Why and How to Revise an Essay

Why and How to Revise an Essay

Many people have the mistaken belief that good writers get it right the first time, and that only poor writers have to bother with drafting, rewriting, tinkering and editing. Nothing could be further from the truth. Professional writers and expert writing tutors agree that the secret of good writing is rewriting — and then rewriting some more.

The art of rewriting 

How to Revise an EssayIt is sometimes said that what matters is what you say, not how you say it. There is something to this. After all, a truism remains a truism no matter how felicitously it may be expressed, and no amount of linguistic dressing will transform a it into a penetrating insight. Yet if style is no substitute for substance, substance itself has little value when it's buried beneath clutter. And the truth is that most student essays are filled with linguistic clutter: flabby sentences, redundant prepositions, dangling modifiers, ambiguous pronouns, and unbalanced constructions.

The good news is that such problems are remediable. How? By learning the art rewriting

It is sometimes said that good writing is only bad writing that has been rewritten, and that the only good writers are rewriters. There is much to be said for this. The greatest difference between the run-of-the-mill writing that we all do on a daily basis and serious, professional writing is the proportion that involves rewriting. While for most people rewriting typically accounts for only a very small percentage of their work, for serious writers it accounts for anywhere between 50 and 90%, depending on the importance of the particular piece they are working on. When you are writing university essays and dissertations, you should consider every piece of work you submit an important piece.

The art of rewriting is more about clearing away linguistic clutter and trimming sentences than rhetorical embellishment. According to William Zinsser, author of several internationally acclaimed classics on the craft of writing, even seemingly trifling details are worthy of a writer's attention. While each of a hundred small amendments might seem trivial or pedantic on its own, taken together they can lift a piece of writing to a whole new level:  “Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.”

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How We Can Help

Every student is aware of the importance of proofreading their work to remove typographical, spelling and grammatical errors before submitting it. Realising how much difference it can make to their grades, an increasing number of students are sending their work to be edited by professional proofreaders. But academic editing can achieve much more than making sure your writing conforms to the highest standards of English usage and professional presentation. At its best, academic proofreading and editing can greatly enhance the clarity, coherence and cogency of your work. Just as precision cutting and polishing can transform a roughly hewn stone into a coruscating gemstone, so can precision editing and rewriting transform a run-of-the-mill essay into a first-class paper.

Our highly skilled academic editors can ensure that your work satisfies the highest academic standards, evinces an exceptional grasp of the English language, contains faultless spelling and grammar, and strictly adheres to your university's citation guidelines. Our editors will trawl through your work with painstaking attention to detail, removing and rectifying all errors, and ensuring that the assignment you submit is more coherent and professional in all respects. There is no better way of learning the art of rewriting than by closely comparing your original essay to the piece we return to you.  

Is it worth the risk of handing in work without having a professional academic editor check, refine, polish and provide valuable constructive feedback on it? We advise you not to leave anything to chance. Remember: it could make the difference between a 2.2. and a 2.1., or a 2.1. and a 1st. In turn, what class degree you come away with will affect your employment opportunities for the rest of your life. By sending your work to us, then, you are making an important investment in your future.



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