Your First and Most Important Step: Check Your Course Policy
Before using any idea from this module for an assignment, you must understand your instructor's specific AI policy. Seriously. Print it out. Write it on your hand. Set it as your phone wallpaper. Violating the policy doesn't just risk academic consequences—it undermines the very reason you're here: to learn. This module shows you what's possible with AI, but your instructor's guidelines are the final word on what's permissible.
Just like learning, writing is hard. Like, "staring at a blank page for three hours while eating your body weight in snacks" hard. But it's supposed to be. That struggle is your brain doing the work. While AI can generate flawless-looking text in seconds, it skips the most important part: the mental workout. The real value of writing isn't just the finished text; it's the thinking you do to get there.
Writing is how you:
The good news? Writing gets easier (or at least less painful) when you make it purposeful.
Your instructor's policy will likely fall into one of these three broad categories, though the specific details will vary. That's why reading the exact policy on your syllabus is so important.
Regardless of the level of AI work you are permitted to use, the goal of this module isn't to help you avoid the hard work of writing. It's to show you how to use AI to make that hard work more productive, insightful, and even fun. Let's get started.
Before you even open an AI tool, you need a plan for transparency. When you use generative AI to support you with a project or assignment, your goal is to use it as a legitimate tool while also documenting its use. An AI contribution statement is a simple, ethical way to document your process for your instructor and for yourself. It helps turn AI use from a secret into a scholarly practice.
While not always mandatory in your class, documenting your AI use is a powerful habit that:
Follow Your Instructor's Lead. The best method for documentation depends on the scope of your project and might be specified by your instructor. If you don't have a specific documentation model to follow, the two models below are good, adaptable starting points.
[CONCEPTUAL GRAPHIC: Model A (Checklist) vs. Model B (Flowchart)]
Best for: Essays, research papers, lab reports, or any single-document assignment where AI was used for specific, distinct tasks.
Concept: Based on the work of Albada & Woods (2025) and Weaver (2024) this model is a concise, point-by-point summary of each interaction with an AI tool. You create a new entry for each significant use.
For each significant use, document the following:
Example 1 (Narrative Style):
“In writing this research proposal, I used Chatbot GPT, on December 9th, to help me with understanding the conceptual definitions and differences between research ethics and research integrity. It started with the following prompt: ‘Write a 300-word piece about the difference between research ethics and research integrity.’ Then I used other similar prompts to help me better understand these two constructs. The generated text was not copied verbatim and included in my Research Proposal; it was paraphrased and included in the Overall Introduction. I further used academic citations and other readings that I have done to assist with my paraphrasing.”
Example 2 (Structured Style):
Best For: Capstone projects, portfolios, design projects, or any work where AI is integrated throughout a long-term creative process.
Concept: Instead of logging every single prompt, you write a narrative that describes the overall role AI played in your workflow. This approach focuses on the process and your strategic decisions, demonstrating how you directed the AI as a tool to achieve your project goals.
Example: For a real-world model, you can read the detailed Process Narrative outlining how this very AI Literacy website was built using AI as a strategic partner:
See the AI Contribution Statement for This Website
An AI Contribution Statement is a declaration of your own intellectual honesty and confidence. It demonstrates that you are in control of your tools and are proud of the work—and thinking—that you have contributed. Ultimately, it's a tool for self-reflection that helps you answer the only question that truly matters: At the end of the day, whose thinking is on the page?
Pre-writing (e.g., brainstorming, free-writing, clustering, and outlining) transforms a vague topic into a workable blueprint. Done well, it identifies hidden angles and ideas, spots weak links early, and saves drafting time later. AI can act as an always-on collaborator, offering fresh perspectives and fast categorization without stealing your voice. The activities that follow combine hands-on exercises with targeted prompts so you stay in control while the machine handles the heavy lifting.
Activity inspired by: Writer's Block Brain Dump from The Savvy Red Pen
Create a rich bank of ideas on a topic, beginning with a solo brain-dump and then inviting AI to widen the lens without drowning your ideas. We'll pick an arbitrary example of a topic for this exercise: Cultural-Studies essay on “Food and Identity in Immigrant Communities”
Use your brain first
Get Some AI Input
Act as a cultural-studies brainstorming partner. For this list of ideas on the topic of Food and Identity in Immigrant Communities:
[add list here]
Identify common themes and split the ideas into categories.
Act as a cultural-studies brainstorm partner. For each category below, list two new angles or ideas (≤15 words each) that we have not already discussed. Then suggest one wildcard angle unrelated to any category.
Categories: [list categories here]
Note: As long as you are having this conversation in the same thread in the generative AI chatbot, it will have all of the ideas discussed in its context, so you don't have to list them again.
Activity inspired by: Question Formulation Technique (QFT)
Turn a broad course theme into a sharp, research-ready question blending your own brainstorming via the QFT with a short burst of AI amplification. We'll pick an arbitrary example: Participation in Canadian federal elections by young voters is consistently much less than participation by older voters.
Use your brain first
Get Some AI Input
Act as my political-science research aide.
