English Editing – The following article provides tips on how to edit your English writing from a professional editor. First, make sure you’ve covered the editing basics during the first read-through of your final draft. Second, take advantage of the tools available on your word processing system. Third, utilize online references when necessary. Finally, consider enlisting the services of a professional editor.
So, you’ve written an English essay, short story, novel, or thesis. You are pretty confident about the content; however, you want to ensure that it is as perfect as it can be. Read on to discover four valuable tips to help you edit your English writing.
First, make sure you’ve covered the “editing basics” during the first read-through of your final draft. During this initial edit, you should be looking at the structure and organization of your writing, whether the vocabulary you chose is clear and concise, whether your writing style is appropriate to your target audience, and whether there are any glaring spelling, punctuation, or grammar mistakes.
Second, take advantage of the tools available on your word processor. For example, Microsoft Word has an easy to use spelling and grammar checker that can pinpoint obvious errors in . . . you guessed it . . . spelling and grammar! Word also has a great thesaurus tool that can help you choose the exact word you are searching for and avoid repetitive or wordy passages of text.
Third, make use of the free references that are available online. For example, if you are really stumped on a grammar point and want an educated opinion on the issue you’re struggling with, check out quickanddirtytips. If you’re not sure if you’re using a word correctly, check out its definition at dictionary.reference For help finding synonyms when the ones provided by your word processor aren’t quite what you’re looking for, try
thesaurus. For ESL writers having difficulty conveying ideas, try translate.reference
Finally, if you’ve done as much as you can on your own and still feel your writing needs some fine-tuning, you can always hire a professional editor for your final review. A professional editor can work miracles and help turn your awkward prose into a masterpiece. Professional editors check everything from content and organization to grammar and spelling. You’ll be amazed at the difference a qualified editor can make!
To sum up, if you really want your English writing to shine, make sure you cover the “editing basics,” take advantage of the tools available on your word processor, use online references when necessary, and consider hiring a professional editor. Good luck and happy writing!
