After the Writing
All finished! Your essay is written, and you can relax. Well, not just yet. You should check your essay to be sure it says what you want it to say, that it fills the purpose for which it was written, and that it is correct—no typos, missing punctuation, etc. Read your essay out loud, slowly. This review will help you notice things you may have missed as you were writing.
Are they in the order you want? Unless you are describing a process where the paragraphs must be in chronological order, you may want to change the order. As long as the whole essay makes sense, you may find that you want to re-arrange the order of the paragraphs for it to be a better essay.
Does each sentence lead nicely into the next? Does the last sentence of the first paragraph tie into (move smoothly from one sentence to another) the first sentence of the next paragraph? Does the first sentence of each paragraph introduce the rest of the paragraph?
Does every paragraph contribute to the main idea? Does the information you give support the points you want to make? Is each paragraph presented in order of importance? Did you use examples, details, comparisons or other ways to make your points?
Did you use a variety of sentences (complex, simple, short, long) so that your writing isn’t all the same and boring to read? Are you clear, or have you buried your main idea in too many words? Do you use unnecessary words or phrase instead be being clear and concise? The two biggest mistakes in writing are redundancy and repetition. When you use the same adjectives, verbs, nouns, and adverbs over and over, it makes readers lose interest. It is dull! Sometimes a writer loves one particular word or phrase and overuses it. It’s hard to delete something we think is great, but your reader may not find it so great. Be very critical when you’re reading your own writing, and if it doesn’t work, kick it out!
Have you gotten rid of slang, jargon, and clichés? You don’t have to use long fancy words when you write, but you do need to be sure that you can be understood and that the words you use suit the tone of the piece. Keep your vocabulary interesting and lively—not dull and predictable.
2. Check the essay as a whole unit:
Be sure there is an introduction that is interesting, that states the main idea, and that tells the reader exactly what you are trying to say. Be sure that your supporting paragraphs really build on the introduction and support your introductory statement (thesis). Now, look at your summary. The summary or concluding paragraph should do exactly that: summarize, and conclude. It must briefly re-state the information you have given, and bring the essay to a definite end.
Do you have a clear introductory (thesis) statement that gives the main idea or purpose of the essay?
Do your paragraphs follow the proper format?
Is your essay interesting and easy to follow?
If you are writing for a school assignment, be sure to acknowledge quotes properly (in the text or in the footnotes, according to your instructor’s preference) and to have a complete bibliography.
3. Check the spelling and grammar:
Check your spelling carefully. The spell-checker on your computer or word processor can do half the job, but you must do the other half. The spell-checker may miss an unfamiliar word, or it may disregard a word that's spelled correctly but is the wrong word to use in the sentence. (For example: too, to, two. Those words are properly spelled, but one, too, three isn’t correct when you mean one, two, three.)
Check the grammar. Be sure each sentence has a subject and a verb. Be sure that the subjects and verbs agree. Check the tenses of your verbs.
Carefully read the sentences out loud to be sure that they make sense. When you use a pronoun, is it clear to whom or what it refers? Have you combined clauses properly--no run-on sentences or sentence fragments? Does the punctuation make your essay clear, or does it make it confusing to read? (Are there a lot of unneeded commas, or quote marks that are used incorrectly? See the appropriate section in Exercises, on the EMW website.)
When you have done all of that, take a break. (It won’t take as long as you think. This is an essay, not a 600-page book! ) IMPORTANT NOTE: Later, come back and re-read the essay. It's important for you to be away from your writing for a while, and then come back to it to re-read it. Many times we see things we want to change that we didn't see while we were writing. If it still seems to make sense to you, it’s probably fine.