Revision and Editing

1. A quick guide to getting it right Revision and Editing

2. Editing • is on a sentence level, addressing problems with spelling, grammar, punctuation, or word choice. • is one-sided. The editor writes comments and corrections on the paper and returns the paper to the writer. • is hierarchical. An editor looks for "mistakes" and "fixes" them. • focuses on the paper as a product.

3. Revision • Considers a paper’s strengths and weaknesses, arguments, focus and organization, support, and voice, as well as mechanical issues. • Asks questions, expanding ideas and challenging arguments which require discussion between the writer and the reader. • Offers questions and makes observations allowing the writer and reader to hold separate and valid opinions. The purpose of discussion is to expand and clarify ideas rather than "correct” • Focuses on the writer in the process of writing and increasing the writer's understanding of the paper's strengths and weaknesses. • Clarifies and focuses the writer's arguments by defining terms, making concessions and counter-arguments, and using evidence. • Involves moving or removing entire paragraphs, extending or narrowing ideas, rewriting vague or confusing text, and adding to existing paragraphs.

4. College Writing No-no’s • Do not include the word “you” You never know when the situation will arise. • Do not substitute the word “one” for the word “you” One never knows when the situation will arise. • Use clear nouns or full names The witness never knows when the situation will arise.

5. College Writing No-no’s • Do not refer to your sources by their first names After years of experimenting, Henry invented the assembly line in 1913. After years of experimenting, Henry Ford invented the assembly line in 1913. In a formal paper, you are not friends with your sources.

6. College Writing No-no’s • Do not begin or end body paragraphs with direct quotes • Do not number your paragraphs First of all, Secondly, • Quotes are to be used to back up your opinion and prove your point. • Paragraphs begin with a topic sentence and end with a closing sentence.

7. College Writing No-no’s • Do not use slang in formal essays • Do not start sentences with "This is" or "They are" • Do not include phrases like This quote means that I think that My opinion is that I feel

8. College Writing No-no’s • Do not make statements that appear to be factual without a source to support them All Americans are unhappy with President Obama when it comes to the jobless rate in this country. According to the most recent Gallop Poll, 47% of Americans are unhappy with President Obama when it comes to the jobless rate in this country.

9. Active & Passive Voice • active voice Everyone drinks water. • passive voice Water is drunk by everybody Active Voice is STRONGER than Passive Voice

10. Active & Passive Voice • Passive voice is OK when: the recipient of the action is more important than theperformer of the action: A=Three men posing as museum janitors stole a priceless Rembrandt painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art yesterday. P=A priceless Rembrandt painting was stolen from the Metropolitan Museum of Art yesterday by three men posing as museum janitors.