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ISN'T EDITING JUST A LOT OF PICKY DETAILS?
Yes, and you must assume that you have very picky readers.
Editing is the process of looking at the smaller but very important issues in your paper, such as sentence structure, conciseness (expressing pertinent ideas in an appropriate number of words), preciseness (using the exact words that express what you mean), grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
This page will cover each of these areas. It is important as you edit to get to know your particular problem areas, so be watchful for the sections in which you seem to be spending the most time.
STEPS IN THE EDITING PROCESS
First, get a print copy of your paper to edit. For some reason, many errors seem impossible to catch on a computer screen. Use a double-spaced copy so you can make corrections in the spaces between lines. Find a pencil and use it -- you will probably not be able to remember all of the detailed changes you want to make.
Gear yourself up for the fact that, when you edit, you have to read every word of the paper, no matter how long it is. You will probably not get much sympathy from your professors on this point, as they all have had to meticulously edit several hundred page dissertations as graduate students. The good news is that, with practice, this goes faster, and you will be surprised how many errors you will catch, rather than getting a paper back full of red marks.
A great technique for editing purposes is to read the paper backwards (sentence by sentence, not literally), or read it in paragraph chunks. This prevents you from getting caught up in more global revision work when you are supposed to be concentrating on local editing issues. Focus on the words in the sentence and how they relate rather than the larger picture (although you might find some useful ways to revise your ideas during this process).
Good editing frequently requires the use of reference sources such as a grammar handbook, a thesaurus, a usage handbook (such as Fowler's Modern English Usage) and your spellcheck mechanism (whether that consists of a computer tool or your own eyesight). Get your tools ready and let's go!
A. Do My Subjects and Verbs Always Agree?
With each sentence, underline the main verb in the sentence and then underline the noun that goes with it. They should agree in number (singular or plural). This becomes a greater danger as your sentences get longer and more complex.
B. Do My Pronouns Agree with the Words that Refer to Them?
An issue that may seem obvious but is surprisingly problematic is that of pronouns being used when it is not clear what is the antecedent of the pronoun (remember, the antecedent is the noun for which the pronoun is standing). Look at each pronoun in the sentence and locate the earlier noun (in that sentence or a sentence coming close before it) that has the pronoun's antecedent. If you can't find a noun, insert one appropriate or change the original pronoun to a noun.
A pronoun must also agree in number with its antecedent. Be careful when using pronouns such as it, this, they their, and them, as these are pronouns which often are used mistakenly.
C. Am I Using Active and Passive Voice Appropriately?
Remember that passive voice is not always wrong, but it must be used in appropriate ways. Look for verb constructions that include some form of the verb "to be," and check to see if you have indicated in the sentence the actor of that verbal action. If no actor is indicated or if the actor is not the subject of the sentence, it is passive voice. For instance, "The door was opened" or "The door was opened by Frankenstein" are both in passive voice. Do you want to emphasize the action or the person or thing acted upon? If so, then use passive voice. Are you trying to avoid naming the actor for some reason ("Taxes will be raised next year" or "The vase just was broken, Mom")? Are your reasons for not naming the actor ethically valid?
D. Do I have Variety in my Sentence Structure?
E. Am I Making Unwanted Shifts in Person of Nouns (I, you, he) or Tense of Verbs (past, present, future)?
If you want a review on sentence structure, grammar and punctuation mechanics, go to the Grammar and Punctuation chapter of POWERWRITE
Copyright 1998 ©Margaret Oakes
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