Editing
Having revised your paper, you are now ready to edit it. In other words, having made it right, you now want to make it correct.
When you Edit, Check Grammar, Punctuation, and Mechanics (Capitalization and Spelling)
How do editing errors creep into your composition? Two ways: first, there are the inadvertent errors. You know how to capitalize proper nouns, but rushing to get down your thoughts you write spanish instead of Spanish.
Second, there are errors pointed out by friends, fellow students, or teachers. The best way to catch errors of this sort is to know yourself as a writer. That means (1) taking seriously the feedback you get from friends and teachers and (2) using your handbook. If you know you have trouble remembering how to use punctuation with quotation marks, you are on your way to correcting the problem. Simply check your handbook during editing. For easy access to the information you need, use the tab indicators, the table of contents, or the index.
The more you know yourself as a writer, the more, too, you will develop a sense of what does not seem to sound or look quite right. Which is correct, none are or none is? Is receive spelled with ei or ie? Turn to the appropriate section of this Handbook for the answer.
Prepare the Final Copy
Having revised and edited your work, you are ready to prepare the final copy of your composition. Consult FORMAT 7 for details. The sample essay in COMP 6 shows what your final draft should look like.
Proofread the Final
Always proofread thoroughly. Your reader cannot tell whether recieve, for example is a spelling error or a typographical error. Many such seemingly small matters add up. If you are aware that you frequently make particular kinds of errors (in comma usage or subject-verb agreement, for instance), read your manuscript once for each specific problem.
Here are some questions to ask yourself as you proofread your composition:
- Did my manuscript print out as I expected it to? Is it properly linespaced? Is all the text legible?
- Have I left out words or unnecessarily repeated words or phrases? Have I overlooked any errors in grammar or punctuation?
- Has my spell check approved a word that is properly spelled but has the wrong meaning for this context?
- Will I need to reprint my composition, or will my instructor allow me to handwrite in minor corrections?
Check for spelling slips by reading lines of your manuscript backwards. This allows you to read the words out of context and to view them separately, so your eye picks up errors you ordinarily pass over when reading for content.
Finally, it is a good idea to keep your notes and early drafts together with a copy of your submitted manuscript until your graded assignment is returned.
