Como Redactar y Editar un Ensayo?

A continuacin se presentan algunos consejos sobre cmo redactar y editar un ensayo. Estos fueron proporcionados por la profesora Catherine McGregor, Ph.D. (2007). A good writer remembers: You are writing for an audience: someone who does not know your ideas or perspective, so make it clear. A paper needs to be logically organized, and this organization made explicit for the reader. Introduction: Catching the readers interest in your opening is important. Then tell them your thesis statement; that is, what is your paper going to be about, including key arguments. Road mapping: Laying out a road map of how you will proceed (and even occasionally reminding your audience of the map as you go) will make the reading experience a superior one. Transitional sentences: After detailing the authors use of foreshadowing, I will turn to the rhetorical use of metaphor before concluding with a discussion of how these capture and retain the readers interest. Headings: Headings can give important signals to the reader, dont be afraid to use them. Conclusion: Re-summarizes key points of the paper; can also identify significance of the conclusion as well as other areas of necessary research or further work. NO ONE SHOULD BE SURPRISED BY YOUR CONCLUSION AND NO NEW IDEAS SHOULD APPEAR HERE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN REFERENCED IN THE PAPER. IT SHOULD FLOW LOGICALLY FROM YOUR INTRODUCTION AND ESSAY BODY.

Other ideas about academic writing: Writing, composition and idea development are not linear but rather recursive: thats OK. Quite often you write the opening paragraph AFTER everything else is done. You should re-read your paper carefully and then make sure there is a strong match between your opening and key ideas. If not, re-write your introduction. Spend twice as much time editing as writing. You can write a good paper, but you can make it EXCELLENT only through repeated processes of editing. Reading out loud is a great editing strategy. So is giving it to someone else to read. Editing your own paper: strategies for success. This summary is based on How to Proofread and Edit Your Writing: A Guide for Student Writers by M C Morgan, Bemidji State University. Writing Resource Center. http://cal.bemidjistate.edu/wrc/handouts/ ProofAndEdit.html. Retrieved October 10, 2005 Read the first paragraph: My thesis is _________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ What I would want my reader to understand after reading this paper is: ____________ _____________________________________________________________________ Read each paragraph and note its key idea or theme. This should take the form only of a three or four word phrase that says what the paragraph does or explains. Gloss (or mini title) Paragraph 1 (summarize in 5-10 words) Paragraph 2 Paragraph 3 Paragraph 4 Paragraph 5 Paragraph 6

Paragraph 7 Consider the relationship between the thesis and your paragraph glosses on your sheet. Now you have to make some choices and decisions. Do the ideas of your paragraphs clearly connect to the thesis you wrote down? If not, should you re-write the thesis or eliminate the paragraph? Are the paragraphs in an order that allows a new reader to follow your development, or might another order work better? Are there duplicate or near duplicate ideas in different paragraphs? EDIT, EDIT, EDIT! Paragraphs: Now look at each paragraph in turn and answer each these questions: Do I begin with a strong, clear topic sentence? Are there similar but not the same concepts represented in a single paragraph? Should it be divided into two parts? Is there any place where you drifted off the main track for a while and returned to it later? Might a paragraph benefit from examples? From more explanation? Might it benefit from cutting some examples or explanation? Do your examples clearly connect to or support what the paragraph says? Transitions and flow: Look at the transitional ideas between paragraphs. Sometimes, transitions are words or phrases; just as often, they are whole sentences that connect ideas. Decide if you need: to make the transition more explicit to create new transitions where none existed to re-arrange the order of your paragraphs to make a transition possible Check to see if your transitions are all the same kind. Repeated use of "Also," "As well," or "The next aspect is" should set off an alarm. Repeat as necessary: Notice that while proofreading for revising you might spot a difficulty that sends you back to the beginning of the proofreading process. You should expect this. Revising is circular, recursive. Making a change at one place in the draft sends ripples through the entire draft. Your conclusion: Does the conclusion re-state the central thesis? Did I leave a sense of completion for my reader(s) at the end of the paper? Do I identify potential areas of future inquiry or a need for additional research? Final stages of editing: Are all sources properly cited to ensure that I am not plagiarizing?

Any run-on or unfinished sentences? Any unnecessary or repetitious words? Varying lengths of sentences? Does one paragraph or idea flow smoothly into the next? Any spelling or grammatical errors? Consider the level of formality you're using. Is it appropriate to the class and assignment? Or is it too stuffy or too casual?

Remember, proofreading for revising demands that: You re-read the text carefully, slowly, closely, as you might read a textbook when studying for an exam. You play the role of a reader rather than the writer. You use specific strategies to examine the draft in order to identify problems, to evaluate what's wrong, and to come up with and select alternative solutions.