Proofreading and Editing

How to Improve your
Proofreading and Editing

Process
Lucía T. Collado
What Does Editing Mean?
Editing ‘is a stage of the writing process in which a writer or editor
strives to improve a draft by correcting errors and making words
and sentences clearer, more precise, and as effective as possible'. It
involves ‘adding, deleting, and rearranging words to cut the clutter
and streamline overall structure' (Nordquest, 2019).
Major Types of Editing
Development or content editing.
Structural editing.
Copy editing.
Line editing.
Mechanical editing.
(Enago, N.D.)
Tips To Edit your Essay
Get the structure right. Check that the points lead to a logical conclusion
of your essay. Does one point follow logically from the previous one?
Prune long sentences and paragraphs. Try shortening a sentence to two

or three clauses and keeping paragraphs from four to five sentences long.
Keep overly complicated language in check. Aim for clear and concise
language. However, it doesn’t mean you can’t use them at all, just choose
carefully and don’t overdo it.
Be careful with synonyms. If you have used any, take into consideration
that the nuances of the words don’t change the meaning of a sentence.
Watch for repetition of ideas or words. Keep an eye out for ideas you’ve
already mentioned that don’t add anything to your essay. Be also careful
with the repetition of words within a sentence or a paragraph and rephrase
using alternative expressions.
Quoting and referencing. Make sure that all the quotations are correctly
referenced and consistently formatted as well as mentioned in your
bibliography.
What Is Proofreading?
'The process of reading handwritten, keyed, or printed material and
marking errors to indicate corrections. Thus, proofreading is
essential to ensure the accuracy of [the] work’ (Pagel, 2010: 3).
Tips for Effective Proofreading
Know your most frequent errors. Writing a list beforehand will make
going through the errors easier. Proofreading an error at a time will ensure
tackling a problem in one sitting.
Take a break between writing your essay and starting the

proofreading process. It’ll be easier to separate the content from the form
to improve your ability to spot mistakes. It is helpful to proofread
whenever you are the most alert throughout the day.
Edit a hard copy. This might allow you to spot common errors or
misspellings easier as the paper is less strenuous on your eyes.
Read the essay out loud. It will force you to slow down and voice every
word, sentence, or paragraph structure. It will also involve your auditory
senses. You’ll be able to hear the difference between what you wanted to
write and what you actually wrote.
Circle, underline, or colour-code punctuation marks. By doing this,

you force yourself to look at each one in turn and to question if it has been
used correctly.
Bibliography
(N.A). (N.D.), ‘Tips for Effective Proofreading’, UA Little Rock. Available at https://ualr.edu/writingcenter/tips-for-effective-
proofreading/ (Accessed: 27 February 2023).
N.A. (N.D.), ‘Seven Effective Ways to Proofread Writing’, TOURO University. Available at
https://www.touro.edu/departments/writing-center/tutorials/seven-steps-to-effective-proofreading/ (Accessed: 27 February
2023).
N.A. (N.D.), ‘13 Essential Editing Tips to Use in Your Essay
Writing’, Oxford Royale. Available at https://www.oxford-
royale.com/articles/essay-editing-tips/ (Accessed: 27 March 2023).
N.A. (N.D.), ‘What Are the Different Types of Editing?’, Enago. Available at https://www.enago.com/author-hub/what-are-the-
different-types-of-editing (Accessed: 27 March 2023).
N.A. (2021), ‘How to Proofread Your Writing: 5 Tips for Effective Proofreading’, MasterClass. Available at
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-proofread-your-writing (Accessed: 27 February 2023).
Nordquest, R. (2019), ‘How Do You Edit an Essay?’, ThoughtCo. Available at https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-editing-
1690631 (Accessed: 27 March 2023).
Pagel, L.G. (2010). Proofreading and Editing Precision. Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning..

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How to Improve your

Proofreading and Editing

Prune long sentences and paragraphs. Try shortening a sentence to two

Take a break between writing your essay and starting the

Circle, underline, or colour-code punctuation marks. By doing this,

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