Revision Station
1
Sentence Fluency
Sentence fluency makes your paper “flow”!!!
Remember…
Varying your sentence
structure
length, and
beginnings
can add interest and enhance meaning.
Directions
1.
Highlight the first few words of each sentence.
2.
Go back and look at the beginnings. Do you start them in different ways? Or do you tend to use
the same beginning?
3.
Rephrase or combine your sentences so you have a variety of beginnings.
Revision Station
2
Sentence Fluency
Sentence fluency makes your paper “flow”…like a JUICE BOX!!!
Remember…
Varying your sentence
structure
length, and
beginnings
can add interest and enhance meaning.
Directions
1.
Look at your sentence length.
2.
Do you have a mixture of long and short sentences?
3.
Where can you…
a. Add short sentences where you want to add emphasis?
b.
Combine sentences to make them longer if you feel like some parts are choppy?
Revision Station
3
Word Choice
Powerful words help energize your writing…they make it SPICY!!!
Remember…
-Every single thing in your paper should help support your thesis and dominant impression
-Vocabulary should be precise, striking, and varied…but not overdone.
For example, if you are writing about how nervous you were around your great-grandpa when you were little,
and you want to convey that fear…
Example: “I can remember as a kid how I crept up the wooden stairway to his attic room.”
Bad example: “I can remember as a kid how I paraded up the wooden stairway to his attic room.”
Strong verb, yes? But it doesn’t show fear at all. It doesn’t support the dominant impression.
Directions
1.
You replaced your dead verbs. Look at your verbs again. You want your word choice to be
powerful, but you also want it to support your dominant impression.
2. For each verb…
a. Is it a strong verb?
b. Does it help support your dominant impression?
3. Make any necessary changes!
Revision Station
4
Organization
Organization makes it easy for a reader to “chew” on your ideas!
Remember…
A thesis statement needs to…
a. Take a stand on something
b. Preview your major points
Example (Classification)- “By looking at these three types of friendships- acquaintances, Facebook
friends, and best friends- it becomes evident which friendships are most important in our lives.”
BAD Example-Does NOT take a stand!- “There are three types of high school friendshipsacquaintances, Facebook friends, and best friends.”
Directions
1. Look at your thesis. Can you find…
2.
3.
4.
c. The part that takes a stand- what could someone argue against?
d. The part that previews what you will be discussing in the rest of your paper?
Read the information about thesis statements in the packet for the structure you chose.
Look at your thesis and make sure it follows the guidelines for thesis statements that are discussed in
your packet.
Make changes as necessary.
Paragraphs
1.
Look at your paragraphs. Do you add a new paragraph each time you change
a. Time
b. Topic or idea
Make adjustments as needed!
Revision Station
5
Ideas and Development
Good ideas and development can make everything CLEAR to your reader!!!
Remember…
1.
Main ideas must be supported by evidence and analysis
a. Evidence should provide strong and credible support
b.
Analysis provides thorough and in-depth exploration and explanation- should answer the “So
What?”
Directions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Read your body paragraphs. Mark each sentence with a P (Point), E (Evidence), or A (Analysis).
There should be a balance of P, E, and A. Do you make lots of points, but have a lack of EVIDENCE?
Do you have many different concrete examples, but you never ANALYZE why they matter or relate
to your point?
Make additions as you need to!
Remember- evidence is not EXPLANATION! Do you provide real, concrete examples or events that
support your point?
Make changes if you need to!
Revision Station
6
Conventions
Proper grammar and conventions make your paper as smooth as plain chocolate!
Remember…
1.
2.
A comma splice is when you join two complete sentences with ONLY a comma.
Example of a comma splice: I know my writing conventions, I edited this text.
You can fix a comma splice in one of three ways…
a. Add a period and create two separate sentences.
“I know my writing conventions. I edited this text.”
b. Add a semicolon.
“I know my writing conventions; I edited this text.”
c. Add a comma and a conjunction.
“I know my writing conventions, and I edited this text.”
Directions
1.
2.
Go through your paper and look for comma splices.
Fix them using one of the three methods above.
Revision Station
7
Conventions
Proper grammar and conventions make your paper as smooth as plain chocolate!
Remember…
1.
Reading a paper out loud can be a helpful way to see if it makes sense.
Directions
1.
2.
Read your paper out loud. Does every single sentence make sense? Which sentences are
awkward?
Make necessary changes!