{"id":1300,"date":"2025-04-24T17:29:45","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T17:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=1300"},"modified":"2025-06-26T19:48:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T19:48:15","slug":"revising-and-proofreading-background-youll-need-1","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/revising-and-proofreading-background-youll-need-1\/","title":{"raw":"Revising and Proofreading: Background You'll Need","rendered":"Revising and Proofreading: Background You&#8217;ll Need"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Differentiate between revising, editing, and proofreading<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<figure id=\"attachment_457\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-457\">\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_457\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-457 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5208\/2020\/06\/15172912\/remodel-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"early stages of a home renovation project\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/> Figure 1. Revising is done during the writing process, similar to the changes and updates made during a home revision process.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-457\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\nAs you dive into the revision process, it is important to learn the difference between three key terms:\u00a0<strong>revising<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>editing<\/strong>, and\u00a0<strong>proofreading<\/strong>. These terms are often used interchangeably to refer to the process of \u201cfixing\u201d a rough draft and turning it into a polished final piece of writing, but they are actually distinct stages in the overall revision process.\r\n<h3>Revising<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Revising is done throughout the writing process, with special emphasis on the first few drafts.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Focus = big issues\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Audience<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Organization<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Content<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Evidence<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Transitions\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_459\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-459 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5208\/2020\/06\/15173100\/painting-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Home renovation project in the middle stages.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/> Figure 2. Editing is also done throughout the writing process, but typically in the later stages when the main framework is there and the changes relate to technical issues.[\/caption]\r\n<figure id=\"attachment_459\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-459\">\r\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\r\n<figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-459\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Editing<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Editing is done throughout the writing process, with special emphasis on the middle and final drafts.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Focus = technical issues\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Flow<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Word choice<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Clarity<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Style<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Textual inconsistencies<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Proofreading<\/h3>\r\nProofreading is reserved for the final draft and is all about fixing mistakes. Here\u2019s where we want to make sure our sentences and formatting are perfect.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_461\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-461 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5208\/2020\/06\/15182400\/hanging_a_houseplant-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Hanging a plant in a house.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/> Figure 3. Proofreading is the final stage of review, akin to the last stages of setting up the room after a home renovation.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nFocus = mechanics and presentation\r\n<figure id=\"attachment_461\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-461\">\r\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div>\r\n<figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-461\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Spelling<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Punctuation<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Format<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Typographical errors (\u201ctypos\u201d)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nYou can see from these definitions that there is a logical order to these steps: revision, then editing, then proofreading. It wouldn\u2019t make sense to meticulously edit the grammar, word choice, and style of a sentence if that sentence just got cut in the revision stage.\r\n\r\n<section class=\"textbox proTip\" aria-label=\"Pro Tip\">While you will generally follow the revising &gt; editing &gt; proofreading order, writing is a recursive process. In other words, this order is fluid, and you may return to different stages of the process more than once before you are totally done with an essay. You may fix a grammar error while you\u2019re in the middle of drafting, or you might be struck with inspiration while you\u2019re proofreading and decide to add another full paragraph to your essay! This is one of the fun things about writing. There are general rules, steps, and suggestions, but ultimately, the process is your own.<\/section>","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\n<ul>\n<li>Differentiate between revising, editing, and proofreading<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<figure id=\"attachment_457\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-457\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_457\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-457\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-457 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5208\/2020\/06\/15172912\/remodel-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"early stages of a home renovation project\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-457\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 1. Revising is done during the writing process, similar to the changes and updates made during a home revision process.<\/figcaption><\/figure><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-457\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As you dive into the revision process, it is important to learn the difference between three key terms:\u00a0<strong>revising<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>editing<\/strong>, and\u00a0<strong>proofreading<\/strong>. These terms are often used interchangeably to refer to the process of \u201cfixing\u201d a rough draft and turning it into a polished final piece of writing, but they are actually distinct stages in the overall revision process.<\/p>\n<h3>Revising<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Revising is done throughout the writing process, with special emphasis on the first few drafts.<\/li>\n<li>Focus = big issues\n<ul>\n<li>Audience<\/li>\n<li>Organization<\/li>\n<li>Content<\/li>\n<li>Evidence<\/li>\n<li>Transitions<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_459\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-459\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-459 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5208\/2020\/06\/15173100\/painting-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Home renovation project in the middle stages.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-459\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 2. Editing is also done throughout the writing process, but typically in the later stages when the main framework is there and the changes relate to technical issues.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_459\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-459\">\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-459\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Editing<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Editing is done throughout the writing process, with special emphasis on the middle and final drafts.<\/li>\n<li>Focus = technical issues\n<ul>\n<li>Flow<\/li>\n<li>Word choice<\/li>\n<li>Clarity<\/li>\n<li>Style<\/li>\n<li>Textual inconsistencies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Proofreading<\/h3>\n<p>Proofreading is reserved for the final draft and is all about fixing mistakes. Here\u2019s where we want to make sure our sentences and formatting are perfect.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<figure id=\"attachment_461\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-461\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-461 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5208\/2020\/06\/15182400\/hanging_a_houseplant-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Hanging a plant in a house.\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-461\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 3. Proofreading is the final stage of review, akin to the last stages of setting up the room after a home renovation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Focus = mechanics and presentation<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_461\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-461\">\n<div class=\"mceTemp\"><\/div><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-461\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Spelling<\/li>\n<li>Punctuation<\/li>\n<li>Format<\/li>\n<li>Typographical errors (\u201ctypos\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can see from these definitions that there is a logical order to these steps: revision, then editing, then proofreading. It wouldn\u2019t make sense to meticulously edit the grammar, word choice, and style of a sentence if that sentence just got cut in the revision stage.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox proTip\" aria-label=\"Pro Tip\">While you will generally follow the revising &gt; editing &gt; proofreading order, writing is a recursive process. In other words, this order is fluid, and you may return to different stages of the process more than once before you are totally done with an essay. You may fix a grammar error while you\u2019re in the middle of drafting, or you might be struck with inspiration while you\u2019re proofreading and decide to add another full paragraph to your essay! This is one of the fun things about writing. There are general rules, steps, and suggestions, but ultimately, the process is your own.<\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":224,"module-header":"background_you_need","content_attributions":[],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1300"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1300\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2157,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1300\/revisions\/2157"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/224"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1300\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=1300"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=1300"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=1300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}