Common Editing Mistakes in Online Writing: Example and Analysis

Online writing often suffers from typos, poor sentence structure, and other word choice issues. These errors can detract from the clarity and professionalism of the content. In this article, we will explore some examples of common writing errors and offer tips on how to improve them.

Word Choice

Effective word choice is crucial for conveying the intended message accurately. Let's explore a few examples from a document on copywriting:

Original text: "It may be insurance, real estate and even a plot at the cemetery and the copywriter has to know how to appeal to the target audience in the sales letter."

Revised text: "It may be insurance, real estate, or even a cemetery plot, so the copywriter has to know how to appeal to the target audience in the sales letter."

Here, the correction from "or even a plot at the cemetery" to "or even a cemetery plot" maintains the meaning while enhancing readability. Furthermore, replacing "so" with "and" clarifies the connection between the topics.

Original text: "[I]t depends on you and the needs of the clients you are trying to service."

Revised text: "[I]t depends on you and the needs of the clients you intend to serve."

The phrase "are trying to service" can often be simplified to "intend to serve." Similarly, "are trying to" is often redundant and can be streamlined to "are." This substitution makes the statement more concise and precise.

Original text: "If you go to work for an advertising agency you will more than likely have to either take a copywriting course or have extensive experience."

Revised text: "If you intend to work for an advertising agency it's likely you will have to either take a copywriting course or have extensive experience."

Here, the phrase "more than likely" is simplified to "likely." The condition is further clarified by replacing "a or have" with "either take or have."

Excerpts from Elementary School Principal’s Letter (circa 2011)

Original text: "Our goal to help each child become an intelligent person of character. Each staff in our building plays an important role in that process and looks forward to working with you to accomplish that end."

Revised text: "Our goal is to help each child become an intelligent person of character. Each staff member in our building plays an important role in that process and looks forward to working with you to accomplish that end."

In this example, the phrase "in that process" is rendered more coherent by directly referencing back to "Our goal" before listing the role of each staff member. Furthermore, the term "staff" is corrected to "staff member."

Original text: "To that end each staff member… "

Revised text: "To that end, each staff member… "

Here, adding a comma before "each staff member" improves readability and emphasizes the directionality of the statement.

Punctuation

Proper punctuation enhances the readability and clarity of written content. Consider the following example:

Original text: "This one is confusing because generally in addition to being used in contractions an apostrophe indicates ownership."

Revised text: "This one is confusing because, generally, in addition to being used in contractions, an apostrophe indicates ownership."

In the revised text, the extra phrase "generally" is set apart with a pair of commas. Additionally, the following phrases are also set apart with commas for clarity:

"in addition to being used in contractions", now simplified to "being used in contractions", is set apart with both a median comma and a comma at the end of the phrase.

Moral of the Story

Always be discerning about what you accept as correct writing. Online text, while widely available, often contains typos, poor sentence structure, and word choice errors. Using a comprehensive, easy-to-understand usage guide and a thesaurus on a regular basis will help you avoid these mistakes and produce better content.

Regular proofreading, revising, and editing can elevate your online presence and create more engaging, professional, and error-free content. By focusing on these key areas, you can improve the quality and impact of your written content.