It looks like the educational software ad writers of this company don’t know the difference between “their” (possessive) and “they’re” (they are).

Would you feel confident purchasing educational software from a company that doesn’t know basic grammar (or perhaps simply doesn’t care enough to proofread its ad)? Probably not.

Why? Because simple typos are generally a result of sloppy work—and that’s what your professor is going to think if you turn in a paper with the same type of errors.

Typos and grammar errors are bad enough, but gaps in the content and logic of your paper are even worse. That means learning how to revise an essay is an essential skill.

So grab a current draft of an essay, and practice these revision strategies to make your essay better than ever!

How to Revise an Essay and Make it Better than Ever

Before we dive into the details of how to revise an essay, think about whether you’ll revise a digital copy or a hard copy.

If you revise a digital copy, you might want to save your first draft and make revisions on another copy. This will let you refer to your original ideas if you rewrite. (Just make sure to give the files different names, so you don’t accidentally submit the wrong version to your prof.)

If you revise a hard copy, grab a pen (and maybe a highlighter) to start marking up your pages. It can often be easier to catch typos and other errors when reading a printed copy. A lot of seasoned authors use this method, so don’t automatically dismiss this old-school way of editing before giving it a try.

Now that you’ve decided how you’ll work, here are six revision tips you need to know to revise your diamond-in-the-rough draft into a polished piece of writing perfection.

Revision tip #1: Write and revise on separate days

When you’re writing, every word you type sounds like perfection. If you read your essay the next day, though, you’ll see that every word is far from perfect. You might even have your share of typos and sentences that are barely comprehensible.

The takeaway: Don’t procrastinate.

Leave yourself enough time to revise. Write one day, and revise the next. You’ll be surprised at what types of errors seem to appear.

If you absolutely don’t have time to wait a full day before you revise, at least wait a few hours.

Think you don’t have the time (or don’t want to take the time) to revise? Consider this: If you don’t spend an extra day or two on revision, your professor will certainly let you know where you should have revised.

My point: Your grade will thank you if you put in the extra effort.

Need help managing time? Read How to Manage Time Better When Writing (and Living Your Life).

Revision tip #2: Read your paper out loud

Remember when you were a kid and you followed along with your finger as you read out loud? I bet you may have even paused to sound out words in your favorite book. It helped, didn’t it? Why? Because it helped you comprehend the words, their meaning, and the meaning of the story. You could hear the words being spoken.

While I’m not suggesting that you necessarily need to follow along the page or screen with your finger (but you can if you like), I am suggesting that you read your essay out loud so that you hear how your paper sounds. It’s easier to hear awkward wording and spot typos if you read aloud.

If you have a friend who’s willing to read your paper out loud, recruit him or her to help too. You can sit back, listen to your words, and note where you might need to revise.

Revision tip #3: Check the content of your essay first

When people think of revision, they often think of correcting spelling errors, typos, and other grammatical errors. Though these are all part of the revision process, there’s more to revision than just changing some punctuation or moving around a few words.

You need to look at the content and the development of your paper too.

Make sure you complete your revision of these larger concerns (content and development) before looking for smaller concerns, such as word choice, grammar errors, and typos.

Here’s why: Let’s say you spend 10 minutes working on one sentence that you just can’t seem to get right. You change the wording three times and move the comma twice in an attempt to craft the perfect topic sentence for your paragraph.

If you spend all that time writing one sentence, what happens if you then revise the content of your essay and end up cutting the entire paragraph because it doesn’t support your argument?

Yep, you wasted 10 minutes on one sentence. That 10 minutes would have been better spent working on your key arguments, rather than working on punctuation and wording.

Questions to ask

Not sure what you should be looking for when you revise content? Here’s a list of questions to ask yourself:

• Did you complete the assignment correctly? If you were supposed to write a compare and contrast essay, for instance, and your paper is actually an argument essay, you’ll have quite a bit of revision to do.

• Is your topic appropriately narrowed? For example, if you’re writing a four-page essay and you picked a ginormous and complex topic like climate change, you’ll definitely need to narrow the scope of your essay.

• Does your introduction effectively introduce your topic and essay? Does it include an attention grabber that makes your audience want to keep reading?

• Is your thesis statement clear and specific? Does it inform readers of the focus of your paper?

• Have you developed and defined key arguments to support your thesis? Are the arguments supported with sufficient evidence? (To check whether your paper is supported effectively, try a reverse outline.)

• Does your paper achieve its intended purpose? For instance, if you’re writing a persuasive essay, will your arguments actually persuade the reader? (Need help with being more persuasive? Check out Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Be More Persuasive in Your Next Essay.)

• Does your conclusion effectively wrap up your paper?

Revision tip #4: Consider style

Once you’ve revised the content of your paper, consider style.

You may not initially think writing style is important, but it plays a crucial role in the overall impression your writing will make on the reader.

Writing style is kinda like your own personal style. Whether you consider your style artsy, preppy, bohemian, casual, or punk, the clothes and hairstyle you choose say a lot about the message you put out to the world.

In writing, elements such as tone, voice, or redundancy can say a lot about the message you’re sending to the reader.

Here are a few things to look for as you review the style of your essay:

• Make sure you’re writing in the correct voice. Are you allowed to write in first person? Should you write in third person? (Third person is usually preferred in academic essays.)

• Examine the tone of your paper. If you’re writing an academic essay, don’t use slang and jargon. They’re too informal. Instead, use academic voice. For instance, you could replace “back in the day” with “previously” or “in recent years.”

