WW2: Lesson - Editing vs. Revising

Editing vs. Revising

In your past writing experiences, you have most likely gone through the process of editing and revising your work. You fix spelling errors, amend the formatting, and improve punctuation; however, there are differences between what many call editing and revision. Revision refers to any major changes that you must make to your writing: organizational and structure errors, additions or deletions of sections in your essay, and refocus of topic in portions of your paper. For research writing, you might even need to go back to your sources for additional information or clarification. Editing is typically completed AFTER any significant revisions are made to your writing. It is with editing that you address issues like syntax and diction errors, as well as any grammar or punctuation problems that you might have spotted.

Tips for Editing and Revising

Download the following presentation on editing and revising Links to an external site. (presentation is also embedded below). Keep these tips in mind when making changes to your own writing.

Practice Activity

For each of the following scenarios, select whether it is editing or revising.

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