Resources: Revising

Revising is not the simple process that students generally take it to be. Try this: whatever you think of as "revising" place into the box in your brain next to the word "proofreading." Now, let us introduce you to the process of revising.

Revising is re-writing. To do it well requires that you take into account the comments of readers-circled words and phrases, but also comments in the margins and at the end of your pages. Moreover, it requires that you think more about what it is you are trying to do in your paper.

A revision then, is much more than cleaning up the surface of your paper. To revise a paper is to question everything that is in it with an eye toward achieving a better paper.

Let us offer a few guidelines on how to revise. Think of revision as a process that takes place at three different levels. he first, the most important, is argument; the second is paragraphs and organization; the third: words and sentences.

1. REVISING The ARGUMENT

When you get to the stage of revising, you have probably written many different pieces of your paper. You probably had a rough argument in mind when you did so. But chances are you've modified that argument in the time between starting your first pages and finishing the first draft of your last.

Take a good look at your historical argument. You should have already written it on a notecard and taped it on to your computer.

Look carefully at this argument, and ask: Is my argument clear? Can I state it more forcefully? Does everything in the paper really flow from my thesis? Are there problems with my reasoning? Missing steps? Have I gone far enough to analyze the evidence I've presented? Is there some important evidence that I haven't taken account of?

I imagine that most of you are going to make some serious changes to your argument, to the evidence you consider, and to your analysis. In some cases this will be a matter of refinement, in others it will entail a major overhaul. Reread your paper, make a note of your argument, and go back to your notes and to the novel itself.

2. REVISING PARAGRAPHS AND ORGANIZATION

When you are satisfied that you have control of your argument, look to your organization: Does each paragraph follow from the one before? Within each paragraph, does each sentence have a point to make? Give close attention to the introduction and the conclusion. Do they do all that I want them to do?

3. REVISING WORDS AND SENTENCES

Now that you have your argument and the organization where you want them to be, the time comes to look carefully at your prose.

Read your paper slowly out loud. This is essential. If you read to yourself everything will make perfect sense. When you read aloud and listen to your paper, you will hear all kinds of simple errors.

Ask yourself as you read: Is the language clear? Does each sentence say what I want it to say?