• Watch out for word repetition and unnecessary redundancy. If you’re writing about the death penalty, it can be easy to write the term “death penalty” over and over again simply because it’s the topic of your paper. To avoid such repetition, try using synonyms, such as capital punishment, execution, or legalized killing.

You might also consider a thesaurus, but use it cautiously. Even though the words might have similar meanings, they likely have different connotations.

For example, if you look up the word “quiet” in a thesaurus, you’ll see the word “speechless” as a synonym. Clearly, these two words don’t mean quite the same thing and can’t always be used interchangeably.

Revision tip #5: Edit for grammar, spelling, and typos

Now that you have the content and style in place, it’s finally time to look at those smaller issues—grammar, spelling, proper word choice, and typos.

Learn how to avoid these types of errors (and how to correct them) by reading these posts:

• Dangling Modifier: Don’t Make This Funny Grammar Mistake
• Misplaced Modifier: How to Avoid This Hilarious Grammar Mistake
• 7 Grammar Rules That Everyone Should Learn
• 33 Commonly Misused Words (and How to Get Them Right)
• 97 Transitions Words for Essays You Need to Know

And even though I know you have spell check, don’t rely on it.

Of course spell check knows if words are spelled correctly, but sometimes spell check misses things or autocorrects to something it shouldn’t. For example, if you spell “definitely” wrong, spell check might change it to “defiantly.” This is definitely not what you want!

Checklist in a minute

I know the five strategies I’ve included so far are a lot to remember, so for quick reference, I’ve created this checklist that summarizes the revision strategies I’ve included in this post. To recap, here they are again:

• Write and revise on separate days. Set aside your draft, and return to it in a day or two to begin the revision process.

• Read your essay out loud. By reading your essay aloud, you can hear errors and identify places where you might need to clarify or reword ideas.

• Check the content of your essay first. Before you check grammar, check to see whether you’ve met assignment guidelines, created a strong thesis, developed and supported your arguments, and created an effective conclusion.

• Check the style of your paper. Look for correct point of view, proper wording, and appropriate tone.

• Edit for grammar, spelling, and typos.

I’ve also created a printable revision checklist for you so that you’ll always remember how to revise an essay to make it better than ever. Just pop it open, and click File > Make a copy to snag your own copy to print out and mark up as you revise your next paper.

The Final Revision

Even after all this effort, sometimes it’s not enough to revise your own work.

While arguments might make sense in your own mind, they might not be as clear to others. Sometimes, you can even miss small grammar and wording errors because your mind reads what you meant to say, not what you actually typed.

Need more convincing? Read Why Self-Editing is Killing Your Writing.

And thus, the last strategy to use when revising an essay…

Revision tip #6: Have someone else read your writing

Having others look at your work means they see it from a new perspective. They’re reading as your audience, not as the writer, so they’ll see and understand things differently.

In some English courses, you’ll have the opportunity to have your classmates read your work. If you’re not in an English course, you might have another friend (hopefully one who is good at writing) read your paper. You might also visit your school’s writing center.

Of course, it’s always a smart idea to have a professional editor review your work even when you know how to revise an essay. And for that, you’re in the right place: the editors at Kibin can not only provide you with expert feedback and help with the revision process but can also help you become a better writer along the way.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on February 1, 2017, but has been expanded to include fresh advice and additional resources.

You get an essay back from a teacher with a grade written clearly across the top of the paper, but little is written elsewhere to indicate why you received that grade.

There’s no real explanation of what you’ve done well or what you’ve done badly. And so there’s little indication of how you can improve and be a better writer.

It’s not all the teacher’s fault. Many teachers are incredibly overworked with hundreds of students, kids of their own, and sometimes, second jobs to make ends meet.

Can you imagine working all week and then spending your entire weekend grading hundreds of essays while juggling these other responsibilities?

And for many students, it’s not much easier. Going to school is a full-time job for those who want to get the most out of it. Many students also have a part-time job (or two) on the side to support their own families or, if in college, to pay for school.

Those students who are lucky enough to not have these extra responsibilities may have the time and flexibility to track down a teacher after school or during office hours.

When that’s possible, students can find out what they did wrong on their essays and how they can improve to be a better writer.

But if you don’t have this luxury, how can you become a better writer?

While reading a ton of example essays is one option, the clearest way to become a better writer is by simply writing yourself. But that seems too simple, right? I mean, you can type out essays all day long.

But unless you have some indication of what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong, it’s hard to ensure that the next essay you write will be better than the last.

However, I still argue that the best way to improve your writing is by writing. The problem is that many people don’t understand what “writing” is.

Writing is not just typing words. It’s a process. Writing is thinking and researching. Writing is outlining. Writing is formulating a thesis. Writing is, yes, putting the words on paper. But writing is also revision.

Actually, it’s mostly revision.

The only way your first draft will be your best draft is if it is the only draft you write.

The only way your first draft will be your best draft is if it is the only draft you write.
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To produce the best essay, you need to write and rewrite it until it’s the best it can be. But here we are back at the beginning–how do you improve the second draft if you don’t know what’s wrong with the first?

One way is with an editor. An editor is like your own personal teacher, identifying your mistakes, both big and small, and teaching you how to fix them in your current essay and avoid them in subsequent ones.

Want to become a better writer? Let’s take a look at six ways an editor can help — plus feedback from students who have worked with Kibin editors.

1. Seeing What You Don’t

First and foremost, an editor provides a fresh set of eyes for your writing.

