Grade by Grade
D. Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts · Writing with Purpose: Research, Essays, Media and Publishing

Editing, Proofreading and Word Processing

D2.6 D2.2About 75 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can edit for accuracy and style, finding and fixing errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar and format.
  • I can fix comma splices, run-ons and fragments, and check subject-verb and pronoun agreement.
  • I can use word-processing tools, including spell- and grammar-checkers, critically, and format a document correctly.
  • I can write fluently by hand with a personal, legible style, and build touch-typing speed and accuracy.

Words to know

editing
Correcting a draft for accuracy and style: grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling and format.
proofreading
The final, slow check for small errors before publishing.
comma splice
Two complete sentences joined only by a comma.
run-on sentence
Two or more complete sentences joined with no punctuation or joining word.
sentence fragment
A group of words punctuated as a sentence but missing a subject, a verb or a complete thought.
subject-verb agreement
Making a verb match its subject in number: the box is, the boxes are.
homophones
Words that sound the same but differ in meaning and spelling, such as their, there, they're.
touch typing
Typing without looking at the keyboard, using all fingers from the home row.

Remember from Grade 8

In Grade 8 you edited for dangling modifiers, parallel structure, pronoun reference and fragments; used semicolons and colons; formatted a hanging indent; and practised cursive.

Grade 9 editing is about accuracy you can count on: catching the errors that matter most in high school writing, using software tools without trusting them blindly, and formatting documents to the expected standard. (The Foundations of Language unit teaches grammar in depth; this lesson applies it to your own drafts.)

The big four sentence errors

  1. Comma splice: The rink opened, it was packed. (see the four fixes below)
  2. Run-on: The rink opened it was packed. Same fixes.
  3. Fragment: Because the rink opened early. This is missing a main clause. Fix: Because the rink opened early, it was packed.
  4. Agreement errors:
  • Subject-verb: find the real subject, ignoring phrases in between. The box of mitts is by the door (box is). Each of the players has skates (each has). Neither the coach nor the players were ready (the verb agrees with the nearer subject).
  • Pronoun-antecedent: The team packed its bags (the team as one unit). Every student should bring their skates uses singular they, which MLA and many style guides accept; check your teacher's preference.
Four ways to fix a comma spliceThe rink opened, it was packed. (comma splice)1. PeriodThe rink opened.It was packed.2. SemicolonThe rink opened;it was packed.3. Comma + and/but/soThe rink opened,and it was packed.4. SubordinateWhen the rinkopened, it was packed.A comma alone cannot join two complete sentences.The joining words for fix 3: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS).
Each fix is correct; choose the one that shows the relationship you mean. A semicolon suggests a close link; and adds; when shows time.
Commonly confusedQuick test
its / it'sit's = it is or it has. If you can't expand it, use its: The rink lost its lights.
their / there / they'retheir = belongs to them; there = a place (or there is); they're = they are.
affect / effectUsually affect is the verb (Snow affects traffic); effect is the noun (the effect of snow).
then / thanthen = time; than = comparison (colder than yesterday).
lose / looselose = misplace or not win; loose = not tight.
who's / whosewho's = who is; whose = belonging to whom.
Spell-checkers miss most of these, because each word is spelled correctly. You have to check meaning.

Comma rules you'll use daily

  • After an introductory word, phrase or clause: However, the rink closed. / When the thaw came, the ice cracked.
  • Before for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so when they join two complete sentences: The ice was thin, so we stayed off it.
  • Around extra (non-essential) information: Our coach, who has played for 20 years, called a practice.
  • Between items in a series: skates, sticks, and helmets (the last comma, called the serial or Oxford comma, is optional in many styles, but MLA uses it; be consistent).
  • Not between a subject and its verb: ~~The students in Grade 9, are going.~~

Apostrophes

  • Possession: one player's skates; two players' skates; the children's rink.
  • Contractions: don't, it's, we're (avoid contractions in formal essays).
  • Never for plurals: ~~mitt's for sale~~ → mitts for sale.
Worked example

Let's edit a paragraph in passes

Draft: Every winter my family go to the outdoor rink, its about two kilometer's from our house. Their are lights so you can skate at night. Although the ice is bumpy. The effect of the cold on my fingers are painful but I don't care.

  1. Pass 1, sentences: ...outdoor rink, its about... is a comma splice. Fix with a period: ...outdoor rink. It's about... Although the ice is bumpy. is a fragment. Join it: ...at night, although the ice is bumpy.
  2. Pass 2, agreement: my family go → my family goes (family as one unit). The effect... are → The effect... is (subject = effect).
  3. Pass 3, commonly confused words and apostrophes: its → It's (it is). kilometer's → kilometres (plural, no apostrophe; Canadian spelling). Their are → There are.
  4. Pass 4, commas and style: add a comma before but (two complete sentences). Formal register? This is a personal narrative, so I don't care fits the voice; in a formal essay you'd write do not.
  5. Edited: Every winter, my family goes to the outdoor rink. It's about two kilometres from our house. There are lights so you can skate at night, although the ice is bumpy. The effect of the cold on my fingers is painful, but I don't care.

Editing in separate passes (one kind of error at a time) catches far more than reading once and hoping.

