Why does one review pass not catch everything?
ETS emphasizes clear communication, organized ideas, and control of grammar and vocabulary. Our method organizes review around a few simple questions. We recommend checking separately for missing ideas, agreement errors, and vocabulary improvements so each pass has a clear focus.
During practice, observe what you catch in each pass and set aside review time that fits your pace. We do not provide an official time limit for review. Under time pressure, follow the on-screen instructions and start with the issue that most affects understanding. A completed and checked revision is better than an ambitious rewrite left unfinished.
Did you do what the prompt asked?
Return to the prompt before reviewing your response. For an email, identify the requested actions and check that your message includes them. An explanation is not the same as a request for permission. For a discussion, find your position on the specific question and the reason supporting it.
If something is missing, add a sentence that addresses it directly. Do not compensate with a generic conclusion. Also check what the reader needs to respond: does the recipient know what they need to confirm? Does a discussion reader understand how the example supports your position? This first pass checks the text’s purpose before polishing it.
Do the sentences describe the same situation?
Look for small words that can reverse your meaning: negation, restriction, modal, or condition. Connect dates and times to their actions. A proposed arrival time must be consistent with the start of an event. Omitting “cannot” can turn a problem into no problem at all.
Check pronouns and connectors. Does “they” clearly refer to your group or the other group mentioned? Does “therefore” express a real consequence? When revising a sentence, check how it connects to the sentences around it. Moving information may leave “this” without a referent or put a conclusion before its support.
Which language checks can you focus on?
Next, check forms you often miss: subject–verb agreement, auxiliaries, tenses that go with time references, plurals, and spelling of repeated words. Use your notebook to choose a few personal checks. An endless list is difficult to apply; clearly naming a recurring error gives you a target.
ETS prohibits writing-assistance software during the test. During practice, do an initial review on your own before consulting a tool or getting outside feedback. Then compare what you caught with what you missed. This comparison measures your review of the text you worked on; it does not translate into an official score.
What should you revise first in this email?
This teaching exercise includes a missing task goal and several language errors. Set your revision priorities before rewriting. One possible answer follows; there is no single required order for every small change.
Write an email to Dr. Bello about a poster session. Explain that your team’s labels were printed without author names, request permission to bring corrected labels, and suggest arriving before the session to replace them. Draft: “Dear Dr. Bello, Our labels was printed yesterday. They has no author names. The session begin at 11. I can arrive at 10:30 to replace them. Thank you for your help. Best, Jo.” Identify the missing action, then revise the message. Explain which changes you would prioritize.
Enter your answer before viewing the review.
The solution, step by step
One possible revision: “Dear Dr. Bello, Our team’s labels were printed yesterday without the authors’ names. Could we bring corrected labels to the poster session? I could arrive at 10:30 to replace them before the session begins at 11. Thank you for your help. Best regards, Jo.”
The method in action
- The draft never asks for permission. Adding “Could we bring corrected labels…?” addresses a missing task goal. “I can arrive” offers availability but does not replace the request.
- The times are already consistent: 10:30 is before 11. The revision makes this explicit with “before.” There is no need to invent another time slot or problem.
- Local corrections include “labels were,” “they have” if that sentence is kept, and “the session begins.” The suggested version combines the first two sentences; combining them is a stylistic choice, while the agreement errors need to be fixed.
- The sign-off becomes slightly more formal, but this change comes after adding the permission request and fixing incorrect forms. If you could make only one small style change, replacing “Best” would not be the priority.
The pitfall
Rewriting a correct sentence to make it sound more impressive
An uncommon word or additional subordinate clause may introduce a problem that your original wording avoided. Before making a style change, name the benefit: removing repetition, clarifying a relationship, or choosing a more precise word. If you cannot identify a benefit, keep the sentence you already control.
After your final change, reread at least the surrounding sentences. Check for deleted words, agreement, and connecting punctuation. A successful review may not fix everything; it addresses observable priorities without damaging passages that already work.
Key takeaways
- First check task goals, then the message’s coherence.
- Next, focus on the forms your notebook identifies as weak.
- Make style changes only when you understand their benefit.
- Review connections after any substantial revision.