The following is a checklist of general tips to remember and questions to ask yourself when you are ready to edit and while in the process of editing:

General Editing Tips

• Have someone else read it.
• Read it aloud and also silently.
• Read it slowly.
• Print it out, and read it.
• Do something else between writing and editing it and between different editing jobs.
• Don’t proofread for every type of mistake at once.
• Make a list of your common errors to watch for as you edit.

Global Issues

• Is proper format followed throughout?
• Is the information in the most logical and most effective order?
• What else does the reader need to know?
• Is the text unified with an effective introduction and conclusion?
• Are the thesis statement and purpose clear?
• What extra details or unnecessary bits of information are in this text?

Sentence Level Issues

• Use a spell and grammar checker as a first screening; don’t depend on it. Use a dictionary and grammar handbook to verify your choices.
• Read it aloud; if you stumble somewhere, check for problems there.
• Read it backwards, one sentence at a time, making sure each sentence makes sense by itself. Be sure that each sentence has a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete idea.
• Double check fonts that are unusual (italic, bold, etc.) and proper names.
• Double check little words: “or,” “of,” “it” and “is” are often interchanged.
• Make sure all references in the text are on the reference page and references on the reference page are in the text.
• Avoid repeating words and phrases unnecessarily.
• Refer back to your list of your common errors and make separate editing tips looking for each error.
  

Visit the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center at http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/proofread.html.

Test your knowledge by improving the following paragraph.
In the last 20 years, hot air balloons have gained a significant amount attention. Recently this focus has caught the eye of the media, with numerous adventurers seeking to steak their claim as the first in this thrill-seeking sport. Communication students, particularly those individuals wishing to enter the field of broadcasting, needs to become familiar with this recent mid-air craze as it is certain to capture the publics curiosity. This paper discusses the various motivations for this types of trips, examines their successes and failures, and identifies the future trends in hot air ballooning for these sky-venturers. Who have floated their way into today's headlines.

Answer (Note that there are seven definite grammar and punctuation errors in the paragraph. You could have also altered the paragraph further depending on your answers to the questions in the checklist.)

In the last 20 years, hot air balloons have gained a significant amount of attention. Recently, this focus has caught the eye of the media, with numerous adventurers seeking to stake their claim as the first in this thrill-seeking sport. Communication students, particularly those individuals wishing to enter the field of broadcasting, need to become familiar with this recent mid-air craze as it is certain to capture the public’s curiosity. This paper discusses the various motivations for these types of trips, examines their successes and failures, and identifies the future trends in hot air ballooning for these sky-venturers who have floated their way into today's headlines.

Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu.

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