Does your thesis at least touch on every argument that arises in your essay? It must be broad enough so everything in your essay falls under its jurisdiction, but it must also be specific enough to give the reader a clear idea of your argument. Many readers expect this to fall at the end of the first paragraph (or second, in longer essays). Check your thesis: For most academic writing, there should be a single sentence (or two) that directly states an argument that someone in your audience could reasonably disagree with.Did the prompt ask you to evaluate a book, but you simply discussed the content instead? For example, maybe you forgot to address a counterargument, which may be crucial for your audience to understand your point. Revisit the prompt: Whether you have a physical assignment prompt from your professor or you have committed to a project, check to make sure you are meeting all of the requirements and fully fulfilling the purpose.Remember: keep your purpose and audience in mind at all times when considering what kind of choices should be made! Maybe you’ve stuck to the five-paragraph format, but there is room for you to expand. Consider your options: How much leeway do you have in terms of tone, organization, and style? Maybe your first draft sounds like you are talking to your best friend, but it needs to be more academic.Advice on Setting Up and Working with a Writing Group.Also review the areas where you lost points on the paper. Because of the high point value, you could potentially benefit the most from addressing these categories. Examine the rubric to determine what areas are worth the most points toward the overall grade. You can work on the smaller grammar, sentence, and style tweaks later. These global improvements are the bigger concerns in your paper: introductions and conclusions, paragraph organization, argument construction, and idea development. Oftentimes the reviewer will let you know what the top areas for improvement are if you do not have that guidance, use your judgment in determining what skills are most valuable to learn. Order the comments from the most important to the least important.Here are three strategies you could take: Therefore, you will need to prioritize, choosing the most important or relevant skills to work on first. You will not be able to perfect every aspect of writing in one revision. Take charge of your education by ensuring understanding.ĥ. Prioritize. You could even request an example of a stronger paper and compare it to your own. If a comment is confusing, ask the instructor to explain it. Return to the document and begin rereading. During this time, reflect on the content of the feedback.Ĥ. Ask. You could go for a walk, practice yoga, or clean. Put the paper away-either by closing the file or placing the paper in a drawer. Quickly read through all of the comments to see their breadth. To become an effective communicator and scholarly writer, you must hear from your audience, in this case your instructor.Ģ. Scan. A criticism of your writing is not a criticism of your personality. Although writing is often an intimate act-especially when you discuss your own experiences, values, and goals-it is separate from you as a person. Before opening the reviewed paper, tell yourself two things: Looking at feedback (even when it is constructive), requires a calm, measured mentality. To overcome doubt and optimize that feedback, follow these tips:ġ. Sometimes seeing the reviewed paper can feel overwhelming or discouraging. This feedback will appear as comment bubbles along the right side or colored text within the paper. After you have shared your work with an instructor, you will receive a copy of your paper with embedded feedback.