Editing Your Writing for Punctuation and Clarity.

This lesson turns you into your own editor. You work with short extracts from emails, reports and CVs that contain typical punctuation and sentence boundary problems. You learn how full stops, commas, colons and semicolons signal relationships between ideas, and how to avoid run-on sentences and fragments. We review comma use in complex sentences and relative clauses, and practise fixing “over-long” sentences by splitting or reorganising them. You then apply a simple editing checklist to your own previous writing from the course, checking tense consistency, subject–verb agreement, article use and punctuation. You make at least one paragraph significantly clearer and more professional. By the end, you will have a practical routine you can use whenever you write an important email, assignment or report, helping you reduce errors and improve readability.

1. Spotting basic sentence boundaries in an email.

In this lesson we are going to work like real editors. To keep things concrete, imagine you are applying for a new job as a project assistant at an international company. You have written a quick email to the hiring manager, but you did it in a hurry on your phone, so the punctuation is a bit of a disaster. In this first part, we will slow down and look at the foundations: full stops, capital letters and question marks. If those are wrong, even a good message looks unprofessional or confusing. I will show you a messy version of your email on the screen, where the sentences run into each other and it is not clear where one idea ends and the next begins. Then we will look at a corrected version. Your job is to notice where sentences should start and end. After that, you will rewrite the email yourself with clear sentences. This is the first step in turning yourself into your own editor for important emails, assignments and reports.

Your rushed job application email.

Imagine this situation: you saw a job ad for a Project Assistant at GreenTech Solutions. You quickly wrote an email on your phone on the train. Here is your original version:

> hello my name is Sam Patel I am writing because I saw the advert for the project assistant role last week I think I would be a good fit I recently finished a business management course at college and I have done several group projects about sustainability I am attaching my CV please let me know if you need any more information thank you for your time best regards Sam

The grammar is not terrible, but without punctuation and capital letters it looks chaotic and hard to read.

Where are the sentences?.

Look again. How many sentences can you hear in your head if you read it slowly? Probably something like this:

1. Hello, my name is Sam Patel.
2. I am writing because I saw the advert for the Project Assistant role last week.
3. I think I would be a good fit.
4. I recently finished a Business Management course at college, and I have done several group projects about sustainability.
5. I am attaching my CV.
6. Please let me know if you need any more information.
7. Thank you for your time.
8. Best regards, Sam.

Notice how full stops and commas show the reader when to pause. Capital letters show where a new sentence begins and highlight names.

Quick checklist for basic punctuation.

When you edit your own writing, start with this simple checklist:

• Does every complete idea end with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark?
• Does every new sentence begin with a capital letter?
• Are names and specific titles capitalised (Sam, GreenTech Solutions, Project Assistant)?

In formal emails, keep sentences clear and not too long. Later in the lesson, we will add commas, linking words and more advanced checks. For now, focus on turning one long stream of words into clear, separate sentences.

Practice & Feedback

Now it is your turn to become the editor. Read the rushed email in the resource section again. Then rewrite the whole email so that it would be suitable to send to the hiring manager.

Make sure you:

• add full stops and question marks where they are needed;
• start each new sentence with a capital letter;
• capitalise names and titles appropriately (for example Sam Patel, Project Assistant);
• keep each sentence clear and not too long.

You can keep the same ideas and order, but you may add polite openings like "The main purpose of this email is to" if you want. Write your new, edited email in one block of text, as if you were really sending it.

2. Fixing run-on sentences and fragments.

You have now cleaned up the basic sentence boundaries in your email. Let us move to a slightly more advanced problem that many B1 to C1 writers still have: run-on sentences and fragments. A run-on sentence is when two or more complete ideas are pushed together with no proper link or punctuation. It often happens when you try to say too much in one breath. A fragment is the opposite: a piece that looks like a sentence, but is missing something important, usually the subject or the verb. Both of these make your writing difficult to follow, especially in reports and descriptions of past projects. In this block, we will focus on a short paragraph where you describe a project you did at college, which you want to mention in your job application. First, you will listen to a version that is badly punctuated and sounds breathless. Then you will use your editor skills to rewrite it into clear, complete sentences. As you work, think about where it is better to put a full stop, and where a linking word like "and", "but" or "because" would make the connection clearer.

