How To Edit A Sentence

Section ane.ten

Editing for Grammer and Manner

When you accept dealt with the more than basic matters included in the revision phase, information technology is time to review the certificate carefully for correctness. As you edit your document, all the same, go on to do whatever you tin can to amend accuracy, clarity, conciseness, coherence, and appropriateness. For example, could whatever sentences be made more effective past restructuring?

No matter how sound your document may be technically, your credibility volition be undermined by errors in sentence construction or grammar, give-and-take choice, usage, punctuation, mechanics, or spelling. If you demand more than information about grammatical elements, refer to parts of sentences and parts of spoken language. If English is non your native language, check the list of common ESL writing problems.

Finally, take yous used the language of your sources appropriately and give them proper credit? If your document is supposed to follow an established way for citing sources and creating a reference list, have you followed the right style correctly and consistently?

When you lot come to sentences that are hard to follow, locate the main agent (thing doing something) and the activeness (thing being done):

Circumvolve the main subject area or agent of the sentence. This substantive will place the who or what of the sentence.
Circle the main activity word. This verb is the key to the activeness (thing being washed or country of beingness) of the sentence.
Whenever possible, organize the sentence around the subject and verb. Make the agent the subject field and the action the main verb of the sentence.

Weak

The solid was contaminated [principal activity] as a result of a leaking cleaning solution [main agent].

Improved

A leaking cleaning solution contaminated the solid.

Here are some ways to tighten upwards your prose:

Make your paragraphs coherent. If necessary, rearrange sentences for ameliorate paragraph flow and logic.
Use the active voice whenever the passive vocalism is not conspicuously more appropriate.
Eliminate unnecessary words and phrases.
Simplify your sentences. Suspension long sentences into manageable units.
Condense repetitious or closely related material. Look for ways to combine or delete words and sentences that repeat information.
Be specific. Replace vague phrases and words with more descriptive ones.
Use words accurately. Look for phrases and words that don't stand to scrutiny.