4.5 Revising for Readability
The Revision Checklist below offers a step-by-step process for revising your document to achieve a readable style. It incorporates key information from Unit 3: Writing for Business and Unit 4: Document Design. Implementing this checklist means doing several “passes” over your document, looking at different aspects each time. For example, in your first revision review the entire document for overall formatting, content requirements, coherent flow of information, and appropriate tone.
Before we get into the revision checklist, watch the following video for simple revision strategies you can use to improve your writing.
You as the writer are responsible for the accuracy and style of the content you include in your documents. For this reason, it’s essential to be aware of the types of elements that should be revised. While you can complete the revision checklist below on your own, you can also ask a LLM to do the work for you and suggest revisions, which you would be responsible for integrating into the document yourself. LLMs work really well when they are asked to perform sequential actions, so don’t hesitate to create a step-by-step prompt to elicit a thorough review. See the example below on how you can prompt the LLM:
Asking the LLM to Complete a Readability Review
To engage in a document review for readability, you would first have to upload your draft document to the LLM then make a request using the following prompt (copy and paste into the context window the entire prompt below):
Read the document I have uploaded along with the document requirements provided below. Then complete a review for readability at the document, paragraph, sentence, and word levels using the criteria listed below. Provide suggestions for improvement and be specific as to the location in the document where changes would be required. Offer examples where needed.
Document requirements: [here specify any requirements relating to audience, context, purpose, etc.]
1. Document-level Review
- Review requirements to ensure that I have included all necessary content.
- Make sure the title, headings, subheading, and table/figure labels are clear and descriptive. Headings should clearly and efficiently indicate the content of that section; Figure and table captions should clearly describe the content of the visual.
- Make sure visual elements have appropriate passive space around them.
- Make sure ideas flow in a logical order and explanations come in a timely manner. Ensure visuals illustrate the textual information.
- Ensure that the style of writing is reader-centred
- Make sure an appropriate tone (neutral, objective, constructive, formal) is used.
2. Paragraph-level Review
- Make sure each paragraph begins with a topic sentence that previews and/or summarizes the content to come.
- Ensure there are coherent transitions to link one sentence logically to the next.
- Highlight text that is unnecessary or irrelevant information.
- Flag overly long or short paragraphs (5-10 lines long is a reasonable guideline).
3. Sentence-level Review
- Ensure the length and structure of sentences are varied.
- Ensure the ratio of verbs to the number of words per sentence is balanced.
- Check that concrete, strong, active verbs are in use rather than vague, passive, verbs and “is/are/was/were/being”
- Flag -tion and -ment words so I can change them to verbs
- Ensure there is a clear actor/action relationship (subject-verb); I want to keep subject and verb close together, and keep verb near the beginning of the sentence.
- Suggest more expressive verbs to replace those like “make” “do” ‘have” and “get” which have many possible meanings.
4. Word-level Review
- Ensure that concrete, specific, precise words are in use so that I can avoid vague, abstract, generalizing words.
- Align my vocabulary to the intended audience and technical subject matter
- Use clear, plain language rather than jargon to address a non-specialized audience; I want to write to express, not impress.
- Flag “sound bite” phrases that have no real meaning; and suggest ways I can express ideas more concisely
- Flag clichés, colloquial expressions, and slang. I want to use conversational language.
- Ensure that the “you approach” is used to engage the reader when necessary
- Flag “ad speak” — I don’t want to sound like I’m “selling” something; I want to use objective, measurable descriptors.
While a LLM can complete the review in one swift attempt, if you are to complete the review yourself without the assistance of the LLM, you should consider doing it in four passes:
1. First Pass: Document-level Review
- Review requirements to ensure that you have included all necessary content.
- Make sure your title, headings, subheading, and table/figure labels are clear and descriptive. Headings should clearly and efficiently indicate the content of that section; Figure and table captions should clearly describe the content of the visual.
- Make sure visual elements have appropriate passive space around them.
- Make sure ideas flow in a logical order and explanations come in a timely manner. Make sure visuals illustrate your textual information.
- Write “reader-centred” prose: Determine the relationship between your purpose in writing and your reader’s purpose in reading. Give your readers the information they want and need to get from your document as efficiently as possible.
- Make sure you are using an appropriate tone (neutral, objective, constructive, formal).
2. Second Pass: Paragraph-level Review
- Make sure each paragraph begins with a topic sentence that previews and/or summarizes the content to come.
- Add coherent transitions to link one sentence logically to the next.
- Delete unnecessary or irrelevant information.
- Avoid overly long or short paragraphs (5-10 lines long is a reasonable guideline).
3. Third Pass: Sentence-level Review
- Watch sentence length; consider revising sentences longer than 25 words. Vary the length and structure of sentences.
- Look at the ratio of verbs to the number of words per sentence. Generally, the more verbs/words in the sentence, the better the sentence.
- Use concrete, strong, active verbs – avoid vague, passive, verbs and “is/are/was/were/being” whenever feasible (transform the –tion and –ment words into verbs).
- Create a clear actor/action relationship (subject-verb).
- Verbs like “make” “do” ‘have” and “get” have many possible meanings. Try to find more precise ones.
- In general, keep subject and verb close together, and keep verb near the beginning of the sentence.
4. Fourth Pass: Word-level Review
- Use concrete, specific, precise words; avoid vague, abstract, generalizing words.
- Match your vocabulary to your audience: Experts can tolerate complex information with a lot of terminology; general readers require simpler, less detailed descriptions/explanations.
- Use clear, plain language rather than pompous diction; write to express, not impress.
- Avoid “sound bite” phrases that have no real meaning; use a single word instead of a phrase whenever possible.
- Avoid clichés, colloquial expressions, and slang. Rather, use conversational language.
- Ensure that the “you approach” is used to engage the reader when necessary
- Avoid “ad speak” — don’t sound like you are “selling” something; use objective, measurable descriptors.
Knowledge Check
If your document incorporates sources, you will want to do an additional revision to make sure that all sources are cited properly and in chronological order in the body text, and that they all cross-reference to your list of references at the end of the document. See Chapter 8: Citing and Documenting in APA Style for details.
References
Snhu. (2018). Revision strategies [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEnNR9j-QDw
