English: proofreading vs editing

Tutoring English, one encounters ideas about preparing work for submission. The tutor mentions the difference between proofreading and editing.

The following is by my understanding.

In the case of proofreading, the goal is to make sure what’s before the reader is what was intended, word for word and symbol for symbol. A way to imagine it is as if someone had to write a copy, by hand, of the original. Proofreading would make sure that the copy is a faithful reproduction of the original.

Editing means reading the work to determine if it conveys the intended message(s) as effectively as possible. Editing is a higher-level activity compared with proofreading.

Within the definitions above for proofreading and editing, proofreading can be completely finished, while some English teachers and writers might argue that editing never is.

Source:

Sabin, W.A., O’Neill, S.A. (1986). The Gregg Reference Manual, third Canadian edition. McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited.

Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.