Your project description needs breathing space.

As part of your application, you want to describe one project from your Business Management course. Here is a badly written version:

> Last year I led a group project about reducing paper waste in our college we collected data from different departments and we made a report it was very stressful at the start because nobody was organised and some people did not answer emails on time especially from the finance office which caused delays

You can probably feel that this is hard work to read. Everything is pushed into one long sentence.

What is a run-on sentence?.

A run-on sentence joins two or more complete sentences without correct punctuation or linking words.

• Run-on: Last year I led a group project about reducing paper waste in our college we collected data from different departments.
• Clear: Last year, I led a group project about reducing paper waste in our college. We collected data from different departments.

In the clear version, we use a full stop to separate the two ideas.

Sometimes we want to show a stronger connection. Then we can use a linking word:

• Clear with a linker: Last year, I led a group project about reducing paper waste in our college, and we collected data from different departments.

What is a fragment?.

A fragment looks like a sentence, but is missing a subject or a main verb:

• Fragment: Because nobody was organised and some people did not answer emails on time.
• Full sentence: It was very stressful at the start because nobody was organised and some people did not answer emails on time.

Fragments often begin with words like because, when, although or which, but then stop too early.

In professional writing, you should avoid both run-ons and fragments. Short, complete sentences make reports and applications clear and credible.

Practice & Feedback

You are going to listen to a spoken version of your messy project description. The speaker will not pause correctly, so it will sound like one long stream of words. Your task is to act as the editor.

1. Listen to the audio in the resource section at least twice.
2. Then rewrite the paragraph, adding full stops and capital letters so that there are 4–6 clear sentences.
3. Where it feels natural, you can also add basic linking words like and, but, because to connect ideas, and you may remove repetition.
4. Make sure you avoid both very long run-on sentences and short fragments.

Write your new paragraph as if you will paste it into your CV or an email to the hiring manager, describing this project briefly and clearly.

3. Using commas to guide the reader.

You have worked on sentence boundaries, and you have started to control run-ons and fragments. Now we are going to focus on a smaller but very powerful mark: the comma. Many learners either use almost no commas, or they add them everywhere. Both options can confuse your reader. In your job application, commas help to separate items in a list, to mark off extra information and to show when an introductory phrase has finished. They make the rhythm of your writing smoother and more professional. In this block, we will look at a short "profile" paragraph that you might put at the top of a CV or LinkedIn page. First, you will see a messy version where commas are missing or in the wrong place. Then you will see an improved version and some simple guidelines. After that, you will practise by correcting a few sentences yourself. Pay special attention to lists, to relative clauses with words like "who" or "which", and to linking phrases such as "Firstly" or "In addition". These are very common in emails and reports, and they often go wrong.

Your profile paragraph and commas.

Here is a messy version of a short profile paragraph for your CV:

> I am a motivated business graduate who recently completed a one year course at Northside College I have strong organisational communication and problem solving skills and I enjoy working in diverse teams in addition I completed a final project on sustainability in local companies which was presented to external guests

Now look at a clearer version with commas:

> I am a motivated Business graduate, who recently completed a one-year course at Northside College. I have strong organisational, communication and problem-solving skills, and I enjoy working in diverse teams. In addition, I completed a final project on sustainability in local companies, which was presented to external guests.

What are these commas doing?.

Commas in lists

We separate items in a list with commas:

• organisational, communication and problem-solving skills

The last item often has and instead of a comma.

Commas around extra information

When a clause with who or which adds extra, non-essential information, we usually put commas around it:

• my manager, who has worked here for 20 years, agreed with my idea.

If the information is essential to identify the person or thing, we usually do not use commas:

• the colleague who sits next to me helps with reports.

Commas after linking phrases

When we start a sentence with a linking phrase, we normally add a comma:

• Firstly, I will explain the background.
• In addition, we analysed customer feedback.
• On the other hand, the costs were high.

These small marks guide the reader through your ideas. In emails and short essays, they help your paragraphs flow more smoothly from one point to the next.

Practice & Feedback

In this activity you will practise using commas to make sentences clearer and more professional. Read the sentences in the resource section. They are all related to your job application and project, but the commas are missing.

