Editing and Proofreading

Editing means revising what you've written for content, style and clarity. Proofreading means to look for errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling.

Editing and proofreading are not twins? They complement each other. You cannot really have editing without proofreading. That's why proofreading and editing are combined as a single service.

Editing comes first. You start editing after you finish drafting your ideas and thoughts. You make sure your text is arranged in logical sequence, your ideas are well-organized, and transitions between paragraphs are fluid.

Key Areas of Editing.

Editing: Structure: Does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence? Do you have a fitting introduction and conclusion? Have you made clear transitions between paragraphs? Are the paragraph logically arranged?    

Editing: Topic: Does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence? Does each paragraph stick to one main idea? Are there any extraneous or missing sentences in any of your paragraphs? (See our handout on paragraph development.)Content: Are the contents relevant to the subject? Do they accurately convey your message. Are they clear and concise. Do they contradict each other anywhere?  

Editing: Clarity:   Is what each pronoun relates to clear? Have important terms been accurately defined? Does each sentence have a clear meaning? Are your word choice apposite? Have you chosen the proper words to express your ideas?

Editing: Tone: Does your message tone correspond with your emotion or feeling? Does it accurately portray hat you intend to say?

Proofreading

Proofreading is the final stage after editing and rewriting. Proofreading is done only after you have completed editing. Though accurate spelling may not be a critical requirement for clarity as we read whole words, not letters, it is mandatory for creating the right impression.

Proofreading also involves searching for inadvertent errors that are not spelling mistakes. For example, if you type 'hat' instead of 'that' it's not the word you intended to use. However, looking out for punctuation errors in proofreading is a critical requirement, as wrong punctuation can alter the entire meaning of your message. Consider these two sentences:

The professor said the student is stupid.
The professor, said the student, is stupid.

The two sentences have totally different meanings.

Some 'Do-nots' in Editing and Proofreading.

Do not try editing or proofreading for multiple errors at a time. When proofreading, proofread for only one kind of error at a time. It's  simpler to hunt grammar errors if that's all you're looking for. Then do spelling, completing your editing and proofreading process with correcting punctuation errors.

Spell checkers cannot be depended on for proofreading, only for verifying spelling. Spell checkers may identify wrongly spelled words correctly, but not misspellings that form another valid word.

Grammar checkers are totally useless for editing, rewriting or proofreading. There is no checker that can cover all possibilities and most times grammar checkers introduce unacceptable errors in otherwise correct writing. Not only can they not identify every real error, they tend to 'correct' correct sentences and make them ridiculous. They could be useful to identify the use of passive voice, but you need to be proficient enough in the language to gauge the checker's feedback.

Some 'Do's' when  Proofreading and Editing  

When editing or proofreading for spelling errors, it helps to read each sentence backwards. Try it. You'd be surprised how much easier it is to catch spelling errors. Since grammar, subject matter and punctuation won't make any sense, you will be able to focus exclusively on spelling.   

Another editing trick is to split the text into separated sentences. This will help in focusing on the words not the content..

How good are you at editing and proofreading? The text on this page contains a few errors. Time yourself to find out how long it takes you to find them.

If all this sounds to challenging, or you do not have the time or skill for editing or proofreading, find out how our editors can help you HERE.

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