Revising and Editing Writing
Published September 13, 2017. Updated August 31, 2020.
Overview
In this lesson you will learn how to edit and revise your writing.
Following Writing Conventions
Every academic discipline has its own conventions, or way of doing things. For example, historical writing, in particular,
conforms to certain practices that are unique to the field.
These practices concern the use of language and the presentation of information. Some historical conventions include:
- use of the third person and academic language
- use of the past tense, except for documents
- respect for the subject and the audience
- judging the past on its own terms
- avoidance of extremes or bias in an argument
- consistent use of a citation style to prevent plagiarism
Revising for Conventions
Once you understand the expectations for writing in your subject of choice, you can go back and revise your own writing to make sure it follows
these ideals.
Revising for conventions will help you sound like an expert on the topic, and will make your audience take your writing more seriously.
This lesson will walk you through revising your writing for history.
Use of the Third Person
Historians use the third person in their writing. This is primarily because most historians were not actually present at the time or place an event happened.
Instead, their account is an exposition or argument about something that happened in the past.
Using the third person conveys objectivity and allows the readers or listeners to draw their own conclusions based on the evidence presented. This is true even if
the historian was present for the event.
Writing in the Third Person
When revising your writing, make sure you are using third person. You should not use “I” or “me” statements or “you” and “your” statements.
For example, instead of stating, “When you study history, you learn a lot,” the third person voice would be, “When people study history, they learn a
lot.”
Revising for Tense
History is about events that occurred in the past. This is true, even if the themes or consequences of past events continue to today. Therefore, any writing
about historical events is done in the past tense.
For example, “John Adams negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris.”
However, when you quote or paraphrase historical documents, you should use the present tense. These historical sources continue to exist today; you
can still find a physical or digital copy of this evidence. Therefore, the source itself is in the present.
For example, “John Adams’ journal entry explains his views on the Treaty of Paris.”
Respect for Subject and Audience
Historians also strive to write in a way that is respectful of their subject and of their audience. This means the use of formal language.
The stylistic conventions here include:
- the use of last names (not first names) when referring to all individuals regardless of age, socioeconomic class, or gender
- avoiding the use of of slang terms
- avoiding the use of extreme language.
Sometimes these conventions conflict with the writing presented in a historical source. When revising, if you notice that some of your evidence is less formal,
double check that any quotes you include are truly relevant to the claim you are making. Otherwise, use contemporary terms, especially if the topic of discussion is a sensitive one for your
audience.
Avoidance of Extremes
Avoiding extremes in your argument is another historical convention. Historians strive to present multiple interpretations of evidence and acknowledge opposing
claims.
Your use of language and presentation of claims should be reasonable. That means avoiding:
- biased language
- taking an “all or nothing” position on a topic
- putting down those who may raise counterclaims
For example, this statement presents an extreme argument: Anyone arguing that the American Revolution was a local war, not a world war, is blatantly
wrong.
A historical claim can make a strong assertion, but it should not criticize or alienate people who disagree!
Vocabulary Specific to History
Be on the lookout for terms that are specific to the historical topic you are discussing, so you can use them, too.
Many of these terms seem to be –isms. That is, there are terms transformed from a root stem into a philosophy, theory, or policy position by adding “-ism”
to the word. For example, mercantilism is the 18th century practice of imperial economic
control.
Other terms include “democracy,” “balance of trade,” “resolves,” “colonialism,” and more.
As you revise, look for places where using a more precise, historical term would strengthen your writing.
Revising For Audience
Finally, make sure you take the time to revise your writing to make sure it matches your purpose and your audience.
Do this by taking the time to reread what you wrote with the following questions in mind:
- Does the claim address all parts of the question?
- Are the claim, reasoning, and evidence clear?
- Do all parts of the essay connect back to the main argument and claim?
- Does the conclusion flow from the argument and support the claim?
- Would the intended audience understand the reasoning and the language of the writing?
If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” then you must rewrite. You may need to eliminate words or sentences, reorder sections, or add explanations to make
your writing clear and complete.
Revising Your Writing: Example
Listen to the clip below:
Here is an example of writing that needs revision. It is the essay’s introduction. The audience was adult historians. The purpose was to answer the question:
Why can the American Revolution be considered a world war?
The American Revolution is a world war because it involved multiple nations on multiple continents and this involvement forced the British to capitulate in
what was, for them, a lesser fight. Without foreign involvement the Americans would not have been able to win.
Revising Your Writing: Example
Listen to the clip below:
Here is an example of a revised introduction with a claim. The audience was adult historians. The purpose was to answer the question: Why can the American
Revolution be considered a world war?
When France, Spain, and the Netherlands joined in the American Revolutionary War and engaged the British in multiple theaters across the Atlantic, Pacific,
Caribbean and into India, the British were forced to grant the Americans their independence or risk losing other, more important colonies. This foreign involvement shifted a rebellion between Great
Britain and her colonies into a world war.
Continue to Edit and Revise
Continue to edit and revise to improve your writing. Writing is a process.
If you are writing an in-class essay, try to leave 5-10 minutes before the period’s end to review your introduction, conclusion, and topic sentences. Even small
changes in wording can make your claim more clear.
With longer assignments, give yourself at least a day after finishing your rough draft to let it sit and then reread what you wrote with a fresh eye. If you
have time, ask a friend to read your writing aloud – you will both hear if there are any problems. Then, revise with the questions from the previous slide in mind.
As you make revisions, be sure to go back and read through your writing, making sure that anything new you add still makes sense with the rest of your
paper.
Conclusion
In this lesson, you learned how to employ historical conventions, incorporate domain-specific vocabulary in your writing, avoid plagiarism, use balanced
sources, and work through the revising process.