This document provides guidance on revising essays to improve their quality. It recommends starting with examining the big picture elements, like ensuring all prompt aspects are covered and ideas are clearly explained. Then focus on smaller details like sentence structure, word choice, and flow. Specific rules for constructing good sentences are outlined, such as using specific verbs instead of abstract nouns and varying sentence lengths/complexities. Sample sentences demonstrate applying these rules. Readers are encouraged to use these guidelines to strengthen their own writing.
2. Start BIG Before you begin the nitpicky task of fixing your essay on the sentence level, look at the bigger picture Make sure all aspects of the prompt are covered Delete unnecessary sections of the essay Explainanyconfusing ideas and strange concepts Add new, necessary ideas throughout the essay
3. Some questions to ask Does your paper stay on point? Is your writing clear and concise? Will your audience be able to understand any new ideas that you presented? Did you analyze the results in relation to your hypothesis? Did you define all necessary terms? Do you want to alter your hypothesis?
4. Go small Now look at the smaller details Do the sentences flow? Is the diction succinct enough? Is the syntax distracting the reader from the topic of the paper?
5. Rules for Good Sentences Eliminate wordiness Not good: The dinosaur took large strides very quickly when the clouds started to drop water. Good: The dinosaur ran from the rain. To express actions and conditions, use specific verbs, adverbs, or adjectives rather than abstract nouns Not good: The dinosaur made an escape when the rain came. Good: The dinosaur escaped the rain. When it is appropriate, make the subjects of your verbs the agents of the action the verb describes Not good: The rain was avoided by the dinosaur Good: The dinosaur avoided the rain. Use the beginnings of your sentences to refer to (a) what you’ve already mentioned or (b) knowledge that you can assume you and your reader readily share Not good: The meteor was what wiped out the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs never saw it coming. Good: The dinosaurs never saw the meteor coming. The meteor wiped them all out.
6. Good Sentences (cont) Put your most important ideas at the end of your sentence, as well as the information you intend to develop in the next sentence Not good: Some scientists would say meteors made the dinosaurs go extinct, but scientists have been debating the extinction of dinosaurs for decades. Good: For decades scientists have tried to figure out what made the dinosaurs go extinct. Some say it was caused by a meteor crash. Don’t write all short or all long sentences. Vary them If your sentences are feeling tangled, observe this rule: the greater the logical complexity of the thought is, the simpler the syntax of the sentences expressing it ought to be
7. Now You Try Use the guidelines in this presentation to revise your virtual communities essay.
8. A Model A model rough draft is available here: http://www.slideshare.net/MorningMaestro/joshua-brewer-virtual-communities-essay-rough-draft A copy of the final, revised edition for the rough draft can be found here: http://www.slideshare.net/MorningMaestro/joshua-brewer-virtual-communities-essay-final-draft
