40 Prompts for Editing & Proofreading

Marisol Vega files a 1,400-word markets column for The Quarter Report every Thursday, and her first drafts always land at 2,100 words with the argument buried under paragraph six. The 40 prompts below are the edit passes she runs before filing, ordered from structural cuts down to the last typo sweep. Each one is copy-paste ready; replace anything in square brackets with your own text. For the settings that keep long edits stable, pair these with the ChatGPT editing settings guide, and if you are unsure whether to rewrite or merely correct, read rewrite versus edit prompts.

Pass 1: Structural Cuts Before You Polish

Cutting first saves you from perfecting sentences you will delete. Run these on the raw draft.

Trim the column to a hard word budget without losing the argument.

You are a ruthless newspaper editor. Cut this markets column from [current word count] to [target word count]. Keep the central claim, the two strongest data points, and the household-budget takeaway. Delete whole paragraphs rather than shaving clauses. Return the cut text, then list what you removed and why: [paste column].

Rank paragraphs so you can see which ones are load-bearing.

Read this draft and rank every paragraph from 1 (essential) to 5 (deletable) for a finance reader who skims. Give a one-line reason per paragraph. Do not rewrite anything yet: [paste column].

Pull the buried claim out of paragraph six.

The main argument of this column sits in paragraph 6. Rewrite the opening so the claim appears in the first two sentences, then show me the new lede plus the single sentence you would cut to make room: [paste column].

Re-sequence sections so the logic runs forward.

Reorder the sections of this column so each one sets up the next. Current order: [list]. Propose a new order, and for each move explain in one line why it improves the read.

Merge two paragraphs that repeat the same idea.

Paragraphs [x] and [y] of this column cover overlapping ground. Merge them into one tighter paragraph, keeping the better sentence from each, and flag the duplicate phrase you removed: [paste both paragraphs].

Split a dense wall of text into readable blocks.

Paragraph [x] is too long to read on mobile. Break it into two or three paragraphs at natural thought boundaries without changing any wording. Show me where each break falls.

Reduce the column to a claims-only skeleton first.

Strip this column down to its skeleton: list each claim as one sentence, in order, with no evidence or color. I will use the skeleton to spot gaps before I rewrite: [paste column].

Pass 2: Sentence-Level Line Edits

Once the structure holds, tighten the prose sentence by sentence.

Tighten flabby sentences without dropping facts.

Rewrite each of these sentences 20 percent shorter while keeping every number and name intact. Preserve Marisol's dry, factual voice. Return the revised sentences with a before/after word count: [paste sentences].

Flip passive constructions into active ones.

Find every passive construction in this column and rewrite it in active voice. If the actor is genuinely unknown, leave it passive and mark it. List each change: [paste column].

Vary sentence length so the rhythm does not drone.

This column has too many sentences of similar length. Rewrite the passage so sentence length alternates between short (under 12 words) and medium, keeping the meaning. Mark the sentence lengths: [paste passage].

Replace weak verbs with precise ones.

Swap every bland verb in this column (is, has, makes, does) for a more precise verb that fits finance writing. Do not add adjectives. Show a two-column list of swaps: [paste column].

Strip hedging phrases that dilute the claim.

Remove hedges such as "somewhat", "arguably", "it could be said" from this column. Where a hedge hides a real uncertainty, replace it with the specific condition instead of deleting it: [paste column].

Unpack noun-heavy phrases back into verbs.

Rewrite nominalizations in this text ("the implementation of", "the utilization of") as direct verbs. Keep meaning and keep the register formal but plain: [paste column].

Cut adverb clutter.

Delete adverbs that add no information ("very", "really", "extremely", "basically"). Keep only adverbs that change the meaning of the verb. Return the edited text and the list of cuts: [paste column].

Kill the throat-clearing first sentence.

My opening sentence only warms up. Replace it with a sentence that states the news directly and names the number that matters. Give me three options, each under 20 words: [paste opening].

Pass 3: Grammar, Punctuation & House Style

Lock the mechanics so the copy reads clean to a copy desk.

Run a full grammar and punctuation pass with tracked changes.

Proofread this column for grammar, punctuation, and agreement errors. Return the corrected text, then a numbered list of every change with the reason. Do not reword sentences for style: [paste column].

Enforce AP-style number formatting.

Reformat all numbers in this column to AP style: spell out one through nine, use figures for 10 and above, use numerals for percentages, and use "percent" not "%". List each change: [paste column].

Fix comma splices and run-on sentences.

Find every comma splice and run-on in this column. Fix each one with the lightest touch (a semicolon, a period, or a conjunction). Show the original and the fix side by side: [paste column].

Standardize capitalization of titles and roles.

Make capitalization of job titles, company names, and government agencies consistent in this column. Follow the rule: lowercase titles after a name, capitalize before a name. List the changes: [paste column].

Make dashes and hyphens consistent.

Audit every dash and hyphen in this text. Replace hyphen-as-dash with em dashes, ensure consistent spacing, and flag any compound modifier missing a hyphen. Return the corrected text: [paste column].

