How to Edit an Essay

How to Edit an Essay Essay writing no doubt requires a lot of work and research. A good essay is something you will have to sweat to achieve. The structure must follow the required guidelines i.e. the format, grammar and punctuation marks. For you to score high marks on your essay, these steps must be followed carefully to ensure you come up with an essay that will put you at the top. Tips that can help you in editing your essay; Â  Avoid long sentences and paragraphs Make sure to go through your entire essay and edit sentences and paragraphs that may have caused you to exceed your word count. Long sentences can be difficult to read especially if the one reading them is impatient. This can easily put off the reader. If you see a that paragraph is getting too long, you can shorten it by creating a new one. Make paragraphs short by writing fewer sentences. Â  Keep it simple by choosing your words wisely Avoid using complex words too much. There is no problem in using complex words but make sure you do not end up contradicting yourself. Sometimes you may choose the wrong synonym that end up confusing the reader and give a bad impression. It is important to understand the meaning of every word or better yet just stick to using a simple language that can be easily be understood. Â  Avoid repetition When writing your essay, it is possible to repeat yourself. Editing will enable you to spot these errors before you submit . While you are editing, keep an eye for any repetitive sentences and correct them. You can do this by either rephrasing them or deleting them altogether. If you keep on stressing on a particular point too much you end up looking desperate or just trying to reach the word count limit. Omit unnecessary words Avoid the use of unnecessary words that do not add any meaning. These words will only increase the word count with no actual substance; a word like very’ can be avoided. Using it repeatedly will not aid in adding meaning to your point and hence it is advisable to avoid it at all costs. Avoid tautologies Tautology is a stylistic error that involves the use of redundant words.Using two consecutive words that have the same meaning for example, big giant’ should be avoided. Opt for just giant’ as it will convey the meaning more efficiently. Use commas appropriately The use of commas in your essay will go a long way in making your piece more understandable. Using fewer commas will make your sentences appear too long and prompt the reader to re- read for better understanding. On the other hand, more commas in your sentence will also make it confusing as your sentences will appear broken and odd. Try reading your essay out loud, this will enable you to know where to put your commas. Essay writing is not as complicated as most people think. It only requires you to be careful. Editing your essay will help in fleshing it out. Correcting your mistakes here and there will allow you to gauge your writing ability.