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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 Revision resource page.

Questions and Corresponding Revision Strategies

  • Does the writing have a clear sense of purpose?

    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: Underline Your Main Point, Memory Draft. See also: Reverse Outline, 3×5 Note Card, Cubing

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

    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: Reverse Outline, Talk Your Paper, Underline Your Main Point

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

    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: Reverse Outline and 3×5 Note Card. See also: Memory Draft, Read Out Loud

  • Are the topic sentences clearly connected to my paper’s 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?
    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: 3×5 Note Card. See also: Reverse Outline, Unpacking an Idea

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

    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: 3×5 Note Card. See also: Unpacking an Idea

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

    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: Reverse Outline, Cubing, Read Out Loud

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

    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: Unpacking an Idea, Cubing, Talk Your Paper, Outside Reader

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

    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: Outside Reader, Read Out Loud

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

    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: 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—even if also related—ideas receive proper emphasis?

    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: Read Out Loud, Outside Reader

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

    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: Writing Between the Lines, Read Out Loud

  • Is the style authentic and engaging?

    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: 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 “since the dawn of time” statements and others of its type that do not help to introduce your topic.
    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: Talk Your Paper, Underline Your Main Point, Memory Draft

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

    ܲٱRevisionٰٱ𲵾: Return to the Prompt

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

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