Techniques for Successful Editing

The goal of editing is to improve your paper as much as possible in as little time as possible. The highest priority of editing is to make sure that ideas are clear, persuasive, and logically linked. Some techniques for editing efficiently:

1. REREAD THE ASSIGNMENT

   Make sure that you have addressed every part of the question and that your thesis statement does not simply reword the assignment.

2. LOOK FOR A CLEAR THESIS STATEMENT

   You should be able to underline your thesis statement, which should almost always be the final sentence of your initial paragraph. Your thesis is the main argument that you present and prove in your paper.

3. IDENTIFY TOPIC SENTENCES

   One quick way to make your argument stronger is to rewrite topic sentences so that they clearly support the thesis statement. Even if the rest of your paragraph is slightly off-topic, relevant topic sentences can make your paper seem coherent.

4. USE THE ACTIVE VOICE

   The active voice names the performer of an action and is more persuasive. Passive: “Alex was kicked in the face.” Active: “Ron kicked Alex in the face.”

5. CHECK SPELLING AND GRAMMAR

   Computer spell-checking misses many, many mistakes. Reread your paper and look at spelling, subject-verb agreement, long sentences, and long paragraphs.

6. LET YOUR ESSAY SIT

   Putting your essay away for several days without reading it allows you to revisit your writing with fresh insights and a more distanced critical eye.