Self-Editing Checklist for English Writing

Most writing problems are fixed in editing, not in the first draft. A self-editing checklist gives you a repeatable way to check your English writing before you send it, so you catch the problems readers notice: an unclear point, a sentence that is too long, a tone that sounds rude, a missing article. This guide gives you the checklist, the order to work through it, and the errors non-native writers most often miss.

It is based on the self-editing unit of our English Writing course.

Edit in passes, not all at once

Trying to check everything in one read means you check nothing well. Edit in four passes, from big to small:

1. Structure: Is the point clear and in the right place?

2. Clarity: Can each sentence be understood on first read?

3. Tone: Does it sound the way you intend?

4. Accuracy: Grammar, spelling and punctuation.

There is no point fixing commas in a paragraph you are about to delete, which is why accuracy comes last.

Pass 1: Structure

- [ ] Can I state my main point in one sentence? Is that sentence near the top?

- [ ] For an email: is the request or action in the first two lines?

- [ ] Does each paragraph have one idea?

- [ ] Is the order logical: context, point, detail, next step?

- [ ] Have I removed anything the reader does not need?

A useful test: if the reader only read the first two sentences, would they know what you want?

Pass 2: Clarity

- [ ] Are most sentences under about 25 words?

- [ ] Have I used the active voice where possible? ("We approved the budget" rather than "The budget was approved by us.")

- [ ] Have I replaced vague words with specific ones? ("soon" becomes "by Friday")

- [ ] Have I cut filler phrases? ("In order to" becomes "to"; "due to the fact that" becomes "because")

- [ ] Is each pronoun ("it", "this", "they") clear about what it refers to?

- [ ] Have I explained acronyms the reader might not know?

Reading aloud is the fastest clarity check. If you run out of breath, the sentence is too long.

Pass 3: Tone

- [ ] Do requests use softening language where appropriate? ("Could you..." rather than "Send me...")

- [ ] Have I avoided sounding too formal for the context? ("I am writing to inform you" is rarely needed.)

- [ ] Have I avoided sounding too blunt? Direct translations from some languages can read as rude in English.

- [ ] Is any criticism specific and about the work, not the person?

- [ ] Does the closing match the relationship? ("Best regards" for most work email, "Thanks!" for close colleagues)

When in doubt, read it as the recipient on a bad day. Would anything sound sharp?

Pass 4: Accuracy

- [ ] Articles: a/an/the, and missing articles before singular countable nouns.

- [ ] Verb tense consistency within each paragraph.

- [ ] Subject-verb agreement ("The list of items is...", not "are").

- [ ] Prepositions in fixed expressions ("interested in", "responsible for", "depend on").

- [ ] Plurals and uncountable nouns ("information", "advice" and "equipment" have no plural).

- [ ] Punctuation that changes meaning: commas in lists, apostrophes (its / it's), question marks.

- [ ] Names, numbers, dates and attachments are correct.

Spell checkers and grammar tools catch some of these but not all, especially article and preposition errors that produce real words.

Errors non-native writers most often miss

Patterns depend on your first language, but these come up across many backgrounds:

Missing or extra articles, especially for speakers of languages without them.

False friends: words that look similar to a word in your language but mean something different.

Literal translations of politeness: phrases that are polite in one language and sound odd or overly formal in English.

Run-on sentences: several clauses joined with commas.

Overusing "very" and other intensifiers instead of a stronger word.

Keep a personal error list. Each time a reader or teacher corrects you, add the pattern. Check your list in Pass 4.

Worked example: editing one email

First draft:

"Dear Mr. Lee, I am writing to you in order to inform you that due to the fact that we are having some problems with our supplier, the delivery which was planned for next week will be delayed, we are very sorry about this. Please let me know your opinion about it."

Pass 1, structure: The point (delay) is buried and there is no clear request. Move the news up and add a next step.

Pass 2, clarity: Cut "I am writing to you in order to inform you that" and "due to the fact that". Split the long sentence. Replace "next week" with a date.

Pass 3, tone: "Please let me know your opinion about it" is vague. Offer options instead.

Pass 4, accuracy: Fix the comma splice and check the date and name.

Edited version:

"Dear Mr. Lee,

Unfortunately, your delivery planned for 12 November will be delayed by about a week because of a problem with our supplier. We're sorry for the inconvenience.

We can either send the full order on 19 November or send half on 12 November and the rest on 19 November. Could you let me know which works better by Friday?

Best regards,

Ana"

The edited email is shorter, the news is in the first line, and the reader knows exactly what to do.

A quick version for short messages

For a chat message or a two-line email, use three checks:

1. Is the request clear?

2. Does it sound friendly enough?

3. Are the names, dates and numbers right?

Tools that help, and their limits

Read aloud, or use text-to-speech. Hearing the text makes long sentences and missing words obvious.

Grammar checkers. Useful for spelling and agreement. They often miss article and preposition errors and can suggest changes that alter your meaning, so accept suggestions one at a time.

A learner's dictionary. Example sentences show which preposition or pattern a word takes, which is where many non-native errors come from.

A cooling-off period. Leave important writing for an hour, or overnight, before the final edit. You will see problems you missed.

Teachers: how to teach self-editing

- Give learners the checklist and have them edit a model text with deliberate problems.

- Assign one pass per lesson at first, so learners practise looking for one thing at a time.

- Ask learners to submit a first draft and an edited draft, and comment on what changed.

- Use peer editing: learners swap texts and use the checklist on each other's work.

- Build each learner's personal error list from your corrections.

For workplace writing more generally, see our business email templates and the LinkedIn writing lesson.

Go further

Our English Writing course covers emails, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, proposals, meeting notes, persuasive writing and self-editing across 23 lessons, with model texts and revision exercises. The first lessons are free to preview.