit: A Defense of Senior Class Disrespect
      ex. Let them Fight to the End: An Alternative to Our Present Form of Capital Punishment
      ex. Keep Them Off the Roads: How to Improve DUI Law Enforcement
Editing Stage
  • Fixing the Text:
    1. Circle all instances of “you,” “your,” “yours,” “yourself,” etc. Delete them.
    2. Circle all subjects; put a box around all verbs; check for agreement and tense errors.
    3. Check that all of your pronouns agree in number with the nouns they represent.
      And be sure the pronoun cannot possibly represent two different nouns.
    4. and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so: use commas with coordinating conjunctions (SV, and SV.)
      ex. The oak tree in the front yard fell on the roof, so we will have to move.
      ex. Gulliver set his alarm for 6:00 AM, yet he still managed to get stuck in traffic.
    5. however, therefore, instead (vs.) although, because, whereas
      ex. The oak tree in the front yard fell on the roof; therefore, we will have to move.
      ex. Because the oak tree in the front yard fell on the roof, we will have to move.
      ex. Gulliver set his alarm for 6:00 AM; nevertheless, he managed to get stuck in traffic.
      ex. Although Gulliver set his alarm for 6:00 AM, he still managed to get stuck in traffic.
    6. introductory clauses and phrases (comma before the subject) (intro, SV.)
      ex. With no roof to keep the rain out, our house needs serious repair.
      ex. Whereas GSC offers a personal environment, UGA is more socially challenging.

  • Errors to avoid:
    1. Any form of the lazy cliche “As I said before” or “In summary” or “In conclusion”
    2. “This” and “that” used by itself as a pronoun (especially as a subject)
      ex. This shows that I needed to sleep more often.
      ex. That was the worst day of my high school career.
      ex. Mr. Clark proved this to me in sixth grade.
      ex. I believed that for a long time.
    3. “it” used as a subject
      ex. It is scary to walk in the dark. (not so good)
      ex. Walking in the dark frightens me. (much better)
    4. “By doing this . . . it will improve”
      ex. By Mr. Horton reviewing my outline, it will help me improve my paper. (not so good)
      ex. By reviewing my outline, Mr. Horton will help me improve my paper. (much better)
    5. dangling modifiers
      ex. As a GSC college student, textbooks are expensive. (not so good)
      ex. As a GSC college student, I spend a lot of money on textbooks. (much better)

  • MLA Formatting:
    1. Use 1” margins
    2. Use 12 pt. Times New Roman font
    3. Double-space the text
    4. Put last name and page number in upper right header.
    5. Use four-line heading on first page
    6. Leave out extra spaces between paragraphs or around title
    7. For the research paper:
      • Are all sources cited, either in the sentence itself or in parentheses?
      • Double-check the punctuation of your citations in the text.
      • On Works Cited page, center the title Works Cited at the top (no italics).
      • Put works cited entries in alphabetical order and double-spaced.
      • Distribute web addresses evenly across lines in works cited entries.