You’ve written a draft of your paper. Now your work is done, so you should just turn it in, right? No, WAIT! Step away from the computer, take a deep breath, and don’t submit that assignment just yet.
You should always revise and proofread your paper. A first draft is usually a very rough draft. It takes time and at least two (or more!) additional passes through to really make sure your writing is strong and polished. Making these efforts will always give you a better paper in the end.
Try to wait a day or two before looking back over your paper. If you are on a tight deadline, then take a walk, grab a snack, drink some coffee, or do something else to clear your head so you can read through your paper with fresh eyes. The longer you wait, the more likely it is you will see what is actually on the page and not what you meant to write.
You might have to add more material; cut sentences, paragraphs, or even whole sections; or rewrite significant portions of the paper to fix any problems related to these higher-order concerns. This is why you should be careful not to get too bogged down with small-scale problems early on: there is no point in spending a lot of time fixing sentences that you end up cutting because they don’t actually fit in with your topic.
Taken literally, revision is re-vision — literally re-seeing the paper in front of you. The act of revision centers heavily around the practice of questioning your work. There are several steps to turn a first (or second, or third!) draft of a piece of 6 writing into the final version. There is no way to get to that wonderful final draft without all the steps in between. As you progress from 1st to 2nd draft, or from 2nd (3rd or 4th) to final draft, seeking input from others (family, peers, tutors, and your instructor) can help you get a fresh perspective on your work.
Attribution:
English Composition I. Schoolcraft College.