Moreover, an editor has the eyes of a word nerd who understands the micro elements (punctuation, grammar, word choice, sentence structure) and the macro elements (thesis statements, style, essay structure, formatting) of writing.

If you feel a bit lacking in your knowledge of one or more of these areas, an editor can spot your mistakes, draw your attention to them, and show you the correct way forward.

Even if you feel as though you have a strong understanding of each aspect of writing, you’re still going to miss some things along the way. When you stare at something long enough, you become a bit blind to parts of it. An editor will catch the mistakes you missed.

And it’s not all about catching mistakes! Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with your writing, but an editor can make various suggestions on how to improve it.

Maybe you will ignore some of those suggestions, but if even one of them resonates with you, it can turn your good essay into a great one.

Students say…

Thank you again for a prompt and thorough review of my document. I truly appreciate your honesty. Sometimes you just need a second set of eyes on something to make sure you are on the right track. — feedback for Bethany R.

2. Identifying Frequent Errors

An editor is not only awesome at seeing errors and ways to improve writing but also incredible at seeing the patterns in your writing.

Some editors at Kibin have edited millions of words (literally!). With all of that practice, they have become adept at noticing recurring issues in your writing.

A good editor will point out these areas and give them extra attention so that you can learn from them and correct your negative habits.

On the micro level, negative patterns can be found within one essay. An editor will notice grammatical errors that recur and teach you how to correct them. On the macro level, editors can identify frequent errors in structure or style over the span of several essays.

At Kibin, you can request to work with the same editor who worked on your previous essays. This offers a great opportunity to build a rapport with your editor and for your editor to teach you how to improve your essay-writing abilities over the long term.

Students say…

In 2 days, Dan has taught me more than 4 years in HS and a semester in college. He is very patient with my mistakes and takes time to thoroughly explain what I can do to improve!!! BEST editor EVER! — feedback for Dan C.

3. Pointing Out Successes

Editing isn’t all about pointing out the errors that you’ve made in your essay. A great editor will also take note of the things you’re doing well!

Sometimes you don’t even realize how good a word, sentence, paragraph, or essay you’ve written is.

It’s important to have a professional set of eyes who can look at your writing without any bias. That allows an editor to tell you not only where you need to improve but also where you should give yourself a pat on the back.

This is one area where having an editor you don’t know can help.

You never know when a friend or family member will be afraid to tell you when something is wrong. Moreover, sometimes it’s hard to tell when positive feedback is honest and when it’s flattery.

The perfect editor is one who points out both the positives and the negatives in a clear, honest, and constructive way so that you can become a better writer.

Students say…

Your feedback and encouragement are invaluable. I am learning grammar progress in my writing while working with you. You always ‘get me right.'” — feedback for Crystal W.

4. Teaching in an Approachable Way

Getting a friend, family member, or classmate to review your paper is better than nothing. However, there are some ways in which an editor is better.

Asking a friend to look over your paper? Having an editor do it instead is better in some ways.
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Most importantly, editors have experience on their side. This means two things:

• They have an incredible knowledge base from which to draw.
• They have the ability to provide that clear, honest, and constructive feedback you need to improve your writing.

While your buddies might be able to tell you that something is incorrect, they might not be able to tell you exactly why it’s incorrect.

An editor, on the other hand, is a teacher. An editor works to not only find the areas of your essay that need improvement but also is skilled at explaining why it needs improvement and how you can improve it.

Students say…

I was very pleased when I received the edited paper this morning–it wasn’t so much an editing job as a teaching job. I will use this service a lot! — feedback for Alex L.

Need to polish your paper?

Let our expert editors help.

Yes! Edit my essay.

5. Providing Suggested Edits, Comments, and Feedback

One way that an editor at Kibin teaches you to be a better writer is through comments, feedback, and suggestive edits.

While some editors may just find and fix your mistakes, a Kibin editor will instead highlight your error and suggest a way to improve it. In this way, you will see what you did wrong and how changing it improves your writing.

Furthermore, if any explanation is needed on why it’s wrong and the various ways in which you can improve it, you can expect to find a detailed yet easy-to-understand comment to accompany the suggested edit.

Moreover, it’s important for an editor to comment not only on the micro-level mistakes made in your essay but also on the overall strengths and shortcomings of your essay.

This is provided through feedback at the end in which the editor points out what you’ve done well in your essay and what you can work on in the next one.

So a Kibin editor works to improve your writing ability on three levels:

• Finding errors and suggesting edits
• Explaining those suggested edits
• Giving macro-level feedback on your essay as a whole

Students say…

She has done a tremendous job with giving feedback and suggestions, and I look forward to using her again in the future. Jane provides top-notch quality editing, and I am grateful for her valuable and intuitive thoughts/comments. — feedback for Jane J.

6. Modeling Revision

As we talked about in the beginning of this post, one of the most important aspects of the writing process is revision. Unfortunately, you’re not done writing when you write the last word of your essay.

I know it’s a bit like finishing a 10K and then being told you’re running a marathon, but revision is key.

You must read, analyze, and revise your draft in order to get the most out of your essay. And guess what? That’s exactly what an editor does.

Editors read, analyze, and find ways in which you can revise your essay to make it better. And along the way, they can make you a better writer.

Students say … 

Thank you so much for all your help! I am forever learning this art that you have mastered. — feedback for Susan S. 

The Takeaway: An Editor Can Teach You How to Be a Better Writer

I like to think of Kibin editors as revision coaches.