Your task:

1. Rewrite all four sentences, adding commas only where they are really needed.
2. Use the examples on the screen as a guide:

• add commas in lists of three or more items;
• add commas after linking phrases like Firstly or In addition;
• use commas around extra information with who or which when it is not essential.

Try not to change the words too much. Focus on punctuation.

Write your corrected versions as four separate sentences, one after another.

4. Using an editing checklist on a full draft.

You have practised individual sentences, but real writing is made of paragraphs. Now it is time to put your skills together and work on a slightly longer draft, similar to what you might really send. Imagine that you have combined your application email with a short profile and a sentence about your project. You wrote it quickly, so there are some punctuation problems, and also a few issues with articles and verb forms. In this block, I will show you a simple editing checklist that you can use whenever you write something important: an email to a manager, a paragraph in an assignment, or a short report. The checklist includes basic punctuation, tense consistency, subject–verb agreement and article use. We will walk through it on the screen, then you will apply it to a combined draft text. Your job is to rewrite the text so that it is noticeably clearer and easier to read. Remember, editing is not about changing every word; it is about helping your reader understand your message quickly and comfortably.

A simple editing checklist.

Before you send an important email or hand in an assignment, take one minute to go through this checklist.

Sentence boundaries

• Does each complete idea end with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark?
• Are there any run-on sentences you could split?
• Are there any fragments you should join?

Punctuation inside sentences

• Have you used commas in lists and after linking phrases like Firstly, and In addition,?
• Are relative clauses with who or which punctuated correctly?

Tense and agreement

• Are you using the same tense consistently when you talk about the same time?
• Do verbs agree with their subjects (she has, they have)?

Articles and small words

• Have you used a, an and the where necessary?
• Are there any missing prepositions, such as in, on, to?

Your combined draft.

Here is a combined draft of your email and profile. It sounds friendly, but it needs editing.

> The main purpose of this email is to apply for project assistant position at GreenTech Solutions I recently completed business management course at Northside College and I have done several projects about sustainability there are three key points firstly I have experience leading a team on a waste reduction project secondly I am confident user of Excel and other tools finally I am very motivated to learn and support your organisation please see the information below in my CV and let me know if you need any more details

Notice that the structure is already quite good: you clearly tell the reader the purpose, and you organise your points with Firstly, Secondly and Finally. Now it needs proper punctuation and a few small grammar corrections.

In the next task, you will apply the checklist to this draft and produce a clean, professional version.

Practice & Feedback

Use the editing checklist on the screen to improve the combined draft in the resource section.

Your task:

1. Read the draft slowly from start to finish.
2. Go through the checklist step by step:

• fix sentence boundaries so that there are clear, separate sentences;
• add commas where they help the reader (for example after Firstly, Secondly and Finally);
• correct any obvious tense or agreement mistakes;
• add missing articles like a, an or the.

1. Rewrite the whole text as if you are really going to send it to the hiring manager.
2. Aim for a short, clear email body of around 90–130 words.

Do not worry about making it perfect or very advanced. Focus on clarity, correct punctuation and a professional tone.

5. Giving punctuation advice in a chat.

Up to now you have been editing your own writing. Another powerful way to develop your editor skills is to help someone else. When you explain a change to another person, you become more conscious of what you are doing. In real life, this often happens in quick messages: a colleague sends you a draft email by chat and asks, "Does this look OK?". In this block, you will practise giving short, clear advice about punctuation and clarity in a chat-style conversation. I will show you an example chat between you and your friend Alex, who is also applying for a job. Notice how the messages are informal but still clear and polite, and how you mention specific parts of Alex's text, for example, "your first sentence" or "after the word report". Then you will see Alex's real draft email, which has some punctuation problems. Your job will be to write a series of short chat messages to Alex, giving two or three concrete suggestions. This will help you notice run-ons, missing commas and unclear sentences, and at the same time practise natural English for giving feedback.

Example chat: helping a friend edit.

Look at this short WhatsApp-style conversation.

> Alex: Hi, could you check my email to the manager it looks a bit long

>

> You: Sure, send it.

