English Composition

Module 7:

Revising and Proofreading

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Affirmations

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• Every day, I improve myself one step at a time.
• I am worthy of fulfilling connections.
• I can succeed in stressful situations.

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Learning Outcomes: Analyze Revision Activities

1 Explain revision techniques for improving drafts

2 Describe techniques for effective peer review

Deepen your understanding and form connections within these skills:

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Free Write

• When you finish a draft of a paper, what do you normally do next?
• Do you revise right away, wait a few days, or feel like it’s "done enough"?
• Describe your typical revision process—or lack of one. What works well for you, and what do you struggle with?

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Revising

Revision is when you focus on improving your ideas and organization. It happens after drafting, before editing and proofreading.

You might:

• Rearrange or combine paragraphs
• Add or cut content
• Clarify your message or strengthen your argument

Note: Writers often move back and forth between drafting and revising

Revision happens in 3 stages:

• Big Picture – essay-level improvements
• Mid-View – paragraph-level changes
• Editing Up Close – sentence-level polish

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Stage 1 — Look at the Big Picture

In this stage, your focus is essay-level revision

Ask yourself:

• Do I have a clear thesis and overall purpose?
• Is the essay well-organized?
• Does each paragraph support the thesis?
• Is the introduction engaging and the conclusion meaningful?
• What’s the essay’s strength? Its weakness?

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Stage 2 — Dive into the Mid-View

In this stage, your focus is paragraph-level revision

Ask yourself:

• Is each paragraph focused and specific?
• Do I need more examples or explanations?
• Are any ideas off-topic or redundant?
• Are paragraphs the right length and in the right order?
• Are transitions smooth?

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Stage 3 — Editing Up Close

In this stage, your focus is sentence-level revision

You should:

• Polish language and sentence flow
• Eliminate awkward or unclear phrases
• Check for tone and word choice
• Save grammar and punctuation for the editing and proofreading stages

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Remember…

“Few writers are so expert that they can produce what they are after on the first try.

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Quite often you will discover, on examining the completed work, that there are serious flaws in the arrangement of the material, calling for transpositions… do not be afraid to experiment with your text.”

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~Strunk & White

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Practice Question 1

You’re working on a draft and decide to rearrange two paragraphs and cut a section that doesn’t support your thesis. What stage of revision are you working in?

1. Big Picture
2. Mid-View
3. Editing Up Close
4. Proofreading

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Why Feedback Matters

• Getting feedback helps you see your work from a new perspective
• Others can point out what’s confusing, missing, or especially strong
• Talking through your ideas can help you clarify your thinking
• Even professional writers rely on editors and peers to improve their work

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Giving & Getting Helpful Feedback

• Vague comments like “this is terrible” don’t help—be specific.
• Good feedback is based on clear criteria: organization, style, structure, clarity, grammar, argument strength, etc.
• If you're receiving feedback:
• Ask for input on things you’re unsure about.
• Use past instructor comments to guide peer reviewers.
• If you're giving feedback:
• Use the assignment prompt and rubric
• Focus your comments (don’t overwhelm!)
• Suggest improvements, not just problems

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Peer Reviewing With CARES

Use CARES to give helpful, respectful feedback:

• C – Congratulate
• What does the writer do well? Identify strengths and the thesis.
• A – Ask Questions
• What was confusing? What 1–3 suggestions can you offer?
• R – Request More
• What more would you like to know? What would enhance the essay?
• E – Evaluate
• What details don’t work or could be moved?
• S – Summarize
• What did you learn or how did your perspective change?

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Practice Question 2

You’re receiving peer feedback on a rough draft, and your reviewer writes, “This is confusing.” What’s a good way to respond?

• Ignore it—they just don’t understand your writing
• Ask them what specifically confused them and where you could clarify
• Tell them it makes sense to you, so it’s fine
• Rewrite the entire paragraph without thinking about what they meant

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Discussion: Peer Feedback Experience

Reflect on a time you got great or terrible peer feedback. Describe that experience to a partner, explaining what made the feedback helpful—or not?

