I have to finish this essay and its due in 1 week. Does that sound like you? Or how about this; My boss is waiting for me to send this email, let me write it really fast and send it out.
If you’ve ever said anything like that, then this is probably the post for you. You’re most likely thinking that you have no time to proofread your paper, email, blog, short story or website. Well, I’m here to set the record straight and provide you with the editing tips you need to ditch that thought. I'm going to take the route of the college student because I think they are the ones least likely to edit their work and should be the ones who do it the most. Professors take note when you religiously make the same mistakes without bothering to correct it--and either a) they think you’re lazy or b) that you don’t care, or maybe even both.
So, I’ve compiled 4 of the trickiest style mistakes to look out for while you’re editing your work. For you, my college student who just wants to make sure they get an A, these are the four areas you will be working on—and a few tips to help you get them right.
• Basic grammar and punctuation.
• Sentence structure.
• Words and their excessive use.
• The voice of your paper.
I’ve put together a printable checklist. Print it out so you have it near you as you edit to check off what you’ve done and can clearly see what’s left to do.
