Self-Assessment/Editing

Self-Assessment Part Two: Editing

Take another break between writing the revised draft of your paper before you start to edit it, and make sure this break is at least 24 hours. It will help to tackle the editing process with a clear mind and a fresh perspective.

To assess the strengths (and weaknesses) of the grammar and mechanics of your writing, try to follow the steps below:

Focus only on word choice, punctuation, and grammar (don’t change content at this stage)
Make sure you read aloud from a hard copy (not from a computer screen) when you edit your work so that you can hear what you have written down. If possible, have someone else read your work back to you because this will help you interpret how others will understand your work
Keep a simple record of the mechanical mistakes you tend to make
Use the “find” tool in your software to search for overly used words and phrases. Then you can put in a word or phrase you have used and it will tell you how many times it appears in the document. When locating these words or phrases, decide which can go, which can be edited, and which must stay.
First, edit for clarity, and then edit for grammatical correctness

You might find it helpful to use the following checklist (Table 2) as you edit your work. Doing so should help you decide whether your writing is saying what you mean it to say. For specific tips on getting your grammar correct, visit our dedicated pages here: we have information on the Active Vs. Passive Voice, Clarity and Simple Language, Mechanics and Punctuation, and Numbers and Units.

Table 2: Checklist for the Editing Process

Checklist Questions	Questions to Ask Yourself	‘Yes’ or ‘No’
Clarity – How easy is it to interpret my writing?	Do my words and sentences convey what I intend them to? Is anything confusing?
Effectiveness – How engaging is my language?	Do I engage my audience? Do I express my ideas clearly for the given audience and purpose of the assignment? Do I emphasize my main points and use appropriate words and sentences as support?
Correctness – How accurate is my grammar?	Is all my grammar correct? Do any errors reduce the clarity or effectiveness of the paper? Did I check my spelling, verb agreement, and punctuation?