Revising and Editing - Essay Example

Revising and Editing There are vital differences between revising and editing, although most people mistakenly use these two terms interchangeably. Revision is quite complex as compared to editing. In revision, one has to have a different perspective of looking at their work. Alternatively, one may involve a second party in the revision process, so that revision is done basing on the questions and comments of the second reader. On the other hand, editing may involve the writer only, as the basic grammatical standards are of concern here.

Nonetheless, good writing must take into account all these processes to ensure the paper is accurate and impeccable. When revising a paper, one needs to focus beyond the simple grammar issues such as punctuation, spellings, and vocabulary use. Instead, revision must involve revisiting the paper and working on the weaknesses in the paper. First, one should ensure that the structure and organization of the paper is correct, with no component missing. The introduction, thesis statement, and conclusion must all be in place.

Bearing the assignment topic in mind, one must read the paper to ensure the content of the writing marries the assignment topic. This is important to avoid irrelevance. The flow of ideas from topic to topic in the paper is also paramount during revision. One may also focus on the transitioning between paragraphs as an aspect that enhances flow of work. In addition, one must check that their ideas in the paper, as well as their arguments are in line with their thesis statement. Since revision is an involving process, one may need to re-write paragraphs to bring them to right desired standards.

Revising mainly serves the function of ensuring that the presentation of the writing to the audience is effective. This is why revision focuses on the readability of the writing, the clarity of the work, as well as the logic of the paper. Failure to focus on these during revision may lead to misrepresentation and misinterpretation of the ideas, irrelevance in the work, and generally a poor quality paper. Editing, on the other hand takes a different focus on the paper. It mainly entails proofreading the work.

In editing, grammatical errors such as spelling, common word mix-ups, punctuation, vocabulary, capitalization, and other mechanical problems are of interest. One reads their paper, paying attention to these areas. Possible grammatical errors are then identified and corrected on the paper. For effective editing, one should not rush through the process, as they might miss significant mistakes in the paper. One should also consider reading out the paper loud, as this could be a simpler way of identifying errors.

However, one may also use spellcheckers and grammar checkers as a backup in their editing. The whole editing process must be performed with a lot of criticism to avoid leaving out errors. Editing is the last stage in writing, and serves to ensure clarity and conciseness of the work, and ensuring that the paper is on point, ready for presentation. Revising and editing are crucial in the writing process. These are essential in sharpening one’s writing skills. When one makes it a routine to revise and edit their work before submission, they become more familiar with their writing flaws, and will eventually perfect them to become good writers.

Every writer must therefore; revise and edit their work, as these two processes mark the boundary between good writers and poor writers. The major reasons to revise and edit one’s work are, to ensure clarity and quality of the paper and to enhance writing skills.