How to Check for Grammar Mistakes Through Self-Editing

In today's digital world, we have access to countless grammar checking tools and applications. While these tools are valuable, they can't replace a thoughtful human editor—especially when that editor is you. Self-editing is a critical skill that not only improves your current work but also strengthens your communication abilities over time. This guide will walk you through effective strategies to catch and correct grammar mistakes through self-editing.

Why Self-Editing Matters

Automated grammar checkers are convenient but have significant limitations:

• They often miss context-dependent errors
• They can't always detect improper word usage when the word is spelled correctly
• They struggle with nuanced stylistic choices
• They sometimes flag correct grammar as incorrect
• They can't understand your specific voice and intentions

Developing strong self-editing skills gives you more control over your text and helps you produce cleaner, more professional work.

Create Distance Before Editing

The most important first step in self-editing is to create distance between your creation and editing phases:

Time Distance

Wait at least a few hours—ideally a day or more—before editing what you've produced. This helps you approach the text with fresh eyes and a more objective perspective.

Format Distance

Change how the text appears:

• Convert digital text to print
• Change the font, size, or color
• Read the text aloud or use text-to-speech software
• Edit in a different location than where you composed it

These changes help your brain perceive the text as new, making errors more apparent.

Systematic Self-Editing: The Multi-Pass Approach

Effective self-editing isn't about fixing everything at once. Instead, use multiple focused passes:

Pass 1: Structure and Overall Flow

Before worrying about grammar, ensure your material makes sense:

• Is your main argument or story clear?
• Do your paragraphs flow logically?
• Have you included all necessary information?
• Is anything redundant or off-topic?

Fixing major structural issues often eliminates many sentences that would otherwise need grammar correction.

Pass 2: Sentence-Level Clarity

Next, focus on making each sentence clear and effective:

• Eliminate wordiness
• Clarify ambiguous pronouns (make sure "it," "they," etc. have clear antecedents)
• Break up overly long sentences
• Combine choppy, related short sentences
• Check for logical transitions between sentences

Pass 3: Grammar and Mechanics

Now it's time to focus specifically on grammar:

Subject-Verb Agreement

Ensure subjects and verbs agree in number (singular/plural):

Incorrect: The group of students were studying. Correct: The group of students was studying.

Watch for compound subjects, intervening phrases, and collective nouns.

Verb Tense Consistency

Check for unmotivated shifts in verb tense:

Incorrect: She walks to the store and bought some milk. Correct: She walked to the store and bought some milk.

Pronoun Problems

Check for:

• Pronoun-antecedent agreement
• Unclear antecedents
• Pronoun case (subjective, objective, possessive)

Incorrect: Each student must submit their paper by Friday. (agreement issue) Correct: All students must submit their papers by Friday.

Incorrect: John told Bill that he should finish his assignment. (unclear antecedent) Correct: John told Bill, "You should finish your assignment."

Punctuation

Look specifically for these common punctuation errors:

• Comma splices (two independent clauses joined only by a comma)
• Missing commas after introductory elements
• Unnecessary commas between subjects and verbs
• Incorrect semicolon usage
• Apostrophe errors in contractions and possessives

Parallel Structure

Ensure that items in a list or series follow the same grammatical pattern:

Incorrect: She enjoys swimming, to cycle, and running. Correct: She enjoys swimming, cycling, and running.

Modifier Placement

Check for misplaced or dangling modifiers:

Incorrect: Walking down the street, the trees were beautiful. Correct: Walking down the street, I thought the trees were beautiful.

Pass 4: Word Choice and Style

In this pass, focus on:

• Precise word choice (replace vague words like "things" or "stuff")
• Eliminating unnecessary qualifiers (very, really, quite, etc.)
• Active vs. passive voice (use active when appropriate)
• Reducing nominalizations (turning verbs into nouns)
• Eliminating jargon or overly complex language
• Checking commonly confused words (their/there/they're, affect/effect, etc.)

Pass 5: Final Proofreading

Your final pass should catch any remaining surface errors:

• Spelling
• Capitalization
• Formatting
• Typos
• Double words ("the the")

Practical Tools and Techniques for Self-Editing

The Read-Aloud Method

Reading your text aloud is one of the most effective self-editing techniques. When you read silently, your brain often automatically corrects errors. Reading aloud forces you to process every word and often reveals:

• Awkward phrasing
• Run-on sentences
• Missing words
• Repetitive language
• Rhythm problems

The Backward Read

To focus purely on spelling and word-level errors, try reading your text backward, word by word or sentence by sentence. This prevents your brain from getting caught up in the meaning, helping you spot typos and spelling errors.

