Revising

What is Revising?

Introduction

Writing doesn't end with your first draft. Next you need to revise. When you revise, you do the following:

• Check the traits in your writing.• Use Microsoft Word to revise.• Get someone else's response.

Traits For Revising

Using the Traits to Revise

The best way to know what to change when you revise is to check for the following traits of good writing:

• Ideas• Organization• Voice• Word choice• Sentence fluency

Focus on the first three traits to make a big difference in your writing.

Revising for Ideas

The ideas in your writing include your topic and details. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Have I selected an interesting topic?• Have I included enough details?

Revising for Organization

Organization refers to how you put your ideas in order. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Do my details appear in the best order?• Do I use transitions to make my organization clear?

Revising for Voice

Your voice is your own unique way of expressing yourself in writing. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does my voice show interest in the topic?• Does my voice fit the audience (not too formal or too

casual)?

Tools for Revising

Using Microsoft Word to Revise

Microsoft Word provides a number of tools to help you revise:

• Save as: lets you save a copy of your work so you have a record of the previous draft

• Track changes: shows where you made changes• Find: helps you quickly find a word or phrase in your report• Replace: helps you quickly replace a word or phrase in

more than one place

Saving a Revised Version

When you are ready to revise, you can work on a new copy of your paper.

1. On the "File" menu, click "Save As.“

2. In the dialogue box that appears, change the name of the file by adding "rev" to the end of it.

3. Click "Save."

Tracking Changes

Microsoft Word can keep track of any changes you make.

• Simply click "Tools" on the main toolbar and select "Track Changes."

Accepting Changes

When you are ready to finalize your revision, you can accept changes.

• On the "Reviewing" toolbar, click the arrow next to "Accept Change," and then click "Accept All Changes in Document."

Moving Text

Microsoft Word makes it easy to move text.

1. Select the text you want to move.2. Click the "Cut" button in the toolbar (or click "Edit"

and select "Cut").3. Click where you want the text to go.4. Click on the "Paste" button (or click "Edit" and select

"Paste").

You can also highlight text and then drag it and drop it into its new position.

Finding Text

Microsoft Word can help you find a specific character, word, or group of words in your text.

1. On the "Edit" menu, click "Find.“2. In the dialogue box that appears, type the

character, word, or group of words you need to find.

3. In the dialogue box, click "Find Next.“4. Repeat step 3 until all instances are found.

Replacing Text

Microsoft Word also allows you to easily replace text.

1. On the "Edit" menu, click "Replace.“2. In the dialogue box that appears, type in the

character, word, or group of words you want to find.3. Below it, type in the replacement character, word, or

group of words.4. Click on "Find Next," "Replace," or "Replace All."

Feedbacks

Responding

Ask someone to read your work and fill out a response form. It is available as a template that can be e-mailed along with your file.

To see the response form template, click here.

Using a Response Form

A response can help you make specific improvements:

• Details to add• Clearer organization• Improved voice• More specific wording• Smoother sentences