One can never expect the first draft to be perfect, hence, the consequent stage－initial draft checking.

Types of checking

The types of checking can be varied.
Of course* The most authoritative one is for the tutor to check this initial work and give precious feedback.

• However, professors do not necessarily have the time to do it for each student. This is where another checking resource comes to play, namely peer editing, which means these are your peers—fellow students.
• The third and final type of checking is for the writer to check the work himself.

Obviously, the final type is the only proper way to choose during an exam. It is always better to get someone else(a professor, or peer) to check your work whenever possible, as they will always be more objective, although there will be some issues too. For example, peer checking, as peers are not usually very expert in this and my focus on the wrong areas.

What to check?

Many writers make a common mistake when checking their work to focus on the relatively narrower aspects such as syntax, spelling, and punctuations. In effect, unless this is going to be the final(or only) draft, the above aspects are not important and should not be considered until the very end, such as proofreading. One should pay close attention to the content and making sure they are strong, relevant, and well organized. during the stage of checking.

Overall, one should always consider all of the following

• Format: double spacing, wide margins, etc.
• Organisation: thesis, topic sentences, logical order, coherence, etc.
• Content: ideas, unity, background, final comment, citations.

How to check?

Whether you are reading your own work or checking for someone else, the general process is the same. You should proceed by reading through the writing carefully. If there are parts which need to be rewritten or improved, try to make some notes in the margins or in the space on the line above (this is why double spacing and wide margins are important). For example, if some of the ideas are not strong enough, you can write down "add more details" or "be more specific". If there are some ideas which are not linked to the topic sentence, you should cross them out.