After making big changes to improve your narrative the next step is to read it over and make any little changes (edits) to correct any remaining errors. As you read through your narrative you will look for any errors in sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, usage and spelling.
Transitions
Verb Usage
Imagine you are a DJ at a party. Your job is to keep people having a good time and dancing. As one song ends and another begins, you need to make a smooth transition to keep people dancing and having a good time.
When writing your narrative, you want to do the same. As you transition from one thought or action to the next, you want to do so smoothly in order to maintain the reader’s interest. Using linking words (or transitions) can help you do so. Transition words so the relationship between ideas will help your writing be more clear and concise.
For each of the following sentences, identify what the transition word is and what relationship between the ideas it reveals.
| Different countries have different traditions; therefore Cinco De Mayo is celebrated differently in Mexico than the United States. | Therefore is the transition word; it provides a summary or conclusion about the way the holidays are celebrated. |
| Most insects have a short life span. For example, the fruit fly only lives for 48 hours. | For example is the transition and it is used to show an example. |
| Before going on a road trip it is important to plan and be sure you have everything you need. Begin by making a list of everything you need to pack. Next, take your car to get serviced and fill up the tank of gas. Then you are ready to load everything into the car. Finally, you are ready to get on the road and begin your trip. | Begin, next, then and finally are the transition words. They are used to show sequence or an order of steps. |
Verbs are the action words in your narrative. As you edit your writing you want to ensure you have used your verbs correctly. This not only means ensuring you are using a consistent verb tense, but it also checks to ensure your subject and verbs agree. When editing your verb usage, check to make sure the subject and verb agree. This means if the subject of the sentence is singular, the verb also has to be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural. Hint: The singular form of a verb typically ends in -s. For example: lifts, hurts, sings, etc.
Look at the following examples of sentences in which the subject and verb agree.
| The team makes money by having a bake sale. |
The team
The team is a singular subject makes makes is the singular form of the verb |
| Toby and Keith leave for California today. |
Toby and Keith
Plural subject leave plural verb form |
| I have never been to the top of the Empire State Building. |
I
singular subject have singular verb form |
Use the strategies discussed on this page to edit your writing. As you read through your narrative check to make sure you are using verbs correctly and have transitions to help your writing flow smoothly. In addition, you want to check for any spelling or grammar errors. Make any changes necessary and save a version of this draft to turn in with your final copy.
