C + C Editing Guide
There are approximately 17-million grammar rules.
I considered them this morning when my son read one of his kindergarten books to me before school. When he came to the word “read,” he paid attention to the fluency symbols he had written above the vowels and sounded out the word: “R-ee-d.” He was right, but it struck me as so bizarre that this same exact word can also be pronounced like the color. You read it fluently a few sentences ago and then also again just now.
What I’m trying to say is words are hard, and it is impossible to know all the rules about spelling and punctuation and word choice. You can still be a writer even if you can’t articulate every single comma rule and if you still have to look up the difference between “affect” and “effect.” I have a college degree in English, and I also almost never spell “embarrass” right on the first try and will rewrite any sentence in order to avoid using the past tense of the word “lie.” Some rules will just always elude us.
What you have here is not a comprehensive grammar guide. Like I said before, there are too many rules, and the internet is already full of incredibly thorough and easily-accessed resources (like Grammarly, for instance).
Instead, I have compiled a list of what we most commonly correct or adjust when editing essays: a few basic punctuation rules, notes on verb tense, and some basic word choice guidelines. I hope you find it helpful!
Punctuation
Quotation Marks
Quick facts:
Punctuation always goes inside the quotation marks.
If a complete sentence precedes a quotation, use a colon.
If a phrase or speaking verb precedes a quotation, use a comma.
Examples:
She said, "I can’t go."
Her words were sharp: “I can’t go.”
She said sharply, “I can’t go.”
“I can’t go,” she said.
“I can’t go.” Her words were sharp.
Commas
Quick facts:
Use a comma to connect two independent clauses (complete sentences) with a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
Use a comma after a dependent clause that begins a sentence.
Examples:
The kids were hungry, so I gave them a snack.
Because the kids were hungry, I gave them a snack.
The kids were hungry and ate their snacks outside. (no comma needed)
The kids were hungry since they hadn’t eaten a snack. (no comma needed)
For a more complete guide, check out Grammar Girl’s comma summary!
Hyphens vs. Em Dashes
Quick facts:
Hyphens (-) join words, parts of words
Em dashes (—) indicate a pause or parenthetical information
Use a hyphen with a compound modifier before a noun but not when the modifier comes after the noun.
Examples:
We made sure to choose a kid-friendly restaurant. (hyphen)
Thankfully, the restaurant was kid friendly. (no hyphen needed)
The restaurant—kid friendly and full of other families—was the perfect way to end our day. (em dash)
We stepped out of the car and there it stood—the perfect, kid-friendly restaurant. (em dash and hyphen)
Passive vs. Active Verbs
Use as many active verbs as you can when writing. Your prose will read more cleanly and with less ambiguity.
Simply speaking, a sentence with an active verb means that the subject is doing the action.
Example: The dog bit the boy. (Who did the biting? The dog.)
With passive verbs, the subject has the action done TO them.
Example: The boy was bitten by the dog. (The boy didn't do the biting, he was the recipient.)
It's especially easy to slip into passive voice when you're writing in past tense.
Passive: I was sitting on the couch while the baby was napping in his crib and the toddler was playing with blocks on the floor.
Active: I sat on the couch while the baby napped and the toddler played with blocks on the floor.
An easy way to remember and correct this is to choose verbs that end in -ed rather than -ing. While not a hard-and-fast rule, this will generally ensure your verb usage remains active, rather than passive.
Word Choice
Here are a few general things to keep in mind when it comes to the words you choose in any piece of writing:
Show, Don’t Tell
Is everyone talking loudly, running quickly, and thinking slowly? Cut the modifiers and adjust your narrative. If the wind whips through your hair, sweat beads on your brow, and an ache develops in your side, I know you’re running quickly. Another example: Don’t tell me, “It was a hard year.” Show me with things like facial expressions and body language and/or dialogue.
Clichés and Go-To Phrases
Most people have a phrase or two that crops up to qualify something or transition thoughts (e.g. “the truth is,” “and yet,” “to be honest,” “fast forward ten years”). Generally, these phrases are unnecessary and overused and can simply be taken out.
That
Most of the time you don’t need the word “that.” For example, “The doctor told her she would be fine,” is better than “The doctor told her that she would be fine.”
As
Try to avoid starting sentences with the word “as” which will lead to a more active voice. “She stepped out of the car and noticed the chalk on the driveway” is much stronger than “As she stepped out of the car, she noticed the chalk on the driveway.”
“I” Sentences
Pay attention to how many sentences in a paragraph start with “I,” and work to vary your sentence structure to avoid too many in a row.