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After you and your partner have shared, discuss:

• How can peer reviewers give meaningful, respectful suggestions?
• How can writers prepare to receive and use feedback?

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Learning Outcomes: Evaluate Revision Strategies

1 Revising for the Rhetorical Context

2 Revise for style and wordiness

3 Revise drafts for structure, using techniques such as a reverse outline

4 Review and revise the claims, or evidence, presented in a work of writing

5 Recognize techniques for effective paragraph construction

Deepen your understanding and form connections within these skills:

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Revising with Purpose in Mind

Ask yourself: “Why am I writing?”

Every piece of writing has a purpose—to inform, persuade, entertain, or explore ideas. Your purpose then shapes your tone, structure, and content.

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Why it matters:

• A clear purpose keeps your message focused and your readers engaged.
• An unclear purpose leaves readers confused or disinterested.
• Multiple purposes? Choose one primary purpose to avoid conflict (e.g., persuasive writing that tries too hard to entertain may lose credibility).

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Consider the Audience

Adapting your writing to your audience makes it more effective. When analyzing your audience, consider their:

• Background Knowledge
• What do they already know? Avoid repeating basics or using unfamiliar jargon.
• Expectations & Interests
• What are they hoping to learn or hear? What might turn them off?
• Attitudes & Biases
• Do they already agree or disagree with your topic? How might their views shape their reaction?
• Demographics
• Age, culture, education, profession, beliefs—all can influence how your message is received.

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Practice Question 3

You’re writing an article on financial literacy for first-year college students. Which strategy shows you’re adapting to your audience’s background knowledge?

• Using advanced economic theory to impress your readers
• Starting with a review of federal policy changes in the last 10 years
• Assuming they already know how student loans work
• Explaining basic budgeting strategies with relatable student examples

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Revising for Style

Style adds voice, rhythm, and engagement to your writing—like seasoning to a dish. Even if your content is good, dull or repetitive sentences can lose your reader.

Style Revision Tips:

• Vary sentence lengths and structures
• Choose precise, vivid words
• Revise overly repetitive or robotic language
• Read aloud to catch awkward phrasing
• Style = Contextual
• The best style depends on your audience, purpose, and setting—what works in a speech might not work in a research paper.

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Academic Style

Academic writing is clear, precise, and focused on meaning—not fluff.

• Do this:
• Use a formal tone (avoid slang and clichés)
• Use active verbs and concrete nouns
• Vary sentence structure to improve flow
• Avoid:
• Starting sentences with “There is/are”
• Empty modifiers (e.g., extremely very)
• Wordiness and unnecessary phrases: e.g. “in terms of”, “as far as X is concerned”
• Vague words: e.g. thing, stuff, good, bad, interesting

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Being Inclusive with Your Writing

Gender-Neutral Terms

• Use: they, students, firefighter
• Avoid using gendered defaults or terms that assume a specific gender role

Race & Ethnicity

• Use specific, respectful terms: Black, Latine, Indigenous
• Avoid generalizations, stereotypes, or outdated group labels

Disability & Mental Health

• Use person-first language, e.g. person with a disability, person who is visually impaired
• Avoid terms that define people by a condition or imply judgment, limitation, or abnormality

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Tips for Ensuring Inclusive Language

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Ask yourself:

• Could this language make someone feel excluded?
• Am I labeling people in ways they wouldn’t choose for themselves?

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Revising for Structure

Use the strategies below to revise your essay for structure:

• Refine Introductions: Start with the big picture; be concise for busy readers.
• Revisit Your Thesis: Your clearest thesis may be in your conclusion—consider moving it up.
• Consider Audience: Use the Rogerian method to present counter arguments early if readers may disagree.
• Cut It Up: Print each paragraph on a separate page and experiment with reordering.
• Make a Reverse Outline:
• Macro outline = Big ideas and flow
• Micro outline = Paragraph-level details, quotes, and analysis

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Revising Claims

Strong claims need strong support. As you revise, ask: Does my evidence clearly support my thesis?

