(3) Editing Essays

What is the editing stage?

The editing stage is when you check your essay for mistakes and correct them.

Editing Steps:

Vocabulary

1. Read your draft essay and underline all the expressions from your active vocabulary you've used.

2. See what other expressions can be used. Add them at relevant places.

Grammar and Spelling

1. Check your spelling.

2. Check your grammar.

3. Read your essay again.

4. Make sure each sentence has a subject.

5. Make sure your subjects and verbs agree with each other.

6. Check the verb tenses of each sentence.

7. Make sure that each sentence makes sense.

Style and Organisation

1. Make sure your essay has an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a summary paragraph.

2. Check that you have a thesis statement that identifies the main idea of the essay.

3. Check that all your paragraphs follow the proper paragraph format.

4. See if your essay is interesting.

(4) Publishing Essays

What is the publishing stage?

The publishing stage is when you produce a final copy of your essay to hand in.

Publishing Steps:

1. Make a clean copy of your essay.

2. Show your work to your friends or parents.

3. Ask them for hints on how to improve your writing.

4. Hand in your essay in time!

HOME ASSIGNMENT 1

Write a draft of the body of your essay, edit it following instructions in the Editing Essays section and write a clean copy to hand in following instructions in the Publishing Essays section.

Correction of Mistakes

What is correction of mistakes?

Correction of mistakes takes place after you receive your essay checked by the teacher with your mistakes marked or corrected (for correction symbols used by your teacher see Appendix 2).

Five steps of correcting mistakes:

1. Identify what your mistake is. If necessary, consult Grammar books, dictionaries or your teacher.

2. Rewrite each sentence containing a mistake underlining the correct variant.

3. In brackets briefly explain what the rule is for each case.

4. If it was a spelling mistake write two lines of the word.

5. Memorise the correct variant.

Example:

A student hate coming late but can’t do anything about it. Sp

Correction of mistakes:

A student hates coming late…(third person singular)

HOME ASSIGNMENT 2

Do correction of mistakes. If thereare more than 5-7 mistakes per page in the essay rewrite it correctly.

Appendix 1

Kinds of essay Description Essay

In a description essay, you write about what a person, place, or thing is like. You organise the essay by describing different parts or aspects of the main subject.

Example question: Write an essay describing your English classes.

Introduction:	Introduce what an English class is.
Supporting paragraphs:	Describe how it starts: half the group is late while the other half is not ready for the class. Describe what the teacher's reaction is: a lecture on importance of good attendance and doing home assignments, then - frantic and not very successful attempts to adjust the lesson plan to accommodate the fact that nearly no one is ready. Describe what students like about their English classes: the saved-by-the-bell game.
Summary paragraph:	Summarise what English classes are like.