Editing for Conventions

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify and correct the most common surface-level errors in academic writing, use a proofreading checklist effectively, and distinguish revision from editing.

Editing vs. Revision (Again)

Revision happens at the level of argument, structure, and evidence — rethinking the ideas.

Editing happens at the level of sentence mechanics — correcting errors.

Editing comes last. There's no point correcting the grammar in a paragraph you're about to delete.

The Most Common Editing Targets

1. Subject-Verb Agreement

Singular subject → singular verb; plural subject → plural verb.

Watch out for: phrases between subject and verb that distract you.

❌ "The set of arguments about the theme are..."

✓ "The set of arguments about the theme is..." (Subject = "set," not "arguments")

2. Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

Pronouns must agree in number and gender with their antecedents.

❌ "Every student should bring their textbook." (Some style guides still flag this, though singular "they" is increasingly accepted)

✓ "All students should bring their textbooks." (Revise the noun to make it unambiguous)

3. Apostrophes

Possession: add apostrophe + s ('s). "The author's choice."

For plural nouns ending in s: add apostrophe only. "The authors' choices."

Contractions: apostrophe replaces the missing letter. "it's" = "it is"

Its vs. It's: "its" = possessive pronoun (no apostrophe); "it's" = it is.

4. Semicolons

A semicolon joins two independent clauses.

✓ "The author uses irony; the effect is both humorous and devastating."

❌ "The author uses irony; which creates both humor and devastation." (What follows the semicolon is not an independent clause.)

5. Quotation Marks and Punctuation

In American English, periods and commas go INSIDE quotation marks.

"The novel ends in tragedy," she observed.

Question marks: inside if part of the quotation; outside if not.

6. Comma Splice

❌ "The author uses irony, this creates humor."

Fix with: period, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction.

Proofreading Strategies

your ear will catch errors your eye misses.