Their job isn’t to simply improve your essay. Their job is to show you how to improve your writing. They do that by modeling and explaining the revision process. In this way, an editor shows you exactly how to be a better writer in the future.

More specifically, editors help you to identify what you’re doing right and wrong at the micro and macro levels. Editors teach you how to correct the errors not only in one essay, but also in future essays.

In other words, they show you the proper way to revise your writing so that you can do it yourself in the future.

In these ways, an editor can help you to be a better writer.

That’s okay! Let’s start by taking some of the mystery out of the equation.

A peer review, also referred to as peer editing or a peer workshop, is when you read another student’s essay draft and make comments on what’s both working well in the paper and what may need improvement. There are different methods by which each college professor might conduct a peer review, but they all adhere to similar guidelines.

This type of assignment may be new to you, and it may seem challenging. But try to see it as an opportunity to…

• Better understand the essay assignment (which you’ll be writing yourself and turning in to your professor)
• See how one of your peers has approached the essay
• Approach editing from a whole new angle

What’s great about peer reviews is that they allow you to be more objective—sometimes it’s easier for us to find things to fix in others’ work.

Practicing with your peers’ papers will help you develop skills that can be used to revise your own writing, which will in turn help you write stronger papers throughout your college career.

So without further ado, let’s break down the top six items you’ll want to focus on in order to write a stellar peer review.

1. Understanding the Essay Assignment

This one may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s super important not to read your peer’s essay draft without fully understanding the assignment yourself.

In fact, by the time you’re ready to write a peer review, you should have already started on the same essay project and have a pretty solid understanding of what your teacher is looking for in a successful paper.

This includes understanding the goals of your essay assignment. What kind of essay is it, and what is the purpose? What should the writer try to accomplish in this essay, or what is the writer trying to make the reader understand?

Below are some examples of common college essay formats, and you can find examples of them all in the Kibin essay example database:

• Narrative
• Compare and Contrast
• Analytical
• Argumentative

The second part of understanding the assignment includes any guidelines your teacher has specifically defined for the essay. Note whether your classmate is meeting all of these requirements as you read the paper you’re reviewing.

2. Following Instructions

Peer reviews can occur in different formats, and your teacher may have different expectations than someone else’s. So make sure you know what your teacher expects from you before diving into this assignment.

Sometimes you’ll be given a checklist or assignment sheet that you’re expected to follow, or you may find this information in your course textbook or workbook. If not, it’s a good idea to ask for clarification if any part of the expectations are confusing.

You may also be expected to take a copy of your classmate’s essay home for in-depth review, in which case you should plan to spend a quality amount of time on it on your own.

Or you may have a peer workshop in which you’ll be expected to read the essay, take notes, and come to class prepared to give your input aloud to your classmate while the teacher oversees the review session.

In many cases, peer review will require both of the above, so be prepared to spend time reviewing that essay either way!

If you don’t have a strict set of guidelines but want to follow a proven method for peer reviewing, try this handy worksheet that uses the CARES method.

3. Getting Started: Read It All

You might be tempted to get out your red pen and start making comments and suggestions right away, but let’s slow down a bit.

First things first: you need to read your classmate’s essay in its entirety.

It’s important to fully read the essay draft because providing feedback right away can make you less objective and thus a less effective reviewer.

But when you read the entire essay, you familiarize yourself with your classmate’s writing style and get an idea of the points your classmate’s trying to make in the paper.

During this full reading, focus on what your classmate is trying to say, whether the writing is clear and easy to understand, and whether it follows the overall guidelines of the assignment.

For instance, here are the questions you should think about for three types of essays:

• Narrative essay: Does it tell a story?
• Compare and contrast essay: Does it effectively compare one item to another?
• Argument essay: Does it have a clear thesis and support that thesis throughout the essay?

You’ll also want to think about whether the essay follows a coherent structure from beginning to end.

• Are the introduction, body, and closing paragraph(s) clearly defined and separate?
• Do the ideas flow naturally from one point to the next?
• Is anything left underdeveloped or unexplained that would improve your understanding of what the writer is trying to say?

4. Doing a Rough Review

Just like you would write a rough draft of any college-level essay, you should also do a “rough” version of your peer review that focuses on clarity and whether the writer is meeting the assignment goals.

This step includes rereading the essay and—as you go along—highlighting or underlining sections that are unclear or underdeveloped. Add notes in the margins for each mark you make so that you’ll have a handy guide for when you type up your feedback.

This is also a good time to practice your grammar skills. If you see any grammatical mistakes or spelling errors as you read through the paper, be sure to circle these.

Are there any awkward phrases, sentence fragments, punctuation errors, run-ons, or incomplete ideas? Circle these as well, and jot down the reason you’re marking these sections.

But there’s more to it than grammar. Make sure you also focus on these areas:

• Start with the first paragraph. Is there a solid hook? When you finish reading it, do you want to read more? Why or why not? Write down your reason.

• Can you easily identify the thesis—the point that the writer is trying to make/argue? Is there anything that makes the thesis unclear? Why?

• How well is the thesis/main point supported in each body paragraph? If it’s an argument essay, what kind of support is provided? Does the writer use quotes from scholarly sources? Do the quotes adequately back up what the writer is saying?

• Are there any points where the author seems to lose focus and goes off on a tangent? Is there anything that doesn’t seem to fit with the essay or support the main point? Where does this happen, specifically, and what do you find difficult about it?