Correct quote and attribution punctuation.

Fix punctuation around quotations and attributions in this column: commas and periods inside quotes, attribution after the first clause, no doubled punctuation. List each fix: [paste column].

Fix subject-verb agreement in dense sentences.

Check subject-verb agreement in this column, especially in sentences with long intervening clauses or "data", "committee", and "staff". Correct any breaks and explain each one briefly: [paste column].

Pass 4: Numbers, Facts & Compliance

Financial copy gets pulled over an error here. Check it twice.

Cross-check percentages against the stated totals.

Verify that percentages in this column add up and match the underlying figures. Flag any share that does not equal the part divided by the total, and show the arithmetic: [paste column].

Flag any claim that has no source.

List every factual claim in this column that lacks a source. For each, suggest the type of source that would settle it (e.g., an earnings filing, a central-bank release). Do not invent sources: [paste column].

Add attribution lines for analyst quotes.

For each analyst quote in this column, insert a compact attribution line with role and firm. If the role is missing, mark it [role?] rather than guessing: [paste column].

Separate percent from percentage points.

Find every place this column says a rate "rose X percent". Check whether it should be percentage points. Correct the wording and explain each fix in one line: [paste column].

Make sure every figure carries a date or period.

For each number in this column, confirm it has a period attached ("as of June", "year over year"). Add the missing ones and flag any figure you cannot date: [paste column].

Confirm the compliance disclosure sits in the right place.

My editor requires the standard disclosure paragraph directly above the household-budget sidebar. Tell me where it currently sits in this column and what to move: [paste column].

Pass 5: Tone, Reader Fit & Packaging

Now make the piece land for a general reader, not just a trading desk.

Grade the reading level for a general audience.

Estimate the reading grade level of this column sentence by sentence. List the five hardest sentences and rewrite each for a general reader without dumbing down the fact: [paste column].

Swap market jargon for plain words.

Replace jargon terms in this column (basis points, drawdown, duration, soft landing) with plain-language equivalents on first use, keeping the precise term in parentheses. List the swaps: [paste column].

Make the household-budget implication explicit.

My readers want to know what this data means for their own budget. Add one sentence at the end of the analysis that states the household-level implication plainly. Do not speculate beyond the data: [paste column].

Write eight headline options under 60 characters.

Write 8 headline options for this column, each under 60 characters, each carrying a real number or a concrete noun. No clickbait, no questions. Rank them by how well they match the piece: [paste column].

Write subheads that carry the argument.

Write 5 subheads for this column. Each should state a mini-claim, not just a label. Keep each under 8 words and match the dry tone of The Quarter Report: [paste column].

Check that the tone stays dry and factual.

Flag any sentence in this column that drifts into hype, irony, or editorializing. Suggest a flat rewrite for each. My house tone is measured and factual: [paste column].

Add a two-line “what this means” callout.

Write a two-line callout box for this column: line one states the finding, line two states the action a reader can take. Under 30 words total, no exclamation marks: [paste column].

Pass 6: Final Proofread & QA

The last sweep. Nothing new gets written here — only errors get caught.

Hunt typos without changing a single word.

Proofread this text for typos, doubled words, and missing words only. Do not change style, structure, or word choice. Return the corrected text and a list of every fix: [paste final column].

Run a read-aloud flow check.

Read this column as if aloud. Mark every spot where you would stumble, pause awkwardly, or lose breath in a sentence. Suggest the smallest fix for each: [paste column].

Confirm every ticker and figure matches the source note.

Compare these two texts. Flag any number, ticker, company name, or date in the column that does not match the source note exactly. List only the mismatches: column [paste], source note [paste].

Check byline, dateline, and word count header.

My filing template needs the byline, the dateline, and the final word count in the first three lines. Check this draft's header and tell me what is missing or misordered: [paste header].

Diff the final against last week’s style sheet.

Compare this column against my house style sheet and list any rule it breaks. Style sheet rules: [paste rules]. Column: [paste column].

Bonus Moves That Beat Any Single Prompt

Chain the passes, do not combine them. Asking for cuts and proofreading in one prompt makes the model negotiate with itself. Run one pass, accept it, then run the next. Keep a change log. Tell the model to list what it cut every time; you will catch the day it deletes your compliance line. Feed it the style sheet last. A final diff against house rules catches drift that accumulated across five passes. And when a sentence still feels off after three edits, rewrite it from scratch rather than prompting again — the problem is usually upstream, in the paragraph it sits in. If you want reusable output formats for these passes, see the structure and output-format guide.

Sources & Notes

Prompts in this list were tested against ChatGPT (GPT-4o class) and Claude 3.5-class models through 2024-2025 and are model-agnostic. Editing prompts work best when you paste the actual text rather than describing it, and when you name a target word count instead of asking for “shorter”. The disclosure and style-sheet examples reflect a typical financial desk; adapt the rule names to your own publication’s standards.