Group Editing Chart

Editing Mark	Before	After
Circle contractions in red	Words like “don’t”	Change to “do not”
Circle one cent words in blue	Overused words such as stuff, thing, a lot etc.	A more voluminous vocabulary
Underline all sentences that begin the same way in red	Redundant writing (e.g., “I like to go to school. I like recess. I like going swimming.”	Interesting and dynamic writing
Circle every “and” in green	I like spelling and math and science and religion and social studies.	I like spelling, math, science, religion and social studies. (Use only one “and” per sentence.)
Count the number of words in each sentence. Write the number of words above each sentence in orange	Short, choppy sentences	Longer, more descriptive sentences - shorter sentences can be combined using a conjunction or prepositional phrase (you should aim for an average of about eight words per sentence)
Circle all three-syllable words in brown	Simple vocabulary	Fifth grade vocabulary
Underline a simile or metaphor in green	Simple description	Rich description