5. Crafting a Formal Response

As part of the peer editing and review process, your professor may expect you to fill out a worksheet or type up a formal response to turn in for a grade or to give to your classmate.

Either way, you’ll want to make sure that your feedback is clear and easy to understand so that your classmate gets the most out of your peer review.

Below are some tips for providing great feedback.

Be detailed

The least helpful thing you can say is “Good job!” or “This paper was good but needs work.” Instead, what you want to do is tell the writer specifically what is unclear or not working for you.

Here are some key phrases you can use to be more specific in your review:

• “I’m not sure that this example supports your thesis because…”
• “It is a little unclear what you’re trying to say here because…”
• “This paragraph seems to go off-topic from your main point because…”

The examples use the word “because,” but this doesn’t mean you have to write your own comments like this. “Because” is there just to remind you that, for each comment you make, you need to tell the writer why you feel the way you do about a specific part of the essay.

As a rule, any time you make a comment on a classmate’s paper—even positive ones—be sure to reinforce that comment with supporting reasoning.

A side benefit to doing this is that it also gives you practice for when you have to write your own college papers that require support and evidence to back up your idea.

See things differently

Personal bias can get in the way of a good review process, so do your best to set aside your own opinions about the writer’s topic before making your comments.

Try to see things from the writer’s point of view, and consider whether the writer makes a strong case for the ideas, even if you ultimately disagree with them.

Especially in the case of an argument paper, you can disagree with someone’s viewpoint while still acknowledging that the essay makes good points and provides solid evidence that supports the main ideas.

If you’re reviewing this type of essay, focus on whether the support is strong. Then raise questions you might have about the argument that the writer may not have considered. By provoking further thought, you can help the writer revise for a stronger argument.

Edit your work (always)

Part of making sure that the writer understands your comments includes writing clearly yourself. Your responses to the writer’s work should be well-organized and follow the normal paragraph structure of 3-5 sentences.

Start with a topic sentence, and follow it with supporting sentences in the paragraph body that stay on-topic.

Avoid rambling, and correct any run-ons, fragments, and other grammar/style errors. It’s okay for your rough draft to have mistakes, but what you turn in to the writer/professor needs to be proofread thoroughly—their understanding (and your grade) depend on it.

You can edit by yourself, but two heads are better than one. Ask a friend for help, visit your campus writing lab, or have the experts at Kibin edit your work.

6. Staying Positive and Giving Constructive Criticism

A lot of peer editing and review involves looking for ways the writer can improve the essay you’re reviewing. But you don’t want to overload the writer with just critical feedback. A little encouragement goes a long way, so it’s a good idea to balance the negative with the positive.

Peer reviewing is usually pretty new to everyone taking a college-level writing course for the first time. So most students are pretty nervous—on both sides—about how to both give and receive criticism.

The writer is probably worried about negative feedback, and the reviewers are probably worried about giving criticism for fear that the writer will roast them when it comes time for their own peer review.

But not to worry!

If you approach this assignment with the idea that it is meant to help the writer, then you’re already well on your way to writing a fair and positive review. So how do you provide the balance and stay constructive?

Start positive

Find one good thing to say about the beginning paragraph so that you begin by encouraging the writer. Maybe the thesis is strong and clear. Perhaps the sentences are detail-oriented and easy to follow.

Either way, finding one thing that works in the beginning will help the writer feel encouraged when you have to give more critical feedback.

Make suggestions, not demands

Remember that this is the writer’s work, not your own. You don’t want to tell the writer how to rewrite the paper—that’s not your job as a peer reviewer.

If there are any areas that could be improved, suggest changes that you think would work well, but don’t tell the writer, “You have to make these changes.”

It’s much easier for writers to accept (and benefit from) criticism if it isn’t being forced on them.

It’s much easier for writers to accept (and benefit from) criticism when it’s not forced on them.
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Try the sandwich method

This review style is based on encouragement and gets results. The sandwich method has three stages:

• Tell the writer one of the strengths in a specific part of the essay.
• Then identify an area that needs improvement.
• Next, reiterate the positive point, and tell the writer what positive results can be achieved if the section you mention is improved.

For more on the sandwich method and other useful criticism tips, check out this LinkedIn post.

Peer Editing: The Takeaway

Let’s do a quick recap of what you need to do to write a successful peer review:

• Understand the essay assignment.
• Be aware of the peer review instructions and your teacher’s expectations.
• Read the essay from start to finish.
• Mark areas on the essay that need improvement and those that are strong.
• Type up your formal response to the writer.
• Be detailed in your response.
• Try to see things from the writer’s point of view.
• Be positive and apply constructive criticism.

You have the CARES example from above, and there’s a good chance your teacher or course workbook has provided a checklist. But if you need another peer review checklist that covers all the bases, try this one—it’s super-helpful and has everything covered in this post.

The checklist is best reserved for the end of your peer editing and review process. It will help you cover anything you may have missed, but it’s best not to rely on it when you’re first diving in.

Instead, take in the whole essay first, and think about it before looking at ways to pick it apart. You’ll have a much stronger review if you put in that initial legwork.

Now you have the necessary tools to get started on your first peer review. Just like any college assignment, this one can be challenging. But if you put in the time and effort and ask questions when you’re confused or get stuck, you should do just fine.

Kibin’s awesome team of editors always has your back too! We’ll be there for you whenever you need help with your writing.

Or so it constantly seems when writing an essay.

As soon as you think you’re finished, it’s time to examine, revise, and rewrite.

