Student Information

• Tutoring
• Handouts for Writing
• International students
• Writing Resources

Become a Consultant

• Undergraduate Work Study
• Graduate Assistantship

Faculty Information

• Academic Integrity
• Referring Students
• Writing Center Facts

Related Writing Links

• Documenting Sources
• Reference Sites
• Writing in the Disciplines

Revising vs Editing

How to Tell the Difference

Knowing the difference between editing and revision is essential for every writer. When you're able to distinguish between the two, it's easy to determine which approach will help your writing most. All writing benefits from revision and editing. Knowledge of when and how to use them helps you develop and present your ideas effectively beyond the basics.

Revision

Revising is like tearing down your mediocre home to rebuild it as something spectacular. Although you've worked really hard to create your standard suburban house, what you really want is the mansion in Beverly Hills . This type of construction involves a major overhaul of your existing home. You may be able to use some of the materials from your original house, but new building supplies will be needed.

Revision is all about a fresh examination of your ideas. It is literally RE-VISION. You must look at your ideas in a new way in order to truly see new options or hidden potential. You may change your approach, the focus, or even some of your ideas and sources. Keep the parts of your paper that contribute to your new vision/plan and delete the ideas that are no longer necessary.

Editing

Editing is not about new constructions or even remodeling a room. It simply addresses minor household jobs, like fixing a leaky faucet, choosing wall paper, or cleaning up the dirty corners of your house.

Editing deals only with the minor details of your writing. Usually the final step in the writing process, editing is correcting grammatical and stylistic problems -- word choice, spelling, grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation. These elements of your writing are important for the best presentation of your finished ideas.

Bottom Line:

Build your house (essay) to be the best it can be; then clean it up and decorate before inviting others in .

The Writing Center
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
© 2006

Location:

Room 101 Davis Hall

Clarion, PA

Phone:

(814) 393-2173

Hours:

Monday- Thursday

8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday:

8 a.m. to 3 p.m.