Overview
Revision is the process of rethinking and improving your writing—editing comes next to fix errors. Strong writers don’t simply correct typos; they rethink clarity, structure, argument, and language to create stronger drafts. In this topic, you’ll learn how to improve content, flow, and tone while identifying common weak spots in early drafts.
Revision Strategies
- Thesis Check: Is your thesis specific, arguable, and clearly stated?
- Paragraph Focus: Does each paragraph support the thesis with one clear idea?
- Organization: Are ideas arranged logically with strong transitions?
- Evidence Evaluation: Is every claim supported by evidence or explanation?
- Audience and Tone: Is the tone appropriate for academic writing? Are you addressing your reader’s needs?
- Language and Style: Is the writing concise and free of repetition or vague language?
Editing Priorities
- Sentence Structure: Vary sentence lengths and avoid choppy or overly long constructions.
- Grammar and Usage: Look for agreement errors, verb tense issues, and misplaced modifiers.
- Punctuation: Use commas, semicolons, and periods to clarify structure.
- Word Choice: Replace general or weak words with specific, precise ones.
Before and After Example
Before: The essay is talking about how social media is bad and also good depending on how you use it and what you do on it.
After: This essay explores the dual impact of social media, emphasizing that its effects depend largely on user behavior and intent.
Tip: Don’t try to revise and edit at the same time. First focus on big-picture structure and content. Then, return for grammar, sentence-level clarity, and polish.
Practice Activity
Choose a past writing assignment and revise one paragraph by applying the strategies above. Ask:
- Is the main idea clear?
- Does the paragraph support your thesis?
- Have you used effective transitions?
- Can you eliminate any repetition or vague language?