Editing and Proofreading: BBS 1st Year Patterns for College Writings

 

Editing and Proofreading

After completing the revising work of our essay, we still have to edit and proofread our paper to correct any issues that may have remained after revising. In editing, we look for grammatical errors, punctuation, sentence style, and word choice. In proofreading, we look for surface errors such as spelling errors, typos, incorrect spacing, and the format of the essay.

Edit for Grammar

Certain grammatical errors occur more frequently than others in particular kinds of writing. While writing various patterns of development, we can use the following Grammar in Context to help you correct any errors:

Be sure Subjects and Verbs Agree https://youtu.be/LfJPA8GwTdk: Subjects and verbs must agree in number. Except for exceptional cases, a singular subject takes a singular verb. Let’s see an example below:

•      The way of talking to people identifies your social background.

A plural subject takes plural verbs.

 

•      The ways of talking to people identify your social background.

Be sure Verb Tenses Are Accurate and Consistent: Unintentional shifts of verb tense can be confusing to readers, so, verb tenses in the same passage should be the same unless you refer to two different periods. Example:

•      Single period: Smith surrendered to Grant on 9 April 2020, and then he addressed his men.

•      Two different periods: In ‘Two Ways to Belong in America,’ Bharati compares herself and her sister, both of whom emigrated from India.

Be Sure Pronoun References Are Clear: Every pronoun should refer to a specific antecedent, the word (a noun or pronoun) it refers to. Pronouns and antecedents must agree in number. Singular pronouns refer to a singular antecedent, like: https://youtu.be/gfJ2q8LN4jo 

       When she was attacked, Kitty was on her way home.

•      Plural pronouns refer to plural antecedents like:

The people who watched the attack gave different reasons for their failure to help.

Be sure Sentences Are Complete: A sentence is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. A fragment is an incomplete sentence, one that is missing a subject, a verb or both of.

Sentence	Although it was written in 1963, Martin Luther King’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail remains powerful today.
Fragment ( No subject)	Remains powerful today.
Fragment (no verb)	Martin Luther King’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail.’
Fragment (no subject or verb)	Written in 1963.
Fragment (includes subject and verb but does not express a complete thought.)	Although, it was written in 1963.

Be careful not to Run Sentences Together https://youtu.be/mU0k4KlBEYM: There are two kinds of run-ons. They are comma splices and fused sentences. (https://youtu.be/Fh45mhVsZrU ). A comma splice is an error that occurs when two independent clauses are connected by just a comma such as: Women who live alone need to learn to protect themselves, sometimes this means carrying a gun. (instead of a comma, a semicolon is used)

A fused sentence is an error that occurs when two independent clauses are connected without any punctuation like: Residents of isolated rural areas may carry guns for protection sometimes these guns may be used against them. (After 1^st clause, there must be a conjunction like so, but, and that suits them)

Techniques to solve run sentences: i. break sentence (period), ii. use semicolon iii. use suitable conjunction.

Be careful to Avoid Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers: A misplaced modifier appears to modify the wrong word as it is placed incorrectly in a sentence. To avoid confusion, we keep the modifiers as close as to the words they describe such as:

a.      Limited by their illiteracy, millions of Americans are ashamed to seek help. (Correct place)

b.     Millions of Americans are ashamed to seek help due to their illiteracy. (Incorrect place)

A dangling modifier hangs in a sentence so it cannot describe any word such as:

a.      Going back to his old junior high school, the ‘black table’ was still there. (Who went back to his old school?) – Dangling

b.     Going back to his old junior high school, Graham discovered that the ‘black table’ was still there. (correct)

Be Sure Sentence Elements Are Parallel: Parallelism is the use of matching grammatical elements such as words, phrases, and clauses to express similar ideas. If the grammatical elements do not match, we do not get meaning in a sentence.

•      Paired item: As Deborah Tannen points out, men speak more than women in public but less than women at home. ( p. 84)

•      Items in a series: Amy Tan says, ‘‘I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language – the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image; a complex idea, or a simple truth’’(p. 85).

Faulty parallelism– using items that are not parallel in a context in which parallelism is expected – makes ideas difficult to follow and will likely confuse the readers. (https://youtu.be/rspXSm_rYtY)

•      Faulty parallelism – As Deborah Tannen points out, men speak more than women in public, but at home, less talking is done by them (p. 84).

•      Faulty parallelism – Amy Tan says, ‘‘I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language– the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea can be suggested, or communicate a simple truth’’ (p. 85).

Conclusion: In Grammar Editing, we discussed the sub-verb agreement, verb tenses, Pronoun reference, Fragment, Ru-Ons, Modifiers, and Parallelism.

Editing for Punctuation

Certain punctuation errors are more common than others, particularly in certain contexts. By understanding some rules of punctuation, we can identify and correct errors in the writing.

·         Learn When to Use Commas – and When Not to Use Them: Commas separate certain elements of a sentence. They are used often in the following situations: (https://youtu.be/TED0zEyrICY ).

·         To separate an introductory phrase or clause from the rest of the sentence like:

a.      In ‘‘ Only Daughter,’’ Sandra Cisneros writes about her father.

b.     According to Cisneros, he is very critical of her.

c.      Although her father has six sons, she is the only daughter.

•      Do not use a comma if a dependent clause follows an independent clause such as:

a.      She is the only daughter although her father has six sons.

•      To separate two independent clauses that are joined by coordinating conjunctions like:

a.      Cisneros tries to please her father, but he is not impressed.

•      To separate elements in a series: Cisneros has written stories, essays, poems, and a novel.

•      To separate a non-restrictive clause (a clause that does not supply information that is essential to the sentence’s meaning) from the rest of the sentence.

a.      Cisneros who is the only daughter feels her father would prefer her to be a son.

