Common editing errors (and how to avoid them)
- Tiffany Paczek
- May 15
- 2 min read
Even experienced writers can slip up on tricky grammar, punctuation, or local spelling conventions. Our editors explain three common copyediting pitfalls and how to fix them to sharpen your writing and ensure your message is crystal clear.
Copyediting: More than just a proofread
Copyediting written content takes more than a quick read-through. It is a vital part of any piece of writing or published work, and it often delivers the difference between clarity and confusion.
Here are some common mistakes our copyeditors pick up during the editing process.
Dangling modifiers
A dangling modifier happens when the word or phrase it’s meant to describe isn’t placed immediately after it – or doesn’t show up in the sentence at all.
❌ Incorrect
As a wheat grower, redlegged earth mites require management from Emily and threaten her crop and annual grain yield.
‘As a wheat grower’ is the modifier here; however, the subject being modified (‘Emily’) does not directly follow. While you might understand what this sentence is trying to convey, it actually says redlegged earth mites are the wheat grower.
✅ Correct
As a wheat grower, Emily manages the redlegged earth mites that threaten her crop and annual grain yield.
Now the modifier (‘As a wheat grower’) is directly followed by the subject being modified (‘Emily’).
Semicolons
Semicolons can be a powerful tool in a writer’s arsenal – when used correctly. A semicolon denotes a pause between two closely related independent clauses, where a full stop feels too abrupt and a comma lacks weight.
❌ Incorrect
The process of sorption-desorption is lengthy, desorption can take some time to complete at the end of the fumigation.
✅ Correct
The process of sorption-desorption is lengthy; desorption can take some time to complete at the end of the fumigation.
Semicolons also help separate complex items in a list — especially those that already contain commas.
❌ Incorrect
These include the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius.), the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.); the rusty grain beetle, C. ferrugineus, the saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), and the book louse, Liposcelis bostrychophila (Badonnel).
✅ Correct
These include the lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius.); the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst); the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.); the rusty grain beetle, C. ferrugineus; the saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.); and the book louse, Liposcelis bostrychophila (Badonnel).
Local dialect spelling
It’s happened to all of us: You’re typing away when your spellchecker insists on changing finalise to finalize, or colour to color. These differences often come down to regional spelling conventions.
Depending on your location (and your audience), using the correct local spelling is an important way to appear polished and well-informed.
Here are some common variations: