55 M M any writers are tempted to skip the revising, editing, and proofreading steps, feel-
ing intimidated by the thought of reworking their writing, and hoping their essays
are “good enough.” This chapter makes it easier to polish your essay by following
simple guidelines. It includes many ideas that can quickly improve the quality of your writ-
ing, even if you feel your rough draft is close to perfect. There is no excuse for submitting
an essay that is not the very best writing you are capable of.
Once you have a rough draft of your essay, you can begin to transform it into a polished
piece of writing. The polishing process consists of three steps: revising, editing, and proof-
reading. Think of them as using different strengths of magnifying glasses to your essay. Revi-
sion looks at your essay through a lens that lets you see it as a whole; you will pay attention
to the largest issues involved in its crafting. Have you addressed the topic? Is there a logical
flow to your ideas or story? Is each paragraph necessary and properly placed?
Editing takes a closer look at your writing, through a stronger lens that highlights words
and sentences. Are your word choices appropriate and fresh? Are there any repetitive or awk-
ward sentences or phrases? Finally, the proofreading step puts your essay under the strongest
lens. You will check within each word for errors in spelling and correct any other mechan-
ics mistakes, such as grammar and punctuation.
C H A P T E R Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