>

> Alex: here it is: I am writing to send you the draft report I finished it yesterday and I hope it is ok please let me know if anything is unclear.

>

> You: Thanks. Your first sentence is too long. I would put a full stop after "report".

>

> You: Also, add a comma after "yesterday", so it is easier to read.

>

> You: Finally, maybe change "ok" to "OK" or "acceptable" to sound a bit more formal.

Notice a few things:

• You give specific advice: you say after "report", not just "add some punctuation".
• You use polite language: "I would put...", "maybe change...".
• Even in chat, you use clear sentences and basic punctuation, so your advice is easy to follow.

Useful phrases for giving feedback.

You can reuse these phrases when you help someone with their writing:

• Your first / second sentence is a bit long. I would split it here...
• You could add a full stop after...
• Maybe add a comma after... so it is easier to read.
• This part is not a full sentence. You could join it to the previous one.
• It might be better to change this word to...

In the next activity, you will read Alex's draft job application email and send some chat messages with advice about punctuation and clarity.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine Alex has just sent you the email in the resource section by chat and asked:

> "Can you quickly check the punctuation and if it is clear?"

Your task is to reply in a short chat-style conversation. Do not rewrite the whole email for Alex. Instead, write 3–5 short messages giving clear, concrete advice.

Tips:

• Refer to parts of the email, for example: "In your first sentence...", "After the word 'course'...".
• Use polite, soft language: "You could add...", "I would put...", "Maybe change...".
• Focus mainly on sentence boundaries and commas. You can also suggest one vocabulary or tone change if you like.

Write your messages as if you are in a chat app, each on a new line starting with "You:" (for example: You: Your first sentence is a bit long...).

6. Writing a final clear paragraph with rubric.

You have now edited individual sentences, a full draft, and even helped a friend by chat. To finish this lesson, you are going to produce one final, polished paragraph that shows your new editing skills. Think of it as the paragraph you would really like a manager, recruiter or teacher to read. It could easily become part of a real email, CV, cover letter or assignment. I will show you a simple mini rubric with a few criteria: sentence clarity, punctuation, basic grammar and overall organisation. Use it as your quality checklist. Then you will write a paragraph where you introduce yourself, mention one relevant project or experience, and explain briefly why you are interested in the role or opportunity. Try to use clear sentences, appropriate commas, and no run-ons or fragments. After you write, pause for a moment and read your work like an editor. Ask yourself: "Can I see where each sentence starts and ends? Would a busy person understand this easily?" This final task is your small performance to show that you can edit your own writing for punctuation and clarity.

Mini rubric: what does "clear writing" look like?.

Use this mini rubric to judge your own paragraph. Aim for Yes in each box.

Example of a clear application-style paragraph.

Read this model paragraph. It is not perfect, but it is clear and well punctuated.

> The main purpose of this email is to apply for the Project Assistant position at GreenTech Solutions. I recently completed a one-year Business Management course at Northside College, where I worked on several group projects about sustainability. In my final project, I led a small team that analysed paper waste in our college and presented practical recommendations to the management team. This experience helped me develop my organisational, communication and problem-solving skills. I am very interested in this role because I would like to support your organisation in developing efficient and sustainable projects.

Notice how:

• The first sentence clearly states the purpose.
• Each sentence has one main idea and ends with a full stop.
• Commas are used to separate clauses and add detail, but there are no confusing extra commas.
• The paragraph moves smoothly from background, to experience, to motivation.

In the next activity, you will write your own version, using the rubric as your guide.

Practice & Feedback

Now it is your turn to create a final, polished paragraph that shows your control of punctuation and clarity.

Write one paragraph of about 120–180 words. Imagine you are writing to a manager, recruiter or lecturer. Your paragraph should:

• state the main purpose (for example: to apply for a role, to introduce yourself, or to explain a project);
• mention at least one specific project, course or experience, using clear past tenses;
• include linking phrases such as "Firstly,", "In addition," or "For this reason," if they help your organisation;
• use full stops and commas accurately, with no run-on sentences or obvious fragments.

When you finish, read your paragraph once more using the mini rubric on the screen. Then paste or type your final version here. Treat it as something you would be happy for a real manager to read.