East Carolina University
Writing Program
Editing and Proofreading
Writing is a recursive process that takes time and effort beyond one, quick draft. Part of the final steps of a writing process usually involves making sure that the text says what a writer wants it to say in a clear manner, which may include attention to punctuation, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, style, and word choice. Editing and proofreading also assures that you, the writer, maintain authority and credibility with your audience.
Generally, effective editing and proofreading require that you reread your writing carefully, slow down to examine your writing, consider the reader’s perspective, know your common errors, and have strategies to address the errors. Below are a few more suggestions.
Make time. Many errors are made in the process of writing a draft. Because writing is a process, we need to make time to be able to go back through our texts and read with a discerning eye. First drafts can always be improved as long as you plan for the time to revise. It can be helpful to take a break from the text (even just 5 minutes) in order to return to it with fresh eyes. You can also start broad before looking for sentence-level errors. A good resource to return to after completing your first draft is the writing assignment. Check to make sure you have addressed each part of the assignment, included all necessary information, and presented it in an organized manner that will make sense to the reader.
Consider your audience. It is important to remember that you are writing to communicate clearly with others. Your audience is often comprised of people who are not present and not necessarily willing to put a lot of effort into making sense of your text. You must make sure you include all the information your audience will need to fully understand. Sentence-level errors can distract readers and cause them to wonder if you are a credible, reliable author. Many teacher-readers value clear and explicit writing that makes use of the expected format. They also tend to value writing that makes connections between ideas and present the possible implications of those ideas.
Read your writing out loud. Up to 54% of errors in student writing are accidental errors that naturally occur in the process of writing. These are often errors that writers can fix on their own if they identify them, and reading a paper aloud can help to find them. Also, listen carefully to make sure what you are saying makes sense. It can help to have another person follow along in the text as you are reading out loud to make sure that what you are reading is in fact what is on the page.
Find a way to slow yourself down. It is easy to get into a grove, while you are reading something you are already familiar with, and accidentally miss mistakes. To avoid this possible problem, you could try reading the paper backwards, starting with the last sentence and ending with the first. It could also be helpful to separate the texts into individual sentences or use blank sheets of paper to cover all the text expect for the sentence you are reading.
Look for patterns of error. All writers make mistakes that are typical in their writing. It would be difficult to proofread for everything in one reading. It can be helpful to review any feedback you have received on previous drafts or papers, keep a list of your trouble spots, learn how to fix those errors, proofread for only one kind of error at a time, and use specific strategies to identify and correct those errors. Consultants at the University Writing Center can be helpful in this part of your process also.
Don’t rely entirely on spell check. Spelling and grammar checkers can be wonderfully useful tools, but they are not perfect. The number one error in student writing is word choice, and these errors occur, often, either because of their limited dictionary or because they do not catch misspellings that form another valid word. (For example, to vs. two, your vs. you’re, there vs. their…). They also cannot identify every kind of grammar or mechanical error and fail to provide thorough explanations to help a writer understand why a sentence should be revised.
Use resources. There are an abundance of resources that can be accessed on campus or online. Be sure you have access to information from the appropriate style guide (MLA, APA, Chicago…) along with the resources provided by your instructor (assignments, rubrics, handouts, feedback). It can also be useful to take advantage of your instructor’s office hours, and go to them prepared with specific questions. The University Writing Center is also available for writers to schedule face-to-face or online writing consultations to discuss any part of your writing process.