Essay Editing Tips
Table of Contents:
1.The Importance of Essay Editing
2.Difference Between Editing and Proofreading
3.Proven Tips for Successful Editing
4.Common Mistakes to Watch Out for During Essay Editing
The Importance of Essay Editing
The quality of your academic paper has a significant impact on your grades. To improve your reputation in academia, you should editing an essay before submitting it to your professor for review. It is not uncommon for students to use the services of professionals for this purpose, who can help find and correct even the most minor spelling or stylistic errors.
Editing helps to clarify the text and make it more understandable for readers. Here are the main reasons why is it important to proofread your writing:
- increase credibility. If there are a lot of typos and other flaws in the text, the work is difficult to understand, and it can discourage readers. You get the feeling that student are poorly versed in the topic and do not care about the quality of the content. Editing can improve the work and prove that the author is trustworthy;
- objective assessment of the situation. Re-checking will help find weak points in the text, which indicate subjectivity of the opinion and one-sided consideration of the topic. And for essays, a comprehensive approach and using different arguments and evidence are important. This significantly increases the quality of academic writing;
- consistent presentation of the material. An academic paper should consist of logically connected components. Student essay editing will help to establish the right cause-and-effect connections so that the narrative makes sense and becomes more interesting to read. It is mandatory to use an introduction, make conclusions at the end;
- increase the level of professionalism. Paying attention to correction, you demonstrate a desire to develop, to improve in this direction.
Research and essay writing are important stages. But the process does not end there because it is necessary to check the paper. Very often, students are given a limited amount of time, and they don’t have time to do the editing. Therefore, planning all the activities and making a step-by-step checklist, including proofreading, is necessary.
When the author is immersed in the research process, they may overlook some details and evaluate the topic only from one side. As a result, the scientific value of the essay is reduced. Also, overly complicated wording that is incomprehensible to most readers may be used.
Professional essay editors will help you properly evaluate the text’s structure and logicality. An outsider’s view, in most cases, allows you to identify the spelling errors the student missed.
Below we will tell you about the most common mistakes and give you some proven tips that will help to improve the quality of academic writing.
Difference Between Editing and Proofreading
Previously, we have already mentioned that after writing a research paper, you should edit essay yourself or use essay editing services at Bid4papers.com. It is worth noting that there are some differences between proofreading and editing. However, many students combine them into one procedure, which ultimately does not give the expected result and hurts the grading by the teacher.
Proofreading involves checking for the following errors in the text:
Punctuation | Incorrect use of punctuation marks: periods, commas, colons. Incorrect placement of question marks, dashes, and quotation marks can be misleading and create ambiguity in reading. As a result, the structure of sentences is disrupted, which negatively affects the evaluation of academic work. |
Spelling | Incorrect spelling of words. Such errors include elementary typos, which may indicate the author’s low level of professionalism. |
Grammar | Misuse of language features and rules related to verb tenses, turns, and consistency between different parts of speech. |
Using the services of the authors of our ‘write my paper‘ company is a guarantee of the correct structure of the text. But there are doubts about the arrangement of punctuation and the spelling of certain terms. This is the final stage of verification, which should be performed before submitting the work for review.
If it is necessary to bring clarity to the paragraph and make the narrative consistent and logical, then editing is necessary. This is quite a complicated procedure, which requires some skills. If you are not confident in your abilities, asking professionals for help or using special online tools is better.
The following comparative table describes the key features of each of these procedures. This will allow you to understand the topic better and make the best decision in the final review of the text:
Editing | Proofreading |
---|---|
It is very time-consuming because you need to carefully read the text and understand its structure and the essence of the topic at hand | Editing your essay only takes two or three hours if the paper is several dozen pages long. |
It is possible to use different approaches, considering the style of writing, the purpose of the project, and the author’s individual preferences. Many services offer to choose the best option for checking. | The procedure is performed according to strict rules. |
Eliminates basic writing problems. | Allows you to correct misspelled words and correct punctuation. |
The editor will consult with the student to ensure the review results meet all requirements. | Third-party services or specialists can perform it without the author’s direct involvement. |
The number of words may vary as some paragraphs are deleted, and new ones are added to elaborate on the chosen topic. | Correcting an essay has no significant effect on the size of the text. |
It is carried out after the writing of the primary document and can be carried out in several stages to achieve the desired result. | Performed at the end of the draft check before sending it to the instructor. |
It is worth understanding that proofreading is a superficial check which allows you to eliminate grammatical errors. Particular attention should be paid to editing so that each written word makes sense and does not break the expression logic.
It is worth using only proven services to proofread or edit your research papers. The best of them remains Bid4Papers.
If you are interested in how to edit an essay to make it better, it is important to consider every aspect of the revision, followed by changes. Next, we will look at common mistakes, which include neglecting to correct typos. Therefore, it is worth taking a comprehensive approach to such problems. You can always ask your supervisor for help if you have any doubts. He will point out the weaknesses and send for revision, if necessary.
Proven Tips for Successful Editing
After writing a term paper or diploma project, you should not immediately send the text to your teacher. Below we will give valuable recommendations on revising and how to revise and edit an essay to improve the document’s quality significantly.
First of all, you need to make a short pause before you start editing. You need to relax and not think about the chosen topic for a while. Two days are enough to change how you think and perceive information differently. Your essay will be perceived differently, which will allow you to see some shortcomings and make important changes.
It is also worth paying attention to the structure, which must necessarily include the following components:
- Introduction. It superficially reveals the topic and assesses its relevance and value for solving certain tasks.
- The main part. It considers the theoretical basis and the analysis of each of the different argument. The correct sequence of thoughts is critical.