Types of Evidence to Review:

• Facts
• Judgments
• Testimony
• Personal Observation

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Revising Paragraph Structure

You can apply logic and structure to paragraphs using the following methods:

• Logic and Structure
• Rank Order
• Spatial
• Chronological
• General to Specific

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Practice Question 4

You’ve written a solid first draft of an informative essay, but your peer reviewer says it feels “flat.” What’s a smart next step to improve your writing style?

• Replace your topic with a more exciting one
• Add personal stories to every paragraph
• Read it aloud to identify awkward phrasing or monotony
• Shorten every sentence to make it more efficient

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Discussion: Make a List

With a partner or in a small group, spend some time trying to find checklists for revising essays. Be sure to copy the URLs from the web pages that you’ve found. Discuss:

• Are there similarities or differences to what the reading suggests are common practices for revising?
• What do these checklists have you look for?
• What do you think are the most important suggestions?

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Learning Outcomes: Editing and Proofreading

1 Describe techniques for reading for editing

2 Edit for common grammatical errors

3 Edit for common punctuation errors

4 Describe proofreading and how to do it

Deepen your understanding and form connections within these skills:

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Editing Your Writing

Questions to ask when editing:

• Are verb tenses consistent? Do pronouns agree?
• Is punctuation accurate and effective?
• Do you use strong, specific verbs and nouns?
• Are technical or unusual terms defined?
• Can any clichés or extra words be cut?
• Do you vary sentence structure and avoid repetition, run on sentences, and fragments?
• Are facts, quotes, and sources accurate and properly cited?
• Is your tone appropriate (objective for academic writing, engaging for narrative)?
• Have you spell checked and used a consistent citation style?

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Strategies for Effective Editing

• Read aloud slowly, word by word
• Reduce reading speed to 25%
• Read your draft backwards, sentence by sentence
• Double-check high-risk areas
• Search for formality issues
• Check your reference list
• Use Grammar tools

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What Proofreading Entails

Proofreading is the final polish—your last chance to catch surface-level errors before submitting your work.

Common Errors to Watch For:

• Wrong Words
• Missing Words
• Spelling
• Capitalization
• Grammar & Mechanics
• Citations
• Quotation Marks

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Practice Question 5

Which of the following tasks would fall under editing, not proofreading?

• Fixing a typo in a quote
• Changing a sentence from passive to active voice
• Fixing the grammar of a sentence
• Correcting the spelling of a title

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Conversation Starter

When you're editing something you wrote, what’s the first thing you usually look for? Why?

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Activity: Editing and Proofreading Circuit

Form small groups of 3–5. Your group will start at one editing station, and rotate every 7–8 minutes.

At each station:

• Read the sample paragraph aloud as a group
• Look closely at issues related to that station’s focus
• Mark errors and write in your changes
• Discuss why you made those changes — what did you notice?

As a group, write down 1–2 quick reflections:

• What stood out to you?
• What was tricky or confusing?

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Quick Review

The following are questions you might ask when revising your paper for each of these various aspects:

• Content: Does the content of this project fulfill the purpose of the assignment? Will the audience be persuaded by the ideas and evidence? What strategies could I use to improve the content?
• Structure: Is the organization of the project appropriate for the purpose of the assignment? Will the audience find the project well-organized and logical? What strategies might I use to improve the structure?
• Style: Does the style of the project align with the purpose of the assignment? Will the audience recognize the style as appropriate and effective? What strategies might I use to improve the style?
• Grammar and mechanics: Will readers be hindered and irritated by errors in grammar and mechanics? Will errors in grammar and mechanics damage my ethos as a writer? What strategies might I use to edit and proofread the project?

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Before we finish up…

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Questions…..

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Next steps…..

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Reminders about student hours, upcoming deadlines, campus activities ….

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Attributions

• Illustrations are from Storyset
• Images from Pexels & Unsplash

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