What is the primary purpose of editing and revising a document?

The primary purpose of editing and revising a document is to enhance clarity, coherence, style, and accuracy in writing. This process involves reviewing the text to refine the message, ensuring that it is easily understandable and logically structured. By focusing on clarity, a writer can eliminate ambiguities and improve the overall flow of the document, making it more engaging for the reader.

Coherence involves organizing ideas in a way that connects them logically, allowing the reader to follow the argument or narrative seamlessly. Style refers to the writer’s voice and choice of language, which can be adjusted to better suit the intended audience and purpose of the document. Accuracy ensures that the information presented is correct and well-supported, reinforcing the credibility of the writing.

The other options are less aligned with the fundamental goals of editing and revising. While adding information may occasionally be necessary, it is not a primary objective of this process. Summarizing the entire content might occur in specific contexts but does not reflect the intention behind editing and revising as it often requires distilling ideas rather than refining them. Changing the main idea of a writing piece typically falls outside the norms of editing; rather, it focuses on enhancing and clarifying the existing ideas.