Editing a paper means much more than simply correcting spelling and grammatical errors. Editing is a way to shape papers to make them most effective at addressing a point through consistency and coherence. When you are editing your paper take the following suggestions into consideration to guide you through the process of polishing your work.

1) Make sure you know what the assignment is asking for- reread it and ask the instructor if you have any questions about what he or she is looking for. When you're done writing the paper, even before editing, reread the assignment again and evaluate how well you've addressed the topic. If you've strayed off topic now is the time to look for ways to focus your paper.

2) Print it out and mark it up like you were grading it for someone else and make the changes you noted. Have an objective third party read over your paper. Some parts may sound awkward, having another person read it over will highlight these rough patches so you can smooth them out before submitting to your instructor.

3) Minimize any run-on sentences with concise language and better word choice. Avoid awkward language and keep your voice consistent. Switching between passive and active voice will confuse your reader and make the paper harder to read. You should avoid slang and keep your language professional.

4) Unless you are writing a personal narrative or telling a personal anecdote in your paper you should avoid using the word ?I?, as in ?I feel?, ?I think.? Using this language in a paper weakens the points you are trying to make. Instead of proving something through textual evidence or research you are appearing that you've reached these conclusions on a whim and this weakens your credibility. Show us your theories, the fact that you've thought them is already implied and doesn't need to be stated.

5) Review your paragraphs- Do they contain one basic idea? Would they make sense if they were read separately? Remember to not make paragraphs too long you may lose your audience or you may over load them with too much information. If you have a paragraph that is too long more than likely it contains more than one idea and should be broken up. Review your paragraphs with an emphasis on paragraph transitions. Do your paragraphs ease your readers into a new idea? Do they conclude logically and make the reader compelled to keep reading?

6) Don't forget to use the proper format. Make sure you use one of the standard fonts, you use the required spacing, and your margins meet the instructor's standards. Many college professors also require papers to be done in the MLA format which covers all these bases and explains provisions for citations and bibliography. Your instructor wasn't born yesterday chances are he or she has been grading papers for years and they know all the tricks. So if your paper is lacking in material don't play with formatting to make the page requirement, instead, have a friend or someone else in the class look it over and point to areas that can use some expansion.