Cheatsheet: Editing and Revising Passages

1. Grammar and Usage

1.1 Subject-Verb Agreement

1.2 Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

1.3 Pronoun Case

• Use subjective case after linking verbs: It is I who called.
• Use objective case after prepositions: between you and me
• Use "who" for subjects, "whom" for objects

1.4 Verb Tense and Consistency

• Maintain consistent tense within sentences and paragraphs unless time shift is indicated
• Use present tense for literary analysis and general truths

1.5 Adjectives and Adverbs

• Use adjectives after linking verbs (seems happy, feels soft)
• Use comparative forms (-er, more) for two items; superlative (-est, most) for three or more

1.6 Parallel Structure

• Items in a series must be in the same grammatical form
• Correct: She enjoys reading, writing, and editing.
• Incorrect: She enjoys reading, writing, and to edit.
• Apply to lists, comparisons, and correlative conjunctions (either/or, neither/nor, not only/but also)
• Maintain parallelism in headings, bullet points, and outlines

2. Sentence Structure

2.1 Sentence Types

2.2 Sentence Fragments

• Incomplete sentences lacking subject, verb, or complete thought
• Common fragment types: dependent clause alone, phrase without main clause, missing subject or verb
• Fix by adding missing element or connecting to independent clause
• Incorrect: Because the test was difficult.
• Correct: Because the test was difficult, many students studied harder.

2.3 Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices

• FANBOYS coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
• Use semicolon between closely related independent clauses
• Use subordinating conjunction to make one clause dependent

2.4 Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers

• Incorrect (dangling): Walking to school, the rain started falling.
• Correct: Walking to school, I noticed the rain started falling.
• Incorrect (misplaced): She served pizza to the children on paper plates.
• Correct: She served pizza on paper plates to the children.

2.5 Coordination and Subordination

• Subordinating conjunctions: although, because, since, while, if, when, after, before, unless, until
• Use subordination to show cause-effect, time relationships, or contrast
• Vary sentence structure for better flow and emphasis

3. Punctuation

3.1 Commas

• Do not use comma between subject and verb or verb and object
• Do not use comma before "that" in essential clauses

3.2 Semicolons and Colons

• Semicolon example: I love reading; my sister prefers sports.
• Colon example: Bring these items: pencils, paper, and erasers.
• Do not use colon after "is" or "are" or incomplete clauses

3.3 Apostrophes

• Its = possessive; it's = it is
• Whose = possessive; who's = who is
• Your = possessive; you're = you are
• Their = possessive; they're = they are; there = location

3.4 Quotation Marks

• Use for direct quotations and titles of short works (articles, poems, short stories)
• Periods and commas go inside closing quotation marks
• Semicolons and colons go outside closing quotation marks
• Question marks and exclamation points go inside if part of quotation, outside if not
• Use single quotation marks for quotes within quotes

3.5 Dashes and Hyphens

• Use hyphens in compound adjectives before nouns: well-written essay
• No hyphen when compound adjective follows noun: essay is well written

4. Organization and Development

4.1 Thesis and Topic Sentences

• Thesis statement presents main argument or claim of entire passage
• Topic sentences present main idea of each paragraph
• Topic sentences should relate directly to thesis
• Strong thesis is specific, arguable, and clearly stated
• Place thesis at end of introduction for maximum clarity

4.2 Paragraph Unity and Coherence

• Remove sentences that stray from paragraph's main point
• Arrange sentences in logical order (chronological, spatial, order of importance)
• Use transitions to connect ideas within and between paragraphs

4.3 Transitions

4.4 Sentence Placement and Order

• Place topic sentence at beginning of paragraph for clarity
• Arrange supporting sentences in logical progression
• Position most important information at beginning or end of sentence for emphasis
• Move misplaced sentences to appropriate location within or between paragraphs
• Delete irrelevant sentences that disrupt flow or unity

4.5 Introductions and Conclusions

• Avoid introducing new major ideas in conclusion
• Conclusion should follow logically from body paragraphs
• Introduction should be proportionate to overall passage length

5. Word Choice and Style

5.1 Clarity and Precision

• Choose specific, concrete words over vague, general terms
• Vague: The thing was good. Precise: The presentation was informative.
• Avoid ambiguous pronoun references; clarify what pronouns refer to
• Replace wordy phrases with concise alternatives
• Eliminate redundancy (repeat again, past history, advance planning)

5.2 Wordiness and Concision

5.3 Tone and Formality

• Maintain consistent formal tone in academic writing
• Avoid contractions in formal writing (use "cannot" not "can't")
• Avoid slang, colloquialisms, and casual expressions
• Use third person for most formal writing; first person when appropriate for personal narrative
• Avoid second person (you) in formal academic writing

5.4 Commonly Confused Words

5.5 Active vs. Passive Voice

• Passive voice uses form of "to be" + past participle
• Choose active voice for stronger, clearer writing
• Passive acceptable in scientific writing or when emphasizing action over actor

6. Common Editing Strategies

6.1 Identifying Errors

• Read sentence completely before selecting answer
• Check for subject-verb agreement by identifying subject
• Verify pronoun references are clear and agree in number
• Look for misplaced or dangling modifiers near beginning of sentence
• Examine transitions between sentences and paragraphs
• Check parallelism in lists and comparisons
• Identify sentence type and verify proper punctuation

6.2 Revision Priorities

6.3 Question Type Strategies

6.3.1 Sentence Correction

• Identify error type first, then select best correction
• Eliminate options that create new errors
• Choose most concise option when multiple answers are grammatically correct
• "No change" is correct when original has no errors

6.3.2 Sentence Placement

• Read entire paragraph to understand flow and logic
• Look for transitional clues and pronoun references
• Place sentence where it best supports topic sentence
• Consider chronological or logical order

6.3.3 Sentence Addition/Deletion

• Evaluate whether sentence supports paragraph unity
• Check if sentence provides relevant new information
• Delete sentences that repeat information or stray from main idea
• Add sentences that strengthen support or clarify connections

6.4 Process of Elimination

• Eliminate options with obvious grammatical errors first
• Remove choices that change intended meaning
• Compare remaining options for conciseness and clarity
• Choose option that best fits context and maintains parallel structure