Read your work out loud.

You catch blaring errors easier when you read what you see out loud instead of reading what you meant to say in your head.

Simple can be effective.

You don’t always have to use big or complicated words to get your point across. Simple sentences are to the point, easier to read, and makes your writing easier to understand.

Use a Thesaurus.

Sometimes, there is a better word to use for a particular instance. If you’re having trouble with your word choice, use a thesaurus or our favorite, WordHippo.com, where you will be given a complete list of synonyms that can be used.

Get rid of “filler” words.

Filler words are unnecessary words used in writing that do not improve the thought. They are often adverbs that are thought to enhance the writing but make it weaker instead.

Examples: really, like, so, that, had, okay, just, perhaps, simply, somehow

Condense wordiness.

You may feel you need to thoroughly explain your points all in one sentence, but you don’t have to (and you shouldn’t). If you find yourself writing run on or compound sentences, think about altering the structure of the sentence so it can either stand on its own in a simpler fashion, or it can be expressed into multiple sentences.

Do away with redundancies.

Sometimes we don’t realize it, but we may write the same essential idea in two different ways, which isn’t an effective use of writing space and time. Using redundant phrases and sentences can come off as lazy and it weakens your writing, so get rid of them.

Understand homophones and homonyms.

Homophones are words that sound the same, but can be spelled differently and have different meanings. Homonyms are words that are spelled the same, but have different meanings. Be careful of homophones and homonyms, as it’s easy to get mixed up when writing and the meaning of your sentiment can be altered.

Homophones: to (reference point), two (number), too (as well, also)

Homonyms: blue (color) & blue (feeling)

Edit your paper in different formats.

As with reading out loud, you can catch more errors when reading your work in various formats. You can edit your first draft on the computer and then print out what you have and read it over again on paper. Sometimes issues jump out at you quicker in either one of these formats.

Format your paper so it’s editable.

Double space your paper so you can write in comments and correction where they are needed. This helps keep your document organized and easy to read while editing. If you’re editing on a device, try increasing the font a little, highlighting points you want to revisit and leaving comments if you have track changes in MS Word. Remember: if you’re turning in work for school or writing a professional piece, be sure to revert back to the guidelines you are given.

Edit your work in stages.

It doesn’t matter the order in which you edit aspects of your writing, but the main elements you should be looking for are spelling and grammar, punctuation, continuity, word choice, and development. It may help to get the big deals out of the way first – development and continuity – because those will require more time and effort on your part. Once that’s done and it reads the way you want it to flow, then you can focus on the smaller aspects – spelling and grammar, word choice, and punctuation.

Your work will need another, conscious pair of eyes.

Be clear about what you think you need but be open to suggestions. When you are editing other people’s work, consider the same points as above. Be critical and make it make sense. You must explain your reasoning as to why something should be altered, or else your revision has no validity.

Spell & Grammar Check is your friend, but it shouldn’t be your best friend.

Checkers are life savers, especially when you are on a time crunch and may not have the time to thoroughly look through your work, but you shouldn’t heavily rely on them, especially not grammar checkers. Though they’ve changed the game, they haven’t quite mastered the art of recognizing voice or true meaning of sentences. When going through suggestions made by an automated checker, read the entire sentence that the word or phrase resides in and make sure the correction actually makes sense.