Essay revision

Before you submit your essay for marking, you should have another look over it and improve it wherever possible.

The most important question is this: have I answered the question? Return to your original interpretation of the assignment question and check it against your final answer.

You may also be too far above or below the word limit. See word limits and assignment length for actions you can take in this situation.

At this stage you should review the content of the essay:

• Are there any unexplained contradictions?

• Can anything be written more clearly?

• Are the main ideas easy to identify?

Some other important revision questions for essays relate to the structure and flow:

• Does the introduction contain a clear thesis statement?

• Does each body paragraph have a unique topic sentence?

• Does the essay flow within paragraphs and between paragraphs?

• Have the main points of the argument been summarised in the conclusion?

Look over your use of outside sources:

• Are quotations relevant, accurate, and integrated into the paragraphs?

• Is all paraphrased material used correctly and integrated into the paragraphs?

• Are all outside sources referenced correctly?

• Is there a reference list?

Are your spelling, grammar, punctuation, and presentation correct? This part of revision and editing is described in detail in editing and proofreading.