Revising &
Editing
English 101
Revising Vs. Editing
Revising Editing
Making it sound better Making it look better
Adding, changing or deleting
parts of the piece to help the Changing letters to
writing flow
CAPITAL or lowercase
Turning worn out
words into vivid Helping the Correcting misspelled
words reader read words
along smoothly
Coming up with an interesting lead
that hooks the reader and a Adding, deleting or
conclusion that sums the story up changing punctcuation
Improving the
quality of the
Adding specific
writing Indenting
descriptions,
explanations and details paragraphs/deleting
unnecessary spaces
Organizing ideas in an
order that makes sense
Proofreading & Editing
Focuses on: Focuses on:
1. Spelling mistakes 1. Style
2. Missing words 2. Clarity
3. Punctuation 3. Logic
4. Capitalization 4. Organization
Contents 1 Introduction
2 Part 1 - The Sounds of Words
3 Part 2 - The Meaning of Words
4 Part 3 - The Arrangement of Words
5 Part 4 - The Imagery of Words
6 Your Turn
Part 1
Steps to edit your
work
1. Read and re-read (Highlight important words
Look over rubric
Look over guidelines
2. Check that you have specifically written what was asked of the assignment, and completed
all tasks.
We will revise (1) our writing
to improve (2) its meaning (3)
and consistency (4).
1. Revise: change
2. Improve: make better
3. Meaning: what you are trying to tell your
audience
4. Consistency: sticking to the same idea;
not deviating
Which is more
interesting to
read?
The cat’s sweater was funny looking. Everyone in
class laughed when they saw him.
The cat’s sweater had a turtle neck and was made of
a fuzzy, gaudy brown material. It fit poorly, and even
made him look a little bit like an old man. Everyone in
class roared with giggles when they saw him,
echoing against the walls.
Revising is improving the
content and organization of
your writing
Writing needs consistency. This means that
all the ideas work together to support the
main idea.
Sentences and paragraphs must be strongly
connected.
Writing needs organization.
Example: I have news for teenage
volunteers: doing volunteer work can
benefit a person because it helps them
see the world in a different way.
Incorrect example: I am going to tell you
about the reasons you should volunteer.
Chain Analogy
Think of writing sentences like a chain --
Each link (sentence) is connected to the
main object (idea) even if it is far away
from it. The links (sentences) must work
together for the chain (paragraph) to be
strong!
How to revise your essay
Deleting words or sentences that take
away from the topic or are redundant.
Adding words or sentences that bridge
ideas or add meaningful description.
Consolidating: using fewer, more
powerful words.
Clarifying: making your thoughts clearer.
Rearranging: changing the
word/sentence/paragraph order.
Structure
Check for:
Introduction:
1. Have you introduced the topic well>
2. Did you identify the central message/aim of your essay?
Main body:
1. Each paragraph should develop one idea!
2. Paragraphs need to be 3-5 sentences.
Conclusion
1. The points in your essay should be summarized (lesson learned, what
happened in the ending, etc.)
2. You can repeat something you mentioned in the introduction.
Proofreading
Tips
Do not be afraid to read your essay out loud. If it doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t.
Don’t proofread for every type of mistake at once. Take breaks!
Printing out your work makes it easier to identify mistakes.
Page numbers should go at the top of the page, with your last name.
Ex: Bairnsfather 1
Point of View
The vantage point of the speaker.
First person – the speaker is a character in the story or
poem and tells it from his/her perspective (uses “I”).
Second person - an unusual form of storytelling that
addresses the reader directly (uses “you”)
Third person limited – the speaker is not part of the story,
but tells about the other characters through the limited
perceptions of one other person (uses “he”, “she” or “they”)
Third person omniscient – the speaker is not part of the
story, but is able to “know” and describe what all characters
are thinking (uses “he”, “she” or “they”)
Visual Imagery
Imagery that calls upon our sense of sight.
E.g. The shimmering sun bounced waves of light off
the surface of the ocean.
Aural Imagery
Imagery that calls upon our sense of sound.
E.g. She could hear the gentle whisper of the
breeze and the chirping of the birds.
Olfactory Imagery
Imagery that calls upon our sense of smell.
E.g. The sticky sweet scent of cinamon donuts
wafted in the air.
Tactile Imagery
Imagery that calls upon our sense of touch.
E.g. She could still taste the salty sea water on her
lips.
Gustatory Imagery
Imagery that calls upon our sense of taste.
E.g. The grass prickled his skin as he lay on the
sports ground.
Kinesthetic Imagery
Imagery that calls upon our sense of movement.
E.g. Tripping and stumbling she lurched towards the
traitor with her arms outstretched.
Your Turn
Now that we've revised our essays, let's look
at a range of ways we can make our writing
better to communicate various moods, themes
or experiences.
Good luck!
Sources
“PowerPoint Presentation.” Madera Unified School District,
http://www.madera.k12.ca.us. Accessed on 9 June 2024.
“Revising. Editing & Proofreading.” Institute of Art, Design and Technology,
http://iadt.ie/2020/06. Accessed on 8 June 2024.
