The next few paragraphs will let you know the top three ways to edit an English essay. First, use your software’s spell/grammar check. Second, consult the necessary style guide or handbook to confirm that your citations and references are formatted correctly. Finally, consider enlisting the services of a top-notch editor from a professional editing service, like the services provided at FirstEditing.com.

Regardless of whether you are in high school, regional community college, or an undergraduate or graduate student at a university, you are going to be required to write an English essay. Some college students cringe at the prospect of such an assignment, and the suggestions provided here ought to help the process become much less painful for you. Once you have the essay written, you’ve finished the hardest part! With just a little additional effort, your essay can shine. Read on to discover three techniques to help polish your work.

First, take advantage of your software’s built-in spelling and grammar tools. These tools are useful principally in highlighting words that are commonly misspelled. However, this will not be able to show you how to correct errors involving context. For instance, Microsoft Word’s spellchecker says the following sentence is fine: “Their coming too sea if its reel.” Now, obviously it’s not correct, but individually, each of these words is spelled properly. The appropriate sentence should be, “They’re coming to see if it’s real.”  Therefore, do not always take the spelling/grammar tool’s guidance over your own judgment. You’ll need to be the final judge of what you are writing; even so, the software programs may help you to find errors you’ve overlooked, both in spelling and in grammar/usage.

After you complete your work and have checked the spelling and grammar to the best of your abilities, examine your citations, references, and the overall formatting of the paper according to the style guide that was assigned. Most English essays use the MLA style and formatting specifications. For other undergraduate papers, you will likely be safe sticking with the basic guidelines of Turabian, or APA style. If your professor or teacher demands MLA, make sure you have the MLA guide to double-check the citations and references. For Turabian, have the Turabian style guide. For APA, make certain that you have the newest version of the APA style guide.

Lastly, if you’re not 100% certain of your grammar, spelling, or citations, consider enlisting the help of a professional editor. Skilled editors will not only look for grammatical and mechanical errors, but also advise you on how to strengthen your content, flow, and organization. If it is an important paper, and you wish to receive an excellent grade, expert editing services can take your document from good to great, and the expenses for these services are usually very affordable.

In summary, to effectively edit an English essay, make use of your word processor’s software to catch obvious spelling and grammatical errors, compare your work against the appropriate citation/formatting guidelines, and consider hiring an editor from a professional editing service. Good luck, and happy editing!