Grammar Checklists

Create personalized checklists based on your common errors. For instance, if you frequently mix up "affect" and "effect," add this to your checklist. Review these specific issues during your editing process.

Focused Searches

Use your word processor's search function to find and review:

• Commonly confused words
• Passive constructions ("was" + past participle)
• Unnecessary qualifiers (very, quite, rather, etc.)
• Weasel words (possibly, perhaps, may, might, etc.)
• Repetitive words or phrases

Text-to-Speech Technology

Have your computer read your text aloud. Hearing your words in another voice often highlights issues you might miss when reading.

Common Grammar Mistakes to Watch For

1. Sentence Fragments

Incorrect: Because it was raining heavily. Correct: We stayed home because it was raining heavily.

2. Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices

Incorrect: It was raining heavily we stayed home. Incorrect: It was raining heavily, we stayed home. Correct: It was raining heavily, so we stayed home. Correct: It was raining heavily. We stayed home.

3. Faulty Parallelism

Incorrect: The job requires writing reports, data analysis, and to attend meetings. Correct: The job requires writing reports, analyzing data, and attending meetings.

4. Vague Pronoun References

Incorrect: Mark told John he was wrong. (Who was wrong?) Correct: Mark told John, "You are wrong."

5. Apostrophe Misuse

Incorrect: The teams uniforms were dirty. Correct: The team's uniforms were dirty.

6. Subject-Verb Agreement

Incorrect: The data shows interesting results. (if "data" is plural in your style guide) Correct: The data show interesting results.

7. Inconsistent Verb Tense

Incorrect: She enters the room and sat down. Correct: She entered the room and sat down.

8. Split Infinitives (in formal writing)

Potentially problematic: She decided to quickly finish the project. Alternative: She decided to finish the project quickly.

9. Ending Sentences with Prepositions (in formal writing)

Potentially problematic: This is something I cannot agree with. Alternative: This is something with which I cannot agree.

10. Sentence Sprawl

Problematic: The report, which was written by the committee that had been formed last year to address the ongoing concerns about workplace safety in the manufacturing division, especially regarding the use of heavy machinery in the production line, was finally submitted to management.

Improved: The committee on workplace safety in manufacturing finally submitted their report to management. This committee, formed last year, focused particularly on heavy machinery safety in the production line.

When to Seek Outside Help

Even the best self-editors benefit from another perspective. Consider seeking help when:

• You've reviewed the text multiple times and feel too close to it
• The document is for a high-stakes situation (job application, publication, etc.)
• You're working in a genre or style that's new to you
• English is not your first language

Options include:

• Academic support centers (for students)
• Professional editors or proofreaders
• Trusted colleagues or feedback partners
• Online communities with editing expertise

Making Self-Editing a Habit

To improve your self-editing skills over time:

• Keep a personal error log to track patterns in your mistakes
• Set aside dedicated time for editing—don't rush this crucial step
• Read high-quality texts in your field to develop an ear for effective prose
• Get regular feedback on your edited work to identify blind spots
• Practice editing others' work to sharpen your skills

Using Technology Wisely

While we've emphasized human editing, technology still has its place:

• Use grammar checkers as a first-pass tool, not a final authority
• Try different tools for different perspectives (Grammarly, ProWritingAid, Hemingway)
• Use specialized tools for specific needs (plagiarism checkers, readability analyzers)
• Consider text-to-speech for accessibility and error detection

Remember that all technological tools should supplement, not replace, your judgment.

Conclusion

Self-editing is both an art and a skill that improves with practice. By creating distance, using a systematic approach, and focusing on common problem areas, you can significantly enhance the quality of your text. The time invested in developing strong self-editing habits pays dividends in clearer communication, greater credibility, and increased confidence in your work.

Even experienced editors continually refine their process. Start with the techniques that seem most relevant to your needs, and gradually incorporate others as you become more comfortable. With each document you edit, you'll not only improve that specific text but also develop skills that enhance all your future communication.