Part Two:Reading, Writing, and Organizing Paragraphs

Chapter 9:Strategies for Revising Paragraphs

PowerPoint by Sarah Gilliam, Instructor of English

Mountain Empire Community College

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

In Concert:An Integrated Reading and Writing Approach

by Kathleen T. McWhorter

Chapter 9: Strategies for Revising Paragraphs

In this chapter, you will learn how to:

Goal 1

Goal 2

Goal 3

Goal 5

Goal 4

Understand the purpose of revising

Read critically to revise

Consider your audience and purpose

Examine your ideas

Correct errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Revising a paragraph involves:

• Examining your ideas by rereading

• Making major changes to sentences and ideas

• Adding, deleting, and rearranging ideas

Editing a paragraph involves:

• Adding or deleting words and phrases

• Correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 1: Understand the Purpose of Revising

Strategies for Revising Paragraphs:

1. Read the paragraph once to examine content

2. Read the paragraph a second time to evaluate the effectiveness of your ideas

3. Read the paragraph a third time to check for correctness

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 2: Read Critically to Revise

Strategies to Consider Audience and Purpose:

1. Decide if the paragraph accomplishes what you want it to accomplish.

2. Try to read the paragraph from the viewpoint of the intended audience.

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 3: Consider Your Audience and Purpose

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 4: Examine Your Ideas

Create an Idea Map (Revision Map) to Reexamine Ideas:

1. Write a shortened version of your topic sentence on a piece of paper.

2. Go through each sentence in the paragraph and list each detail supporting the topic sentence.

3. If you find examples of already listed details, write it under the detail it is related to and indent.

4. If you find unrelated details, write them to the right of your list.

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 5: Correct Errors in Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation

Check for Common Errors in:• Sentence Structure (fragments and run-ons)• Verb Tense• Subject-Verb Agreement• Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement• Commas• Semicolons• Capitalization

Helpful Tip:Keep an Error Log—a recording of each mistake you make

and how many times you make it. This will identify strengths and weaknesses in your writing.

Goal 1: Understand the Purpose of Revising

Review Questions

Which of the following is NOT included in the paragraph revision process?

A. Rearranging ideas

B. Making major sentence changes

C. Rereading the paragraph one time

D. Adding more ideas to the paragraph

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 1: Understand the Purpose of Revising

Review Questions

Which of the following is NOT included in the paragraph revision process?

A. Rearranging ideas

B. Making major sentence changes

C. Rereading the paragraph one time

D. Adding more ideas to the paragraph

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 2: Read Critically to ReviseReview Questions

How many times should you reread your paragraph to ensure it is well-written and correct?

A. Twice

B. Three times

C. Five times

D. Several times—as many as is necessary for you to feel comfortable with the paragraph.

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 2: Read Critically to ReviseReview Questions

How many times should you reread your paragraph to ensure it is well-written and correct?

A. Twice

B. Three times

C. Five times

D. Several times—as many as is necessary for you to feel comfortable with the paragraph.

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 3: Consider Your Audience and Purpose

Review Questions

Which of the following is NOT a strategy for considering audience and purpose?

A. Determining if the paragraph accomplishes what you want.

B. Reading the paragraph from the audience’s point of view.

C. Writing what the audience wants to hear

D. Trying to make the material engaging and interesting.

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 3: Consider Your Audience and Purpose

Review QuestionsWhich of the following is NOT a strategy for considering audience and purpose?

A. Determining if the paragraph accomplishes what you want.

B. Reading the paragraph from the audience’s point of view.

C. Writing what the audience wants to hear

D. Trying to make the material engaging and interesting.

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 4: Examine Your IdeasReview Questions

True or False:

An idea map is not an effective tool for reexamining ideas in a paragraph.

True or False:Checking for transitional words that connect ideas is an effective strategy for examining ideas.

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 4: Examine Your IdeasReview Questions

True or False:

False: An idea map is not an effective tool for reexamining ideas in a paragraph.

True or False:True: Checking for transitional words that connect ideas is an effective strategy for examining ideas.

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 5: Correct Errors in Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation

Review Questions

Editing is the revision process that checks for errors in which of the following:

A. Sentence Structure

B. Commas

C. Capitalization

D. All of the above

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Goal 5: Correct Errors in Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation

Review Questions

Editing is the revision process that checks for errors in which of the following:

A. Sentence Structure

B. Commas

C. Capitalization

D. All of the above

Copyright 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.