Post writing Centre for Study Skills and Access

Overview Once you have produced a first draft of your essay, you should: Look over (review) your work Make amendments (edit) Proofread the document

Reviewing Read your work aloud - you may hear errors more easily than you see them Print your draft - use colours and pencil marks to identify the different kinds of changes you want to make (or use on-screen highlighting when word processing)

Editing Check for irrelevant material Do any of your points need to be clarified? Are any of your sentences or paragraphs too long-winded?

Editing Does every paragraph follow on logically from the one that preceeds it? Do any of your ideas need further development?

Editing Do you want/need to add information? Do you want/need to add evidence or support? Does your writing ‘flow’? Do you need to use linking phrases?

Editing Have you used punctuation correctly? Is it clear where your information came from by referencing appropriately? Have you checked your word count?

Proof-reading Look out for errors in: Spelling Grammar Punctuation

Activity

Summary Make sure you give yourself enough time to edit, review and proofread your work Try to become aware of the errors that you tend to make

Further reading COTTRELL, S. The study skills handbook. Second edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan; 2003.

Centre for Study Skills and Access Appointments available for writing skills development Phone Or