I.     Emailing essays as attachments

A.  Retain and file all versions

B.  Filenames

1.    First version: smith1.doc

2.    First version returned: smith1g.doc

3.    Revision: smith1r.doc

a)   Delete my comments and highlight your changes

(1) View>Toolbars>Reviewing
(2) Select change; click Òinsert commentÓ; if appropriate, write reason for your change

4.    Revision returned: smith1r.doc

5.    Further revision: smith1ra.doc, smith1rb.doc, etc

a)   Delete my comments and highlight your changes

(1) View>Toolbars>Reviewing
(2) Select change; click Òinsert commentÓ; if appropriate, write reason for your change

C.  Set right margin at 5.25

II.   Stages of composition

A.  Prewriting or invention

B.  Arrangement or composition

C.  Revision or editing

III. Aspects of revision

A.  content or development

1.    wordy vs. concise; vague vs. clear  

2.    levels of specificity

a)   generalization

b)   statement

c)    examples and details

B.  structure or design

1.    paragraph

a)   topic sentence

b)   unity

c)    coherence or ÒflowÓ

d)   adequate development

2.    introduction and conclusion

a)   lively and engaging

b)   not stating what will be said or what has been said

3.    transition

a)   sometimes but not always necessary to keep reader on track

b)   interesting turn in the road

c)    in general, at beginning of paragraph, not at end

C.  style or expression

1.    expressions to avoid

a)   unnecessary modifiers

(1) intensifiers
(a) e.g. very, incredible
(2) qualifiers
(a) e.g. quite, somewhat, kind of

b)   ÒThere  isÉÓ  ÒThere areÉÓ

c)    echos

d)   doublets

e)    clichŽs, dying metaphors, operators and false limbs

(1) from George OrwellÕs ÒPolitics and the English LanguageÓ
(2) examples
(a) hot spot
(b) tight-knit community
(c)  have it all

f)    ÒmoreÓ or  an Ò-erÓcomparative  when youÕre not comparing

2.    popular errors

a)   inconsistent tense

b)   vague or nonexistent pronoun reference:

c)    dangling modifier

d)   lack of parallelism

e)    use of  ÒalthoughÓ instead of Òhowever Òor ÒneverthelessÓ

f)    commas and periods outside closing quotation marks

g)   semicolon in place of comma