Question

editing and proofing
catch mistakes by editing and proofreading.
begin editing as soon as you finish your first draft.
read your draft. make sure you stayed on topic.
make sure the sentences flow smoothly.
proofreading is carefully checking for mistakes in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

editing and proofreading checklist
are all words spelled correctly?
is the first word of each sentence capitalized?
are all proper nouns capitalized?
does every sentence end with a period, question mark, or exclamation point?
do your subjects and verbs agree?
is the same verb tense used throughout the story?
did you use commas where they were needed?

the game: rewrite the summary of the old man and the sea by ernest hemmingway. there are two mistakes in each sentence.

1. santiago is an old, experienced fisherman who hasnt caught a fish for months
2. far out into the gulf of mexico, he hooks a giant marlin.
3. after three days, he is able to kill it with a harpoon
4. he ties the fish to his boat and heads home
5. along the way sharks eat his prize fish.
6. when santiago gets home all that is left of the fish is bones.

Explanation:

Identify errors in sentences 1 to 3

• Sentence 1: "santiago is an old, experienced fisherman who hasn't caught a fish for months"
• Error 1: "santiago" (proper noun, needs capitalization -> "Santiago")
• Error 2: Missing period at the end of the sentence.
• Sentence 2: "far out into the Gulf of mexico, he hooks a giant marlin."
• Error 1: "far" (first word of sentence, needs capitalization -> "Far")
• Error 2: "mexico" (proper noun, needs capitalization -> "Mexico")
• Sentence 3: "after three days, he is able to kill it with a harpoon"
• Error 1: "after" (first word of sentence, needs capitalization -> "After")
• Error 2: Missing period at the end of the sentence.

Identify errors in sentences 4 to 6

• Sentence 4: "he ties the fish to his boat and heads home"
• Error 1: "he" (first word of sentence, needs capitalization -> "He")
• Error 2: Missing period at the end of the sentence.
• Sentence 5: "along the way sharks eat his prize fish."
• Error 1: "along" (first word of sentence, needs capitalization -> "Along")
• Error 2: Missing comma after introductory phrase "Along the way".
• Sentence 6: "when Santiago gets home all that is left of the fish is bones."
• Error 1: "when" (first word of sentence, needs capitalization -> "When")
• Error 2: Missing comma after introductory dependent clause "When Santiago gets home".

Answer:

1. Santiago is an old, experienced fisherman who hasn't caught a fish for months.
2. Far out into the Gulf of Mexico, he hooks a giant marlin.
3. After three days, he is able to kill it with a harpoon.
4. He ties the fish to his boat and heads home.
5. Along the way, sharks eat his prize fish.
6. When Santiago gets home, all that is left of the fish is bones.