Editing Checklist

Sentences / Grammar

Does each sentence have correct END PUNCTUATION?

• Periods
• Question Marks
• Exclamation Points -- these are normally discouraged in "academic writing."

Are there any RUN-ON SENTENCES or COMMA SPLICES?

Are there any SENTENCE FRAGMENTS?

Spelling / Word Usage

Is every word SPELLED CORRECTLY?

Is every word the CORRECT WORD? -- Do a web search for "Glossary of Usage"

• Accept, except
• Affect, effect
• Defiantly, definitely
• Its, it’s
• Than, then
• There, their, they’re
• To, too, two
• Weather, whether
• Whose, who’s
• Your, you’re

Punctuation / Mechanics

Are COMMAS used correctly?

Are SEMICOLONS used correctly?

Are APOSTROPHES used correctly?

Are QUOTATION MARKS used correctly?

Are ABBREVIATIONS avoided except when necessary?

• Avoid inappropriate abbreviations.

Are NUMBERS written correctly?

• Spell out numbers of one or two words or those that begin a sentence.
• Use figures for numbers that require more than two words to spell out.
• There are some exceptions to these guidelines. For example, one rule is to spell out numbers ten and under (zero through ten) and to use numerals for numbers over ten (11, 121, 232, etc.).

Are HYPHENS used correctly?

Are CAPITAL LETTERS used correctly?

Are any TITLES in the text correctly underlined or quoted?

• Titles of books, newspapers, magazines, journals, CDs, and other longer works (especially those containing shorter works) are underlined or italicized.
• Titles of short stories, poems, essays, articles, and other shorter works (especially those found within longer works) are quoted.