ESOL Editing Symbols

Read for content first.

Does your writing say what you want to say? When the content is acceptable, then begin the editing
process.

The 1st Editing Stage: Read your writing for these mistakes.
The Most Serious Problems: Sentence Level Mistakes and Verb Tense
FRAG Sentence Fragment: INCOMPLETE SENTENCE. Complete it or join it to another
sentence.
RO Run-on sentences. Create a sentence break or join the clauses correctly
CS Comma-Splice. Two independent clauses cannot be separated by just a comma.
+ Insert a FANBOY: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
# Insert a subordinating conjunction.
VT Verb Tense. Check your time frame and make sure all verb tenses relate to the same
time frame (past, present, or future.) Also check the correct way to form the verb tense.

The 2nd Editing Stage: Read your writing AGAIN and check for these mistakes.
Intermediate Problems: Word-level Problems
NOT // The structures are NOT PARALLEL. Make them parallel.
WO Word Order. Check Transitive Verbs to make sure there isn’t a preposition phrase out
of order. Check order of preposition phrases and adjectives. Check SVO order in the
sentence.
WW Wrong Word. Check your vocabulary and usage.
WF Word Form. Have you used a noun where you need a verb? Have you used the
correct form for adjectives? Have you used noun forms correctly. Have you used the
complete verb form correctly. Check –ing and –ed endings, etc.
S-V Agr Subject-Verb Agreement. Make sure a singular subject uses a verb with –s ending.

N Number Error. Change noun to singular or plural form.

 (art) Article. Every SCN (singular count noun) needs an article or determiner. Check your
nouns. Plural Nouns, Gerunds, and Noncount nouns do not have to have an article or
determiner. Very few nouns can stand alone without an article or determiner (No Naked
Nouns!!).

The 3rd Editing Stage: Read your writing AGAIN and check for these mistakes.
Surface Level Problems: Mechanics
P Missing or Incorrect Punctuation. Check your comma usage. Have you used a semi-
colon correctly? Do you need a period?
C Capitalization. Change letter to upper or lower case.
≡
Sp Spelling. Make sure you have spelled the word correctly.

Based on Bird and Benson, Improving the Grammar of Written English: the Editing Process, 1989.
Adapted by Denise Warner, Lansing Community College, 2012.