For the general top [paste topic here]
and my questions here:
[paste starred questions]
Suggest:
• 3 probing follow-up questions
• 3 political science theories that could frame my analysis
• 3 places I could find supporting data (organisations, datasets or keyword phrases)
Activity inspired by: Organizing Your Argument (Purdue OWL)
Craft a defensible thesis, then poke holes in it before anyone else can.
Drafting the Thesis
Evaluate this thesis for clarity, debatable claim, and scope. Give a scored rubric (0–3) in each category plus one tightening suggestion.
Thesis: "<your thesis>"
Tip: If you have a rubric from your class about what makes a good thesis statement, include it in the prompt!
Stress-Testing the Thesis
Here is my thesis: "<your revised thesis>"
Identify THREE persuasive counterarguments that an informed critic might raise.
For EACH counterargument, include ONE concise piece of evidence (e.g., a statistic, study, or report title + year) the critic could cite.
Format:
Counterargument 1 – ~25 words
Evidence – ~25 words
Remember: Verify AI-generated evidence. An AI might invent sources or statistics. That evidence may or may not actually exist. Always treat AI suggestions as leads to be verified from a credible source.
Activity inspired by: Affinity Diagrams (American Society for Quality)
Use this if you have a bunch of ideas, but don't know where to go next. This method uses a manual "card sort" to build your core structure, then invites AI to give you feedback.
Use your own brain first
Get AI Input
If you used physical sticky notes, take a picture of the grouped notes. Feed it into an AI tool with image input (like ChatGPT mobile or Google Gemini) and ask it to "OCR this" or "transcribe the text from this image" to get your physical notes into a digital format.
Act as a writing instructor and argumentation strategist. I have developed a draft outline for my essay. My thesis is: "[Your Thesis Statement Here]"
Here is my proposed structure:
- Section 1: [Name of your first pile]
- [Idea/Evidence 1 from this pile]
- (continue for all sections)
Based on this structure, please:
1. Critique the logical flow between the sections. Is there a more persuasive order? Explain why.
2. Identify any "orphan" ideas that don't seem to fit their assigned section.
3. Suggest where my key counterargument might be most effectively placed and addressed.
4. Propose a more academic or compelling heading for each section title I created.
IMPORTANT: Explain your reasoning for each suggestion, but do not rewrite the outline for me.
Use this if you have a clear vision of what your paper should look like. Draft your own outline first, then let a short AI check and flag any gaps, sequencing snags, and missing evidence.
Use your own brain first
Get AI Input
Review the outline for the paper below.
Identify:
• any logical jumps in section order
• headings lacking evidence
• any counterarguments I should anticipate.
Provide feedback in bulletpoint form. Do not rewrite the outline.
Outline: <paste outline here>
Activity inspired by: Empathy Maps (Asana)
Clarify audience needs so that your tone and evidence hit the mark.
Persona Draft
Given this persona, list five questions they would expect the paper to answer and two stylistic preferences (e.g., formal tone, visuals).
Paper Topic: <add paper topic here>
Persona: <add 50-word profile here>
Application
Act as a writing coach. Based on the following audience persona and one of their priority questions, help me brainstorm ways to connect with that reader in my introduction.
1. Suggest a compelling hook (an image, quote, or stat) that would grab this reader’s attention.
2. Recommend one example or case study I could use later in the essay that this reader would find especially relevant or persuasive.
3. Identify a tone (e.g., conversational, analytical, urgent) that would likely resonate with them and briefly explain why.
Audience Persona: <insert your 50-word persona here>
Reader’s priority question: <insert the question or questions they would most want answered>
Verify Every Factual Claim
An AI might suggest a compelling statistic, case study, or quote. However, it can also invent these details ("hallucination"). These fabrications often sound plausible but are not real. Treat every factual claim from an AI as a lead, not a fact. Your next step is to go to your library's databases to find the actual study, report, or quote. Never cite a source provided by an AI without first locating and reading it yourself.
When pre-writing, you drew the blueprint by crafting a thesis, outline, and audience profile. Now you'll build the prose, leaning on GenAI as a writing coach but not as your ghost-writer.
Drafting is where the temptation to outsource your thinking is the strongest. The activities here are designed to help you resist that temptation, keeping you in creative and critical control. You will use AI only for targeted feedback, option-generation, and diagnostic checks on text you have already written. Exercise your brain; build those neural paths so that critical thinking becomes easier and more natural. Then get AI feedback to reveal blind spots and help you polish your prose.
Every activity in this section is built on a three-step workflow. This process ensures you are always doing the heavy intellectual lifting.
1. Brain First ➜ You create the raw material. This means writing the initial clunky sentence, the underdeveloped paragraph, or the full first draft. The thinking and the words originate with you.
2. AI for Options ➜ You take your self-generated text to the AI. You prompt it to act as a coach, an editor, or a strategist—requesting feedback, analysis, or alternative options (phrasing, structure, examples), never the final answer.
Reminder: Never paste copyrighted or private data into public models.