Word-processing tools: use them, don't obey them

  • Spell-checkers catch typos but miss homophones (there/their), wrong words that are real words (form for from), and can push American spellings (color instead of Canadian colour). Set the language to English (Canada) if you can.
  • Grammar-checkers flag possible problems, but they often misread complex sentences and can suggest changes that alter your meaning. Read every suggestion and decide.
  • Read-aloud tools let you hear your writing.
  • Find and replace, word count, comments, suggestion mode / track changes and version history help with long texts and peer editing.
  • Styles and headings keep formatting consistent and make a table of contents possible in long reports.

MLA format for essays

One-inch (2.54 cm) margins; double-spaced; a readable 12-point font such as Times New Roman; your last name and page number in the top-right header; a heading on the first page (your name, teacher's name, course, date as 14 October 2026); the title centred, not bold or underlined; each paragraph's first line indented half an inch (1.27 cm).

Touch typing: fingers rest on the home rowQWERTYUIOPASDFGHJKL;ZXCVBNM,./space bar: thumbspinkiesring fingersmiddle fingersindex fingers (2 columns each)
Left fingers rest on A S D F, right fingers on J K L ;. The small bumps on F and J let you find home without looking. Each finger reaches up and down its own colour-coded column.

Fluent handwriting and typing (D2.2)

You'll still handwrite in-class writing, tests and exams, so aim for a legible, personal style you can write quickly for a long time: cursive, printing or a mix. Practise writing a full page in a timed setting so your hand doesn't slow your thinking.

For touch typing, put your fingers on the home row and keep your eyes on the screen. Build accuracy first, then speed: slow, correct typing becomes fast typing. Ten minutes a day with a free typing-practice site makes a real difference over a semester.

Proofreading tricks

  • Print it, or change the font or size: a fresh look reveals errors.
  • Read backwards, sentence by sentence, to check spelling without getting caught up in meaning.
  • Read aloud slowly, pointing at each word.
  • Keep a personal error list (your top 5 repeat mistakes) and search for them every time.
Hands-on activity

Edit like a pro at home

  1. Take a recent piece of your writing (at least 300 words).
  2. Do four separate passes: (a) sentence boundaries (splices, run-ons, fragments); (b) agreement; (c) commonly confused words and apostrophes; (d) commas. Use a different coloured pen or highlight for each pass.
  3. Run the spell- and grammar-checker and record each suggestion as accepted or rejected, with a reason for one rejection.
  4. Format the piece in MLA style.
  5. Typing: time yourself typing one paragraph without looking at the keys. Note words per minute and errors. Repeat at the end of the week.
  6. Handwriting: copy one paragraph by hand in 5 minutes. Is it legible to a family member?

What to look for: a personal error list of your top repeat mistakes, which you'll use on every future draft.

Just for fun

Spell-checkers will happily accept this sentence: Eye halve a spelling chequer; it came with my pea sea. Every word is spelled correctly. The sentence is still a disaster.

Your turn

1

Fix the comma splice two different ways: The snow stopped, we went outside.

2

Fix the fragment: Running to catch the bus in the slush.

3

Choose the correct verb: The list of winter activities (is / are) on the fridge.

4

Correct: Its to cold to skate and the rinks lights are broken.

5

Name one kind of error a spell-checker usually misses.

6

List three parts of MLA essay format.

7

Where do your fingers rest on the home row?

More practice: warm-up

1

What is a comma splice?

2

Expand they're.

3

Is effect usually a noun or a verb?

4

Do apostrophes make words plural?

5

Which letters have bumps on the keyboard?

More practice: on your own

1

Correct the agreement: Neither my sister nor my parents likes winter driving.

2

Add commas where needed: After the storm the plough came by and the kids who had been waiting all morning ran outside.

3

Fix the run-on: Our team lost the final game we still had a great season.

4

A grammar-checker suggests changing The data show a clear pattern to The data shows a clear pattern. Should you accept? Explain.

5

Fix the apostrophes: The two team's coaches met at the arena's entrance and discussed the player's schedules. (There are many players.)

Challenge

1

Edit this paragraph (find at least 6 errors): Me and my friend's went to the winter carnival, their was a snow sculpture contest. The judges, gave first place to a moose. It's antlers was made of ice. Then we eat maple taffy, it was better then last year.

2

Explain why a writer should not accept every grammar-checker suggestion. Give an example.

3

Write a 3-sentence plan for improving your typing speed and accuracy over one month, with a way to measure progress.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which sentence is a comma splice?

2.

Choose the correct sentence.

3.

Which is correct?

4.

Which error would a spell-checker most likely miss?

5.

Which is a sentence fragment?

6.

In MLA format, the title on the first page is:

7.

The best way to build touch-typing skill is to:

For parents and teachers

Editing is where small, repeated errors get fixed. The most useful thing your teen can build is a personal error list, their top 5 repeat mistakes, which they search for on every draft.

How to help: instead of correcting errors yourself, put a light mark in the margin of the line and let them find and fix it. Encourage setting the word processor to English (Canada). Ten minutes of typing practice a few times a week pays off across every subject.

Common difficulties: comma splices; its/it's and their/there; trusting every grammar-checker suggestion; apostrophes in plurals; forgetting MLA heading and spacing.