A Young Writer Wants to Know...
Posted: Thursday, June 17, 2010
by K Soash
Writing For You Now
The young junior high student was looking forward to seeing her grade on her history paper as the teacher handed them out. But as she reached for it she noticed a written note on it that said: "Please revise, edit and proofread this paper before placing in my box again."
The young student's heart sank and perplexed by this request began to wonder what the difference was between revising, editing, and proofreading.
1. Revise: This is the process in writing that takes place as you start putting down your words and ideas on paper, or typing them into your computer. For example: You may start writing about cats and you may change your focus to Tigers. Or you may write a sentence related to the size of that Tiger then change its description to clarify its size. So in essence, it is the process of organizing and re-organizing your thoughts and ideas.
2. Edit: This is the process of correcting any errors and checking for accuracy. For example: You may check to make sure your sentences make sense, check for any word over-use, and shorten those long, long, sentences. Check for clarity and accuracy by checking for new errors, as your sentences and their meanings will change when you edit. Don't rely on spell checker to tell you the difference between here' and hear'. Check for accuracy.
3. Proofread: This is the last step in the writing process. For example: In proofreading, you are checking for correct grammatical usage which includes sentence structure, punctuation, and spelling. You may want to read your paper out loud as this helps to see if you've misplaced a word or left out a word you thought was there. Look for missing commas and make sure you have complete sentences.
For this young writer/student, revising, editing, and proofreading are essential in writing, especially when it comes to turning in any written assignment for academic credit. In a nut shell, these three points are the processes of amending the text in order to make corrections to update or to improve, in this case, a written work.
This student will surely improve her grade by following these writing tips.
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