Enhancing Writing Skills: Editing and Proofreading (An Online Training Extension Activity) March 24, 2021

ENHANCING WRITING SKILLS:
EDITING AND PROOFREADING

(An Online Training
Extension Activity)
March 24, 2021
by Dr. Herminia N. Falsario
Iloilo Science and Technology

University Miagao Campus
ENHANCING WRITING SKILLS: EDITING AND PROOFREADING
(An Online Training Extension Activity) March 24, 2021
Motivating Questions
1. What is writing?
--refers to the activity or skill of marking coherent words
on paper and composing text. It may also mean the
activity or occupation of composing text for publication.
Example: "She made a decent living from writing".
--a method of representing language in visual or tactile
form. Writing systems use sets of symbols to represent the
sounds of speech, and may also have symbols for such
things as punctuations and numerals.
2. Why do you need to enhance your writing skills as

a future teacher?
The Nature of Writing as a Skill
“If you wish to be a good writer, write.

--Epictetus
The main necessity for the beginner is to write

regularly, steadily, and not be put off.
--Desiderius Erasmus
The desire to write grows with writing.

--Irving Wallace
 Good writers are not born.

 They are made; most of the time self-made.
 Their interest in writing is stimulated and
nurtured by good literature and good reading
habits.
 A good writer is a wide and an efficient
reader with a discriminating taste (Alcantara
and Cabanilla, 1998).
 Like fine food, good writing is something we approach

with relish and enjoy from the first taste to the last.
 Good writers, like good chefs, do not suddenly appear
full-blown as Athena sprang from the head of her father,
Zeus.
 Quite contrary, just as the chef serves an intensive
apprenticeship, mastering the skills of his trade, the
writer sits at his table and devotes long hours to
achieving a style, a precision, a clarity in his writing.
 You may be sure that the more painstaking the effort,
the more effective the writing, and the more rewarding
(Reader’s Digest, Write Better, Speak Better).
 You will find that the more you write, the more your
skills will grow and blossom.
 Writing ability doesn’t depend upon natural aptitude; it is a skill that

anyone with patience and intelligence can develop.
 The basic requirement for learning the skill is practice in doing themes
or other compositions which involve a definite writing aim.
 Rapid improvement can take place only when a writer has a clear idea
of the purpose of his writing and has learned to correct and revise initial
drafts according to whether or not they carry out his purpose.
 The habit of self-criticism, or the ability to recognize poor sentences and
to rewrite them effectively is far more important than any amount of
casual practice in putting words upon paper.
 For this reason, if for not other, an inexperienced writer should regard
his sentences as inseparable from the arguments they convey and from
the purpose they help to satisfy.
 Writing mistakes cannot be corrected unless they are recognized for
what they are—obstacles to effective description and convincing
argument.
 Good writing and good thinking are faces of the same coin; neither
ability can be developed separately from the other.
--Peter Swiggart
 Writing well requires patience, energy,

concentration and perseverance. Good writing
doesn’t just happen.
 “Experience has shown me that there are no

miracles in writing. The only thing that produces
good writing is hard work.”
--Isaac Bashevis Singer
(Nobel Prize winner)
The Nature of Editing and Proofreading
Editing
altering so as to make the text more suitable for one’s
purpose. The noun editing has one meaning, putting
something (as a literary work or a legislative bill) into
an acceptable form.
 the process of preparing language, image, or sound
for presentation through correction, condensation,
organization, and other modification.
 A person who edits, especially professionals, or as a
hobby, is called an editor
This can involve:

 Rewriting
 Leaving out or adding bits to your early draft
 Changing the order of material, words, sentences
 Keeping your reader in mind
 Reading aloud to listen for errors or things that
could be improved
 Trying to make improvements to your writing so
that it conveys your ideas as clearly and accurately
as possible
 This means that you will need to write on your

draft, cross out bits, add bits, move bits.
 Don’t worry if your draft looks messy. Your teacher
needs to see the changes you have decided to make.
 If you need to, write a second draft before writing
the final draft.
 If you are working on computer, you should still

include your early draft with your editing changes
marked on it, even though you can make the
changes on the computer.
Proof Reading
 The final stage of the writing process

 Before completing your writing for assessment, it
will need to be proof – read.
 This will ensure that your writing is accurate and
free of small careless errors such as letters, words
or punctuation accidentally left out.
(http://www.well.com/user/numcadams/ce2.html)

 “Revision” means “the act of seeing again.”

