Revising vs Editing

 

Revising and editing are two distinct but essential stages of the writing process. Both are aimed at improving the quality of writing, but they focus on different aspects.

Revising:

Revising is the process of reworking and improving the content, structure, and ideas of a draft. It’s about making your writing better overall, looking at the bigger picture. During revision, the focus is on:

• Content: Is the information clear, complete, and well-organized? Are there gaps in the argument or missing details?
• Structure: Does the writing flow logically? Are ideas presented in the best possible order?
• Tone and Voice: Is the tone appropriate for the audience? Does the writing have a consistent voice?
• Clarity: Are sentences clear, concise, and easy to understand? Can anything be reworded for clarity?
• Adding, Removing, or Changing Content: This can involve adding more details, cutting unnecessary sections, or rewording sentences to make them more engaging.

Examples of revising:

• Adding a supporting example to make an argument clearer.
• Rewriting a paragraph to improve its flow.
• Moving sentences around to improve the order of ideas.
• Expanding or changing a description to make it more vivid.

Editing:

Editing comes after revision and focuses on polishing the writing by addressing mechanical issues, such as grammar, spelling, punctuation, and consistency. It’s about making sure the writing is technically correct and ready for publication or submission. During editing, the focus is on:

• Grammar: Ensuring sentence structure is correct (e.g., subject-verb agreement, sentence fragments, run-on sentences).
• Spelling and Punctuation: Correcting spelling mistakes, punctuation errors, and capitalization.
• Consistency: Ensuring consistency in style (e.g., consistent use of tense, point of view, formatting).
• Clarity and Readability: Fixing any awkward phrasing or unclear sentences that remain after revision.
• Style: Ensuring the writing adheres to the appropriate style guide (e.g., MLA, APA) if applicable.

Examples of editing:

• Correcting spelling errors ("definately" to "definitely").
• Fixing comma splices (e.g., "I went to the store, I forgot my wallet" becomes "I went to the store, but I forgot my wallet").
• Ensuring consistent verb tense (e.g., making sure past tense is used throughout if that’s the choice).

Summary of Key Differences:

• Revising: Focuses on the big picture, improving content, structure, and clarity. It involves adding, changing, or removing parts of the text to make the writing more effective and engaging.
• Editing: Focuses on the details, correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting. It ensures that the writing is technically correct and polished.             

By Raven Richards