The end of your first draft marks the beginning of your second. The beginning of your third draft marks the end of your second. So on and so on.

The end is the beginning is the…

As a teacher, I can tell you that the second draft is much more important than the first, the third is more important than the second, and the final draft (if one really exists) is more important than the one that came before it.

This means that understanding and addressing the feedback in each draft is incredibly important to the success of your next draft. And to your grade.

The end is the beginning not only for you but also for your teacher. Your first draft might have been the best in the class, but if you ignore or misinterpret your teacher’s feedback when writing your second draft, your final grade certainly won’t be at the top.

So let’s take a look at 15 types of essay feedback and how to address each one in your subsequent draft.

15 Types of Essay Feedback and How to Address It

While this list obviously doesn’t address all possible types of essay feedback you might receive, these are the most common and cover vital components of any good essay.

1. “What is the main point/argument?”

Almost all academic essays require a thesis statement, which expresses your main idea or argument. The rest of your paper uses your thesis statement as a guiding light. All evidence and explanations are focused on supporting that important statement.

If your teacher is confused about what the main point or argument is within your essay, it’s almost assuredly because your thesis is weak or unclear. In your next draft, focus on writing a concise thesis statement that clearly expresses the main points of your essay.

You can also try Kibin’s thesis generator.

2. “The essay doesn’t flow well.”

Writing a longer essay can feel like an overwhelming undertaking for those who lack a lot of writing experience. Therefore, a common problem is that a first draft doesn’t flow well.

This can be because the writing is clunky or because the information isn’t presented in a logical order. To prevent this, it’s important to create an outline early in the writing process.

If you’ve already written a draft without an outline, try creating a reverse outline before writing your next draft. Once you’ve done this, you should be able to reorder your essay in a way that will flow better.

Beyond presenting information in a logical order, you need to develop strong transitions between points so that your writing flows flawlessly from one point to the next.

3. “This section is unclear.”

Even if you have outlined your essay and put paragraphs in a logical order, it’s easy to write a paragraph in a way that seems clear to you but isn’t for your reader.

This happens because you have spent so much time with the material that it’s difficult to imagine what it will be like for a reader who is coming in with a blank slate.

So if you find a paragraph in your draft highlighted as “unclear,” you should go back and look at the structure of that paragraph. Remember that you need a topic sentence that clearly states which part of the thesis the section or paragraph will be supporting.

Without it, you risk confusing your reader.

4. “There is not enough/too much evidence.”

There’s a fine line between having too much evidence and not enough. I have read some papers in which there were only one or two quotes in the entire paper, and I have read others in which almost the entire essay consisted of quotes from sources.

As a new writer, it can be difficult to strike the right balance.

Although your professor might encourage you to provide as much evidence as possible in support of your thesis, it’s still your paper. Too many quotes, statistics, and data can clutter your paper.

Remember that you must provide commentary, in your own words, for every piece of evidence you provide.

If, on the other hand, you don’t have enough evidence for your paper, you should start looking for more resources to support your claims, no matter how terrible you find the idea of doing more research.

5. “The ideas aren’t original.”

Although some research papers ask you to merely research a topic and explain it, the majority of assignments call on you to make some type of claim. In an argumentative essay, this means arguing for or against some aspect of your topic.

Some students fall into the trap of merely researching someone else’s argument and regurgitating it. However, the point of the paper is to come up with your own original idea.

To avoid this, spend some time thinking about your own view of the topic before reading other people’s opinions on it.

6. “The essay is too long/short.”

Some professors have strict word-count requirements that you must take into account when writing your paper. If you aren’t sure if your essay length is acceptable, ask your professor before turning it in.

If you’re faced with essay feedback that says you need to shorten your essay, try to focus your argument a bit further.

For example, instead of arguing that students should take a gap year after high school, narrow your argument to what they should do during that gap year, such as volunteer in another state. By narrowing your argument, your essay will shorten.

If your essay needs to be longer, it’s time to expand your thesis with another claim and possibly do more research. I know. Sorry.

7. “The essay lacks focus.”

Remember when I referred to the thesis statement as the guiding light of your essay? Well, it’s there to guide you for a reason.

Every piece of evidence and commentary in your essay should be supporting your thesis in some way. If it isn’t, then your essay will lack focus. Keep this in mind as you’re outlining your paper and when revising it.

Also beware of any evidence that might unintentionally contradict your argument. Know your thesis, and let it guide your writing.

8. “Expand/Elaborate on this idea.”

There are times when an idea or argument seems perfect in your head, but then your reader says it’s insufficient.

Don’t get discouraged. A lot of times this is just because you’re so close to your subject that it’s hard to see any holes in it. This is why revision is so important!

Between your first and second draft, you’ll have some time away from your essay. When you return to it, it’ll be easier to spot those holes.

It’s often as simple as needing another piece of evidence or a bit more commentary. Sometimes providing an example to your reader can clear up any confusion.

9. “Vague/Confusing/I don’t understand/What does this mean?”

Remember that most essays should be written with the idea that your reader doesn’t know anything about the subject. Sometimes you can fall into the habit of assuming the reader will understand.

For example, if you’re writing about cryptocurrency, it might seem to you that your reader should know what a blockchain is, but the reader might not.

However, you should make sure your introduction provides any necessary background info so that your reader isn’t confused later. That means explaining any history on your subject that’s pertinent to your argument.

Also be sure to explain any necessary vocabulary or jargon that might trip up your reader.

10. “Needs better/more reliable sources.”