 If you are expected to revise your own document,
but all you do is edit it that means you have made
specific surface changes to correct obvious
mistakes. Editing can be difficult and valuable
work, but typically it involves rearranging what is
already on the page.
 By contrast, revision calls for substantive changes
– that is, you actually change what you say, rather
than rearrange it.

Examples of editing:
 Deleting needless words

 Correcting spelling or awkward phrasing
 Changing, standardizing punctuation
 Moving sentences or paragraphs
 Adding or improving a transition
 Converting a paragraph to a bulleted list (and vice
– versa)

Examples of Revision
 Changing a whole paragraph from passive to active
 Reorganizing to provide a single, clear, over – arching structure
to your paper
 Refining a thesis statement and supplying new evidence to
support it
 Introducing opposing evidence (by citing authors who make
points that challenge yours)
 And by refuting that evidence (by citing additional evidence
that answers the challenges)
 Deleting paragraphs that do nothing to advance your
arrangement, and replacing them in additional paragraphs
(supported with evidence) to fill the space
 In a technical paper, offering a troubleshooting guide, or
writing a new “experts” and/or “beginners” section to address
the needs of that specific group.
Types of Editing
All writers need to learn how to effectively edit

their own work. After all, when we are struggling
to make sense of badly written prose, we do not
blame the editor--we blame the author. In short, if
you want to succeed in any kind of writing, you
must acquire solid editing skills.

Macro Editing
 When you sit down to edit a document, don't "sweat the small stuff"--not
at first. If you're responding to an essay prompt or completing an
assignment, look over the instructions carefully and make sure you
follow them.
 If you are reasonably sure your essay follows the assignment's
directions and/or guidelines, you should start thinking about your
document in chunks.
 Take a look at your paragraph structure and the subtopic of each one.
 Do your paragraphs follow a sensible organizational scheme?
 You might try mapping your paper into an outline to get a "bird's eye
view" of your layout.
 You may decide that the third paragraph should really be the second,
or that you could take some sentences out of one paragraph and put
them in another.
 You might also realize that you have left out an important idea and
need to add an additional paragraph. A few minutes spent studying
your paper's structure can save you a tremendous amount of time and
stress later on.
Micro Editing
 If you are satisfied with your layout and overall structure, it

is time to get down to the "nitty gritty," and replace your
telescope with a microscope.
 Micro-level editing means analyzing every sentence and
every word in your essay. Sound scary? It may not be as bad
as you might think.
Content Editing
The first thing you should focus on editing is your
introduction.
 Whether it is one paragraph or an entire chapter, the purpose
of the introduction is to grab your readers' attention and make
them want to know more about your subject.
 Draw your readers in from the beginning and follow with
relevant and interesting supportive information.
 If a reader isn't intrigued from the very beginning of the piece,
they will quickly become distracted or bored and avoid reading
any further.
 Delight your readers with clear, clever, and creative prose.
 It all begins with an effective introduction.
 An introduction is like a first impression. Your essay's
introduction is your reader's first impression of your ability as a
writer.
Body Paragraphs
 Another question to ask yourself when editing your
paper is: do your sentences get to the point--are they
plain and simple sentences?
 Good writers avoid long, wordy sentences. If a
sentence is already plain and direct, there's no need
to fluff it up.
 Rather, you should keep it clear and succinct. Flowery
words and phrases obscure your ideas: when writing,
being concise is key. For example, why say that "Cats
have a tendency toward sleeping most of the day,"
when you could simply say "Cats tend to sleep most
of the day?" How about changing "The 12th day of the
month of April" to "April 12th?" Try to pick out such
sentences and substitute simpler ones. Often in
writing, less is more.
 See that there is flawless organization. Is your tense

consistent throughout the paper (past, present, or
future or first, second or third person)?
 Each sentence in every paragraph should support your claim.
 From one paragraph to the next, the ideas flow into each other
so the reader does not feel there are interruptions or delays.
 The conclusion and the introduction should be similar. Some
people actually restate their entire thesis in the conclusion just to
reestablish what the entire paper is about; it becomes a way of
tying up loose ends. The goal is to pull readers in right from the
start and keep them hooked until the last sentence.
"Most writers regard truth as their most valuable possession,

and therefore are most economical in its use."
--Mark Twain
Sentence Structure
1.Use active verbs.Below the italics are the same sentences that
have been simplified.
a ''The sharp rise in fuel prices is a serious challenge to
trucking firms. It makes it hard for them to provide timely
service to customers and to meet payroll expenses.
Sharply rising fuel prices challenge trucking firms by
causing delays in customer service and payroll.
b. Primary causes of the rise in fuel prices are an issue of
confusion for many citizens. They don’t know how to fight the
rise because they don’t know its cause.
Primary causes of rising fuel prices elude many citizens,
making them unaware of how to fight the increase.
Eliminate wordy phrases. Certain stock phrases are weak and

wordy. They can make you sound stuffy or as though you’re
just trying to fill up space.
Use these replacements

