Edit and Proofread
After you have revised the structure of your writing, you should devote time to pruning for excess, reviewing the words, and correcting errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling—what experienced writers call editing and proofreading. This work is best done after giving the paper a rest and coming to it afresh. You may be tempted to move directly to the proofreading stage, thus shortchanging the larger, more important revision work described above. So long as the larger elements of an essay need repair, it’s too soon to work on the smaller ones, so save the tinkering for last. When you’re satisfied with the overall shape of your essay, turn to the work of tightening your writing by eliminating repetition and awkward phrases, correcting grammar, punctuation, and spelling, and putting your work in its final form. Be sure you know what style and format your work should take, be it that of an academic paper with set margins, double-spacing, and a title page, or some other format. Ask your instructor if you are unsure about any of these, and make the necessary changes. Then, like other writers, you will need to stop—not because there isn’t more to be done but because you have other things to do.