Editing
What is Editing?
- Editing means identifying the mistakes in a written content, and fixing them.
Now, there can be quite a few types of mistakes in writing. Most common of them are –
1. Fragment 7. Article
2. Run-on 8. Tense / Inconsistent Verb Tense
3. Capitalization 9. Faulty Parallelism
4. Preposition 10. Irregular Verb
5. Subject-verb Agreement 11. Missing Apostrophe
6. Homonym 12. Missing Comma
Now let’s explore the types and learn how to fix these mistakes!
1. Fragment
- Fragment mistake occurs when a sentence is lacking a subject or a verb, or when it
doesn’t express the complete thought.
Example: 1) Writing notes in class.
[Subject missing]
2) When the rain stopped.
[Unfinished sentence]
Fragment mistakes can be fixed in a few ways. First, we have to read the sentence and
then identify which fix is more suitable.
How to fix →
a. Attach the sentence to the previous or next sentence.
b. Add subject + auxiliary verb (am, is, are, was, were, have, has, had etc.)
c. Add subject + changing the verb/adding a verb.
Example →
1) I got paid yesterday. After I got my payment. I treated myself to a nice dinner.
→ After I got my payment, I treated myself to a nice dinner. (a)
2) I won’t leave the house. Until I hear from you. I need your opinion.
→ I won’t leave the house until I hear from you. (a)
Remember: If the dependent word [after, although, if, in order that, whenever, since, because, even though
so that etc.] is in the middle of the sentence, we do not have to use a comma.
3) Ellen walked all over the neighborhood yesterday. Trying to find her dog Bo. Several
people claimed they had seen him only hours before.
→ Ellen walked all over the neighborhood yesterday trying to find her dog Bo. (a)
→ She was trying to find her dog Bo. (b)
4) We were watching a movie. Not expecting anything special.
→ We were not expecting anything special. (b)
5) It being the day before our wedding anniversary. I knew my wife would be surprised
getting a dozen of balloons.
→ It being the day before our wedding anniversary, I knew my wife would be surprised to
get a dozen of balloons. (a)
6) Before a race, I eat starchy foods. Such as bread and spaghetti.
→ Before a race, I eat starchy foods such as bread and spaghetti. (a)
7) Bob is taking a course in auto mechanics. Also, one in plumbing.
→ Bob is taking a course in auto mechanics. Also, he is taking one in plumbing. (c)
8) My apartment has its drawbacks. For example, no hot water in the morning.
→ For example, there is no hot water in the morning. (b)
9) Alicia loved getting wedding presents. But hated thank-you notes.
→ Alicia loved getting wedding presents but hated thank-you notes. (a)
10) Many people are allergic to seafood. They break out in hives when they eat it. And
can even have trouble breathing.
→ They break out in hives when they eat it and can even have trouble breathing. (a)
11) A noisy fire truck suddenly raced down the street. Coming to a stop at my house. My
home security had sent a false alarm system.
→ A noisy fire truck suddenly raced down the street. It came to a stop at my house. (c)
12) Luis works in a video store. He enjoys the fringe benefits. For example, seeing the
new movies first.
→ For example, he sees the new movies first. (c)
13) Left-handed students face problems. For example, right-handed desks. It can be very
uncomfortable.
→ For example, they have to sit on right-handed desks. (c)
2. Run-on
- Run-on mistake occurs when two or more sentences are mixed together without a
break or punctuation mark.
Example: I love to write papers I would write one every day if I had the time.
How to fix →
a. Use a period
b. Use a semicolon
c. Use comma + a joining word (and, but, or, for, so, yet)
d. Use a dependent word (after, although, if, in order that, whenever, since, because,
even though, so that)
Example →
1) I love to write papers I would write one every day if I had the time.
→ I love to write papers. I would write one every day if I had the time. (a)
→ I love to write papers; I would write one every day if I had the time. (b)
→ I love to write papers, and I would write one every day if I had the time. (c)
→ Because I love to write papers, I would write one every day if I had the time. (d)
2) Rita decided to stop smoking she didn’t want to die of lung cancer.
→ Rita decided to stop smoking. She didn’t want to die of lung cancer. (a)
→ Rita decided to stop smoking, for she didn’t want to die of lung cancer. (c)
3) The exam was postponed the class was cancelled as well.
→ The exam was postponed; the class was cancelled as well. (b)
→ When the exam was postponed, the class was cancelled as well. (d)
4) The bus stopped I found myself in the middle of nowhere.
→ The bus stopped, and I found myself in the middle of nowhere. (c)
5) We heard a noise in the garage two birds had flown in through the open window.
→ We heard a noise in the garage, for two birds had flown in through the open window.
(c)
3. Capitalization
- Capitalization mistake occurs when we use capital letters where it is not needed, or do
not use where it is needed.
How to fix → Apply capital letter where needed.
Example →
1) I love the movie gulliver’s travels.
→ I love the movie Gulliver’s Travels.
2) Emily went to paris for vacation.
→ Emily went to Paris for vacation.
Remember: We use capital letters with –
a. The first letter of a sentence
b. Proper nouns
c. Titles and heading
d. Names of counties, continents, rivers, mountains etc.
4. Preposition
- This mistake occurs when a wrong preposition is used in a sentence.
How to fix → Apply the proper preposition.
Example →
1) He is very good at physics.
→ He is very good in physics.
2) She was overwhelmed in grief.
→ She was overwhelmed with grief.
3) They quarreled with some minor things and started fighting.
→ They quarreled over some minor things and started fighting.
4) The cat jumped and landed in the table.