Because, Since, Why: the reason for, for the reason that,
owing/due to the fact that, in light of the fact that, considering the fact
that, on the grounds that, this is why
When: on the occasion of, in a situation in which, under
circumstances in which
About, Regarding: as regards, in reference to, with regard to,
concerning the matter of, where ABC is concerned
Must, Should: it is crucial that, it is necessary that, there is a
need/necessity for, it is important that, it cannot be avoided that
Can: is able to, has the opportunity to, has the capacity for, has
the ability to
May, Might, Could: it is possible that, there is a chance that, it
could happen that, the possibility exists for
"Vigorous writing is concise."

--William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style, 1919
Editing Tips
"Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers."

--T.S. Eliot
 Editing is like going over your writing with a fine-toothed

comb, scanning the surface and the depths for errors,
misstatements, and a lack of clarity.
1. First, keep resources close. Gather your writing handbook,
dictionary, thesaurus, handouts, and any other editing
resources and keep them close.
2. Know your errors. Keep a list of the errors you tend to make next to a
corresponding list of corrections. No writer makes unique mistakes all the
time; instead, our mistakes be habitual. You can enhance your editing
strategies by watching specifically for these types of errors. If there are
grammar rules you find yourself looking up more frequently than others,
write them down for future reference.
3. Break it down. Edit one thing at a time. Instead of reading
your paper through from start to finish once or twice and
trying to catch everything, try searching for one thing at a
time. For example, you might go through your paper once to
tighten up wordiness. Then, read through a second time, while
looking for one type of error which you frequently make, such
as comma splices. Then, try reading a third time looking for
words that may have been misspelled when you ran a spell
check. Read a fourth time for another characteristic error,
such as subject-verb agreement.
4. Reduce visual clutter. Use two pieces of blank paper

to cover up everything but one sentence at a time. This
forces you to pay closer attention to the words because
they are the only thing you see. Normally, our eyes move
all over a text as we are reading; this trick will prevent
that tendency.
"Typos are very important to all written form. It gives

the reader something to look for so they aren't
distracted by the total lack of content in your
writing."
--Randy K. Milholland, Something Positive Comic. July
3, 2005
When reviewing your work, it is also important to ensure

that the tense you choose remains consistent.
Inconsistency within tense is extremely confusing for
readers. It is important to review your use of tense to
ensure that your language is clear. For example, if you
were to say "I was walking around the mall and I see my
third grade teacher" your audience would be very
confused, wondering if you were seeing your teacher in
the present or last week. By keeping your tense
consistent your reader will always know when you
experienced what you're writing about.
"I can't write five words but that I change seven."

--Dorothy Parker
(http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/RhetoricandComposition/Editing)
Devices for Clarity and Coherence
A.Proper Positioning of Modifiers

Modifiers explain, describe, define, or limit a word or
group of words. Place modifiers so that they will be clear what
words they modify. They could be before or after the words
they modify. Rewrite the given samples considering the
guidelines in some cases.
1.Place prepositional phrase and dependent clauses as near
as possible to the words they modify.
Ex. They planned the honeymoon they would take before the
wedding.
2.Place a participial phrase near the word it should modify.
Ex. Huck and Jim were impressed by the view of the mansion
sitting the raft.
3.Place limiting modifiers where they create your intended

meaning.
Ex. He simply stated the problem.
He stated the problem simply.
We had time only to meet him.
We had time to meet only him.
4.Do not place a long modifier between the subject and the
verb.
Ex. Detective Meredith, after he viewed the file and talked with
the arresting officers, asked to be assigned to the case.
5.Do not place a long modifier between the verb and its
complement.
Ex. Poe’s “The Telltale Heart” is, however disturbing its main
premise may be, a spelling binding story.
6.Seldom interrupt a verb phrase with a long modifier.

Ex. The race for horses had to be because of heavy rain
delayed.
7.Never place a modifier between two words if it could

modify either one of them equally well.
Ex.Armand said before ten o’clock he would reach the
summit
Nicholas said sometimes he could see no hope.
8.Avoid splitting an infinitive with a modifier.

