40 Strategy: Editing and Proofreading

The checklist below gives examples and explanations of some of the common mistakes that students make. Use the following tidbits as you edit your papers.

Comma Splice

A comma splice occurs when you use a comma to separate two independent clauses. A comma is not strong enough to perform this function which causes the problem. It’s important to remember to use proper punctuation to separate your independent clauses; otherwise, you end up with a sentence like the following:

He promised me, if I didn’t report him, he would never do it again, however, the next night, he was back, playing his bagpipes under my balcony.

Here, you should notice the only comma error is the one between again and however. The reason this is a comma splice is because the actually begins a new sentence or independent clause, but there is not a proper boundary between these two sentences. Here is how the sentence could be corrected:

He promised me, if I didn’t report him, he would never do it again; however, the next night, he was back, playing his bagpipes under my balcony.

Pronoun Reference

Pronoun reference errors also make the list because pronouns seem to give a lot of beginning writers some trouble. A pronoun reference error occurs when you use a pronoun like he or she, and it’s not clear what that pronoun refers to. Here is an example:

• When Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker were battling with their light sabers, he became angry.

Who does he refer to? It isn’t clear. A pronoun should clearly refer to its antecedent (the word it replaces), so if the antecedent is not clear, you need to revise. Here’s an example of how you might correct the pronoun reference error:

• When Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker were battling with their light sabers, Luke became angry.

Unnecessary Comma

When beginning writers are first learning comma rules, they have a tendency to forget that the rules all depend upon the situation. So, when you learn to place a comma before a coordinating conjunction like and, but, or so when you join two independent clauses, you might have an urge to place a comma before and, but, or so every time you use these words. You should avoid this urge!

Just because you need to use commas with coordinating conjunctions sometimes doesn’t mean you’ll use them all the time.

• I have a wide variety of supernatural powers, but wish I had the power to go out in the daylight.

In this example, you don’t need a comma before the but because you aren’t combining two independent clauses. Here is a corrected version of the sentence:

• I have a wide variety of supernatural powers but wish I had the power to go out in the daylight.

You should also be careful that you aren’t using commas unnecessarily around information that is essential to the sentence. The comma rule is that non-essential information should be set off with commas, but essential information should not.

• I find that a little fear is the best seasoning, for my food, so I often sneak up on my husband while he cooks and frighten him.

In this example, for my food is not extra information that should be set off with commas. But, you do need a comma before the so to separate the two independent clauses. Here is a corrected version of the sentence:

• I find that a little fear is the best seasoning for my food, so I often sneak up on my husband while he cooks and frighten him.

Sentence Fragment

Sentence fragments always make the list of the most common errors, and they are among the most seriously stigmatizing errors we can make. To put it simply, a sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence that you have punctuated as if it is a complete sentence.

Sometimes, fragments are missing a verb. Sometimes, fragments are missing a subject. Sometimes, a fragment is simply a dependent clause punctuated like a complete sentence. Here are some examples:

• The haunting of the house on the craggy hill just outside of town.
• Because they are hairy and fr Built-In Practice: Editing Checklist (p. 51)
• ightening with large, pointed fangs and shiny, yellow eyes.

You’ll notice that each of these so-called sentences is not a complete sentence. They are both missing parts that would make them complete.

You always have options about how you correct a sentence fragment, but here are some possible corrections for our two sample sentence fragments:

• The haunting of the house on the craggy hill just outside of town was the subject of a recent documentary.
• I am afraid of those spiders because they are hairy and frightening with large, pointed fangs and shiny, yellow eyes.

Apostrophe Errors

Apostrophes give many writers a lot of trouble. Sometimes, you might be tempted to put an apostrophe where it does not belong, such as when you are simply making a word plural. Other times, you need to make a word possessive, but you might forget to use the apostrophe.

Then, of course, there is that whole its / it’s thing that confuses most everyone.

Remember, the rule is to use an apostrophe when you need to show possession or ownership. The exception is with its.

Its shows ownership because it’s means it is. So, it’s like it’s is already taken, so its gets to be an ownership exception. To make sure you are using It’s correctly, just say it is when you read it. If it makes sense, you’re fine. However, if you’re trying to show ownership, and it is would not work in the sentence, you need to make the change to its.