Philosophy Writing Guide

• Writing Guide Home
• Introduction to Writing in Philosophy
• Composing the Paper
  • » Thesis Statements
  • » Examples of Thesis Statements from Professional Papers
  • » Examples of Thesis Statements from Student Papers
  • » Planning
  • » Brainstorming
  • » Outlining
  • » Drafting
  • » Revising
• Citation and Documentation
• What Your Professors Are Looking For
• Critical Thinking and Writing
• Helpful Links

Composing the Paper

Revising

• Focus
• Content
• Organization
• Transitions

Now that you're about to begin the revision process, keep in mind your purpose and audience. Does your paper accomplish its purpose? Have you defended your thesis statement and included counter-arguments? Was your purpose to inform, persuade, or entertain? Always consider the audience's knowledge of the subject, level of interest, and possible attitudes (class mates, roommates, professor).

Focus

Always maintain focus! Go back to your introduction and check the clarity of your introduction and conclusion. Can you switch the introduction and conclusion without seeing any difference? Remember, the conclusion is not a repeat of your introduction. Look at the body paragraphs and check to see if your ideas are on topic. Are you focused on the thesis? Or, are you rambling about ideas that have nothing to do with the thesis?

Content

Take a look at your content. Are your materials (research, ideas, evidence) persuasive? Remember: everything you write must be backed up. Do not merely make predictions - have evidence for everything. Are your major ideas receiving enough attention? Are you explaining important ideas through evidence that supports your thesis?

Organization

Here are some organization cues to keep the reader on track:

• "I will begin by…"
• "These passages suggest that…"
• "For example…"
• "Further support for this claim comes from…"

Make sure you have balanced paragraphs with length and order. Do not write really long paragraphs and then write a really short paragraph. Keep your ideas even. Also, make sure you order your ideas effectively. Start with the strongest points to defend your thesis, and end with weaker points. You want the reader to agree with you early on, and then find "weaker" points that give the reader no doubt that you are wrong.

Transitions

Do not forget about transitions. Transitions are words that effectively link sentences, paragraphs, and ideas.

• Because, since, given this argument, therefore, moreover, furthermore
• Nevertheless, although, however, in contrast, despite, but, on the other hand

Click here for examples of transitions.

Remember! Revising is not the same thing as proofreading. Make sure to proofread your paper for any grammatical mistakes. Try reading your paper out loud, or have a friend read it to catch mistakes. Always print the paper out to avoid glare and other distractions the internet provides. Try reading backwards, too - a very effective method for catching spelling mistakes.