Editing workshop information focusing on message, organization, and language.

1. EDITING WORKSHOP
M RIDDELL
APRIL 2019

2. MESSAGE
IS YOUR TOPIC SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED AND DO YOU STICK TO IT?
• HAVE YOU RESPONDED TO THE PROMPT?

3. MESSAGE
WHAT EVIDENCE DO YOU HAVE TO SUPPORT YOUR TOPIC?
• DO YOU HAVE AT LEAST 3 EXAMPLES, DETAILS, QUOTATIONS?
• DOES IT SUPPORT YOUR TOPIC?

4. MESSAGE
DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT YOUR TOPIC?
• IF YOU HAVE LESS THAN 3, REVISE TOPIC.

5. MESSAGE
HAVE YOU SAID ANYTHING TO CONTRADICT YOUR MESSAGE?
• IF YOU CAN’T EXPLAIN IT THEN REMOVE IT.

6. ORGANIZATION
DO YOU HAVE A TOPIC SENTENCE?
• DOES IT SAY WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT?
• DOES IT RESPOND TO THE PROMPT?
• IF YOUR TOPIC SENTENCE DOES NOT MATCH YOUR BODY, RE-WRITE YOUR
TOPIC SENTENCE TO MATCH.

7. ORGANIZATION
DOES THE BODY OF MY PARAGRAPH SUPPORT THE TOPIC? (MESSAGE)

8. ORGANIZATION
DO YOU HAVE A CONCLUSION?
• DOES IT CONNECT TO THE TOPIC?
• DOES IT RESTATE THE TOPIC?
• IF THERE IS NEW INFORMATION (OTHER THAN A TRANSITION TO THE NEXT
PARAGRAPH) IN THE CONCLUSION REMOVE IT.

9. LANGUAGE
DOES YOUR VOCABULARY SUIT THE TOPIC?
• WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?
• IS YOUR VOCABULARY SPECIFIC TO YOUR TOPIC?
• IF YOU HAVE USED CONTRACTIONS, OR SLANG, REMOVE IT.

10. LANGUAGE
READ YOUR SENTENCES ALOUD TO YOURSELF OR TO A PARTNER.
• DO YOU HAVE COMPLETE SENTENCES?
• ARE THE SENTENCES VARIED IN STYLE?
• DOES YOUR WRITING MAKE SENSE?

11. LANGUAGE
ARE YOUR MECHANICS CORRECT?
• ARE YOUR PROPER NOUNS (NOUNS THAT ARE NAMES) CAPITALIZED?
• CAN YOU SEE ANY SPELLING MISTAKES OR WORDS OF WHICH YOU ARE UNSURE?
• IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF A WORD, CIRCLE IT, AND LOOK IT UP.
• DOES EACH COMPLETE THOUGHT HAVE PUNCTUATION?

12. HAVE SOMEONE READ YOUR SENTENCES TO YOU
AND IF IT THEY DO NOT MAKE SENSE MAKE
CORRECTIONS OR SEEK HELP.