Essay Revision Assignment due Nov. 10th

You have the opportunity, if you chose to take it, to revise one of the essays you’ve written and had graded this semester. The requirements are simple:

  • You must hand in the original essay, with my grading sheet attached, along with the revised essay.
  • It is due Monday, November 10th. (I will return the latest essays Wednesday, the 5th, so you’ll have some time, if you chose that one).
  • The revised essay grade will replace the original essay grade. The lowest essay grade will still be dropped at the end of the semester.
  • The revised essay will be graded as a stand-alone essay, not in relation to the original essay.

Here are some suggestions:

  • Revision is not copyediting: fixing grammar and punctuation won’t change your grade, unless they were horrendous and I noted it as a factor in the grade.
  • Revision should be substantial, representing a new understanding of the question and material: thus, the name, “re-vision.” Just because I’m not grading the degree of revision doesn’t mean that I’m not looking at the degree of revision: if the essay is only slightly revised, the grade will only move slightly, if at all.
  • Focus on my comments regarding the thesis and argument first, then add evidence as necessary to support that argument.

If you’re having trouble figuring out what my comments mean, ask me. If  you need a reminder about the standards by which I grade, you can find them here. If you need to look over the assignment parameters again, you can find them here and here.