This is a common problem that’s easy to fix with a bit of education on what constitutes a reliable and an unreliable source.

You want to search for and use materials from reputable sources, but how do you know whether a source is reputable? Look carefully at the author of the material and, if online, assess the website itself as well.

You want to find information from people who are respected in their fields. This means no crowd-sourced material like Wikipedia.

Also pay attention to the purpose of the source. If it’s written by a lobbying firm, then it will be one-sided. Some of the best information will be from recent academic journals. Even then, try to find information from multiple journals, not just one.

11. “The style/tone is inappropriate.”

The tone of your essay will change depending on the essay assignment and subject. This can be tricky for some students.

For example, a narrative essay can take on a much more personal tone because it’s focused on telling a story. However, the tone for an argumentative essay should be much more professional.

If you included personal anecdotes in the first draft of your argumentative essay, you will probably be well-served by removing them from the next draft.

12. “The introduction is flawed/confusing.”

A good introduction will hook your reader, provide necessary background information, and then present the all-important thesis statement.

This is not the place for examples, data, quotes, or paraphrasing. Keep it simple, or risk it becoming confusing.

To fix a “flawed/confusing” intro, keep it simple—avoid examples, data, quotes, or paraphrasing.
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13. “The conclusion is ineffective.”

The goal of the conclusion is to leave your reader without any lingering questions. Every conclusion paragraph should include a restatement of the thesis statement and a recap of the most important takeaways from your paper.

If there are any loose ends, now is the time to tie them up. The conclusion is not the place to present further evidence or another argument. It’s too late. Doing so now will potentially leave your reader with unanswered questions.

And if you’ve ever seen the show Lost, you understand that being left with questions is frustrating.

14. “The citations are incorrectly formatted.”

Formatting your citations and reference list can be a bit tricky for even the most seasoned writers, so don’t be discouraged if you need to revise them a bit in later drafts.

Be sure that you’re using the style guide your professor has chosen for the assignment as the various guides (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.) can vary wildly.

15. “There are too many errors.”

This can be a discouraging piece of essay feedback, but it’s also one of the easiest to fix. It’s important to have someone read and edit your draft, whether you struggle with grammar or consider yourself a word nerd. Everyone makes mistakes.

For a trusted, professional editor who will ensure your paper is spotless, check out Kibin. Kibin editors will not only fix any grammatical errors but also leave some great feedback so that you can improve your next draft and learn along the way.

That’s what feedback and revision are all about. Good luck!

So don’t try these at home.

What you definitely should try at home (or in your dorm room, in the library, or anywhere else you study) is writing a reverse outline of your paper.

A reverse outline? Is that like starting at the end and outlining your conclusion first?

Not exactly.

So what is a reverse outline, and why should you use one? Let me explain.

What Is a Reverse Outline?

I’m sure you’ve had to write outlines many times in your academic career. And I’m sure you know that an outline is a form of prewriting that helps you organize ideas before you begin drafting your essay.

A reverse outline is a lot like a standard outline. The difference is that you’ll write a reverse outline after you write your paper.

To do this, simply review a completed draft of your paper and outline the key parts, such as the thesis statement, main arguments (or topic sentences), and evidence used to support each of your arguments.

Why Should You Use a Reverse Outline?

The quick answer is that a reverse outline can help you write a better paper. (And a better paper means a better grade, so it’s a win-win, right?)

Reverse outline = a better paper = a better grade. It’s a win-win.
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More specifically, using a reverse outline can help you:

• Decide if your paper meets assignment guidelines. If you’re supposed to write a compare and contrast essay, completing a reverse outline can help you see if you’ve included both comparisons and contrasts, or if you’ve only included comparisons and have forgotten all about contrasting ideas.

• Determine whether your main arguments follow your thesis. For example, If your thesis statement informs readers that you’re evaluating the themes of The Scorch Trials but you’re outline reveals you’re analyzing symbolism, you’ll either need to rewrite your paper or rewrite your thesis.

• Identify sections of your paper that may need further evidence, analysis, or development. A topic sentence might explain that the goal of the paragraph is to explain why raising the speed limit won’t cause any more accidents, but a reverse outline might also reveal that you only have your own opinion in the paragraph. If you’re supposed to write a research-based essay, this is a clear indication that this paragraph needs some major revision.

• Identify information in your paper that needs to be deleted (or perhaps moved to another section). Let’s say you have two paragraphs that discuss cities with wonderful cycling paths, but one of those paragraphs is on page two and the other on page four. A reverse outline can help you see that you should move those paragraphs next to each other, combine the paragraphs into one, or perhaps delete one of the paragraphs if it’s redundant.

• Decide if the paragraph contains too many ideas. If one of your body paragraphs discusses point of view, symbolism, and tone in To Kill a Mockingbird, the paragraph contains too many ideas. Reverse outlining can help you see where to split ideas into individual paragraphs.

• Decide if all information in your paper is appropriate. If you’re assigned to write a research paper in third person, a reverse outline can help you realize that a paragraph about your own personal experience or opinion isn’t appropriate for this assignment.

How Do You Write a Reverse Outline?

Step #1 Draft your paper

If you don’t yet have a draft (or even a partial draft), you cannot exactly move on to step 2, so if you don’t have your paper written yet, what are you waiting for? Get writing!

Step #2 Identify the thesis statement of your paper

Look for the thesis statement at the end of your introductory paragraph(s). If you can’t find the thesis statement, you’ll definitely need to revise.

