Virtual Help
- Chat with library staff now
- Contact your library
Skip to Main Content
Writing & Communication : Editing & Proofreading Your Writing
Editing & Proofreading Your Writing (Module 2 of 4)
It is important to look critically at what you have written and make sure that you are expressing your ideas clearly. Remember the reader when you are reviewing your own work. Revision means to ‘see again’. It is the opportunity to look critically at what you have written and make sure that you are expressing your ideas clearly. Revising your writing means looking at the structure and overall format, editing the spelling and grammar, and proofreading to catch remaining errors and polish the writing.
Top Tips
- Ask questions.As you read your writing, ask yourself if there is information that you should add, remove, or move?
- Read critically.When you revise your writing, make sure your ideas are expressed clearly.
- Consider your purpose.Does your writing fit the purpose?
- Consider your audience.Does your writing fit what your audience would expect?
- Check your spelling and grammar.They count.
- Edit after you revise the content.Once you have revised the content, you can begin editing for spelling and grammar errors.
- Read your writing out loud.You may have an easier time catching a mistake when you hear it spoken.
- Use spelling and grammar checks.These tools are useful, but not perfect, so make sure you are still reading critically.
- Start at the end. Working backwards will stop your brain from seeing what it expects, and may help you catch errors.
Additional Resources
-
Editing ChecklistUse this checklist as a guide when you are editing your writing.
-
Higher Order and Lower Order Concerns - Opens in a new windowUse this tip sheet to help you know what you should be looking at in each phase of the revision process.
-
How to Use Articles in Your Writing Opens in a new windowUse this tip sheet for help understanding articles and when to use them.
-
Proofreading Checklist Opens in a new windowUse this checklist as a guide when you are proofreading your writing.
-
Run-On Sentence Tip Sheet Opens in a new windowUse this tip sheet for help correcting run-on sentences.
-
Commas, Semi-colons, and Colons. Opens in a new windowUse this tip sheet for help knowing when and how to use commas, semicolons, and colons.
-
Grammar: Common Errors Opens in a new windowUse this tip sheet to identify and correct common grammar errors.
-
The Parallelism Principle Opens in a new windowUse this tip sheet for help constructing sentences using parallel structure.
-
Prefixes and Suffixes Opens in a new windowUse this list of prefixes and suffixes as a reference for your writing.
-
Prepositions Opens in a new windowUse this list of prepositions as a reference that you can use for your writing.
-
Types of Sentences Tip Sheet Opens in a new windowUse this tip sheet for help correctly constructing simple, compound, and complex sentences.