teaching with writing

Revision Worksheet

Toby Fulwiler, Professor, University of Vermont

TITLE______________________
AUTHOR___________________
CRITIC_____________________
DATE______________________

Revision is the process of looking over what you have written and making substantial changes in such areas as organization, voice, argument, thesis, evidence, etc. Revision involves a careful rethinking of purpose and a reconsideration of audience. Think about the following questions as you revise or help another revise:

1. Is the purpose of the writing clear in the first paragraph? (If not, why not?)

2. Can you identify the audience for whom this is written? (Look for cues in the writing: tone, style, word-choice, etc.)

3. How is the paper organized? (Look for a pattern here: chronological, topical, logical, compare/contrast, etc.)

4. Is evidence used to support generalizations? (Look for examples, specific details, concrete description, etc.)

5. Can you summarize the main point of the paper in a sentence or two? (Does the conclusion do this? Should it?)


(Note: Once the paper is revised, the author will need to turn his/her attention to editing. See also the EDITING WORKSHEET.)

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