How to Revise Your Paper for Clarity

Writing and revising a paper is a time-consuming and messy process, and this is exactly why some people experience anxiety about writing long papers. It’s not a task that you can finish in a single sitting—that is, you can’t if you want to do a good job. Writing is a process that you do a little bit at a time. Once you come up with a good draft, it’s time to revise. Ask yourself the following questions as you go through the revision process. Does the Paper Fit the Assignment? Sometimes we can get so excited about something we find in our research that it sets us off in a new and different direction. It’s perfectly fine to veer off in a new direction, as long as the new course doesn’t lead us outside the bounds of the assignment. As you read over a draft of your paper, take a look at the directional words used in the original assignment. There is a difference between analyze, examine, and demonstrate, for example. Did you follow the directions? Does the Thesis Statement Still Fit the Paper? A good thesis statement is a vow to your readers. In one single sentence, you stake a claim and promise to prove your point with evidence. Very often, the evidence we gather doesn’t â€Å"prove† our original hypothesis, but it does lead to new discovery. Most writers have to re-work the original thesis statement so it accurately reflects the findings of our research. Is My Thesis Statement Specific and Focused Enough? â€Å"Narrow your focus!† You’re very likely to hear that many times as you progress through the grades--but you shouldn’t get frustrated by hearing it time and again. All researchers have to work hard at zooming in on a narrow and specific thesis. It’s just part of the process. Most researchers revisit the thesis statement several times before they (and their readers) are satisfied. Are My Paragraphs Well-organized? You can think of your paragraphs as little mini-essays. Each one should tell its own little story, with a beginning (topic sentence), a middle (evidence), and an end (concluding statement and/or transition). Is My Paper Organized? While your individual paragraphs may be well-organized, they may not be well-positioned. Check to make sure that your paper flows from one logical point to another. Sometimes good revision starts with good old cut and paste. Does My Paper Flow? Once you make certain that your paragraphs are placed in a logical order, you will need to revisit your transition statements. Does one paragraph flow right into another? If you run into trouble with, you might want to review some transition words for inspiration. Did you Proofread for Confusing Words? There are several pairs of words that continue to vex the most accomplished writers. Examples of confusing words are except/accept, whose/who’s, and effect/affect. It’s easy and quick to proofread for confusing word errors, so don’t omit this step from your writing process. You can’t afford to lose points for something so avoidable!

Police Officers And The Police Force - 1310 Words

â€Å"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you.† Most of us know exactly who says this and what it means. The only problem is that this quote is the extent of our knowledge as an outsider to the Greensboro Police force. I was able to get an inside look at what really happens in a day in the life of an everyday police officer. I spent two days at the department observing the officers and riding alongside one in the police car. Throughout my experience I learned that most of the stereotypes I had about police officers were completely wrong. One of the first officers I talked to was Corporal Donaldson, who is also my father. I asked him about his experiences with the general public. He told me that†¦show more content†¦However despite this there are many more problems that police officers have to deal with like disrespect from the public. I asked the officers what one word is that really stands out to them as blatant disrespe ct, 90 percent of them told me that word was pig. A â€Å"pig† is a slang term which is used to disrespect a police officer. Most officers say they will just ignore this but according to state law â€Å"it is illegal to make or use any utterance, gesture, display or abusive language that is intended to and likely to provoke violent retaliation.† About 5 of the 20 officers I interviewed told me they have arrested people for repeatedly calling them a pig. Not only is this a normal reply, but most people, including me, do not know that officers can do this. While I was riding around in the patrol car with Officer Hank I saw firsthand that many people do not respect police officers. One person who he pulled over cursed, yelled, and all together disrespected Officer Hank due to their taillight being out after already being warned. Officer Hank told me he was not going to give them a citation before they disrespected him. I also found that when officers where cameras people are less likely to be disrespectful to them. My dad always wears a camera when he is patrolling and besides people pulling the â€Å"race card† disrespect is something he rarely has to deal with. Another key factor is the gender of the officer in

The Great Gatsby has been described as a definitive record of the glamorous side of the Jazz Age Free Essays

