Hi
Read through your writing to check that the ideas are logically structured, and that they flow naturally for the reader. Then check again for spelling and grammar mistakes.
A Word of Warning
Many people use spell checkers on their word processors. Although these can help, they also have limitations. For example, some English words have more than one correct spelling. For example, ‘there’ and ‘their’ are both correct, but you need to check that you have the right spelling.
Another problem with spell checkers is that they are set by default to either British or American English spelling. It doesn’t matter which spelling system you choose, as long as you are consistent in your choice. For example, if your spell checker is set to an American English spelling system and you type the word “organisation”, the word is shown as a spelling error. British English speakers normally (but not always) spell “organisation” with an ‘s’. If you are writing in British English, change the default setting so that your checker allows words such as "organisation".
Editing Tips
- Read your writing out aloud. This will help you to see what you have written through the eyes of your reader. Is there enough punctuation in your sentences? If you get breathless when you read one of your sentences, then you’ll know you haven’t put in enough commas.
- Get a friend or a colleague to read through your writing for you - they might find something that you didn’t see.
- If you have enough time, leave your writing for a couple of days. When you come back to it, you might want to change some things.
- Be aware of your own problems when you write English. For example, if you know you have difficulty with articles or verb tenses, actively look for these sort of errors when you check your writing.
- Check for style and tone. Is your writing polite? There are many standard phrases we use in business correspondence to sound polite. Politeness goes a long way in Western business and sounding too direct or impolite is a cultural mistake. English speakers may not take into consideration the fact that English is not your first language.
Editing Checklist
- Is it clear?
- Does the reader know what to do next?
- Is it concise and to the point?
- Is it organised?
- Are the ideas, sentences and paragraphs linked?
- Is it simple enough?
- Is it polite enough?
- Is the layout easy to read?
- Are the standard expressions correct?
- Is the punctuation correct?
- Is the grammar correct? Check your articles, verb tenses, subject and verb agreement, referencing and spelling.
