Important editing tips to use in essay writing
Writing an essay that will win you some decent grades can be challenging. But if you find ways to keep improving, you will definitely find yourself among the top students in your class someday. One way of making your essay writing better is by editing your document prior to submission. Good thing is that this doesn’t take much time but it couldmake the difference between poor and amazing grades. In this post, we are going to provide you with excellent essay editing tips that will ensure you submit a completely error-free document. Keep these handy for when you edit your work and you will find the process easier than you thought.
1. Take a breather
If possible, allow yourself enough time between finishing your essay writing starting your editing. This will give your mind time to replenish and you will be able to approach the process feeling reasonably fresh. If you start immediately after working on a long paper, you might not be able to spot all the errors because your brain is already tired.
2. Check the structure
The first thing you need to do is to look at the structure of your essay. Does it meet what is specified in the guidelines? Do your points flow naturally and logically? Is the information you have used on the paper factual enough to support your argument? Do you think some of the points need rearranging? These are just some of the questions you should ask yourself when editing your essay’s structure. Make sure your structure conveys your message as effectively and easily as possible.
3. Get rid of long sentences
Long sentences can be difficult to read and your professor may get bored just by reading the first paragraph. Prune long sentences. It doesn’t matter whether you have exceeded the specified number of words or not; just keep your sentences as short and to the point as possible.
4. Use simple language
You want to impress the reader, not to show them how good you are at idioms and complex words. So keep your language simple. Overly complicated words are sometimes hard to use and may not deliver the intended message effectively. But we are not saying you should not use complex language at all. Just make sure to choose the situation carefully and avoid overdoing it.
5. Remove repeated words and ideas
When writing an essay, sometimes you will find yourself repeating yourself. This is completely normal but then the editing process will help you spot these before your professor sees them. When reading through your essay, check for words that appear redundant. Pluck those ideas that have been repeated too. Lookfor points that have been overly explained. Sometimes discussing a point for too long undermines your argument’s strength because it appears like you are desperately to look for supporting facts. Keep your statements brief, clear, and simple.
6. Spellcheckers can be deal breakers
Another yet important tip on how to edit an essay is avoiding excess usage of spellcheckers. Of course, we are not completely ruling out such tools but do not rely on them completely as they may not pick up all the errors in your essay. For instance, you may have wanted to write the word “just” but accidentally typed it a “juts”, which is also an English word. Many spellcheckers won’t spot this yet it is not the word you intended to write.
Essay editing doesn’t have to be an intimidating process. As long as you know how to go about it, you will be able to carry it out successfully and submit an error free document. The above tips on how to edit an essay can help you become an expert in the process. But if you need it done by a professional, you can simply avail essay editing & proofreading services from our experts.