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Questions to Ask When Revising a Paper

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Here are some questions to help you get started on revising a paper. Under each question are some suggested revision activities to assist you in this process.
Full descriptions of the recommended activities can be found on our聽Revision聽resource page.

Questions and Corresponding Revision Strategies

  • Does the writing have a clear sense of purpose?

    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽Underline Your Main Point, Memory Draft. See also: Reverse Outline, 3脳5 Note Card, Cubing

  • Is my paper鈥檚 main idea, or thesis, clearly stated early on (within the first paragraph, ideally)?

    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽Reverse Outline, Talk Your Paper, Underline Your Main Point

  • Could I organize my ideas more logically (within a paragraph or among paragraphs)?

    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽Reverse Outline and 3脳5 Note Card. See also: Memory Draft, Read Out Loud

  • Are the topic sentences clearly connected to my paper鈥檚 main idea and do (most) topic sentences appear at the beginning of each paragraph?

    Put differently: could someone read only the first sentence of each paragraph and thereby get a good sense of what the paper is about?
    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽3脳5 Note Card. See also: Reverse Outline, Unpacking an Idea

  • Do the sentences in each paragraph relate to that paragraph鈥檚 topic sentence?

    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽3脳5 Note Card. See also: Unpacking an Idea

  • Is there unnecessary repetition of certain points (an indication that the paper鈥檚 organization should be tinkered with, overhauled, etc.)?

    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽Reverse Outline, Cubing, Read Out Loud

  • Is there sufficient (but not excessive) use of texts, evidence, or data?

    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽Unpacking an Idea, Cubing, Talk Your Paper, Outside Reader

  • Does my paper employ effective transitional words, phrases, and sentences?

    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽Outside Reader, Read Out Loud

  • Are the sentences well-worded and well-constructed?

    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽Read Out Loud

  • Should some sentences be combined (for the sake of clarity, to avoid choppiness, etc.)? Should others be broken into two or more sentences, so that distinct鈥攅ven if also related鈥攊deas receive proper emphasis?

    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽Read Out Loud, Outside Reader

  • Is the language precise and appropriate to the writing context?

    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽Writing Between the Lines, Read Out Loud

  • Is the style authentic and engaging?

    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽Talk Your Paper, Read Out Loud

  • Have I rewritten the introduction in order to remove sentences that are not essential to the set-up of my argument?

    We strongly suggest removing, for instance, any 鈥渟ince the dawn of time鈥� statements and others of its type that do not help to introduce your topic.
    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽Talk Your Paper, Underline Your Main Point, Memory Draft

  • Have I addressed all of the questions (or parts of questions) in the assignment?

    厂耻驳驳别蝉迟别诲听Revision听厂迟谤补迟别驳颈别蝉:聽Return to the Prompt

Last revised: 07/2008|聽Adapted for web delivery: 05/2021

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