Reference

Editing & Proofreading Checklists

Roger Fielding Published 18 July 2026 · 4 min read

You've done the hard part — the draft exists. These three passes are for the final sweep only: tick as you go, and if any line draws a blank, follow the link back to the article that actually teaches it.

Pass 1 — General mechanics

For anything you're sending out: an email, a CV, a report, a text to the group chat. Work top to bottom once; don't rewrite for style here.

Pro-Tip: Read the whole thing out loud once. Your ear catches the fragment, the run-on, and the missing word that your eye glides straight over at 4:55 on a Friday.

Pass 2 — Academic edit

For a teacher, tutor, marker, or any formal essay reader. Run Pass 1 first, then add these.

Common Mistake: Chasing a cleverer word while the structure underneath is still broken — a dropped verb, a half-attached clause. Fix the structure before you polish the vocabulary.

Pass 3 — Everyday / business edit

For emails, Slack messages, applications, reports, a note to the landlord — anything that has to land cleanly first time. Run Pass 1 first, then add these.

Pro-Tip: Do Pass 3 on-screen, then reread only the subject line and first sentence. That's often all a busy reader sees before deciding whether to open the thing at all.

Optional — UK / US consistency check

Only run this if the piece must match one target variety throughout. Pick a single column and confirm it holds end to end.

Check UK US Type
Spelling system (-our / -or, -re / -er, -ise / -ize) stays consistent → P8 colour, centre, organise color, center, organize rule (pick one system)
Vocabulary matches the target → P8 lift, flat, fortnight elevator, apartment, two weeks tendency
Quotation-mark style and adjacent punctuation match the variety / house style → P6 single then double often preferred double then single typical variant
One date format throughout → P6 · P7 24 March 2026 March 24, 2026 tendency
One variety only — no mid-document mix of -ise / -ize or programme / program → P8 tick if all UK tick if all US rule for this check

Confirm your spelling matches your target variety throughout. And don't invent extra UK/US splits to fill the form — if it isn't in the table above, it isn't a required divergence here.

Key Takeaways

  • Three passes, three jobs: mechanics (everyone), then academic or everyday / business polish on top.
  • Each tick is a check, not a lesson — blank mind, follow the home link.
  • The UK / US check is optional, and it's about consistency, not winning an argument about spelling.
  • Read aloud once; fix structure before style; match register to the reader.

Quick look-ups: the Master Index, the quick charts, and the style summaries pull these together when you'd rather browse than search.

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