Analyze your essay for
organization.
Verify sources are cited
correctly.
Edit and proofread
your final draft.
START WITH THE BIG CONCERNS…
Switch from
WriterCentered to
ReaderCentered
Analyze
Organization
Tighten
Sentences
and
Language
Verify
Sources are
Cited
Correctly
Eliminate
Mistakes in
Grammar
and Usage
Check
Formatting
…AND THEN WORRY ABOUT EDITING
SWITCH FROM WRITER-CENTERED TO READER-CENTERED
Pretend
You Didn’t
Write It
•Detach yourself from what you’ve written. Pretend this is someone else’s essay.
•What is the most successful part of the essay? Why? How could this part be made better?
•What is the least successful part of the essay? Why? How could this part be improved?
Read Aloud
•Read to a friend, to a pet, or to a mirror.
•Have someone read the essay to you.
•Listen for awkward phrases, confusing parts—anything that sounds funny or wrong.
Mark these quickly to revise later, but then keep reading!
•Remember—if you are even slightly confused, your reader will be VERY confused.
Peer Edit
•Work with someone else in your class to complete the strategies above.
•Trade papers and use the T.I.P.S.+ handout (in the handout tower) or complete the
strategies above.
•Listen carefully to their suggestions and be respectful when you give yours.
ANALYZE ORGANIZATION
Post-Draft Outline
 An extremely helpful revision
strategy.
 Go through your draft and
underline ONLY the thesis and
main point of each paragraph.
 Using these main points, make
a new outline.
 Allow yourself to rearrange the
main points so they flow as
logically as possible.
Write Thesis Statement at top
of a sheet of paper.
Paragraph 1 Main Point >
para.2
Paragraph 2 Main Point > para.1
Paragraph 3 Main Point
Paragraph 4 Main Point >
para.6
Paragraph 5 Main Point
(delete)
Paragraph 6 Main Point > para.5
Use the
T.I.P.S.+
handout
WRITE ANOTHER DRAFT
 Writing is a Process
 Most successful writers make many more than one draft.
 If you are having trouble, open a clean word document and start fresh.
 By retyping your paper—even if you are typing most of the same sentences—
you will automatically correct awkward phrases, find better words, and in
general make your essay stronger.
 Things to Consider When Starting a New Draft
 Each paragraph should have a single easily identifiable main point.
 If there is more than one main point, consider whether you need a paragraph
for each main point, if all the points are supporting your thesis, or if you
 If you cannot find a main point, consider what the paragraph adds to your
essay. It’s okay to get rid of paragraphs and to add new ones. That’s what
revision is all about!
VERIFY SOURCE CITATION
Use your Handbook
• Rules of Thumb
• A Writer’s Reference
Use OWL Purdue
• http://owl.english.purdue.edu
Come to a Workshop
• MLA Documentation
• APA Documentation
Visit www.gavilan.edu/writing/
for the workshop calendar.
And don’t forget:
you can always drop by to visit
your friendly, helpful writing
assistants at the Writing Center!
EDIT AND PROOFREAD
Come to a Workshop:
• Slaying the Grammar Dragon
• Mastering the Mechanics
Use these Great Handouts:
• Common Mistakes
• Steps for Revising & Editing
(Proofreading) Your Paper
• Transitional Words
• Increasing Your Vocabulary
• And More!!!
CHECK FORMATTING
Make sure the
essay follows
your teacher’s
instructions.
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•
•
•
•
Font size
Spacing
Page Numbers
Name/Date
Works Cited/
Reference page