•      Do not use commas to set off a restrictive clause ( a clause that supplies information that is essential to the sentence’s meaning):

a.      The child who is overlooked is often the daughter.

·         Learn When to Use Semicolons (https://youtu.be/G9PBhowU4Fo ): Semicolons, like commas, separate certain elements of a sentence. However, semicolons separate only grammatically equivalent elements – for example, two closely related independent clauses.

a.      In Burma, George Orwell learned something about the nature of imperialism; it was not an easy lesson.

b.     Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’ is fiction; however, many early readers thought it was a true story.

When one or more of the items in a series already include commas, separate the items with semicolons such as Orwell set his works in Paris, France; London, England; and Moulmein, Burma.

·         Learn When to Use Quotation Marks https://youtu.be/JV87QtaspPw: Quotation marks are used to set off a quoted speech or writing like: At the end of his essay, E.B. White feels ‘‘the chill of death’’ (199). Some special rules govern the use of other punctuation marks with quotation marks. Similarly, commas and periods are always placed before quotation marks and colons and semicolons are always placed after quotation marks. Moreover, question marks and exclamation points can go either before or after quotation marks, depending on if or not they are part of the quoted material. Examples:

a.      ‘‘What is taking him so long?’’ she pondered.     b. ‘It’s raining outside!’ he exclaimed.

·         Learn When to Use Dashes and Colons https://youtu.be/uHpmmINFq_g: Dashes are occasionally used to set off and emphasize information within a sentence as shown below:

a.      Jessica Mitford wrote a scathing critique of the funeral industry – and touched off an uproar. Her book ‘The American Way of Death’ was widely read around the world.

However, dashes should be used in moderation in college writing. Colons are used to introduce lists, examples, and clarifications. A colon should be preceded by a complete sentence as shown below:

As Norman Cousins observes in ‘Who Killed Benny Paret?’ one simple cause was ultimately responsible for Paret’s death: the fact that spectators came to the fight expecting to see a knockout.

·         Editing for Sentence Style and Word Choice https://youtu.be/a4hJCCXOneA: Our essay should be clear, readable and convincing as possible. Sentences should not be only correct but also concise and varied. In addition, every word should mean exactly what you want to mean and your language should be free of clichés.

Eliminate awkward Phrasing

Eliminate Awkward Phrasing https://youtu.be/DRffCEN37UU:As we review the essay’s sentences, check carefully for awkward phrasing, and do the best to smooth it out.

Awkward:    The reason Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence was because he felt the king was a tyrant. 

Correct:       The reason Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence was that he felt the king was a tyrant.

·         Be Sure Your Sentences Are Concise https://youtu.be/9jraaftQ6I0: A concise sentence is efficient; it is not overloaded with extra words and complicated constructions. To make concise sentences, you need to eliminate repetition and redundancy and delete empty words and expressions.

Wordy: Brent Staples’s essay ‘‘Just Walk On By’’ explores his feelings, thoughts, and ideas about various events and experiences that were painful to him as a black man living in a large metropolitan city.

Correct: Brent Staples’s essay ‘‘Just Walk On By’’ explores his ideas about his painful experiences as a black man living in a large city.

·         Be Sure Your Sentences Are Varied https://youtu.be/VkzA5O3loOU:To vary the sentences, we mix long and short sentences like:

As time went on, and as he saw people’s hostile reactions to him, Staples grew more and more uneasy. Then, he had an idea.  Mix simple, compound and complex sentences like: Simple sentence: Staples grew more and more uneasy. Compound Sentence: Staples grew more and more uneasy, but he stood his ground.  Complex Sentence: Although Staples grew more and more uneasy, he continued to walk in the neighbourhood.

·         Choose Your Words Carefully https://youtu.be/diytsS418do: Choose specific words that identify particular examples and details as shown below:

•      Vague: Violence in sports is a bad thing. https://youtu.be/IlG1XtiuADI

•      Specific: Violence in boxing is a serious problem that threatens not just the lives of the

    boxers but also the sport itself.

·         Avoid Clichés and Overused Expressions: Avoid clichés and overused expressions that rely on tired figures of speech. Let’s see the example shown below: Clichés: When he was hit, the boxer stood for a moment like a deer caught in the headlights, and then he fell to the mat like a ton of bricks. Revised: When he was hit, the boxer stood frozen for a moment, and then he fell to the mat.

Proofreading Your Essay

Proofreading Your Essay https://youtu.be/-xRLNC6dCr8: In proofreading, we check for surface errors such as commonly confused words, misspellings, faulty capitalization, and incorrect italic use; then, check for typographical errors.

·         Check for Commonly Confused Words: During proofreading, look carefully to see if you spot any commonly confused words like its for it’s, there for their, or affect for effect. These kinds of errors are not identified with a spelling check.

·         Check for Misspelling and Faulty Capitalization: It makes no sense to work hard on an essay and then undermine your credibility with spelling and mechanical errors.

·         Check for Typos (https://youtu.be/iXpImnHa0hA ): It is the last step of proofreading where space between words and accidentally typed extra letters, and omitted letters are checked carefully. In this step, one sentence of the essay is read at a time which helps to see errors.

·         Checking Your Paper’s Format (https://youtu.be/VEqRqSsNDjc ): Checking format helps to see the paragraphs, sentences, and words on the page. The instructor may have given guidelines of paper format that include writing your last name, margin, spacing, font and its size, indent, justification, paper size, page number at the top right of each page etc.

***

Click for Next Lesson: https://limbuchandrabahadur.blogspot.com/2025/05/only-daughter-sandra-cisneros-bbs-1st.html