→ The cat jumped and landed on the table.
5) Subject-verb Agreement
- In a sentence, if the subject is singular, the verb must be singular and if the subject is
plural the verb will also be plural. If this rule is not maintained, a mistake occurs.
How to fix → Make sure the subject and verb are both in singular or both in plural
form.
Example →
1) Seema as well as her friends are coming to the party.
→ Seema as well as her friends is coming to the party. [if there are multiples subject, verb follows
the 1st subject]
2) Neither Rahat nor his friends is qualified for the job.
→ Neither Rahat nor his friends is qualified for the job. [neither...nor, either...or, not only…but
also these follow the 2nd subject]
3) Everybody have done their work.
→ Everybody has done their work. [everybody, everybody, someone, something – verb always
singular]
4) Economics are my favorite subject.
→ Economics is my favorite subject. [some subjects look plural but are singular. So, verb = singular]
5) The committee have agreed on the decision.
→ The committee has agreed on the decision.
6) Homonym
- Homonym are words that sound the same but have different meanings and are spelt
differently. Such as -> Write – Right, Here – Hear, Sent – Scent
A mistake occurs when the wrong spelt word is used in a sentence.
How to fix → Swap the wrong word with the correct one.
Example →
1) This book is very deer to me.
→ This book is very dear to me.
2) Which root do you take to work?
→ Which route do you take to work?
3) We walked home threw the park.
→ We walked home through the park.
7) Article
- A mistake occurs when a wrong article (a, an, the) is used in a sentence, or when and
article is used where it’s not needed or not used where it’s needed.
How to fix → Apply correct article where needed.
Example →
1) I am going to grocery store.
→ I am going to the grocery story. [use ‘the’ before public places]
2) I like the apples.
→ I like apples. [no article is used before general statement]
3) He is very busy man.
→ He is a very busy man. [must use article before a singular countable noun]
4) I am engineer.
→ I am an engineer. [must use article we are talking about a job or a status]
8) Tense / Inconsistent Verb Tense
- Tense or Inconsistent verb tense mistake occurs when a sentence is written in a different
tense than the rest of the passage.
How to fix → Match the mistake sentences’ tense with the rest of the passage.
Example →
1) We were seven miles away from the shore. Suddenly the sky turns dark. We became
very afraid.
→ Suddenly the sky turned dark.
2) The man standing behind me was slurping soda and crunching candy. I am getting
angrier by the minute.
→ I was getting angrier by the minute.
3) Dr. Park smiled and welcomes the next patient.
→ Dr. Park smiled and welcomed the next patient.
9) Faulty Parallelism
- Faulty parallelism occurs when the items or different parts of the sentence don’t have
the same grammatical structure.
How to fix → Make sure all the grammatical structure of the sentence are the same.
Example →
1) Brit spends her free time reading, listening to music, and she works in the garden.
→ Brit spends her free time reading, listening to music, and working in the garden.
2) After completing the trip, I was exhausted, irritable and wanted to eat.
→ After completing the trip, I was exhausted, irritable and hungry.
3) My hope for retirement is to be healthy and having plenty of money.
→ My hope for retirement is to be healthy and to have plenty of money.
10) Irregular Verb
- Irregular verbs are verbs that are not turned into past form using ‘-ed’ at the end.
Example – Mistake – Mistook – Mistaken, Begin – Began – Begun, Drink – Drank – Drunk
A mistake occurs when irregular verbs are written as regular verbs.
How to fix → Write the irregular verbs in their past forms in the correct way.
Example →
1) He has builded a new house for us.
→ He has built a new house for us.
2) After coming home, I saw my brother had eated all my chocolates.
→ After coming home, I saw my brother had eaten all my chocolates.
3) He stealed a lot of money from his company.
→ He stole a lot of money from his company.
11) Missing Apostrophe
- Occurs when an apostrophe is missing from where it is needed.
How to fix → Add an apostrophe.
Example →
1) Today’s fashion is very different from the 80s.
→ Today’s fashion is very different from the ‘80s. [used to indicate missing letters and numbers]
2) Theyre not going to the trip.
→ They’re not going to the trip. [used to form contractions]
3) I made the smoothie a lil differently today.
→ I made the smoothie a li’l differently today.
4) Heathers car is broken.
→ Heather’s car is broken. [used to indicate possssion]
12) Missing Comma
- This mistake occurs when a comma is missing from where it is needed.
How to fix → Add a comma.
Example →
1) We will graduate on June 6 2025.
→ We will graduate on June 6, 2025. [used while writing date]
2) Sam lives in Mirpur Dhaka.
→ Sam lives in Mirpur, Dhaka. [used between cities and states, and while writing address]
3) Because of the traffic jam we were late to class.
→ Because of the traffic jam, we were late to class. [used with dependent words]
4) Samantha my elder sister is having a baby.
→ Samantha, my elder sister, is having a baby. [used with appositives]
5) I love swimming golfing and fishing in the summer.
→ I love swimming, golfing, and fishing in the summer. [used between information and list of items]
Example
Fragment SVA Preposition Missing comma
Article Homonym Run-on Verb-tense
There are two secrets to making the best chocolate chip cookies. 1) First you should
always used melted butter, as it produces the chewiest cookies. This way, 2) you doesn't
need a mixer to mix the dough, you can just use your hands or a spoon. Be careful,
however, do not use too much butter because it can make your baked cookies greasy. 3)
The second secret. Using a mix of brown and white sugar. The 4) moisture under the
brown sugar promises and extra soft cookie. White granulated sugar is still necessary
though. It's dry and helps the cookies spread.
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