- Describe techniques for reading for editing
- Edit for common grammatical errors
- Edit for common punctuation errors
- Describe proofreading and how to do it
Revising vs. Editing and Proofreading—What’s the Difference?
When working on your writing, it’s essential to understand the difference between revising, editing, and proofreading.
Two helpful acronyms for guiding these processes are ARMS (for revising) and CUPS (for editing and proofreading).
ARMS
After brainstorming ideas, creating an outline, and drafting your work, the next step in the writing process is revising to refine and strengthen your writing. This stage allows you to take a closer look at your content and organization, ensuring your ideas are well-developed and flow logically. To help with this process, the acronym ARMS—Add, Remove, Move, Substitute—offers a structured approach to improving the clarity and effectiveness of your writing.
ARMS: Add, Remove, Move, Substitute
Use ARMS to ensure your writing is clear, complete, and well-organized:
- A: Add
- Add details, evidence, or examples to strengthen your argument or make your writing more engaging. Ensure you answer any lingering questions your audience might have.
- R: Remove
- Remove unnecessary words, phrases, or sentences that don’t contribute to your main ideas. Eliminate repetition or off-topic content.
- M: Move
- Move sentences or paragraphs to improve the flow of your writing. Rearrange ideas so they appear in a logical order, making your argument clearer.
- S: Substitute
- Substitute words or phrases to improve clarity or enhance the tone. Replace vague or repetitive language with more precise or varied choices.
After you’ve used ARMS to revise your work and ensure your ideas are clear and well-organized, it’s time to shift your focus to CUPS.
CUPS
While ARMS helps refine the overall structure and content of your writing, CUPS ensures your work is polished and free of errors. This transition from revising to editing is essential for producing high-quality writing that effectively communicates your message.
CUPS: Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, Spelling
Use CUPS to polish your writing and catch common errors:
- C: Capitalization
- Check for proper capitalization at the beginning of sentences, for names, titles, and proper nouns.
- U: Usage
- Ensure correct word usage, such as their/there/they’re or affect/effect. Double-check for subject-verb agreement and consistent tense.
- P: Punctuation
- Look for correct punctuation, including commas, periods, question marks, and quotation marks. Pay attention to where punctuation is needed for clarity.
- S: Spelling
- Review your spelling carefully. Even with spellcheck tools, watch for commonly confused words like to/too/two or its/it’s.
By using ARMS to shape your ideas and CUPS to fine-tune the details, you can take your writing to the next level. Taking the time to work through these steps helps your writing stand out and makes sure your ideas come across exactly how you want them to.