Editing And Proofreading Terms

noun a person who finds fault with details or minor points

verb to engage in nitpicking, to criticize or find fault with minor details

• The professor is known to nitpick every detail in the research papers submitted by students.
• My mom always nitpicks about the way I fold my clothes.
• Stop nitpicking, it's not a big deal.
• Don't nitpick at the flaws in the plan, focus on the overall strategy instead.

noun a person who is overly concerned with minor details or faults

• The nitpicker in the group always pointed out small errors in the data analysis report.
• Don't be such a nitpicker and just enjoy the movie.
• My brother is a real nitpicker when it comes to cleaning his room.
• The artist was a nitpicker when it came to perfecting the details in his paintings.

verb to reexamine or make corrections to something, such as written work or a plan

• Before submitting your final report, make sure to revise it for any errors or inconsistencies.
• Hey, can you revise my essay for me before I turn it in?
• I need to revise my presentation before the big meeting tomorrow.
• Sometimes in life, we need to revise our plans in order to achieve our goals.

noun a person who rewrites news stories for publication

• The rewrite man carefully crafted the article to ensure accuracy and clarity.
• The rewrite man fixed up the article to make it better.
• The rewrite man jazzed up the article to make it pop.
• The rewrite man sculpted the article into a masterpiece.

verb to make or become shorter in length or duration

• We must find a way to shorten the time it takes to complete this project.
• Can you please shorten this email before sending it out?
• Let's try to shorten the meeting so we can all go home early.
• Sometimes, hardships can help to shorten the distance between two people.

noun a word that functions as the name of a specific person, place, thing, or idea

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

• The Latin phrase 'sic' is often used in academic writing to indicate that a quoted passage is reproduced verbatim, errors and all.
• I saw a sign that said 'Open 24/7 sic on Sundays' - I think they meant 'except on Sundays.'
• He wrote 'I'm sic on this new song' to show his excitement and enthusiasm for the music.
• The artist's use of bold colors and abstract shapes in the painting was 'sic on' traditional art styles.

noun a person who insists on a certain quality or type of behavior

adjective characterized by insistence on a particular quality or type

• He is a stickler for following the rules and regulations.
• My mom is a stickler about keeping the house clean.
• Don't be such a stickler, just go with the flow.
• She's a stickler for perfection, always striving for excellence in everything she does.

noun a line drawn under a word or phrase for emphasis

verb to draw a line under something to give emphasis or highlight

• It is important to underline key points in your presentation to emphasize their significance.
• Make sure to underline the due date on the assignment sheet so you don't forget.
• I always underline the juicy gossip in my magazines.
• The artist used different colors to underline the emotions in his painting.

noun a person who works with words; a skilled writer or editor

• The wordsmith crafted a beautiful piece of poetry that moved the audience to tears.
• My friend is such a wordsmith, she can come up with clever puns on the spot.
• I heard that rapper is a real wordsmith, his lyrics are always on point.
• The CEO is a wordsmith when it comes to negotiating deals, he always knows the right thing to say.

adjective describing a state of not being corrected or fixed

• The uncorrected errors in the report led to misunderstandings among the team.
• I noticed some uncorrected mistakes in your homework.
• Dude, your uncorrected typos are making your text look unprofessional.
• Her uncorrected behavior continued to cause problems in her relationships.