Computer-assisted Editing



Computer-assisted Editing

Twelve steps to computer-assisted editing:

1. Open your document in Word or a similar word processing software program.

2. Put the cursor at the top of the document.

3. Click on Edit.

4. Click on Find.

5. Click on More. Be sure no checkmarks appear before the options. Click on Less to shrink the dialog box.

6. In the Find What dialog box, key in the element for which you want to search.

7. Click on Find Next. The computer will take you to the first occurrence of the element for which you are searching.

(Tips on using the Personal Pronoun Finder, FANBOYS Finder, Comma Finder, and Fragment Finder appear later in this document.)

8. Check for correctness. If a correction is needed, click in the document to activate that window, then make the correction. Read the whole sentence and make any other necessary changes resulting from the correction.

9. Click on Find Next and continue the process until the entire document has been searched.

10. When done searching, close the dialog box, click on File/Save As, and save the work under a new name. Print the document. Restart the process to do the next “Finder.”

11. When all “Finders” are done, use the enclosed S Sheet Flow Chart to edit for introductory commas. Enter any corrections and save the document under a new name.

12. Apply the software’s Spelling Check (often includes a Grammar Check) and save your work. Print the document and proofread carefully.

Caution: Do not automatically accept the computer’s suggestions. The computer does not know what you intended to write. Only you know what you truly meant to say. Use your own knowledge to make decisions about correctness.

This “finder” process* can be used to check for pronoun usage, a variety of comma uses, and sentence fragments. To be most efficient, the process needs to be done in this sequence:

Personal Pronoun Finder

FANBOYS Finder

Comma Finder

Fragment Finder

S Sheet Flow Chart

Personal Pronoun Finder

a. As each pronoun is highlighted in the document, apply the matching process you have learned to check for pronoun-antecedent agreement.

b. Search for pronouns by using these letter combinations in this order:

you (yields you, your, yours, yourself)

he (yields he, she, her, hers, herself, they, them, themselves, their, theirs)

it (yields it, its, itself)

our (yields our, ours, ourselves)

hi (yields him, himself, his)

we (yields we)

us (yields us)

Most likely, the first person singular pronouns (I, me, my, mine, myself) are used correctly since they refer to the writer; therefore, there is no need to search for those pronouns.

c. Below is a condensed version of your pronouns chart. Refer to it to make good pronoun-antecedent decisions.

Personal Pronouns

| |Subject Pronouns |Object Pronouns |Possessive Pronouns |

|Person |Singular |Plural |Singular |Plural |Singular |Singular |Plural |Plural |

| | | | | |Adj. form |Pron. form |Adj. form |Pron. form |

|1st |I |we |me |us |my |mine |our |ours |

|2nd |you |you |you |you |your |yours |your |yours |

|3rd |he |they |him |them |his |his |their |theirs |

| |she | |her | |her |hers | | |

| |it | |it | |its |its | | |

Indefinite Pronouns

| |Singular |Plural |Singular or Plural depending on |

| | | |context |

|Indefinites are 3rd person.| no one |everything | both | all |

| |none |someone |few |any |

| |nobody |somebody |many |more |

| |nothing |something |several |most |

| |anybody |one | |much |

| |anyone |each | |none |

| |anything |either | |some |

| |everyone |neither | | |

| |everybody | | | |

All nouns are third person.

Go on to the FANBOYS Finder.

FANBOYS Finder

a. Open the Pronoun Finder version of your document and search for the coordinating conjunctions (the FANBOYS).

for – Be careful. Sometimes for is a preposition.

and

nor

but – Be careful. Sometimes but is a preposition.

or

yet

so – Double check. Do you really mean so that? Is so being used as an adverb?

b. As each coordinating conjunction is highlighted in the document, check that you have correctly used—or not used—a comma before the coordinating conjunction.

The “, FANBOYS” rules

1. Items in a series: There must be at least 3 parallel elements to have a series. Commas must separate the elements of a series including a comma before the FANBOYS word. For example,

“red stripes, white stars, and a blue background”

If there is no series, check for a compound sentence.

2. Compound sentence = Independent clause, and independent clause.

Do this:

Look to the left of the FANBOYS word.

Is there an independent clause (a complete thought)?

| Yes | |

| ( | |

|Look to the right of the FANBOYS word. | |

|Is there an independent clause (a complete thought)? | |

|( | |

| | |

| Yes | No |

|A comma must appear before the FANBOYS word. |There should be no comma before the FANBOYS word. |

| | |

In other words,

Yes + Yes = Yes, use a comma.

Yes + No = No means no comma.

No + (there is no need to check this side) = No means no comma.

Go on to the Comma Finder.

Comma Finder

a. Open the FANBOYS Finder version of your document and search for , (comma). As each one is highlighted in the document, skip those appearing before a FANBOYS word. You have already checked those commas.

b. Justify each comma.

Typical comma uses (in addition to the “, FANBOYS” rules)

1. After an introductory word, phrase, or clause

2. To set off “extra information” (non-restrictive relative clause, appositive, any

interrupting word or phrase)

3. Between adjectives of equal weight and not building meaning from word to

word (pretty, red dress versus pretty red dress)

4. In dates (December 14, 1949) or in addresses (Elgin, Illinois)

5. With direct address

6. After the lead-in of a quotation or after a quotation when the “lead-in” follows

the quotation

7. With degrees or titles following names

8. In numbers (1,949)

Warning: Do not use a comma

1. Before a subordinating conjunction (unless there is an extreme contrast presented in the subordinating clause)

2. Between two independent clauses without a FANBOYS word (comma splice error)

To correct a comma splice, you have several options:

■ Use a period.

■ Keep the comma and add a FANBOYS word.

■ Use a semi-colon.

■ Use a semi-colon plus conjunctive adverb plus comma.

■ Convert one of the clauses to a subordinate clause or a relative clause.

Go on to the Fragment Finder.

Fragment Finder

a. Open the Comma Finder version of your document and search for words at the start of a “sentence” that typically cause people to write sentence fragments.

b. To find these words more quickly, once you are in the Find What dialog box:

■ Click on More

■ Click in front of Match Case

■ Click on Less to shrink the dialog box

■ In the Find What box, type the search word using a capital for the first letter

|Common |Common |Other problem |

|subordinate conjunctions |relative pronouns |words and phrases |

|after |if |unless |who, whose, whom |especially |

|although |in order that |until |which |except |

|as |lest |when |what |including |

|as if |once |whenever |that |instead of |

|as soon as |provided that |whereas |how |such as |

|as though |since |where |whoever, whomever | |

|before |so that |wherever |whichever | |

|because |than |whether |whatever | |

|even if |though |while | | |

|even though | | | | |

When these words begin a sentence, the phrases or clauses they introduce must appear with a related independent clause; they cannot stand alone as a sentence.

Go on to the S Sheet Flow Chart.

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