Stage 1 Revision: Seeing the Big Picture When you initially start revising, you should focus on the overall picture or any difficulties at the essay level that need to be addressed. You can do this by thinking about how the essay fits into your course and whether it follows a clear structure. If it doesn't, consider changing its organization or adding new sections to it. Stage 2 Revision: Fixing Errors In stage 2 revision, we will usually fix many small errors as we go along. For example, if while reading the essay question you realize that you missed an important word or phrase when writing your introduction, then this is something you should address immediately so your reader does not have to scroll back up to find out what you were trying to say. Stage 3 Revision: Writing New Introduction and Conclusion The third stage of revision is all about rewriting your introduction and conclusion. These are two key parts of the essay that make or break your grade so it's important they are written well. Your goal here is to ensure that your introduction clearly states the topic of the paper and makes a strong case for considering it from both sides. And your conclusion should provide a summary of the paper's main ideas backed up by evidence from the body of the essay.