Make a Clean Sweep With the Editing Step

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Edit Like an Eagle-Eyed Pro

Editing vs. Revising (Know the Difference)

• Revising = content and structure: add, remove, rearrange, and rethink ideas so they make sense and flow.

• Editing = sentences and surface features: capitalization, usage/grammar, punctuation, and spelling/word choice.

Think of it like a house: revision builds the rooms; editing paints and polishes so guests feel welcome.

The C.U.P.S. Checklist (Your Edit Toolkit)

Use this quick pass on every paragraph.

C — Capitalization

• Proper nouns, titles, sentence starts.

• Example: In August, Coach Rivera led the Tigers to the finals.

U — Usage & Grammar

• Subject–verb agreement: The team wins; players win.

• Pronoun agreement and reference: Each student brought their? ? his or her / their (singular they if allowed).

• Verb tense consistency: stay in past or present unless there’s a clear time shift.

P — Punctuation

• Commas for items in a series and after openers: After practice, we collapsed.

• End marks and quotation marks: “We did it!” Maya shouted.

• Fix fragments/run-ons: join with a conjunction, add a period, or use a semicolon when appropriate.

S — Spelling & Specific Word Choice

• Common confusions: its/it’s; your/you’re; there/their/they’re.

• Trim extra words: swap due to the fact that ? because; really, very ? stronger verbs/adjectives.

Tighten Like a Pro (Mini Makeovers)

Wordy ? Clear

• At this point in time ? Now

• In order to ? To

• There are many reasons why ? One reason is…

Choppy ? Smooth

• The storm was loud. It scared the dog. ? The loud storm scared the dog.

Vague ? Precise

• Stuff happened at lunch. ? During lunch, the tray wobbled, the milk tipped, and spaghetti sled off the plate.

A Simple Two-Pass Method

1. Big picture edit (read aloud): Does each sentence say exactly what you mean? Any repeats you can cut? Any long tangles you can split?

2. C.U.P.S. pass: Go line by line with a pencil/highlighter and check each letter in order.

Tip: Edit in short bursts. Focus on two or three items at a time so your brain stays sharp.

Quick “Messy Room” Test

Look at one paragraph of your draft and ask these questions.

• What can I throw out (repetition or off-topic bits)?

• What should I put away neatly (fix punctuation, spelling)?

• What should I show off (strong verbs, vivid detail)?

You’ve got the tools to turn any draft into a clean, confident read.

Next up: try a few edits, test your C.U.P.S. skills, and watch your sentences sparkle.