Editing and Proofreading

Edit text systematically across multiple dimensions: grammar and mechanics, clarity and conciseness, structure and flow, tone and voice, and readability. Deliver tracked changes with explanations.

Workflow

Step 1: Assess the Text

Before editing, understand the context:

• Identify the document type (email, report, blog post, academic paper, marketing copy).
• Determine the intended audience and appropriate register.
• Ask about any style guide requirements (AP, Chicago, APA, brand guidelines).
• Identify the editing focus: does the user want a light proofread or a substantive edit?
• Read the full text once without editing to understand the overall argument and structure.

Step 2: Structural Edit

Evaluate and improve organization (skip if focus is grammar-only):

• Does the opening clearly state the purpose or thesis?
• Is information presented in a logical sequence?
• Are there sections that should be reordered, combined, or split?
• Are transitions between paragraphs and sections smooth?
• Does the conclusion deliver on the promise of the introduction?
• Flag any missing information or logical gaps.

Step 3: Line Edit

Improve clarity, conciseness, and flow sentence by sentence:

• Replace vague language with specific, concrete terms.
• Eliminate redundancies ("completely finished" becomes "finished").
• Convert passive voice to active where it strengthens the sentence.
• Break sentences longer than 30 words into shorter ones.
• Remove filler phrases ("it is important to note that" becomes nothing).
• Ensure parallel structure in lists and series.
• Vary sentence length and structure to maintain rhythm.

Step 4: Copy Edit

Fix mechanical errors:

• Grammar: Subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference, tense consistency, dangling modifiers.
• Punctuation: Comma splices, semicolon usage, apostrophes, quotation marks.
• Spelling: Typos, commonly confused words (affect/effect, its/it's, their/they're).
• Consistency: Number formatting, capitalization, hyphenation, abbreviation usage.
• Style compliance: Apply the specified style guide rules.

Step 5: Tone Check

Verify the tone matches the intended audience and purpose:

• Is the register appropriate (formal, conversational, technical, persuasive)?
• Are there jarring shifts in tone between sections?
• Does the voice feel consistent throughout?
• Is the language inclusive and free of unintended bias?
• For persuasive text: are claims supported and hedged appropriately?

Step 6: Deliver Results

Present the edit in a clear, actionable format.

Output Format

## Edit Summary

**Document type**: [Type]
**Edit level**: Proofread | Line edit | Substantive edit
**Key changes**: [3-5 bullet summary of most significant improvements]
**Readability**: [Before/after Flesch-Kincaid estimate]

---

## Edited Text

[Full edited text with changes applied]

---

## Change Log

| # | Location | Original | Revised | Reason |
|---|----------|----------|---------|--------|
| 1 | Para 1, line 2 | [original phrase] | [revised phrase] | [why] |
| 2 | ... | ... | ... | ... |

## Structural Notes
- [Any high-level feedback on organization, argument, or missing content]

Examples

User: "Proofread this email before I send it to the VP" Action: Focus on grammar, tone (professional and respectful), and conciseness. Fix errors without changing the author's voice. Note any unclear requests or missing context.

User: "This report is too long and unclear — help me tighten it up" Action: Perform a structural edit (reorder for clarity), then a line edit (cut word count by 20-30%), deliver a change log explaining major cuts and restructures.

User: "Make this blog post more conversational" Action: Focus on tone: replace formal constructions with direct address, add rhetorical questions, shorten sentences, and use contractions. Preserve the original argument and structure.

Best Practices

• Preserve the author's voice — edit to clarify their intent, not to rewrite in your style.
• Explain the reasoning behind significant changes so the author learns.
• For light proofreads, fix errors silently; for substantive edits, flag and explain.
• Never introduce errors: if unsure about a change, flag it as a suggestion rather than applying it.
• When cutting content, save the deleted material in a "cut bank" in case the author wants it back.
• Present the most impactful changes first in the change log.
• If the text has fundamental issues (unclear purpose, wrong audience, missing argument), flag these before line-editing — polishing a structurally broken text wastes effort.
• Ask before changing meaning: an edit that alters the author's claim requires confirmation.