Self Editing Tips

1.    Circle the use of the first person “I” in your essay. If it does not refer to a personal experience, take it out.

Find phrases like “I believe that” or “in my opinion” and eliminate them.

2.    Circle all instances of they, we, us, and you, and eliminate them.

Write instead the specific group or subject you intend to mention.

3.    Circlethiswherever it appears in your essay.

4.    Draw an arrow to the one word to which this refers.

5.    If there is no one word to which this refers, rewrite the sentence so that there is, or so that the word or a descriptive phrase follows this.

6.    Circle the following phrases at the beginning of sentences:

         

         there is

   there was

   there are

   there were

   it is

   it was

    it may be

 Rephrase your sentence to eliminate these weak phrases.

7.    Circle any of the following passive verbs in your essay:

       

          be

          am

          is

                are

                was

          were

          been

          being

 Revise your paper to eliminate at least half of them, using active verbs.