Are you proofreading or editing? It’s important to know the difference when you are writing papers for class. Part one defines editing and shares helpful tips. You should edit your paper before beginning the proofreading process.
Editing — the stage in which you look at your paper for content and style consistency (the whole picture).
These tips where shared at a workshop titled “Business Grammar and Proofreading” presented by National Seminars Group, a division of Rockhurst University Continuing Education Center, Inc.
[Up Next: Tips to Help You Polish Your Papers, Part II: Proofreading]
Tips for Editing: Correcting without changing meaning
- Is the purpose clear? Include it in the first paragraph or rewrite if necessary.
- Are your sentences really sentences or fragments? Make sure you have complete thoughts.
- Are you writing in passive or active voice? Make sure you are consistent throughout your paper.
- Does the punctuation clarify the content or obscure it? Are pronoun references clear?
- Can you say it in fewer words? Remove adjectives and unnecessary adverbs, use active voice and refrain from using clichés.
- How are your transitions between paragraphs and major ideas?
- Are the words you used exactly what you meant to say? Where they used correctly?
- Have you referenced a style guide, dictionary, and/or thesaurus? Spell-checker won’t catch all capitalization and punctuation errors.
Be sure to reference this when you write your next essay!
[Related posts: What kind of writer are you?]
– By Online Learning Tips Staff
Comments are closed.