Paraphrasing

© CSULB University Writing Center 2020 1

Revision Strategies for Organization and Flow

Revising for organization and flow can help clarify the logic and structure in your writing. In

short, it can help you see the “bigger picture” whenever you are unsure of how to proceed with

your writing.

Having organization and flow in your writing gives your reader a coherent understanding of

your main idea and supporting points. If you ever find yourself doubting the organization and

flow of your writing, try to look at your writing through a reader’s perspective. Will your reader

think your main idea “makes sense”?

Tips for Organization and Flow

General Revision Strategies

Here are some general revision strategies and tips you can also use to revise for organization

and flow:

Check the prompt/requirements/rubric

• When you finish your draft, see if you addressed all the prompt’s requirements

• Based on the requirements, you can add or delete parts of your draft to help steer your focus back on the prompt

Use a reverse outline

• A reverse outline contains all the main points of your draft, which typically includes the thesis and the topic sentences.

• Using a reverse outline helps you check if your draft is cohesive and creating a clear image of your main idea

Revising for organization and flow can also help you see if…

• the structure of your draft is organized in a logical order

• your supporting points are connecting and leading up to your main idea

• if there are any gaps or missing parts in your draft's structure and/or ideas

• Look at the prompt and your thesis – do these imply a certain structure?

• Establish the main idea of your paragraph in the topic sentence

• Have each sentence build upon the idea of the previous sentences

• Use transitional words and/or phrases

© CSULB University Writing Center 2020 2

• To create a reverse outline: 1. Open a separate document 2. Copy and paste your draft’s thesis and topic sentences in order onto the

document 3. Numerate each sentence on the document 4. Look over each sentence and think about the following:

• Is the sentence focused and clear?

• Does the sentence relate to the main idea of the paper?

• Is the sentence’s current placement fit with the logic of the paper? (i.e. is this sentence in the right place?)

Divide your draft into manageable parts

• Work with one or two paragraphs at a time and closely read the paragraph(s)

• Focusing your attention on smaller parts of your draft helps make your revision process more focused and less overwhelming

Color code specific parts of the paragraph(s) you’re working on

• Use different colors to indicate different parts of your draft, such as the topic sentence, evidence, commentary, etc.

• The different colors can help you "visualize" the structure of the text and determine which parts need to be revised in a more distinctive way

• To color code your paragraph(s): 1. Pick three colors and assign one color to each of the following: topic sentences,

evidence, and commentary. 2. Go through the paragraph and highlight instances you find topic sentences,

evidence, and commentary in their assigned colors. 3. When you’re done highlighting, look over the paragraph again and reflect on the

following questions for each color:

• Which color do you see the most/the least of?

• Are there any “blank” sentences?

• Where is each color located in the paragraph?

• Does the color fit in its current location, both visually and logically?

Annotate areas for revision

• Leave comments next to the sentences or paragraphs that you feel needs revision

• Consider noting sentences and paragraphs that have ideas that are vague, repetitive, irrelevant, or missing important information