Step 8: Revising

Before you begin to revise your essay, decide on an appropriate
interest catcher, and prepare an extended summary statement. You
should then put your paper away for a couple of days. If you have
properly used the time given to you to complete this project, you
should be able to take a couple of days off before you start to revise
your research project.

As you revise your essay, your rough draft should begin to look
even rougher. It will be crossed out, written over, and generally
rearranged. Here are some ideas to consider as you try to determine
whether you have written the best essay possible.

1.

Check each sentence to see that it is grammatically correct.
Are your verb tenses consistent?
Have you punctuated correctly according to sentence structure?

2.

Check to see if you have used vocabulary that demonstrates
your true ability. Do not settle for “big” if you can use
“enormous,” “gigantic,” or “monstrous.”

3.

Check to be sure that you have smooth, logical
transitions.

4.

Check your paragraphs carefully to determine that each one
discusses only one topic. Remember that this is not a five
paragraph essay! Each time that you have a shift in emphasis or
a change of idea, you need a new paragraph.

5.

Complete the check list that your teacher has given to you.

24