New Hampshire Foundations of Reading Practice Test

What does the editing process primarily involve?

1. Creating a new initial draft

2. Reconsidering ideas and changing the structure

3. Adding more characters to a story

4. Improving grammar and spelling only

The correct answer is: Reconsidering ideas and changing the structure

The editing process primarily involves reconsidering ideas and changing the structure of a piece of writing. This means that during editing, a writer looks at how the content is organized, evaluates the effectiveness of the arguments or narratives, and may make significant adjustments to enhance clarity and flow. This phase allows the author to assess whether the intended message is effectively communicated and whether the overall structure supports that message. While aspects like grammar and spelling may be addressed in editing, the core focus is on the content and its presentation. This distinguishes editing from initial drafting, which is more about generating ideas and content rather than refining them. Other tasks such as adding more characters or creating a new draft fall outside the main scope of editing, highlighting the importance of structural and conceptual improvement in this phase of the writing process.