|
Revising Checklist with Explanations
 Interpreting the Assignment
Review the assignment. Did you follow the instructor's directions? Look at the verbs used in the
assignment; what's the difference between "discuss" and "interpret," for instance? If you have questions
about this, see our handout on Understanding Verbs in Writing
Assigments.
Checking for focus
You've no doubt heard many times that every piece of writing should have a thesis or thesis sentence.
Yes, your paper should have a thesis, even if that thesis (or gist of your paper as a whole) is not
stated as a single sentence or if it appears at the end of your paper rather than the beginning. Use
your thesis sentence as a guide to revising: every part of your paper should relate in some way to your
thesis; any sentence or paragraph that does not show a clear relationship to your thesis should be
rewritten or deleted.
Checking for organization
This is a good time for outlining your paper, or at least identifying the main idea in each paragraph
and listing them in order. Does your paper follow a logical order? Might there be a better way to
organize your paragraphs? Sometimes, your use of transitional wording
helps to signal (to you as well as your reader) how each paragraph relates to the one preceding
it. Are all of these relationships clear?
Checking for development
Have you said enough about the topic? How many main points does your essay have? Is there evidence
for each main point? List the items of evidence supporting each point to check this. If you feel
you need to add evidence, think of quotations, examples, definitions, additional factual material
or statistics, and comparisons you might include. If you need suggestions for adding material,
share your essay with someone who is not familiar with your topic and ask that person to tell
you what else she or he needs to know in order to accept your points.
Checking paragraph development
Is there one main idea in each paragraph? If there are two or three ideas in one paragraph, you
will probably break it into two or three paragraphs. Do you need to add evidence as support for
each main idea? Is the main idea of each paragraph expressed in a topic sentence? Sometimes
you can pull two related ideas together in a single paragraph if your topic sentence creates a
relationship between them.
Checking for transition
Have you used transitional
words and phrases to establish relationships between ideas? Decide whether you need to add
transition by looking at each sentence alone and asking, "How does this sentence relate to the
one that precedes it?" Look at the beginning of each paragraph, as well, and ask, "How does this
paragraph relate to the one that precedes it?"
Checking Quotations, Paraphrases, and
In-text Citations
Have you effectively integrated information from outside sources into your text? Did you introduce
quotations with your own words? Did you comment on quoted material? Be sure to doublecheck your
quotations for accuracy. You must use quotation marks around others' words, even if you place a
parenthetical citation after quoted material, unless you are indenting the quotation. For more
information on quoting, see
Checking Bibliographical Format
Have you listed every source that you quoted and/or cited in your
paper? Have you chosen the correct format (MLA, APA, CBE, AMA, CMS, or other)
for the discipline and course? Have you included complete bibliographical
information for each entry? Have you punctuated each entry correctly? Are the
entries in the correct order (which may be alphabetical or in order of citation
in your paper, depending on format)? Have you used the correct title for your
bibliography (i.e., Works Cited or References, depending on format)? Did you
number the page as part of your paper or appendix (again depending on format)?
Revising Style
Is your introduction appropriate to the kind of paper you've written?
(An attention-getting opening may be appropriate in a personal essay or a news
article, but it may jar the reader in a scientific paper.) Do your transitional
words and phrases make logical connections between your ideas?
Reviewing Word Choice (diction)
Consider your word choice: Is your level of formality consistent? Is your choice
of personal pronouns consistent? Is your use of verb tenses consistent? Be sure
that you really understand all of the words you've used. Have you explained any
obscure terms? Have you used slang in your paper?
| 
