paper revision checklist

Next to planning, revision is probably the most important phase of the writing process.  True revision literally means a "re-seeing" of the document from a fresh critical perspective.  It is not to be confused with editing, which entails what I call the "housekeeping chores" necessary for producing a finished paper: correction of spelling and punctuation errors, incidental grammar issues, the polishing of syntax, and the like.  Many writers actually edit their work as they draft, with an eye and ear for the paper's audience and their needs.

Broadly speaking, however, we may split revision into two categories: global (revising the document until it forms a coherent entity), and local (revising the essay at the paragraph and sentence levels).

The following list of revision suggestions are intended to help you produce a successful, finished essay.  That statement must be qualified in two ways, however.  First, the content of the paper must meet the requirements of the assignment.  (As you draft the paper remember always to explain, illustrate, analyze, and draw conclusions as you go.)  Second, the paper must be in proper MLA form.  That includes, of course, citations from Shakespeare and other sources.  Quotations must fit syntactically and grammatically into your sentences; as well, they must be cited parenthetically according to MLA conventions.

The complex revision process takes time.  For best results, plan several sessions for working on your essay, allowing for intervals during which you can rest and refresh, even while your ideas continue to develop.

Global Revision

1.
After making initial changes to your draft, prepare a typed, double-spaced "working text" of the paper, leaving room between paragraphs for your notes, additions, and so forth.  Compare this document with your detailed plans for the essay in terms of amplifying already-existing material, reconsidering the most persuasive and attractive sequence of ideas and material, and so forth.

Advice: Save your work often both to your computer's hard drive and a floppy disk.  You might consider naming and saving successive versions of the paper as well.  Print drafts frequently so that you can see the actual revision process.  Always work from the latest version of your essay, but save and number in order previous texts for possible later reference; you might decide, for example, that an earlier version of a paragraph is superior to a more recent one.

2.
Identify and work on problem areas until your essay coheres to your satisfaction.  Remember to use textual evidence to support your points (references to the texts, direct quotations, paraphrases—all with page numbers given parenthetically).

3.
Check each paragraph for continuity—that is, a discernible progression of thought from the first sentence to the last.

Note: Paragraph 1, and certainly no further along than paragraph 2, must contain at least one or two sentences that clearly express your controlling idea (CI).  As well, each paragraph should be governed by one sentence (perhaps two) that firmly establishes the purpose of the unit.

4.
Make sure that there is a definite, progressive relationship or connection between paragraphs.  Test and rework as necessary each paragraph for the following criteria: Is there a jarring leap between ideas in the paragraphs?  Have I made effective transitions between paragraphs?  Does my material effectively support and further the paper's controlling idea?

5.
Check quotations, paraphrases, and textual references for accuracy.  Are they properly integrated into your prose in terms of grammar and syntax?  Have you included correct and proper MLA documentation?

Note: Never end a paragraph with a quotation, asking it to talk for you.  Always comment afterward on the quotation's significance or meaning for the unit.  Remember: You, not the quotation, are guiding your reader, for your purposes.

Local Revision

With the hard work done, at least for the present, turn your attention to revision at the paragraph and sentence levels.  It is likely that you will perform some of these tasks at various times—that is, not in any specific order—during the drafting and revision processes.

1.
Locate, and replace with more precise or effective words, uses of the five "flabby verbs": be, do, have, get, put.

2.
Locate and recast sentences using the 1st or 2nd persons.  You are writing academic prose from the objective, third–person perspective.

3.
Locate and replace the following (in most cases):

4.
Except for dates, write out most numbers under one hundred: e.g., eighty-four rather than 84; fifteen year-old rather than 15 year-old.  Be consistent with "centuries"; as a noun: 17th century or seventeenth century; as an adjective (hyphenated): 17th-century or seventeenth-century.

5.
Major sentence errors: Fragment, comma splice, run-on (fused sentence).  If you know that you have a tendency to produce any of these in your prose, check each sentence carefully after consulting your college rhetoric/grammar text (e.g., Lunsford's The Everyday Writer).

6.
Semicolon: there must be a "complete" sentence (subject-verb) on either side of the semicolon; further, the second half should bear a distinct relationship to the first.

7.
Pronoun consistency: make sure they agree in case, number, and referent.  The following pronouns are singular: anyone, anybody; someone, somebody; everyone, everybody; each; any; one; a person.

8.
Omissions: Make sure that each sentence expresses a complete thought and that pronouns have clear antecedents.  Revise accordingly.

9.
S-V-O, repetitiveness, combining: Overuse of the subject-verb-object sentence can become monotonous and boring for your readers.  Work for a variety of sentences to keep your readers interested and attentive.  Use complex sentences often, combining short, related sentences.  Don't worry about producing the occasional "long" sentence, unless it becomes syntactically "tangled."

10.
Contractions and slang: Wherever possible, expand contractions (e.g., are not for aren't) and substitute more formal phrasing for slang expressions—without making your writing seem "stilted," of course.  When in doubt, opt for the formal in style and diction.