ABSTRACT
This chapter helps writers review the manuscript as a whole, eliminating repetition and tying pieces together. In addition to sharpening connections, it comes back to some issues raised in Chapter 1, including potential for bias, aligning research questions and Findings and Discussion, and ensuring originality. It then adds style analysis – for clarity, economy, and coherence. Student work illustrates how active voice, consolidating verbs, removal of diffusing words, syntactical relationships, connections and flow help persuade.
Section 7.1 Revising for accuracy, consistency, and persuasiveness. This section asks students to check if chapters are consistent in their depiction of the study’s purpose, methods, context, and findings. Especially important, does the Findings/Results chapter explicitly meet the objectives of the study, provide the information promised, and add to the research in the way envisioned? It also suggests identifying powerful quotes and passages, and rewriting to heighten persuasion.
Section 7.2 Revising for voice. This section has students read aloud for how they actually talk to readers, to hear their voice. Included are examples and revisions for clutter, jargon, passive voice, and weak syntax.
Section 7.3 Revising for flow (coherence). This section looks at coherence, how writers connect ideas. It separates superficial and even false coherence from coherence based on idea and evidence.
Section 7.4 Editing using all the resources of the language. This section identifies how subordination, syntax, punctuation, parallel and contrastive structures, and other language resources allow writers to convey meaning. It offers substantial examples, giving students tools to analyze and improve their writing.