Once you’ve identified the thesis statement, check to make sure that it’s appropriate for your paper and assignment.

Let’s say you’re supposed to write a research-based argument essay about bike lanes in your city, and your thesis statement looks like this:

• Bike paths are essential to commuters, and the city needs to invest more money into developing additional paths throughout the metro area.

When you first look at this thesis, it looks fine. It explains the focus of the paper (the need for more bike paths) and explains the key argument (the city needs to invest more money in paths).

Let’s continue our reverse outline to see if our thesis and essay arguments match.

Step #3 Outline key ideas

To outline the key ideas of your paper, start by examining the structure of each body paragraph. Look for the topic sentence and the evidence you’ve used to support that topic sentence.

An outline of a body paragraph from our imagined argument essay about bike paths looks like this:

Topic Sentence:

• The metro area is lacking a sufficient number of bike paths.

Evidence to Support Argument:

• The city offers one major loop through downtown, meaning that cyclists cannot get to the west side of the city on paths.
• The west side of the city also doesn’t provide enough bike racks for cyclists.

The topic sentence is basic, but it gets the job done.

The evidence, on the other hand, is clearly lacking. One personal opinion about the number of bike paths isn’t enough to support a research-based essay.

The other clear problem is that the paragraph also discusses bike racks. The focus of the paper is bike paths rather than bike racks. Thus, this information isn’t necessarily suited for this paper.

Let’s take a look at another paragraph.

Topic Sentence:

• Current bike paths are dangerous to both cyclists and motor vehicle drivers.

Evidence to Support Argument:

1. In 2014, five bicycle accidents were reported at the intersection of 4th/Cooper. (Cited from source A.)
2. One cyclist fatality was reported in the metro area in 2015. (Cited from source B.)
3. An interview with regular metro cyclists reveals that 72% have had a near accident in the past six months. (Cited from personal interview.)

At first glance, this paragraph looks like it’s in fine shape. It has a clear topic sentence and ample evidence from sources.

But look again. What is it missing?

The topic sentence states that the paragraph will discuss dangers to cyclists and motor vehicle drivers. This paragraph only discusses the dangers to cyclists. It makes no mention of motor vehicle drivers.

This is exactly why a reverse outline is so helpful! It makes it easy to see where your paper might need more information.

Finally, let’s revisit our original thesis to see if it matches the content of our essay.  

• Bike paths are essential to commuters, and the city needs to invest more money into developing additional paths throughout the metro area.

Hmmm … this thesis statement focuses on the need for the city to invest more in bike paths, but our paragraphs don’t discuss this at all. Big problem!

A more appropriate thesis statement for this essay might look like this:

• The current number of bike lanes in the metro area is inadequate and a danger to cyclists.

See how a reverse outline can help you evaluate these things? Genius, isn’t it?

For more help with reverse outlines, check out this short video or try one of these worksheets:

• Reverse Outlining Worksheet #1
• Reverse Outlining Worksheet #2

And if you’re tackling your reverse outlining and making revisions on actual physical paper—ya know, by hand with a pen—here’s a good process.

The Final Revisions

Notice that the previous heading says “final revisions”—plural.

This means that, even though you revise after completing your reverse outline, you’ll still need to review your paper once again to make sure everything is ready to submit to your instructor.

Check out these resources to help make your paper a literary masterpiece:

• How to Make an Essay Longer Without Writing Useless Fluff
• 15 Ways to Improve Your Academic Writing
• Essay Formatting Survival Guide (Infographic)

Kibin editors can help also with revisions. Don’t forget to send your paper our way for some helpful feedback.

Happy outlining!

IT’S AN ENTIRE PERIOD OF PEER EDITING!

So while your teacher attends to their Match.com free trial offer, you’ll be forced to surrender your paper to a fellow classmate for review. Will he or she actually care about your paper, or will they scribble dreck on your draft and brand it, “constructive feedback”? In either case, you’ll need to both dish and take some peer edit criticism.

Below are some tips, tricks, and coping mechanisms with which to survive this godawful period of red-pennery:

• If a friend edits your paper, they’re not likely to level any harsh criticism or note necessary revisions. In fact, an anonymous peer review is a fantastic, more honest alternative!

• When editing a paper, let your revisions take the form of short, honest comments. No arguing allowed!

• It’s a good idea to develop a standard peer editing strategy. However, before you make specific edits, make sure the paper has:
  • A clear thesis statement that makes an informed argument.
  • Well-articulated, concrete support for the argument.
  • Commentary, evidence of independent thought, and effective transitions between paragraphs.

• If there are holes in their argument, don’t use up all of your editorial chewing gum to plug them up! Make notations of these logical inconsistencies and continue reading.

• Remember that it’s not your job to re-write a terrible paper. Major overhauls are best done by the paper’s author!

• When your classmate returns your paper to you, remember that their comments are not meant to be personal attacks on your psyche. If they wanted to attack your psyche, they’d tell you that your jeans were too tight. worried about your health ? check these supplements!

While peer editing is designed to give you a “second pair of eyes” in your writing process, it’s difficult to measure your editor’s skills and biases. If you’re looking for a little something beyond the peer edit, Kibin’s seasoned editors will professionally proofread your paper. The comments our editors leave are designed not only to improve your paper, but improve your writing as well! After all:

Prior proper proofreading prevents pretty poor papers!

Do you have any peer editing horror stories? Are there any helpful strategies you’d like to share with the Kibin community?

Thumbnail image used courtesy of Flickr user HelloImNik.