Example: After reading ‘Hamlet,” Ralph began to quickly
prepare his report.
B.Parallelism
In sentences, it means that ideas of equal importance are expressed in
similar ways or separate clusters of words appear together in identical
grammatical form. It is matching words with words, phrases with phrases
and clauses with clauses of the same kind. Rewrite the given samples
considering the guidelines:
1.Maintain parallelism in constructions using coordinating conjunctions

– and, but, nor, or, so, yet.
Ex.All her employers found Judy to be intelligent, able and a hard – worker.
To have dreams is important, but living them is even more important.
2.Maintain parallelism in constructions using correlative conjunctions –

both…and, either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also.
Ex.Janet could either go to the library or could develop photographs

The aim of the teacher should be both to inspire and educate.
3.Repeat prepositions and subordinate conjunctions when

they help clarify the meaning of the parallel construction.
Ex.When the summer days grow longer and hotter, and work
becomes frustrating, I head to the cabin at Bishop’s Point for a
cool and relaxing break.
4.Consistently match and that, and which, or and who with

an earlier use of that, which or who in the sentence.
Ex.My brother coached Natalie O’Rourke, who is an
exceptional skier and is fine ice skater.
5.Use parallelism among successive sentences for clarity,

emphasis and effect.
Ex.The tremor in his voice was audible. The blush on his face
was plain. The microphone in his hand was shaking.
C. Conciseness
 Conciseness means representing ideas in as few words as possible.
Concise writing avoids needless repetition and useless words, saving
time and work for the reader.
 To write concisely, eliminate all words, phrases and clauses that do not
add to meaning. This does not mean all sentences must be short, for some
long sentences are concise and same short ones are not.
 As writers make a first draft of a paragraph or paper, they seldom trouble
themselves with issues of conciseness. Instead, they are trying to connect
their ideas in a logical way. During reversion of the draft, the issue of
conciseness becomes especially important. Working toward conciseness
in a rough draft of a paragraph or paper means searching for a word here,
two words there, or a phrase elsewhere that can be eliminated or reduced
without altering ideas.
 Creating concise writing is challenging, and no exact set of rules can
guide you. Some basic principles, however, can help make your writing
economical.
Rewrite the sample sentences following the guidelines.
1.Do not repeat words needlessly.

Sometimes words can be repeated for emphasis, in which case they
serve a useful purpose. But when repeated words serve no specific purpose,
strike them out and, if necessary, rearrange the words to create a smooth
meaning in a sentence.
Ex. The book John wanted was a book describing Aztec and Mayan
cities.
2.Do not repeat ideas that are already understood.

When specific word choices have already made an idea clear, do not
needlessly elaborate. Not only will such redundancy use more words, but
readers will become annoyed by restatements of the obvious.
Ex. The smile on Karina’s face showed that she was pleasantly elated
by the reception on her poem.
3.Eliminate expletive constructions whenever possible.

Expletive constructions (it is, here is, there is, and there are) provide
patterned subjects and verbs that use words needlessly. Because sentences
with expletives generally contain words that can be used as primary subjects
and verbs, strike out the expletive construction and examine the remaining
words. You may discover a more concise way to present the same idea by
adding a verb, or you may need only to strike out a relative pronoun.
Ex. There are there kinds of peppers planted in my garden.
There is a man in my apartment building who jogs every morning at five
o’clock.
4.Write active sentences whenever possible.

Active sentences tell who is doing what and present ideas more
concisely than do passive sentences, which require additional words to
create the same meaning. Therefore, when active sentences create proper
emphasis, as they do most of the time, use them. They will always be at
least two words shorter than passive sentences containing the same
information.
Ex. The solid oak door was found by the Spanish soldier in an
abandoned farmhouse.
5.Replace wordy phrases with brief expressions and remove

empty phrases.
English contains many equivalent expressions: words or groups
of words that convey the same ideas. Such expressions can vary
noticeably in length. When alternatives exist and when ideas truly
match, choose the briefest version to save words. Besides, the
shorter forms are usually less pretentious.
Wordy Concise
at this point in time now
by means of by
in order to to
in the event that if
of the opinion that think
until such time as
Ex. 1. Due to the fact that a train blocked the road for twenty
minutes, I was late for work.
2. Paul Newman has used his fame as an actor for the purpose of
advancing worthy causes.
6.When possible, eliminate to be verbs in favor of stronger

ones. If possible, transform the words following the to be
verb into a more forceful verb and reduce the number of
words in a sentence.
Ex. Satellite dishes are capable of providing excellent
television reception in rural areas.
Research assistants are responsible for completing most of the
day – to – day experiments and recording the results.
7.Change nonrestrictive clauses into appositives to save

