A. Getting your thoughts down on paper is not the final stage of writing a good paragraph or essay. B. There remains the rewriting of the first draft so as to shape your idea into a carefully style composition. C. Finally, for smoothness and balance, changes are made between sentences or paragraphs. D. A different word may be substituted for the original word because it is easier to understand, is more colorful, gives a more precise meaning, or provides variety. E. Ordinarily, editing involves changes at three points: in individual words, within sentences, and between sentences. F. At the sentence level, phrases may be put in different order, structures of modification revised, different verb structures selected, or the length of phrases or whole sentences may be altered. G. At the word level, spelling and capitalization are checked, but more creatively, words are often changed. H. Such changes, designed to clarify relationships between ideas, are often accomplished by punctuating more adequately, by introducing more effective transitional devices, or by restating or removing awkward phrases and sentences. I. Editing then—the self-conscious appraisal and revision of your own work—usually makes the difference between a merely acceptable and a truly superior piece of writing.