1. S TEP 5 - E DITING The next stage in the writing process is called “editing”. The purpose of editing is to apply the standards of written English to your writing.

2. E DITING In this stage you need to look for and correct mistakes in: Grammar Usage Mechanics (spelling, capitalization, punctuation)

3. G UIDELINES FOR EDITING Is every sentence a complete sentence, not a fragment or run-on? Does every sentence end with a punctuation mark? Are other punctuation marks used correctly?

4. G UIDELINES FOR EDITING Does every sentence begin with a capital letter? Are all proper nouns and proper adjectives capitalized?

5. G UIDELINES FOR E DITING Does every verb agree in number with its subject? Are verb forms and verb tenses used correctly? Do you have consistent verb tenses throughout your paper?

6. G UIDELINES FOR E DITING Are frequently confused words used correctly? (their, they’re, there, its and it’s, your and you’re, etc.)

7. G UIDELINES FOR E DITING Are all words spelled correctly? Is the paper neat and free from obvious corrections?

8. P EER E DITING Once you have edited your paper, it is important to have someone else read your paper for errors. This is called peer editing.

9. P EER E DITING G UIDELINES : 1. Have you read the paper all the way through for organization and flow? Does it sound good? Do you understand the organization? What could you do to help to make the paper easier for the audience to follow?

10. . Does the essay meet the assignment? Is all information included?

11. P EER E DITING G UIDELINES 3. Does the essay meet the assignment? Does the paper include an introduction? A conclusion? Does it contain detailed information describing the three main points? 4. Using the rules of editing, carefully edit this paper. Have you checked for:

12. correct comma usage? misplaced modifiers? subject/verb agreement? proper punctuation used at the end of each sentence?

13. complete sentences? – no fragments; no run-ons? no comma splices between independent clauses? Be sure if you have two independent clauses they are either two separate sentences or joined with a comma AND a conjunction. all words spelled correctly?

14. A ND FINALLY… 5. Read through the paper one last time – Can you make any additional suggestions?