What are some basic editing strategies for new writers?

So, you need a bit more guidance in editing your essay? Keep in mid that the revision and editing process is a constant: nothing is ever perfect. However, what you're looking for are obvious errors, first, then you can concentrate on stylistic concerns. After your first draft, get your red pen and your highlighter and get ready to mark:

1. Label all outline elements:

Title on the top of the paper
Opening sentence of the essay is short (not compound) and catchy
Introduction begins generally and gets more specific
Thesis is detailed and explicit and is the last sentence of your introduction
Topic sentence in each paragraph is explicit and short
Each body paragraph supports and develops</a> the thesis with interesting detail
Conclusion sums up your argument without being redundant

2. Circle all be verbs

Eliminate passive voice
Eliminate progressive tense
Choose action verbs

3. Underline all words ending in -s or -ing

check subject-verb agreement
check progressive tense
check spelling of plurals
check use of apostrophe (for possessives)
check use of -ing at the beginning of a sentence (subject — no comma; modifier — comma)

4. Box Transitions

use at the beginning of body paragraphs, beginning with paragraph 2
use for internal supports
do not use at the beginning of your conclusion

5. Check pronouns

for every pronoun, draw an arrow back to its antecedent, esp. it, this, and they
check agreement
check reference and clarity (see “this” and “it”)

6. Eliminate all of the following words or usages

you, your, yours
I, me, mine, we, us, our, ours
contractions
abbreviations
exclamation points

7. Highlight

for, and, nor, but, or, yet — check comma use
while — use only for an indicator of time
consist / consist of — use only if parts are recognizable
contain — use only if you have a container
like — use only as a preposition or a verb, never as a subordinate conjunction

8. Eliminate the following words (word choice)

big
little
hard (meaning difficult)
a lot
nice
nowadays
well (at the beginning of sentences)
thing(s), stuff
very, quite, rather, really
hopefully
off of
at (never use at the end of a sentence)
more and more
gonna

9. Count sentences in paragraphs

introduction — at least four
body paragraphs — at least four, but between eight and eleven would be better
conclusion — at least four

10. Check for sentence variety

support sentences — simple or complex only
detail sentences — never simple
check to see that introduction and conclusion do not use all simple sentences

11. Run the spell check

typographical errors are spelling errors
homonyms are spelling errors, and spell checkers will not catch them

12. Proofread the final copy before submitting