English   105
esign
 Exchange
  Remember when you receive your papers back the first time, you need to revise each one and re-submit each one. There is a distinct difference between editing and revising:
  • Revise—(re + vis) or "again" + "see"; re-examine the thesis and main points of a paper; make sure it is organized in a logical way; look at the paper in its entirety (your thoughts are complete from beginning to end of the paper)
  • Edit—correct errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation; make sure the sentences are complete and the text fits together with transitions; look at the individual components of the paper (sentences, paragraphs, etc.)
...and your paper must be REVISED. If you merely edit, you may even receive a lower grade than on the original version of that paper.

When you revise your papers, do not:

  • just add sentences where your classmates or I have made comments; think about entirely re-working your idea rather than just adding more junk to it
  • just subract ideas entirely when there are questions about ideas you discuss; simply omitting an idea that someone has a question about does not answer their question
  • just read through your paper and correct spelling and grammar errors
So try and really re-think your paper:
  • what is the thesis of your paper?
  • do all of the concepts or components in your paper support that single thesis?
  • are your ideas complete; are there gaps in the presentation of your ideas?
  • and so on...