Editing Guidelines

Answer these questions for each piece of writing.  You may answer them for your own piece of writing or have someone else do it with you.

  1. When the author read the piece aloud, did she stumble anywhere over phrasing?

  2. Is the piece of writing clear and easy to understand? Note what was confusing for you?

    3.  

  3. Is it focused? Does each paragraph stick to the point?

    4.  

  4. Is it efficient? Does it contain any unnecessary words?

    5.  

  5. Is it concise?

    6.  

  6. Is it complete? Is all necessary information included?

 

 

 

Moving from the General to the Particular

(Or becoming picky)

 

  1. Count the number of lines in each of your paragraphs and write the number in the margin. If all your numbers are about the same – 9,8,7,9 or 3,5,4,4 – then all your paragraphs are pretty much the same length, and you could be lulling your readers to sleep. Variety truly is the spice of life when it comes to keeping the readers attention. A "paragraph" can be as short as one sentence in a business communication.
  2. Draw a slash through each period. If the distance between the slashes is pretty much the same, all your sentences are about the same length. Vary the length of you sentences to keep your writing alive.
  3. Now check to make sure your sentences all don’t begin the same way. Be especially careful that you haven’t overused "There are…" or "There is…." The same goes with starting sentences with "It".

 

Back to assignment guidelines

Usage Rules

Back to KHS