Matakuliah
Tahun
Versi
: Writing 1
: 2006-2007
:6
Pertemuan 13
Editing/Revising
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Learning Outcomes
• By the end of this session the students are
expected to be able to:
– Apply the knowledge of punctuation,
capitalization, grammar and paragraph writing
into practice.
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Outline of the materials
• Reviewing and Revising your writing
• Tips
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Reviewing and Revising
• Writing is not the same as speaking.
– In speaking, you can use other means such
as gestures, to convey your message. But, in
writing, you need to be as clear (and as
correct) as possible.
• Reviewing and Revising are necessary.
– Most students do their writing assignments
the night before or even 20 minutes before
class. This is WRONG. Even newspapers
have editors who check the reporters/writers
work. So, re-read and revise your work at
least once before submitting it.
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What do you revise/edit for?
• Punctuation and Spelling:
– Full Stop/period:
• Watch for too long sentences.
• Do not write more than about 12 words in a
sentence unless you are confident enough in using
complex sentences.
– Commas:
• It is the most flexible yet the most important.
• Read your sentence and see if you need to pause.
Then there should be a comma.
– Spelling:
• Check your dictionary (or use the Spell checker in
your word processor) if in doubt
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• Grammar
– Incomplete sentence:
• See if your sentence has a subject and a verb
• Watch for dependent clauses that has no main
clauses.
– S-V agreement
• Does the subject agree with the verb?
– Is there a tense-shift?
• Make sure your sentences are connected in the
right tenses as well as in meaning
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• Content:
– organization of ideas:
• Do you have a clear topic sentence?
• Do other sentences support the main idea?
• Are the sentences related to one another?
– Paragraphing
• Do you indent the first sentence?
• Do you use connectors to connect ideas in sentences?
• Do you have a conclusion?
– Style
• Do you use appropriate style for the type of writing you are
doing? (e.g. a letter to a friend has not the same style as an
application letter or a novel. )
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Tips
• You should leave your composition for a
day or two before re-reading it. You might
find a mistake you didn’t see at first
reading.
• Ask your friend to read it. Another person’s
point of view can be useful in improving
your writing. They may see mistakes you
didn’t see before, and they can give
suggestions to the content.
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Conclusions
• Re-read and edit your writing before you
submit it.
• Revise or edit for
– Punctuation and spelling
– Grammar
– Content
• Leaving it for a day or two and getting a
friend’s opinion may be useful to improve
your writing.
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