As Revision Essay

STRUCTURE

• To check the overall structure of your essay, conduct a first-sentence check. Write down the first sentence of every paragraph in order. Read through them one after another and ask the following:
  • Would someone who was reading only these sentences still understand exactly what I am trying to say?
  • Do the first sentences express all of my main points?
  • Do the thoughts flow naturally, or do they seem to skip around or come out of left field?

• Now go back to your essay as a whole and ask these questions:
  • Does each paragraph stick to the thought that was introduced in the first sentence?
  • Does a piece of evidence support each point? How well does the evidence support the point?

• Is each paragraph roughly the same length? Stepping back and squinting at the essay, do the paragraphs look balanced on the page? (If one is significantly longer than the rest, you are probably trying to squeeze more than one thought into it.)
• Does my conclusion draw naturally from the previous paragraphs?
• Have I varied the length and structure of my sentences?