(A) HAVE YOU THOROUGHLY EDITED?

1. Problem: Most people who write papers have something intelligent to say.  However, a great many papers receive low grades simply because the papers are difficult to read or understand because of poor editing. 
      

2. Solution: Such problems often can be cured simply by much more thorough revising and editing.  Success in editing is measured much more by how much time you spend on it than by how "good" you are at it.  
     

3. What can you do? Stop seeing the contents of your paper when you read it just for its editing needs.  Do so by reading it 
   (a) backward, (b) aloud, and (c) sentence by sentence.  
     

4. How should you make the changes?  Fix just one type or group of errors at a time: e.g., read backward for spelling and capitalization once, fixing things as you find the errors.  Then read backward another time for comma splices and fragments, a third time for comma errors, etc.
      

5. What should you do next?  Most people cannot find all their error patterns alone.  Use the above methods first; then take your paper  to your school writing or tutoring center or to someone with top-level skills in English.  "A" and "B" level writers usually are those who use such help regularly, not those who avoid it.  

(B) HAVE YOU RESET MS WORD FOR EDITING?

Grammar & Style: MS Word usually is set for checking workplace grammar but not formal style.  For formal writing, you should reset it to "Grammar & Style" (in Word 2000 and later).  To do this, go to "Tools," "Options," "Grammar," and "Writing Style."  (In earlier versions, reset it to "Formal" grammar style.)  

Spell Check: Is it on?  If not, go to "Tools," "Options," and "Spelling" and check the first box (in Word 2000 and later).  

Word Count: Do you need a word count?  Go to "Tools" and "Word Count."
        

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