The Initial Draft

Once the entire essay has been written for the first time, without revision, the initial or first draft has been created. It is during the writing of the first draft that the majority of errors occur. For this reason, it is unwise to create a first draft and submit it for evaluation or for a professional project.

By focusing intently on the paper and going back through it carefully, the writer (or proofreader or editor) can catch many mistakes before they reach the intended audience. More than just grammatical errors, this editing process can help identify content based problems and inconsistencies, as well.

Here are just some of the common things that a good first edit can help eliminate from an essay:

Conceptual gaps and ambiguities in the paper's arguments, evidence, or explanatory text.
Formatting and pagination mistakes.
Grammatical, capitalization, and punctuation errors.
Incorrect word usage (for example, "lie" instead of "lay," "infer," rather than "imply," and so on).
Items, arguments, or facts that do not support the thesis.
Points repeated more than once.
Points that were omitted.
Poor word flow and awkward transitions.
Spelling errors.
Unconnected thoughts and details within the text.
Miscellaneous computer glitches.

Most, if not all, of these problems can arise, even with the most accomplished professional writers. Therefore, a thorough rereading of the written work is always advised. If possible, the author should not do this immediately following completion, but allow some time to pass to improve the author's objectivity (this is sometimes called "creating distance").

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