Editing & proofreading techniques

Editing begins while you are still working on your Proofreading takes place when editing is finished.
first draft. It has to do more with revising the Focuses on surface-level errors like misspelling and
logistics of the paper than grammar and surface-level grammar errors.
errors.
Editing Techniques
Content Overall Structure
 Are all parts of the question answered?  Is there a clear introduction and conclusion?
 Is there an argument?  Is the paragraph order logical?
 Do all of the paragraphs support the thesis?  Are there clear transitions between
paragraphs?


Structure within Paragraphs Style

 Does each paragraph have a clear topic  Is the tone appropriate for the audience?
sentence?
 Have you varied sentence length throughout
 Does the paragraph follow the thesis? the paper?
 Are there any extra or missing supporting  Are there any unnecessary phrases, such as
paragraphs in each paragraph? “due to the fact that”?
Clarity Citations
 Are all terms easily defined for the reader?  Are your citations in the correct format?
 Is the meaning of the sentence clear?  Have you appropriately cited all paraphrasing
and quotations?
 Have you chosen the best words to express
your ideas?
Proofreading Techniques
 Read your paper aloud. Sometimes writing sounds different in your head than it sounds on paper.
 Make a list of errors that you commonly make and keep an eye out for them.
 Read the text backwards. Sometimes the brain automatically corrects written mistakes.
 Proofread for only one type of error at a time.
 Double check everything:
o Proper names o Page numbers
o Citations o Header/footer material
o Punctuation o Fonts
 Read slowly and carefully.
Other Helpful Tips
 Concentrate. Get rid of noise and other distractions. You will catch more errors if you are focused.
 Don’t edit your paper in the same sitting you wrote it. Leave it for a while, even a few days, and then
come back to it. This will give you fresh eyes and allow you to catch more errors.
 When you have gone over it as much as you can, get someone else to read it. A second pair of eyes can see
twice as much.
  Don’t only rely on spell check or grammar check. Sometimes they miss things too.
 Know if it’s easier for you to edit on the computer or on a printed page.
 Have your resources close to you so you can easily look up anything that you are unsure of. Helpful
resources include:
o Dictionary o Handbooks
o Thesaurus o Handouts
Twenty of the Most Common Surface Errors
1. missing comma after introductory phrases 11. unnecessary shifts in pronouns
2. vague pronoun references 12. sentence fragments
3. missing comma in a compound sentences 13. wrong tense or verb forms
4. wrong words 14. lack of agreement between subject and verb
5. missing comma(s) with a nonessential 15. missing commas in a series
elements
16. lack of agreement between pronouns and
6. wrong or missing verb endings antecedents
7. wrong or missing prepositions 17. unnecessary comma(s) with a restrictive or
essential elements
8. comma splices
18. fused sentences
9. missing or misplaced possessive apostrophes
19. dangling or misplaced modifiers
10. unnecessary shifts in tense
.......
Editing and Proofreading
What this handout is about
This handout provides some tips and strategies for revising your writing. To give you a chance to practice
proofreading, we have left seven errors (three spelling errors, two punctuation errors, and two grammatical errors)
in the text of this handout. See if you can spot them!
Is editing the same thing as proofreading?
Not exactly. Although many people use the terms interchangeably, editing and proofreading are two different
stages of the revision process. Both demand close and careful reading, but they focus on different aspects of the
writing and employ different techniques.
Some tips that apply to both editing and proofreading
 Get some distance from the text! It’s hard to edit or proofread a paper that you’ve just finished writing—
it’s still to familiar, and you tend to skip over a lot of errors. Put the paper aside for a few hours, days, or
weeks. Go for a run. Take a trip to the beach. Clear your head of what you’ve written so you can take a
fresh look at the paper and see what is really on the page. Better yet, give the paper to a friend—you can’t
get much more distance than that. Someone who is reading the paper for the first time, comes to it with
completely fresh eyes.
 Decide which medium lets you proofread most carefully. Some people like to work right at the
computer, while others like to sit back with a printed copy that they can mark up as they read.
 Try changing the look of your document. Altering the size, spacing, color, or style of the text may trick
your brain into thinking it’s seeing an unfamiliar document, and that can help you get a different
perspective on what you’ve written.
  Find a quiet place to work. Don’t try to do your proofreading in front of the TV or while you’re chugging
away on the treadmill. Find a place where you can concentrate and avoid distractions.
 If possible, do your editing and proofreading in several short blocks of time. Your concentration may
start to wane if you try to proofread the entire text at one time.
 If you’re short on time, you may wish to prioritize. Make sure that you complete the most important
editing and proofreading tasks.
Editing
Editing is what you begin doing as soon as you finish your first draft. You reread your draft to see, for example,
whether the paper is well-organized, the transitions between paragraphs are smooth, and your evidence really
backs up your argument. You can edit on several levels:
Content
Have you done everything the assignment requires? Are the claims you make accurate? If it is required to do so,
does your paper make an argument? Is the argument complete? Are all of your claims consistent? Have you
supported each point with adequate evidence? Is all of the information in your paper relevant to the assignment
and/or your overall writing goal? (For additional tips, see our handouts on understanding
assignments and developing an argument.)
Overall structure
Does your paper have an appropriate introduction and conclusion? Is your thesis clearly stated in your
introduction? Is it clear how each paragraph in the body of your paper is related to your thesis? Are the paragraphs
arranged in a logical sequence? Have you made clear transitions between paragraphs? One way to check the
structure of your paper is to make a reverse outline of the paper after you have written the first draft. (See
our handouts on introductions, conclusions, thesis statements, and transitions.)
Clarity
Have you defined any important terms that might be unclear to your reader? Is the meaning of each sentence