The Great Gatsby is full of lavish spending, huge parties and all round hedonistic enjoyment, showing a ‘definitive record of the glamorous side’ of the 1920s on every level. America in the 1920s had the highest living standard in the world, the United States owned around 40% of the entire world’s wealth, with this money the established rich spent their time living a glamorous lifestyle. In the 1920s the class of the established rich certainly knew how to be glamorous, as Fitzgerald shows through Daisy and Tom Buchanan. We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Gatsby has been described as a definitive record of the glamorous side of the Jazz Age or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Buchanan’s house was ‘more elaborate’ then Nick expected, it was a ‘Georgian Colonial mansion,’ and they also had luxury items such as a ‘motor boat’ and ‘horses.’ Tom obviously took pride in his house and processions, saying that he has ‘got a nice place.’ The money was also spent immorally; they always seem to have a plentiful amount of alcohol, like ‘the cocktails’ which Tom drank like ‘it was a drop on the bottom of a glass’ showing he must drink a lot. This alcohol was bought illegally as prohibition was in place from 1920 to 1933 which banned the manufacture, sale and transportation of liquor in the USA. RACISM Not only did the established rich have luxury items, they also did not work for their money, giving them plenty of free time to spend as they please, Jordan Baker had enough time to take up golfing, and ‘play in tournaments.’ Yet with all this money and free time the Buchanan’s lives are unfulfilled as they have spiritual goals, Daisy is unhappy in life and questions her purpose in life by saying ‘What shall we do this afternoon? And the day after? And the next thirty years?’ this showing the darker side to the 1920s. Fitzgerald shows glamour through Gatsby’s extravagant parties, Gatsby is new money as he worked for his money. From Gatsby’s ridiculous quantities of oranges to ‘the orchestra’ which played at his parties, Gatsby made sure that his parties were glamorous. At first Gatsby’s parties seem magical, as Gatsby’s ‘blue gardens were alive with the whispering and the champagne and the stars.’ The ‘floating rounds of cocktails permeated the garden’ and the ‘air was alive with chatter and laughter,’ everybody seemed to be having a fantastic time. Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda would have known first-hand how glamorous these jazz age parties were as they often attended them and they lived a glamorous life style. Yet underneath the glamour of Gatsby’s parties we see the bleaker side of the 1920s. Fitzgerald shows the work put in to the parties, to make the orange juice a butler had to press ‘a little button†¦ two hundred times.’ After the parties ‘eight servants†¦ toiled all day with mops and scrubbing-brushes†¦ repairing the ravages of the night before,’ as the party guests left so much destruction in their way. Gatsby’s parties may be glamorous but he paid a great deal to make them this way. It is alleged that Gatsby made his money immorally, by bootlegging, Tom suggests this when he said ‘I picked him for a bootlegger the first time I saw him.’ It was easy to make money illegally in the 1920’s, due to prohibition many found it easy to sell alcohol over the counter or to speakeasies, which were secret bars in the 1920s, these people were often called bootleggers. This was an illegal way of getting the money; showing unglamorous, illegal acts were done to make these glamorous parties. Therefore alcohol in Gatsby’s parties was plentiful, he even had his own bar, but this alcohol led to carelessness as owl eyes was ‘drunk for about a week’ and alcohol also lead to recklessness in the form of car crashes, and violent actions with women ‘kicking off into the night, dragged away by men said to be their husbands.’ Gatsby paid a great amount of money but did the guests really care about their host? Nick was ‘one of the few guests, who had actually been invited,’ and of all of the guests who were at Gatsby’s parties only one came to his funeral, this shows the caring attitude and shallowness of people in the 1920s. Despite the unprecedented economic growth and excessive glamorous spending during the 1920s, the gap between rich and poor became increasingly prevalent. As most of the characters are very wealthy the rich and glamorous atmosphere defines the novel’s tone, the focus on the upper class lifestyle gives the novel a mood of extravagance. However, this society is contrasted with the poverty of those living near the Valley of Ashes; which is based on T.S Elliott’s poem ‘The Wasteland’. Like Elliott’s wasteland, the Valley of Ashes is a hideous image of a spiritually dead world, a symbol of the collapse of moral values after the chaos of the war. In the Great Gatsby we see how the Wilson’s live, which is a stark contrast from the Buchannan’s glamorous lifestyle. Nick could not believe that the Wilson’s lived in such a place, he thought the ‘garage must be a blind, and that sumptuous and romantic apartments were concealed overhead. ’ Their lifestyle is so unglamorous; it gives the darker side of the Jazz age. Myrtle Wilson tried hard to climb the classes by having an affair with Tom Buchannan, but even the apartment he provides for her is small and Tom treats her badly, he even breaks her nose, in his eyes she will always be lower than Daisy. George also tries very hard to make his money honestly, when Tom comes in he is so eager to have some business, George is a failure of the American Dream, he will never achieve the glamorous lifestyle he wants to provide. How to cite The Great Gatsby has been described as a definitive record of the glamorous side of the Jazz Age, Papers