The Basic Rules For Academic Essay Editing


Many students fail to realize that there are different rules for academic essay writing and academic essay editing. They should be seen as separate issues. Of course they are connected in that the editing is the polishing or correcting of the writing. But in order to get the writing correct, the student needs a series of lessons on topic choice, research and note taking, the creation of a plan or outline and the writing of the first and second drafts. All of those activities come under academic essay writing. Once you have completed that part of the project, you come to academic essay editing. This has its own set of rules.

  1. Spelling, grammar and syntax are the nuts and bolts of editing.
  2. Sticking to the subject or answering the question is a major editing activity.
  3. Clarity of writing is vital.
  4. Avoiding repetition is essential.
  5. All sorts of feedback can be obtained.

The basic things in editing involve spelling, syntax and correct use of grammar. You can achieve success in this area using inbuilt devices in your software but you must be aware that they are not infallible. Unfortunately some students believe that academic essay editing is primarily about correcting spelling and grammatical errors. It is only a small part of the whole process.

You might write a brilliant academic essay but still get a poor score or even fail because you do not stick to the subject. An important editing step is to look for irrelevant writing. If you have strayed from the subject or if there is a question and you do not answer it, you do yourself a disservice.

Does your writing make sense? Clarity of writing is vital. An excellent way to discover success in this particular step of essay editing is to put your essay away for a few days or even a week. When you come to this aspect of editing you should come to it with fresh eyes. By trying to edit immediately after you have written the final draft you sometimes can't see the wood for the trees.

So many students make the mistake of saying the same thing but in different ways. It is essential that you avoid repetition. Reading aloud your final draft is a good way to discover repetition.

Getting feedback on your writing is a smart move. You can pick up all sorts of errors or areas in which you can improve by showing your essay to friends, family, fellow students and anyone else who is interested. The people giving feedback don't have to be an expert in the topic you have written about and any suggestion in the form of feedback should be seriously considered.