words.
Nonrestrictive clauses are not essential to the meaning of a
sentence. When these clauses contain to be verbs, they can be
reduced to appositives, phrases restating a noun or pronoun.
Ex. Chemicals found in aerosols have damaged the earth’s
ozone later, which is our main protection from solar radiation.
8.Change modifying phrases into modifying

words.
Prepositional and verbal phrase supply
modification in sentences, working as adjectives
and adverbs. When possible, eliminate these
modifying phrases and substitute one – word or
multiword modifiers. Not, however, that when
multiword modifiers precede a noun, they are
often hyphenated.
Ex. The color of the caret was distorted by a

window made of stained glass.
Thank you for listening!
Enjoy the Workshop!

Iloilo Science and Technology University
Miagao Campus
MANAGEMENT
REVIEW MEETING
January 13, 2021

University Library
Iloilo Science and Technology University
Miagao Campus
BEED/ BSED/BTVTED/
BTLED ORIENTATION
MEETING
January 20, 2021

University Library
Program
A. Preliminaries
¨ Prayer
¨ National Anthem
¨ ISATU Hymn
B. Business Proper
¨ Campus Administrator’s Time – Dr. Sandra T. Examen
¨ Accreditatiom Updates
– Dr. Herminia M. Falsario
– Dr. Ma. Salome R. Magbanua
– Dr. Ramon N. Emmanuel Jr.
C. Virtual Founding Anniversary

D. Other Matters
ILOILO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY
Miagao Campus
LECTURE-WORKSHOP
ON UPDATING QMS
QUALITY FORMS
February 8, 2021
University Library
Program
A. Preliminaries
 Prayer
 National Anthem
 ISATU Hymn
B. Orientation on Purpose/Rationale
Clause 6 Planning
6.1 Actions to Address Risk and Opportunity
C. Lecture-Workshop on Updating QMS Quality Forms
 Updating of QMS Documents (QF-UQA 25-32)
 Evaluation of Actions Taken to Address Risks and
Opportunities
 Workshop by Process Owner
 Presentation of Outputs

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ENHANCING WRITING SKILLS:

EDITING AND PROOFREADING

by Dr. Herminia N. Falsario

Iloilo Science and Technology

2. Why do you need to enhance your writing skills as

The Nature of Writing as a Skill

“If you wish to be a good writer, write.

The main necessity for the beginner is to write

The desire to write grows with writing.

 Good writers are not born.

 Like fine food, good writing is something we approach

 Writing ability doesn’t depend upon natural aptitude; it is a skill that

 Writing well requires patience, energy,

 “Experience has shown me that there are no

The Nature of Editing and Proofreading

This can involve:

 This means that you will need to write on your

 If you are working on computer, you should still

 The final stage of the writing process

 “Revision” means “the act of seeing again.”

 Deleting needless words

All writers need to learn how to effectively edit

 If you are satisfied with your layout and overall structure, it

 See that there is flawless organization. Is your tense

"Most writers regard truth as their most valuable possession,

Eliminate wordy phrases. Certain stock phrases are weak and

Use these replacements

"Vigorous writing is concise."

"Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers."

 Editing is like going over your writing with a fine-toothed

4. Reduce visual clutter. Use two pieces of blank paper

"Typos are very important to all written form. It gives

When reviewing your work, it is also important to ensure

"I can't write five words but that I change seven."

Devices for Clarity and Coherence

A.Proper Positioning of Modifiers

3.Place limiting modifiers where they create your intended

6.Seldom interrupt a verb phrase with a long modifier.

7.Never place a modifier between two words if it could

8.Avoid splitting an infinitive with a modifier.

1.Maintain parallelism in constructions using coordinating conjunctions

2.Maintain parallelism in constructions using correlative conjunctions –

Ex.Janet could either go to the library or could develop photographs

3.Repeat prepositions and subordinate conjunctions when

4.Consistently match and that, and which, or and who with

5.Use parallelism among successive sentences for clarity,

Rewrite the sample sentences following the guidelines.

1.Do not repeat words needlessly.

2.Do not repeat ideas that are already understood.

3.Eliminate expletive constructions whenever possible.

4.Write active sentences whenever possible.

5.Replace wordy phrases with brief expressions and remove

6.When possible, eliminate to be verbs in favor of stronger

7.Change nonrestrictive clauses into appositives to save

8.Change modifying phrases into modifying

Ex. The color of the caret was distorted by a

Thank you for listening!