SQR 3

Zaira Montellano
English 1320/1301.161
Tphan Phan
September 10, 2010

SQR #3
Many different writing processes have been researched on, but there is one that we really don’t ever read about “revision.” Therefore a study was taken place; this study required two groups. Group number one was identified as “Revised Strategies of Student Writers,” twenty college freshmen students that had scored high in there SAT. Second group was identified as “Revised Strategies of Experienced Writers,” included journalists, editors, and academics. The difference is the time of experience they have in writing. Each writer wrote three essays each of them twice. When the students’ defined revision, many of the students described it as “scratched out and do over again,” “reviewing,” “redoing,” “marking out,” and slashing and throwing out.” Demonstrating that they considered revision process as a rewording activity. For example when revising they would ask themselves “can I find a better word or phrase?” “Am I repeating the same word or phrase too often?” For the experienced writers revision was “finding a form or shape of their argument.” They ask themselves if the sentences in order and if the writing is flowing. They are more concerned wheatear the reader will understand the piece. These two groups have different aspects when writing.

Citation:
Nancy Sommers “Revision Strategies of Student writers and Experienced Adult Writers”. National council teachers of English, Vol. 31, No. 4 (Dec., 1980)pg. 378-388

Question:
What are the revision strategies of student writers’ found in Sommers’s studies? What are the student writers mostly concerned about when revising?

Response:
When defining the word revision most students responded that it wasn’t a word they normally used, but a word their teachers used. Some of the revision strategies the student writers used are scratch out and do over again, “I read what I have written down and I cross out a word and put another word in….” Reviewing, “… just using better words and eliminating words that are not needed. I go over and change words around.” Redoing, “cleaning up the paper and crossing out.” Marking out, “the changes that I make are usually just marking out words and putting different ones in.” there resource when doing revision is a thesaurus. This process is know as “Thesaurus Philosophy of Writing.” The reason why they just attend to revise only by changing words is, because they understand the revision process as a rewarding activity. Therefore making vocabulary there main concern.