2.3.3 Revising Stage
Revising is the process of re-seeing the writing. It involves more than proofreading for spelling, punctuation, or other mechanical details. It is more important that the writers have to revise the essay 's rhetorical elements: worthwhile content, sensible organization, and readable style (Lannon,2004). The rhetorical elements determine whether the essay connects with the readers, which can lead the writers to rethink, rewrite or make changes to the first draft of the essays.
The draft must be revised several times. Every time the writers revise their writing, they will see new problems to solve. After that, the writers edit their writing which involves correcting for mechanical mistakes or surface mistakes. These mistakes involve punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and wording problems. The writers should not rely only on the computer spelling program since it is a machine. It checks only the spelling, but it cannot identify the misused words. A writer may use the following revision strategies.
1. Revising with Peers
All writing can benefit from feedback can be from peer reviewing and editing. Good peer evaluators do not simply look through the paper and try to find only misspelling and grammatical mistakes. They should read critically; and look for gaps in structure, and other communication problems, which the writers might overlook because they are so close to their own writing.
After the peer evaluator make comments on the writing, the writers have to look over them critically and try to accommodate them as much as possible. The writers have to be aware of their own kinds of mistakes since every writer may not face the same kinds of mistakes. During revising, the writers have to make sure that they are not trying to impress the instructors with the volume. The writers may change, correct, and adjust the writings to make them as good as possible.
2. Revision Strategy
Lannon (2004) has suggested three distinct purposes of revision process: (1) checking for content, organization, and clarity; (2) checking for grammar and style; and (3) checking for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.