Part 4: Finishing your assignment

The type of assignment will dictate which finishing steps are appropriate.

Choosing and doing relevant final steps to finish your assignment ensures that your hard work is presented clearly and professionally.

The final stages

Reviewing and proofreading your work

Proofreading is about checking how you have written, not what ideas you have written. It helps you spot errors and improve clarity before submission.

When proofreading, you are trying to find:

• Spelling and punctuation errors
• Grammar mistakes
• Repetition or awkward phrasing
• Sentences that are too long or unclear

Try not to proofread immediately after finishing a draft. Taking a break, even a short one, helps you look at your work more objectively.

Helpful strategies include:

• Reading your work aloud to hear mistakes or unclear phrasing, or using technology to listen to it
• Proofreading in short sections rather than all at once
• Working from a printed version or changing the screen view
• Checking one issue at a time (for example, punctuation first, then clarity)

Key resources:

• Editing and Proofreading worksheet (PDF, 0.2 MB)
• Assistive Technology guide for Technology, writing, spelling and grammar

Using AI to help with proofeading

Generative AI has some capabilities to help with proofreading, but it also has been known to rewrite wording, change meaning, and add new ideas during that process. We would advise against using Generative AI to edit or revise your work unless your assignment brief says this is ok. However, the York St John University Guiding Principles on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (2025) states that you can ask Generative AI for feedback on your writing style and clarity (unless your assignment brief says otherwise).

Editing and revising for quality

Editing goes beyond proofreading and focuses on strengthening your work overall.

Ask yourself:

• Does my assignment answer the question or brief clearly?
• Is my structure logical and easy to follow?
• Are my arguments clearly explained and supported by evidence?
• Have I explained why sources are relevant, not just included them?

Revising your work may involve rewriting paragraphs, reorganising sections, or clarifying ideas. This is a normal and valuable part of academic writing.

Key resources:

• Revising Written Work factsheet (PDF, 0.2 MB)
• Essay Checklist factsheet (PDF, 0.2 MB)

Using AI to help with editing and revising

Generative AI has capabilities to help with editing and revising, but it also has been known to rewrite wording and change the meaning, and add new ideas during that process. We would advise against using Generative AI to edit or revise your work unless your assignment brief says this is ok. However, the York St John University Guiding Principles on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (2025) states that you can ask Generative AI for feedback on your writing style and clarity (unless your assignment brief says otherwise).

Rechecking referencing

Before submitting, take time to revisit your referencing to ensure it is accurate and consistent.

Check that:

• All sources cited in the text appear in the reference list
• All items in the reference list are cited in the text
• You are using the correct referencing style for your course
• Quotations, paraphrases and summaries are clearly referenced

Referencing errors can affect academic integrity and marks, even if your ideas are strong. A final check helps avoid unnecessary mistakes.

You can also use the Turnitin checking tool in our Academic Integrity, Turnitin and copyright module to support your final checks. Turnitin is a text-matching service, so will not check the correctness of your references, but will highlight areas of quoted or similar text that might not have a citation or appropriate quotation marks, or if what you have written is very similar to another piece of writing elsewhere. It can help you to check your writing and make any improvements, in addition to your own skills in proofreading and reference checking.

Key resources:

• Referencing guides and support at Referencing
• Academic integrity, Turnitin and Copyright module

Using digital tools to support referencing

Digital tools can help identify basic errors, but they are not a replacement for your own judgement.

Tools such as Microsoft Editor can:

• Highlight spelling and grammar issues
• Suggest improvements to clarity and tone
• Help you refine sentence structure

Always review suggestions critically and ensure changes still reflect your intended meaning and academic voice.

We mentioned earlier that listening to your work can be a really powerful way for some people to spot errors and identify areas you want to improve. We have advice on different technology solutions you could use to listen to your work.

Key resources:

• Guide to Microsoft Editor (PDF, 0.3 MB)
• Technology, writing, spelling and grammar: editing and proofreading

There are lots of AI tools that could help with proofreading and editing, however AI tools can often operate with fewer boundaries and are more likely to substantially reword your ideas and what you mean. The York St John University Guiding Principles on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (2025) outlines that you should not use AI to paraphrase or translate your work, but you can use it to ask for feedback on your structure, or on your writing style or clarity. 

Preparing presentations (live or recorded)

Presentations require a final check that focuses on communication, not just content.

Key finishing considerations:

• Is your main message clear and appropriate for the time limit?
• Are slides or visual aids clear and readable?
• Do visuals support what you are saying rather than repeat it?
• Have you practised your timing and any transitions?

If presenting live, practise out loud and anticipate questions.

If recording, check audio quality, lighting and environment before submitting so that you can be heard and/or seen clearly.

Reviewing portfolios and practice-based work

Portfolios bring together multiple pieces of work and usually require a final sense check.

Before submission:

• Check that all required elements are included
• Confirm work is clearly labelled and in the correct order
• Review how pieces connect to learning outcomes or assessment criteria
• Ensure reflective elements are complete and clearly written

Think about the portfolio as a whole: does it tell a clear story of your learning or development?

Reviewing reflective and practice-based writing

For reflective assignments:

• If your assignment brief expected you to use a specific reflective model, did you use that?
• Check that reflection goes beyond description and shows learning
• Ensure links are made between experience, theory and development
• Confirm tone is appropriate for academic reflection
• Review structure and clarity, particularly transitions between sections

Reflective work still benefits from careful editing, clarity and referencing where relevant.

Submitting your assignment

Every module in Moodle has an area dedicated to submitting your assignments for that module. It helps you:

• Prepare the assignment (assignment briefs, learning outcomes and rubrics)
• Get help if something goes wrong or you are struggling to submit your assignment
• Submit the assignment

Take some time to find and look through this submission area so you know where and how to submit, and what to do if you need help.

Submitting and letting go

Submitting your assignment is the end of a process, not a judgement on you as a learner. Submitting is the final important step and essential for allowing the next stage of marking and grading, getting feedback, and further development. 

After submission:

• Save any confirmation that you submitted, and save copies of your work
• Take a break and celebrate
• Acknowledge the effort you’ve put in, regardless of outcome

Why not try using a Spectrum.Life Be Calm self-guided wellness session to decompress and reset your mind?

Key resources:

• Spectrum.Life: Be Calm self-guided wellness sessions

Every assignment contributes to your development – well done!