- Conclusion. The text’s logical conclusion should offer possible solutions to the problem discussed.
In the end, it is necessary to make a list of all the sources used so that readers can check the reliability of the information, if necessary.
The next important tip, if you need essays edit before sending them to your supervisor, is to check for simplicity of presentation. Here are some recommendations that will help improve the quality of the paper:
- the text should be clear and exclude misinterpretation;
- do not use long, confusing sentences with many punctuation marks;
- carefully read the text and remove jargon and overly complex language;
- analyze the reasoning, cause, and effect relationships so that the narrative makes sense and is logical.
Many experts also advise reading the essay aloud because, in this situation, the brain perceives the information better. This will allow you to detect other spelling and grammatical errors and eliminate tautology and unnecessary words.
It is also good practice to use a dynamic sentence. That is, the number of words can vary. For example, a short call to action is followed by a detailed explanation. Readers will appreciate such an approach, which will add variety and make the text more unpredictable. But try not to make sentences too long. Let them take no more than two lines with standard indents on the left and right.
The same goes for paragraphs. The ideal height is four to seven lines. If it is less, then it is worth merging this block with the previous one without breaking the logic of the narrative. And if there is more text, it’s better to divide it into two parts.
Do not hesitate to ask the opinion of your classmates, friends, and other teachers. Feedback from different people allows you to get a full picture of the work. You will be prompted which components should be improved and what to delete or rewrite. You’ll discover the mistakes you didn’t notice before. And you may not have to ask for help from professional essay editors.
Be sure to check each statement by asking the following questions:
- Is the statement clear enough, and does it not cause a misunderstanding of the topic?
- Is the thesis statement too obvious and irrelevant? Would it be better to remove it from the text?
- Is it possible to evaluate a particular statement objectively using different arguments and points of view?
The following technique may seem very unusual to many people. It involves reading the text in reverse order. Start with the conclusion and gradually move to the introduction. At first, this procedure may break your brain a little, but soon you will look at the essence of the topic presented differently, see problematic areas in the structure, and notice even the smallest typos.
We recommend you do the editing in several stages with a break of one or two days. Two options are available. You can evaluate certain components of the structure comprehensively. For example, edit the introduction and theoretical framework today and carefully check the argumentation and all points of view tomorrow.
Alternatively, read the entire text. But make changes to only one of the items on the editing an essay checklist. First, evaluate the consistency of your writing. The next day, pay attention to mistakes in words.
Then you can analyze the citations and check the resource’s reliability and the correctness of formatting by generally accepted standards. This kind of separation takes more time but allows you to work through each paragraph of the document thoroughly.
Even when you have the final version of the research paper, rereading it aloud one more time is advisable. Filter the information and make final adjustments to guarantee the highest quality of the text and expect to receive a high score.
Common Mistakes to Watch Out for During Essay Editing
If you need to edit a paper, you should consider the following common mistakes:
- disregard of grammatical rules. Incorrect spelling of words can indicate a low literacy level in the student. Even if you have done a complex research paper, but there are many typos in the text, the teacher may immediately send the text for revision;
- improper structure. Earlier, we have already talked about the sequence of components. It is quite strict, and it is not recommended to violate it. Otherwise, the text will be difficult to understand;
- repetition of paragraphs. One of the requirements for writing an essay is a given number of characters. It is not uncommon for authors to duplicate content to get the right figures. But if a supervisor discovers such manipulation, it will be considered a serious mistake;
- using a low-quality essay proofreading service. There are many such web resources on the Internet. But not all of them can be trusted with such work. You should first read the reviews, choose only proven performers with a good reputation and an acceptable cost of services;
- lack of original idea. Some students do not want to waste time searching for unique topics. After all, for this, you need to use additional sources of information. It is easier to take ready-made materials and edit them. This approach can work if the grade is not important and you need to get a passing grade. But for career development, this option is not acceptable;
- disregard for formatting rules. There are standards for essay formatting regarding lists, paragraphs, citations, and other elements. Be sure to consult your teacher and clarify all the requirements. Alternatively, use generally accepted standards, such as MLA;
- you do not need to correct an essay immediately after writing it. You need to rest for a few days and refresh your thoughts so that you can see the true essence of what you’ve written when you’re tested;
- boring introduction. One of the most common mistakes. Of course, we are not discussing the lack of jokes or other entertaining content. But you should intrigue readers from the first seconds, pointing out the topic’s relevance in today’s world.
It is also worth paying attention to the conclusions. But many people miss this important point. It is necessary to list each point’s main thesis and arguments briefly. This component should not only put a point in your work but also encourage further reflection.
Be sure to read the guidelines on how to proofread professionally because it is an integral part of the editing procedure. Checking for errors should be done at the very end, not at the beginning, as many authors believe.
Another mistake is considered to be ignoring the instructor’s instructions. After discussing your chosen topic, you should consult with your supervisor and get answers to any questions. You may be given a writing checklist, the content of which also includes steps to editing an essay.
Essentially, you get a ready-made guide, following which you can get an excellent grade. You can save a lot of time if you are persistent and unafraid to clarify controversial points.
Don’t forget that even the most reputable services for the best essay editing it is important to use it wisely.. Even after the intervention of an experienced expert, it is worth reading the text once again, reading the changes made, and making final adjustments if necessary.
When checking, the number of useless words should be taken into account. They increase the volume of the text but have no value. On the contrary, if the teacher notices that there are a lot of unnecessary words in the work, it may cause doubts about your professionalism.
We recommend rereading the essay editing tips published in this review’s previous section to avoid common mistakes. You can also find many reference guides on the Internet, which will help improve academic writing quality.