Visualizing Revisions
And indeed, there will be time
. . . . .
And time for a hundred visions and revisions
. . . . .
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse
T. S. Eliot
In this workshop you will use colored pencils to help your readers visualize aspects of their writing. Each
team will evaluate the document for content and the basic elements required for this assignment, including
citations and either the APA format. After work on that area, perform the following evaluation
First team of readers
In a different color for each point, below, highlight the first word in structures that you find (these are not
all errors; you are marking structures so that writers can see writing patterns easily):
a) Sentences beginning with "The"
b) Clauses (may be embedded) beginning with "There is/are/will/may be" or "It is/will/may be"
c) Sentences beginning with a subordinating conjunctions (While, Since…: see punctuation sheet)
d) Clauses beginning with conjunctive adverbs (However, Consequently…: and others on the
punctuation sheet)
e) Passive sentences (“The cup was broken by Mitch,” not “Mitch broke the cup.”)
f) Clauses beginning with (or phrases with) “We,” Us,” “Our” (if these exclude the audience)
g) Lone and short independent clauses -- used for emphasis of an important point
h) Compound sentences joined with a conjunction (and, but, or, for, so, yet, then)
i) Sentences joined with a semicolon (but no conjunctive adverb: see punctuation sheet, #2)
j) Structures with "The way this works is that..." or "The thing this does is...." (wordy)
k) Patterns -- others, like those above, which you notice are repeated
In the odd case that a sentence begins with one structure listed above but continues with another, color the
first word with a color marking the initial structure, then continue coloring the word that begins the next
structure with the other color (colors). Write an explanation in the margin if it is needed.
Second team of readers
In the margin left of an error, mark errors this way (in pen):
a) comma splice
cs
b) run on
ro
c) fragment
fr
d) fragment with ";"
fr;
e) comma
com
f) wordy sentence
wdy
g) misplaced/dangling modifier
mod
h) parallel
||
i) spelling
sp
j) awkward constructions
awk
k) punctuation with quotation marks
. | , inside
: | ; outside
! | ? depends
Also check the APA format/citing and documenting (look at the APA format in APA the Easy
Way)