Editing and Proofreading

Editing means reading closely with an eye for the sound and structure of sentences within your writing, working to make changes with sentences and words so that they express your meaning most precisely. Editing also involves checking grammar and mechanics.When you have revised your paper and are satisfied with its focus, organization and content,  you are ready to work on editing.

Consider what teachers have previously marked as errors on your papers. What are your usual problems with grammar and mechanics? Your college years are a good time to work on writing, and Writing Center tutors can help you identify patterns of error and figure out why you make those errors. Do you need to learn a comma rule? Do you need a better proofreading technique?

Twenty most common surface errors
St. Martin's Handbook (available in the Writing Center) lists the twenty most common surface errors compiled by Andrea Lunsford. Most likely your trouble spots are on this list. Find explanations and exercises for these errors and other grammar and punctuation problems on the Bedford St. Martin's Web site at Twenty Most Common Errors. The links below are to Purdue University's Online Writing Lab.

1. missing comma after a introductory phrase  2. vague pronoun reference  3. missing comma in a compound sentence  4. wrong word  5. missing comma(s) with a nonessential element  6. wrong or missing verb ending  7. wrong or missing preposition  8. comma splice  9. missing or misplaced possessive apostrophe 10. unnecessary shift in tense 11. unnecessary shift in pronoun 12. sentence fragment 13. wrong tense or verb form 14. lack of agreement between subject and verb 15. missing comma in a series 16. lack of agreement between pronoun and antecedent 17. unnecessary comma(s) with a restrictive or essential element 18. fused sentence 19. dangling or misplaced modifier 20. its/it's confusion (Its is the possessive case of the pronoun it; it's is a contraction of it is or it has) It's a wise child that knows its father.

At Presbyterian College the Writing Center tutors find that commas are a big concern of students in the editing stage: extra commas, comma splices, commas following introductory phrases, commas with and or but. Tutors use a punctuation pattern sheet to work on commas, semicolons, and colons with student writers.

The Presbyterian College English Department Evaluation Guide for Essays lists grammar and punctuation problems linked to the Purdue Owl.

Online Resources for Writers gives links to information on grammar, punctuation, and other concerns of writers.

Proofreading

The final step in the writing process involves slow reading. Try some of these suggestions and check the Purdue OWL for more suggestions for proofreading.

• Take a break between writing and the final proofreading.
• Make a short list of your usual editing problems to watch for: verb tense, commas after introductory clauses, commas with and
• Read the paper aloud.
• Cover all but the line you are reading with a clear or colored sheet of paper
• Read the document backward, sentence by sentence. You won't pay attention to content if it is presented out of order; therefore, you can pay close attention to individual sentences or words.
• Read for one problem at a time: check verb tense on one reading, commas on another.
• Tape record your reading. Then listen and check each word with a pencil to see if you have written what you read.
• Take the paper to the Writing Center and read it aloud to a tutor who can help you spot your patterns of error and work on them with you.