Polishing and Proofreading
Your Writing
UWC Writing Workshop
Fall 2013
So…I’ve written a paper. What’s
next? Do I just turn it in?
What we plan to cover today:
 Tips and Tools for Editing and Proofreading your Writing
 Revision: Top Model Style?
 Writing Checklist: Have I done what I’m supposed to?
Aren’t editing and proofreading
the same thing?
 Not at all! While both of these concepts are integral to
the writing process, both require something different of
the writer.
 Editing: process you should begin doing as soon as you
finish your first draft: reread your draft to see whether
the paper is well-organized, transitions between
paragraphs are smooth, and if evidence really backs up
your argument.
 Proofreading: final stage of the editing process,
focusing on surface errors such as misspellings and
mistakes in grammar and punctuation; only complete
after you have finished with all other editing.
When editing, consider…
 Content: Have you done everything the assignment
requires? (i.e. followed the prompt provided by your
professor)
 Overall Structure: Does your paper have an appropriate
introduction and conclusion? Is your thesis clearly stated in
your introduction? Is it clear how each paragraph in the
body of your paper is related to your thesis?
 Clarity: Have you defined any important terms or concepts
that might be unclear to your reader? Is the meaning of
each sentence clear?
 Style: Is it appropriate (formal, informal, persuasive, etc.)?
Have you varied the length and structure of your
sentences?
 Citations: Have you appropriately cited quotes,
paraphrases, and ideas from your sources? Have you used
proper style guidelines (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)?
When proofreading, remember…
 Don’t rely entirely on spell checkers: These can be
useful tools, but they are far from foolproof; they have a
limited dictionary, so some words may not be in their
memory.
 Grammar checkers can be even more problematic:
These programs work with a limited number of rules, so
they cannot identify every error and often make mistakes.
 Proofread for only one kind of error at a time: If you
try to identify and proofread too many things at once, you
risk losing focus and your proofreading will be less effective.
 Read SLOW, and read every word: Try reading out loud.
This forces you to say each word and also lets you hear how
the words sound together.
When proofreading,
remember…(cont’d)
 Separate the text into individual sentences: This is
another technique to help you read every sentence
carefully. Simply press the return key after each period so
that every line begins a new sentence.
 Circle every punctuation mark: This forces you to look at
each one. As you circle, ask yourself if the punctuation is
correct.
 Read the paper backwards: Start with the last word on
the last page and work your way back to the beginning,
reading each word separately.
 Proofreading is a learning process: You are not just
looking for errors that you recognize; you are also learning
to recognize and correct new errors. This is where
dictionaries and handbooks come in. Keep the ones you find
helpful close at hand as you proofread.
Let’s practice!
 Read the following short passages, identify the various
errors throughout, and make appropriate corrections.
1. Mohandas Gandhi was one of Indias most popular
leaders. A Lawyer by trade, he left the law to fight
personally for his peoples' rites against their British
rulers. Deep comitted to nonviolence Gandhi was
determined to win India's freedom by avoiding
confrontation.
2. Gandhi and his followers knew that nonviolent protests
could lead to imprisonment and even death, but they
remained loyal to the independence movement until
great Britain granted the independance of India and
Pakistan in 1947.
Revision: Top Model Style?
 https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/words-to-wisegeorgia-writers/id531366316 (check out #9)
Rethinking Revision
 To revise effectively, you must reconsider every aspect of
the writing process. Consider the questions below:
 Purpose: What do I hope to achieve? How can I achieve it
more effectively?
 Audience: Who is my audience? Does my writing meet
some need or desire my audience might have?
 Topic/Content: Is my topic interesting? Does it follow the
guidelines for the assignment? Have I narrowed it down
enough? Too much?
 Organization: How is my essay organized? Are the points
arranged logically and coherently? Is each point clearly
highlighted in its own paragraph, or have I jumbled points
together? Can I expect my reader to understand my
transitions and, if not, how can I make the transitions more
clear?
Rethinking Revision (cont’d)
 Development: Is each paragraph developed fully with
concrete examples or illustrations? Have I avoided
generalizations and abstractions? Have I emphasized the
right points?
 Style and Tone: Is my writing clear and readable?
Have I avoided slang? Where in my essay can I improve
the effectiveness of my prose by using more active verbs
and concrete nouns? Have I overused adjectives and
adverbs, especially empty intensifiers such as “really,”
“definitely,” and “very”?
 Surface Correctness: Have I eliminated all errors of
spelling, grammar, and punctuation? Have I proofread
for those errors that I often make?
Writing Checklist: Am I ready to
turn in the paper?
 DO check for…
 Title: Do you have one and, if so, does it refer in some way to
your argument?
 Thesis: Do you have one and is it specific? Are you making a
true argument or just stating an observation?
 Topic sentences: Do you have any and, if so, do they refer back
to your thesis in some way? Does the paragraph stay on topic
or does it stray?
 Paragraph development: Do you use details or evidence from
the text source (i.e. quotations)? Do you cite your quotations
properly? Do you analyze/explain the quoted material fully?
 Introduction/Conclusion: Does your (hypo)thesis come at the
end of the Intro. and the beginning of the Concl.? Do you refer
back to your Intro. in your Concl.?
 Works Cited: Do you have one and is it properly formatted?
Writing Checklist? Am I ready to
turn in the paper?
 DO NOT…
 Turn your paper in without proofreading it first
 Refer to yourself (use of “I”)
 Use vague pronouns like “you,” “we,” and “us”
 Use generic words like “thing”
 Use repetitive words
 End body paragraphs with quotations
 Misspell the author’s name or title
 Use past tense or future tense in your analysis
 Use clichés, such as “last but not least”
 Use words you do not understand
Questions?
Remember that the UWC is always here to help you!
 678-839-6513
 writing@westga.edu
 TLC 1201 (First floor, past the snacks)
 www.westga.edu/writing
 Like us on Facebook: University Writing Center (UWG)