Editing(Local Revision)

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Editing and the Writing Process

1. Prewriting Generate ideas brainstorm, cluster, list, freewrite

2. Drafting: Shape ideas from prewriting by paragraphing.

3. Revision: Improve writing by checking organization, unity, coherence, clarity

4. Editing: Correct ideas by checking grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and spelling

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Defining Editing

What’s the difference between revising and editing?

•Revision involves making changes to your paper’s organization, structure, and content

•Editing involves making sure your paper follows standard English and is free of grammatical and mechanical errors

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Editing in the Writing Process

Why is editing usually the last stage of the writing process?

Strategies for Editing

Read your paper out loud

Read your paper backwards: start with the last sentence to help you focus on grammar/mechanics as opposed to content

Use an editing checklist

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Editing Checklist

Did you eliminate comma splices, run-ons, and fragments? Did you check for subject/verb agreement? Did you check for pronoun agreement? Did you use your apostrophes correctly? Did you use semicolons correctly? Did you punctuate the dependant clauses correctly? Are your verb tenses consistent? Did you avoid writing in the passive voice (unless this was your intention)? Did you check your spelling? Did you check for proper capitalization? Did you replace “to be” verbs with strong action verbs?

Be careful with spell checker

Ode to my spell checker

Eye halve a spelling checker It came with my pea sea. It plainly marks four my revue miss steaks eye kin knot sea. Eye strike a quay and type a word and weight for it to say Weather eye yam wrong oar write. It shows me strait a weigh as soon as a mist ache is maid. It nose bee fore two long and eye can put the error rite. Its rare lea ever wrong. Eye have run this poem threw it, I am shore your pleased to no. Its letter perfect awl the way. My checker told me sew. 

--Anon7

Work Cited

Editing for A’s II Sentence and Grammar. McMaster University. 2006. Web. 4 May 2011.

Editing Marks. Ms Daniel’s Den. Web. 7 May 2012.

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