clear? (One way to answer this question is to read your paper one sentence at a time, starting at the end and
working backwards so that you will not unconsciously fill in content from previous sentences.) Is it clear what
each pronoun (he, she, it, they, which, who, this, etc.) refers to? Have you chosen the proper words to express your
ideas? Avoid using words you find in the thesaurus that aren’t part of your normal vocabulary; you may misuse
them.
Style
Have you used an appropriate tone (formal, informal, persuasive, etc.)? Is your use of gendered language
(masculine and feminine pronouns like “he” or “she,” words like “fireman” that contain “man,” and words that
some people incorrectly assume apply to only one gender—for example, some people assume “nurse” must refer
to a woman) appropriate? Have you varied the length and structure of your sentences? Do you tends to use the
passive voice too often? Does your writing contain a lot of unnecessary phrases like “there is,” “there are,” “due to
the fact that,” etc.? Do you repeat a strong word (for example, a vivid main verb) unnecessarily? (For tips, see
our handouts on style and gender-inclusive language.)
Citations
Have you appropriately cited quotes, paraphrases, and ideas you got from sources? Are your citations in the
correct format? (See the UNC Libraries citation tutorial for more information.)
As you edit at all of these levels, you will usually make significant revisions to the content and wording of your
paper. Keep an eye out for patterns of error; knowing what kinds of problems you tend to have will be helpful,
especially if you are editing a large document like a thesis or dissertation. Once you have identified a pattern, you
can develop techniques for spotting and correcting future instances of that pattern. For example, if you notice that
you often discuss several distinct topics in each paragraph, you can go through your paper and underline the key
words in each paragraph, then break the paragraphs up so that each one focuses on just one main idea.
Proofreading
Proofreading is the final stage of the editing process, focusing on surface errors such as misspellings and mistakes
in grammar and punctuation. You should proofread only after you have finished all of your other editing revisions.
Why proofread? It’s the content that really matters, right?
Content is important. But like it or not, the way a paper looks affects the way others judge it. When you’ve worked
hard to develop and present your ideas, you don’t want careless errors distracting your reader from what you have
to say. It’s worth paying attention to the details that help you to make a good impression.
Most people devote only a few minutes to proofreading, hoping to catch any glaring errors that jump out from the
page. But a quick and cursory reading, especially after you’ve been working long and hard on a paper, usually
misses a lot. It’s better to work with a definite plan that helps you to search systematically for specific kinds of
errors.
Sure, this takes a little extra time, but it pays off in the end. If you know that you have an effective way to catch
errors when the paper is almost finished, you can worry less about editing while you are writing your first drafts.
This makes the entire writing process more efficient.
Try to keep the editing and proofreading processes separate. When you are editing an early draft, you don’t want
to be bothered with thinking about punctuation, grammar, and spelling. If your worrying about the spelling of a
word or the placement of a comma, you’re not focusing on the more important task of developing and connecting
ideas.
The proofreading processes
You probably already use some of the strategies discussed below. Experiment with different tactics until you find a
system that works well for you. The important thing is to make the process systematic and focused so that you
catch as many errors as possible in the least amount of time.
 Don’t rely entirely on spelling checkers. These can be useful tools but they are far from foolproof. Spell
checkers have a limited dictionary, so some words that show up as misspelled may really just not be in
their memory. In addition, spell checkers will not catch misspellings that form another valid word. For
example, if you type “your” instead of “you’re,” “to” instead of “too,” or “there” instead of “their,” the
spell checker won’t catch the error.
 Grammar checkers can be even more problematic. These programs work with a limited number of
rules, so they can’t identify every error and often make mistakes. They also fail to give thorough
explanations to help you understand why a sentence should be revised. You may want to use a grammar
checker to help you identify potential run-on sentences or too-frequent use of the passive voice, but you
need to be able to evaluate the feedback it provides.
 Proofread for only one kind of error at a time. If you try to identify and revise too many things at once,
you risk losing focus, and your proofreading will be less effective. It’s easier to catch grammar errors if
you aren’t checking punctuation and spelling at the same time. In addition, some of the techniques that
work well for spotting one kind of mistake won’t catch others.
 Read slow, and read every word. Try reading out loud, which forces you to say each word and also lets
you hear how the words sound together. When you read silently or too quickly, you may skip over errors or
make unconscious corrections.
 Separate the text into individual sentences. This is another technique to help you to read every sentence
carefully. Simply press the return key after every period so that every line begins a new sentence. Then
read each sentence separately, looking for grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors. If you’re working with
a printed copy, try using an opaque object like a ruler or a piece of paper to isolate the line you’re working
on.
 Circle every punctuation mark. This forces you to look at each one. As you circle, ask yourself if the
punctuation is correct.
 Read the paper backwards. This technique is helpful for checking spelling. Start with the last word on
the last page and work your way back to the beginning, reading each word separately. Because content,
punctuation, and grammar won’t make any sense, your focus will be entirely on the spelling of each word.
You can also read backwards sentence by sentence to check grammar; this will help you avoid becoming
distracted by content issues.
 Proofreading is a learning process. You’re not just looking for errors that you recognize; you’re also
learning to recognize and correct new errors. This is where handbooks and dictionaries come in. Keep the
ones you find helpful close at hand as you proofread.