Anthem Essay: Revision and Editing

Computer Lab Instructions:

• First, you need to type your essay. (Essay Template is on the Y-Drive)
• Next, REVISE (open the “REVISION” PowerPoint in the “Anthem” folder on the y-drive). Check for 2nd person “you” first. Then print. Now revise using a pen or pencil. Make your corrections. Then print again.
• Then, EDIT (open the “EDITING” PowerPoint)
  •If you are using quotes in your essay, open the “QUOTES_WORKSCITED” PowerPoint.
• Information on these PowerPoints can be found below:

REVISION

Introduction
Does you introduction include the title of the book (in italics or underlined) and the author?
If not, add this.
Does your introduction include a brief summary of the book?
If not, add this.
Does your introduction include a thesis statement?
If not, add one.
Paragraph Length
Introduction: 4-6 sentences
Body paragraphs: 5-10 sentences each
Conclusion: 4-6 sentences
Do not go under or over!
On-topic paragraphs
Make sure each detail sentence supports your topic sentence.
Read each sentence. Do they support the topic?
Read the last sentence. Does it still support the topic? If not, does it lead into the next paragraph? If not, REVISE it!
Details from Anthem
Each paragraph must include details from the book!
If you don’t include some details from the book, your paragraph isn’t helping to address the essay topic.
Conclusion
Does your conclusion include a restated thesis statement?
If not, restate your thesis and add it to your conclusion.
Do you sound negative in your conclusion? If not, revise so you sound positive. (Don’t write anything like "this book was okay" or "this wasn’t a very good book." If you didn’t like it, don’t say anything about it. OR, you could add something positive, even if you didn’t like it!)
Include an insightful thought.
Find 2nd person point of view
First, select "replace" in the edit menu. Next, replace "you" with several underlines _____. Now everywhere in your essay where there is an underline, you know you need to revise so it is in third-person point of view.
Verb Tense
When writing about literature, use the present tense.
Incorrect: Equality found a tunnel and went there when others watched movies.
Correct: Equality finds a tunnel and goes there while others watch movies.
Revise verb tense errors.

Make your revisions, then print
Now you are ready to edit.

EDITING

Spell Check
Is your spelling correct? Use the computer’s spell check.
Correct any homophone errors. These are just a few:

• They’re, their, there
• Where, were
• Then, than
  Two, too, to
• Choose, chose
• Witch, which
• Through, threw
• No, now, know
• Advice, advise

Commas
Use the comma uses handout.
Joining 2 independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS). EXAMPLES:
Joining an independent clause with a dependent clause. If you begin a sentence with a dependent clause, you need a comma before the independent clause. For example:
Because Equality wasn’t watching his hour glass, he didn’t get back to the movie house in time to leave with his brothers.
While Equality and International were sweeping, they found a tunnel.
Check other punctuation
Semi-colons
Colons
Apostrophes (use apostrophes for possessives, not for plurals)
Basic Sentence Errors
Fragments
Run-ons (these usually involve comma errors)
Subject-verb agreement
Formatting
Book titles are italicized or underlined.
Anthem is a book by Ayn Rand
Anthem was written by Ayn Rand
DOUBLE-SPACE, and only double-space, everything!
Typed in 12 point font, Times New Roman, Georgia, or Arial.
MLA header: top right corner. Last name and page number.
MLA heading (not in the header) on the left! Heading includes

• Name
• Instructor’s name
• Class and period
• Date in MLA format (3 December 2008)

Title your essay. Center it after the heading. (do NOT bold, underline or put your title in quotation marks)
Editing Strategy
Start with the last sentence in your essay.
Read the last sentence. Does it have any errors? Does it sound correct? Edit to correct any mistakes.
Continue your editing with the sentence before last.
Make your corrections, then print again.
Read again, checking for mistakes you didn’t catch previously.
Trade with someone in the class if you want to.
Read aloud (quietly), listening for sentences that sound awkward.

QUOTES & WORKS CITED

When using quotes…
Don’t start a paragraph with a quote.
Don’t start a sentence with a quote.
Introduce all quotes with your own words. (It is also best to end quotes with your own words.)
Citing your quote in parentheses
Equality says he will bring his invention to the Council of Scholars and "put before them the greatest gift ever offered to men" (67).
Equality says he will bring his invention to the Council of Scholars and "put before them the greatest gift ever offered to men" (Rand 67).
If you are only citing one source, the book, you don’t have to put the author’s name. Just put the page number where the quote is found in parentheses. The punctuation goes after the parentheses.
Works Cited
If you use quotes in your essay, you MUST cite them and include a works cited.
The Works Cited will be the last page in your paper (the page number will be in your header).