Copy this file and paste it into your word processor. Find 5 ro and cs errors in paragraph 4A. Find 6 ro and cs errors in paragraph 4B. Using the following symbols, show how the errors should be edited.
Refer to Correction Symbols, as necessary. After editing the paragraphs, check the answer key.
1 There are four stages to the composing process: prewriting, writing, revising, and editing. 2 In the first stage, writers often brainstorm, free write, or outline. 3 In the second stage, writers pause frequently they they reread what they have written, make changes, and think about what to write next. 4 Revising an editing involve reading the written work several times, writers should look for something different in each reading. 5 In the revising stage, writers examine the ideas and the organization in their writing they also check transitions, such as for example, however, and therefore. 6 In contrast, the editing stage involves making changes in form rather than in content or organization these changes may be made to smooth out and add variety to already correct sentences. 7 These changes may also involve a conscious and consistent effort to identify and correct sentence-level mistakes. 8 Writers should edit for the most serious problems first: fragments, verb problems, agreement problems, and run-on/comma splice problems. 9 Then, they should systematically look for other kinds of mistakes they might have made. 10 As writers become more aware of their individual problem areas, editing becomes a matter of looking for specific kinds of mistakes. 11 To produce better written work, writers must have the desire to improve their editing skills and must train themselves to find and correct their own mistakes, in addition, they must consciously edit everything they write. 12 After the editing is completed, they can rewrite.
1 Most students take many tests each academic year, however, some students are better test takers than others. 2 Some test takers don't finish a test because they spend too much time on difficult questions. 3 Others don't read carefully enough they misread directions, as a result, they might not do well on an entire section of a test. 4A few hints can help anyone become a more efficient test taker, you might try these hints when you take your next test. 5 You should always preview the entire exam before starting to write. 6A complete preview provides important information about the length of the test, the organization of the test, and the types of questions on the test. 7 When the preview is finished, you know what to expect on the test. 8 From then on, your subconscious mind can think about certain questions while your conscious mind concentrates on the questions that you are currently answering. 9 This overview takes only a few minutes, however, it prepares you for the rest of the test. 10 With a general idea of the scope of the entire test, you can start where you feel most comfortable. 11 These easier questions will build your confidence. 12 However, if you do not answer the questions on the test in order, you might forget a question or a section. 13 By the end of the test, every question needs an answer you should examine your answer sheet carefully. 14 No one wants to lose points because parts of the test were not answered.
From Improving the Grammar of Written English: The Editing Process, Beverly Benson and Patricia Byrd
[Answer Key] [Go to class at cvc.blackboard.com] [marsha_chan@wvmccd.cc.ca.us]
Marsha Chan
English as a Second Language Department
Mission College
3000 Mission College Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95054-1897
(408) 855-5314
URL: http://www.missioncollege.org/depts/esl/