1. Review this
slide show at
http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/editingproof.htm.
Study and become familiar with the concepts introduced in it,
including the difference between revision and proofreading, how to revise, and what
to revise for.
2. Read the sample essay I will pass out in class (used
with permission of the author).
3. Based on this essay,
a.
First, create a proofread version
of the essay. Do not change the content of the text, only proofread it for grammar,
spelling and punctuation. To do this, read it backward from end to
beginning, ignoring the content.
b.
Then, write an edited and
proofread version of the essay, following all the rules for academic writing (no
contractions, use middle-high style, do not use "you" to mean "everyone,"
etc.), with correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. Be sure you either
have someone else read your edited version of this essay out loud to you for
sound and sense, or you
read it out loud to someone else.
4. Be ready to discuss the assignment in class.
Consider: What
differences did you encounter between the original essay, the proofread version you
produced, and the edited and proofread edition? When you edited the essay,
how much did it start becoming yours?
