To improve your editing of future assignments, keep a personal checklist of the patterns of editing problems you find. Your computer can help: if you notice that you often misuse a certain word, find every instance of that word, and then check the usage carefully.
To begin a checklist, jot down all the errors or corrections marked on the last piece of writing you did. Then note the context in which each error appeared, and indicate what you should look for in the future. You can add to this inventory every time you write and edit a draft. Here is an example of one student’s checklist:
| ERRORS MARKED | IN CONTEXT | I NEED TO LOOK AT |
| fragment | starts with when | sentences beginning with when |
| missing comma | after however | sentences that include however |
| missing apostrophe | company’s | all possessive nouns |
| tense shift | go for went | my use of the present tense |
| wrong word | defiantly for definitely | the spell checker’s suggestions |
| incomplete documentation | no page number | the guidelines for documenting sources |
This writer has begun to isolate patterns, such as her tendency to accept the spell checker’s suggestions too readily.
Storyboards on revising and editing