EDITING
In your examinations you will be required to not only edit your own writing, but the writing of others. The process of refining and correcting written work is known as textual editing.
The editing process can be made easier by making use of a mnemonic. The mnemonic that will assist you is SPELLS.
Textual editing falls into four broad categories:
Spelling
Sentence construction (syntax)
Style/register
Punctuation
SPELLING
Here follows a summary of the main spelling rules:
Remember: A syllable is a single unit of sound.
- Double the consonant to shorten the vowel sound in monosyllabic (one syllable with short vowel sound) words that end on a consonant. E.g. swim-swimmer, sin-sinned, win-winner
- Do not double if the original word ends with two consonants. E.g. kick–ing, not kicking.
- i before e, e.g. believe, grief, except after c, e.g. receive, receipt, ceiling. Except for words like seize, heist, reign, leisure and weird that don’t conform to this rule.
- ible/able: add –able when the root is a complete word, e.g. manageable = manage + able, fashionable=fashion + able.
Add –ible when the root word is incomplete, e.g. reprehensible, indefensible.
Plurals : Add s to words ending in a consonant other thans, ss, x, sh or ch, e.g. bat-bats, window –windows
Add es to words ending in s, ss, x, sh and ch, e.g. branch –branches, gas – gases.For words ending in y, add s if the y is preceded by a vowel, e.g. donkey – donkeys, bay – bays
If the y is preceded by a consonant, change the y to ani and add es, lorry –lorries, piggy-piggies
- Suffixes : if you add a suffix beginning with a vowel to a word ending in an e, drop the e. e.g. cope+ing = coping, waste+ing = wasting
If you add a suffix to a word ending in y, change the y to an l, except when you add the suffix ing, e.g. happy+ ly = happily, but bury+ ing = burying.
If you add a suffix beginning with a vowel (-ed, -able, -ing) to a polysyllabic word ending in a consonant, double the consonant if the last syllable of a word is stressed, e.g. occur – occurred, refer – referred, BUT benefit – benefited, focus – focused.
If you add a suffix beginning with a vowel to a word ending in l, double the l if it is preceded by a single vowel. Do not double the l if it is preceded by more than one vowel, i.e. a diphthong, e.g. patrol – patrolling, channel – channelling BUT conceal – concealing, avail – availing
Examiners will often focus on words that learners regularly misspell. It is useful to ‘develop’ a list of commonly misspelt words, as well as words with a ‘tricky’ spelling, and a list of commonly confused words. Keep this list handy and regularly update it, as a work in progress.
- Beware of American spelling: center, kilometer, neighbor, organization, program, gotten. Here is the standard English for the above words: centre, kilometre, neighbour, organisation, have got.
SYNTAX ERRORS
- Misrelated participle: this error occurs in a sentence when the ‘wrong noun’ is described. This can cause ambiguity (confusion, vagueness). Ensure that the phrase describes the correct noun or pronoun. E.g. Shrieking with pain, the sliver of glass was removed from her leg.
Rather : While shrieking with pain, the sliver of glass was removed from her leg.
- Sentence fragmentation: every sentence needs a subject and finite verb (a verb that can stand on its own and does not need an auxiliary verb). Sentence fragments are groups of words that do not have either a subject or a verb.
- E.g. If you don’t mind.
Rather : If you don’t mind, I would like some peace and quiet.
- Concord error: this refers to an agreement between words that are used in a sentence. If the subject of a sentence is singular, the rest of the sentence must remain in the singular. The same rule applies for a plural subject.
- E.g. The price of the photographs are expensive.
Rather : The price of the photographs is expensive.
- Ambiguity: sentences that have more than one meaning are often ambiguous. Often one of the meanings is unintended. This occurs because of either the word order, or because of the punctuation.
- E.g. John told James that his brother had arrived.
Rather: John told James that John’s brother had arrived.
- Tautology: this is the unnecessary repetition in language. As a result of this, words can become unnecessary and writing appears superfluous.
E.g. She said it over and over again, time after time.
- The split infinitive: this error occurs when the infinitive (the base form of a verb usually introduced by ‘to’ e.g. to swim) is split. The adverb should be placed before or after the infinitive.
- E.g. I am going to definitely complete my work tomorrow.
Rather: I am definitely going to complete my work tomorrow.
PUNCTUATION ERRORS
- The comma splice: this punctuation error occurs when a comma is used between two main clauses. Clauses should rather be joined by a conjunction, or separated by a semi-colon or full stop. ( Clause = a simple sentence, in other words a phase with a finite verb)
- E.g. It is nearly light, we won’t see an owl before sunrise.
Rather : It is nearly light: we won’t see an owl before sunrise.
Another comma error occurs when a comma is not used after the noun (to address someone) at the beginning of a sentence.
E.g. Robyn please put down your pen.
Rather: Robyn, please put down your pen.
- Apostrophe errors: the two main uses of an apostrophe are to show that a letter or letters have been left out (omission), and to show that someone or something owns or possesses something (possession).
- For contraction and omission: the apostrophe must be used to replace the letter or letters that are left out. E.g. was’nt . . Correct : wasn’t
- Plural nouns that end in o do not take an apostrophe. E.g. she uses tomato’s in the salad.
Rather: she uses tomatoes in the salad.
- Possession is shown for plural nounsthat endin s by an apostrophe after the s (s’)
E.g. Theboys’s soccer match will be exciting.
Rather: the boys’ soccer match will be very exciting.
- Possession is shown for plural nouns not ending in an s by adding an ‘s at the end of the word.
E.g. The womens’ parties.
Rather: The women’s parties.
- Possession is shown for singular nouns by adding an ‘s at the end of the word.
E.g. The one girls’ hat.
Rather : The one girl’s hat.
- The possessive pronounsits, hers, yours, theirs, oursdo not take apostrophes.
STYLE AND REGISTER ERRORS
- May/ Can: Remember that can means able, but may is used for permission. For example: you can go out with that boy who is ten years older than you, but your mother says you may not!
- Never/ Not: Never means not ever. Do not write or say ‘never’ unless you really mean it! What are you telling your teacher if you say, ‘I never did my homework’? You probably mean, ‘I did not do my homework’.
- Double negative: Do not use a double negative in a sentence. For example: I didn’t eat no biscuits..
Rather: I didn’t eat any biscuits.
- Countable and Uncountable nouns: Countable nouns refer to individual, countable items, e.g. dogs, cars, buckets. Uncountable nouns refer to an undifferentiated and general mass of notion, e.g. sand, music.
- Countable nouns
- Have a plural, e.g. horses
- Cannot be used in the singular without an article: He buys a horse.
- Are used with the adjectives many and few (NOT much and less)
Uncountable nouns
- Do not have a plural, e.g. He loves food and plays rugby.
- Cannot be used with the articles ‘a’ or ‘an’, e.g. Tom eats food.
- Can be used with ‘some’ and ‘the’, e.g. He has some food in the cupboard.
- Are used with the adjectives much and less, e.g. There was much happiness over the new laws.
- Nouns that are always plural: The following nouns are never used in the singular: glasses, binoculars, stockings, scissors, shears, trousers, jeans
- A lot: The word a lot is often written as alot. There is no such word as alot.
- As wellis always written as two words. There is no such word as aswell. x
- All rightis always written as two words. There is no such wordas alright. x
- Between / Among : Between refers to more than two things or persons. For example: Between you and me, we shall found out. Among refers to more than two things or persons. For example: There was great friendship among the Grade 12 learners.
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