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Editing and Proofreading: The Difference

Rough draft completed? Excellent. Now, learn how to edit and proofread that writing before submission.

Difference between editing and proofreading

What is the difference between editing and proofreading? There is a distinct difference between the two.

  • Editing is the first task that should be undertaken after finishing the first draft of a piece of text. It involves checking the content of the text to ensure that the ideas are expressed clearly and logically. The piece of writing should form a clear and meaningful whole. Editing requires careful analysis and critical thinking.
  • Proofreading involves checking over the text in finer detail after the editing stage, to detect errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar and format. Proofreading requires a great deal of attention to detail.

Editing and proofreading both require close and careful reading, but they focus on different parts of your writing and use different techniques.

  • Careful editing and proofreading of your writing can improve your overall marks.
  • You should have edited and re-drafted your assignment several times before you proofread.
  • Once you have done all your editing, then you can proofread your work.