Free ATI TEAS 7 English & Language Usage guide
October 2026 - Stages of the Writing Process Study Guide for nursing students in
Prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing. The distinction the exam tests is between the middle two: revising changes content and structure, editing corrects grammar, spelling and punctuation, and editing comes later.
The five stages
The order matters, and it is the order questions are built around.
- Prewriting
- Drafting
- Revising
- Editing
- Publishing
What happens at each stage
| Stage | The work | Typical activity |
|---|---|---|
| Prewriting | Generating and organising ideas before writing | Brainstorming, listing, mind mapping, outlining, research |
| Drafting | Getting the ideas into sentences | Writing without stopping to perfect anything |
| Revising | Improving content, structure and clarity | Reordering paragraphs, cutting sections, adding evidence, sharpening the thesis |
| Editing | Correcting the surface | Grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, citation format |
| Publishing | Sharing the finished piece | Submitting, presenting, printing |
Revising is about what you said; editing is about how it is written. Deleting a paragraph that does not support the thesis is revising. Fixing a comma splice is editing. Nearly every question on this topic turns on that line.
Prewriting techniques worth naming
- Brainstorming — listing everything that comes to mind without judging it.
- Freewriting — writing continuously for a set period to find out what you think.
- Mind mapping or clustering — arranging ideas visually to see how they group.
- Outlining — putting the points into an order before drafting.
- Research — gathering the sources the piece will rest on. This belongs before drafting, not after.
Why the order is not negotiable
Editing before revising wastes work. There is no point perfecting the punctuation of a paragraph you are about to delete, and no point choosing between two words in a sentence whose whole section is going to move.
The process is also not strictly linear in practice — a writer may return to prewriting when revising reveals a gap in the evidence. But for exam purposes, the sequence above is the answer, and the trap is any option that puts editing before revising.
Classifying an activity
Worked example
A student moves her third paragraph to the start, deletes a paragraph that repeats an earlier point, and adds a citation to support a claim. Which stage is this?
- Ask whether the changes concern content and structure or surface correctness.
- Reordering paragraphs changes structure.
- Deleting a repetitive paragraph changes content.
- Adding evidence changes the substance of the argument.
Revising. None of these touches grammar, spelling or punctuation, and all three change what the essay says or how it is organised — which is the revising side of the line.
Terms to know
- Prewriting
- Generating and organising ideas before drafting.
- Drafting
- Writing the first full version.
- Revising
- Changing content, structure and clarity.
- Editing
- Correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation and mechanics.
- Proofreading
- A final check for surface errors, at the end of editing.
- Publishing
- Sharing or submitting the finished piece.
- Outline
- A structured plan of the points in order, made during prewriting.
What the TEAS asks most
The same core ideas appear in different wording. If you can answer these without stopping to think, you have what this section requires.
Which stage comes next?
Prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing — in that order.
Is this revising or editing?
Content and structure is revising; grammar, spelling and punctuation is editing.
Which activity belongs to prewriting?
Anything done before sentences exist: brainstorming, outlining, research.
Key points
- The order is prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing.
- Revising changes what is said; editing corrects how it is written.
- Editing comes after revising, because perfecting text you will delete is wasted work.
- Research and outlining belong to prewriting.
- Proofreading is the final surface check, not a stage of its own.
Review quiz
4 questions on this topic, each with the reasoning worked through. Pick an answer to see how it went, or open the explanation straight away.
-
Question 1 of 4
A student rearranges her paragraphs and cuts a section that repeats an earlier point. Which stage of the writing process is she in?
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Revising
Both changes concern content and structure, which is what revising means. Editing would involve grammar, spelling or punctuation, and prewriting happens before any text exists.
-
Question 2 of 4
Which activity belongs to the editing stage?
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Correcting a comma splice and a misspelled term
Punctuation and spelling are surface features, which places them squarely in editing. The mind map is prewriting, while rethinking the thesis and adding evidence both change what the essay argues, making them revising.
-
Question 3 of 4
Why should editing come after revising rather than before?
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Because there is no point perfecting the grammar of text that revising may delete or move.
Editing a paragraph you later cut is wasted effort, which is the practical reason for the order. Revising happens precisely because a draft exists, and editing is a necessary stage rather than an optional one.
-
Question 4 of 4
Which of these is a prewriting activity?
Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Outlining the main points in the order they will appear
Outlining organises ideas before any drafting begins, which is the definition of prewriting. Formatting references is editing, reworking the conclusion is revising, and submission is publishing.
Put this TEAS topic into practice
Build a set on stages of the writing process and use the rationale on every question to reinforce what you just reviewed.
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