Helpful Tips on Revising a Paper

Revising, as well as writing is a time-consuming process which requires a lot of work and concentration. There’s no surprise many students get anxious about preparing long papers and revising them. It’s hard to complete a paper in a single sitting: You should spend a lot of time writing and then evaluate your draft and polish it so that it will look perfect. When revising your writing assignments, Writers-House team suggests that you ask yourself the following important questions.

Does My Paper Meet the Requirements?

Sometimes, you may get excited about some particular aspect of your topic, which makes your paper move in a different direction. There is nothing wrong with making your paper more specific and illustrating different aspects of the topic, as long as you stick with the initial assignment and fulfill all the requirements.

When you read the first draft of your paper, pay particular attention to the directional words from your prompt. For example, there’s a big difference between examining, analyzing, and demonstrating. Make sure you follow the given directions.

Does Your Thesis Statement Fit the Paper?

A strong thesis statement is a sort of an obligation. You make a claim and you promise that you will prove this claim using evidence. However, sometimes your evidence may prove not the original statement, leading you to a new, different discovery. In this case, we suggest rewriting your thesis statement so that it will correspond to your findings and the direction of your research.

Is My Thesis Statement Focused and Specific?

Your paper should be focused. Perhaps, you’ve heard this requirement in every grade you’ve been going through. Even if you’re tired of hearing about the importance of narrowing your focus, there is a reason why all the teachers and professors tell their students about it. All researches have to work on specific issues so they need to narrow down their research, making it more accurate. Make sure your thesis statement is specific and don’t be afraid to rewrite it until you and your readers are satisfied.

How Well Are My Paragraphs Organized?

Think of every paragraph of your paper as of a separate essay. Every paragraph should tell its own story and include a topic sentence, the main part with evidence, and a conclusion or a transition to the next paragraph.

How Is the Whole Paper Organized?

Even if all of your paragraphs are perfectly organized, the overall structure of your paper may need some improvements. Make sure your paragraphs are properly positioned and follow each other logically, having smooth transitions between them.

Is My Flow Good?

Transitions are very important not only when revising paragraphs but also within the paragraphs as well. Make sure you have transitional words and phrases that help your readers move from one key point to another. If you cannot find the necessary word, look for transitional words on the internet.

Do I Have Any Confusing Words?

Even the most experienced and skilled writers sometimes have problems with certain pairs of words. For example, there may be such pairs as accept/except, affect/effect, and who’s/whose. Always proofread your papers and fix such mistakes that otherwise may prevent you from getting a good grade.