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Revising with Partners

It’s important to give your classmates and family members a chance to react to your writing. They can help you decide what parts need to be revised. Writing partners can also help you find answers to questions like these:

• Have I included enough information?
• Will readers be able to follow my ideas?
• Will they have any questions?
• Does my writing hold their interest?

What Partners Do

A revising partner’s main job is (1) to read or listen carefully, (2) to offer encouragement, and (3) to give advice. The person’s responses may please you or surprise you. Either way, a partner can help you turn your first draft into a strong piece of writing. Helpful partners . . .

• identify parts that they feel are strong,
• ask questions about unclear parts, and
• give honest answers to the writer’s questions.

How to Help One Another

Partners can help throughout the writing process, but their advice is really important during revising. Partners should not correct the paper for you. Instead, they should offer advice. It is up to you, the writer, to decide what changes to make and how to make them.