EDITING IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF WRITING. Good writers compose great papers because they continuously revise and edit their drafts. Writers eliminate unnecessary ideas while striving toward the final goal: to create a clear, concise piece of writing that effectively communicates an idea or series of ideas. Finding and elimnating careless errors, misspelled words, omitted words, and missed punctuation are just a few of the steps in the editing process.

1. Read Aloud. Read the paper aloud from beginning to end. Listen as you read. Read with a pencil in hand, in order to mark unclear sentences, missing words, or sentences that don't seem to flow.

Read for errors. Read for understanding. Read.

2. Read for Trouble. Once again read from the beginning. Read through areas that you marked while reading the paper the first time. Try to figure out what doesn't seem clear. If you have a tendency to create certain types of errors, carefully check your paper for those errors. Make corrections to your text as you read.

3. Read Backwards. Try reading your paper backwards, sentence by sentence. This forces you to focus on what you wrote one sentence at a time. If you need help with editing your work for grammar, punctuation, and mechanics review writing reference books.

Editing Error 
Subject- Verb Agreement

The subject must agree with verb in both number and person. That is, if the subject is singular, the verb must also be; if the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. 
The Possessives

"Its" only involves an apostrophe when used as a contraction for it is.Add 's for singular nouns, unless the noun ends in s and the next word begins with s.
Add only an apostrophe for plural nouns, unless the nouns do not end in s. 

Fragments 
A sentence has a subject and verb, a complete meaning, and can stand on its own.

Incorrect

Mary, as well as the Joneses, are coming along.

Its a difficult assignment.
The pricing policy is the products downfall.
The alumni have given generously. This account holds the alumnis gifts.

 
Advertising rates being expensive. The department opted for direct mail. 

Correct 
Mary, as well as the Joneses, is coming along. 

It's a difficult assignment.
The pricing policy is the product's downfall.
The alumni have given generously. This account holds the alumni's gifts. 

Advertising rates being expensive, the department opted for direct mail.

Amy Sevier, student
San Diego State University