What do you do when you revise an essay?

What does it mean to revise? Revision literally means to see again, to look at something from a fresh, critical perspective. It is an ongoing process of rethinking the paper: reconsidering your arguments, reviewing your evidence, refining your purpose, reorganizing your presentation, reviving stale prose.

Why is revising an essay important?

But more important than grades is that revising your papers teaches you to be a better writer. In the revision process, you improve your reading skills and your analytical skills. You learn to challenge your own ideas, thus deepening and strengthening your argument. You learn to find the weaknesses in your writing.

What are the steps in the revision process?

Writing is a process that involves several distinct steps: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. It is important for a writer to work through each of the steps in order to ensure that he has produced a polished, complete piece.

What comes first proofreading or revising?

Revision should be done prior to proofreading. Revision tackles the biggest issues first. If you proofread first, you may spend time polishing text that won’t make it into the final paper. The Writing Center can help you with revising or proofreading your paper.