Do you really need an editor? Certainly not, because we’re all great writers, no?
Here’s a fun fact. We humans tend to be subject to what is called the Lake Wobegon effect, which is a form of illusory superiority or overconfidence. The Lake Wobegon effect is that people tend to rate their skills above average. However, if you know anything about how averages work, the problem is that an average requires an equal number of people both above and below the average. So, some people need to also be below the average, too. Yet, most of us don’t admit it, or even believe or consider we might be below average. Do you rate your editing skills above average?
Here’s a test for your editing abilities. There are three grammar issues in the following passage. Can you find them all?
It’s a good idea to meditate daily, and meditation comes with many benefits. There’s a saying that goes, “You should meditate for ten minutes per day, if you’re too busy to do that, then you should meditate for one hour per day.” Meditation can calm our minds, lower stress, allowing us to regulate our breathing, and become in tune with our ideas. There are many types of meditation, like mindfulness, focused, and Zen meditations. It helps us to be in tune with our surroundings. Finally, those well versed in meditation can exhibit some interesting control over their bodies when they had meditated. Some trained monks can even alter the body temperatures of different parts of their bodies. Meditation is a beneficial practice for everyone, and meditating daily is something anyone can do.
Did you look over the passage? If not, go back and try it!
There are actually four grammar issues here (hopefully you noticed the last issue on your own, without being prompted). If you didn’t find them all, then an editor who is well trained to find these issues can certainly help you! What’s more concerning is that we’re more biased toward our own work, so we would miss more grammar issues in our own writing than in assessing the writing of someone else.
Here are the grammar issues in the passage, in order:
- Run-on sentence (comma splice)
- Faulty parallelism
- Unclear pronoun reference
- Improper verb tense
If you didn’t find them, then go back and look for them now that you know what they are. If the passage sounded totally normal to you, or it sounded a bit clunky, and you just can’t figure out what’s wrong, I’d highly recommend an editor who is trained to pick up these issues. These are very simple and common issues found in written work. In most writing, there are even more nuanced issues to be ironed out that can improve the coherence, flow, and professionalism of the writing. Usually trained editors are required to smooth out these more nuanced bumps.
Good grammar shows care and professionalism in your work. By getting an editor to copyedit your work, the work sounds just that much more professional.
Wilcox Writing is always happy to help you put your best word forward.
WILCOX WRITING offers copywriting, editing, and personalized writing tutoring services. Feel free to contact us on our website for any of our services and inquire about how we might help you. We’re here to help you bring your best word forward! Subscribing to our newsletter also gives you access to our Writing Center, full of free writing learning documents and resources.
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