3. Use Your Judgement ➜ You critically evaluate the AI's output. You are the final authority. You accept, reject, or modify the suggestions based on your own judgment, voice, and argumentative goals.
New MIT research shows that when students use LLMs for writing, they experience reduced brain connectivity, lower satisfaction, and impaired ownership of their ideas. The convenience of using an LLM comes with genuine cognitive costs. We're not saying avoid AI; we are saying that if you do the intellectual heavy lifting first, then use AI strategically for feedback and refinement, you'll build your brain AND be more proud of the end result.
Purpose: To write a fully developed and substantiated paragraph starting with a single topic sentence from your outline.
Task: Write out a complete paragraph that provides evidence, analysis, and significance for your main point. Then, use targeted AI feedback to identify and strengthen the paragraph's weakest link.
Use your brain first: This is where you do the real work of drafting. Your goal is to build a complete paragraph from a single idea.
You have now drafted a complete paragraph entirely on your own.
Get AI Input: Now, use the AI as a quality auditor. The prompt below asks the AI to diagnose potential weaknesses and asks you a question about it. It is not intended to rewrite anything for you.
Act as a writing coach. I have drafted a paragraph using the Point -> Evidence -> Analysis -> Significance structure.
My paragraph:
"[Paste your full, self-written paragraph here]"
Your task is to:
1. Identify the weakest part of my paragraph (Is the analysis too shallow? Is the evidence not clearly connected to the point? Is the significance unclear?).
2. Ask me specific, probing questions that will force me to think more deeply about how to strengthen that single part. Do not rewrite any part of my paragraph.
If you want to adapt this activity in your class, here are some things to consider:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center. (2024). Paragraph development. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/paragraphs/
Purpose: To practice diagnosing and revising your own sentences for clarity and impact, using AI-generated alternatives as a catalyst for your own editorial decisions.
Task: Identify a weak sentence in your draft, diagnose its problem, and use AI-generated options to help you craft a more precise and powerful version.
Use your brain first:
Get AI Input: Use the prompt below to get targeted feedback. By providing your own diagnosis in the prompt, you give the AI better context to act as your coach.
Act as my writing center tutor. My goal is to improve the clarity and impact of a sentence from my draft.
My clunky sentence:
"[Paste your sentence here]"
My diagnosis of the problem:
"[Paste your one-sentence diagnosis here]"
Based on my diagnosis, provide:
1. several distinct, revised versions of my sentence.
2. For each version, add a one-sentence explanation of the specific editorial strategy you used (e.g., "This version uses a stronger verb," "This version splits the complex idea into two sentences," "This version leads with the main clause for more directness").
If you want to adapt this activity in your class, here are some things to consider:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center. (2024). Style. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/style/
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center. (2024). Passive voice. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/passive-voice/
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center. (2024). Word choice. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/word-choice/
Purpose: To transform abstract, general claims into powerful, persuasive arguments by substantiating them with specific, concrete details and evidence.
Task: Identify vague sentences in your draft and use AI-generated questions to help you unearth the specific details needed to make your writing more vivid and credible.
Use your brain first:
Get AI Input: Now, challenge your own thinking. Use the prompt below to have the AI act as a curious reader who needs more information to be convinced.
Act as a skeptical but curious reader. I want to make a general claim from my draft more specific and convincing.
My general claim is:
"[Paste your abstract sentence here]"
Your task is to ask me three probing questions that would force me to provide more concrete, sensory, or factual details. Frame your questions to start with phrases like:
- "What does that look like specifically?"
- "Can you give me a direct example of...?"
- "How could a reader see or measure that...?"
- "Who exactly was affected and how?"
Do not suggest any answers or rewrites. Only ask the questions.
If you want to adapt this activity in your class, here are some things to consider:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center. (2024). Argument. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/argument/
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center. (2024). Evidence. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/evidence/
Purpose: To adjust the tone of your writing to meet the specific needs of your audience, without sacrificing your authentic authorial voice.
Task: Analyze a paragraph for tone, use an AI to suggest targeted word changes based on your audience persona, and make deliberate editorial choices to improve a match.
Use your brain first:
Get AI Input: Use the prompt below. Including your own analysis and the persona gives the AI the specific context it needs to provide high-quality feedback.
Act as a rhetorical coach. My goal is to align the tone of my paragraph with my target audience.
My Audience Persona:
"[Paste your audience persona here]"
My Audience's Core Values: "[List the values you identified in step 2]"
The Impression I Want to Convey: "[State the impression you identified in step 2]"
My Draft Section:
"[Paste your writing here]"
My initial analysis identified these specific mismatches:
[List the 2-3 parts you identified]
Based on this, provide:
1. A three-column table (Original | Proposed | Rationale) with 5-7 suggested word or phrase swaps that would make the tone more effective for my audience.
2. In the second column, alongside the suggestion, add a brief justification that explains *why* the new word is a better fit for the persona (e.g., "replaces a casual idiom with a more formal term," "uses a verb with a more analytical connotation").
If you want to adapt this activity in your class, here are some things to consider:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center. (2024). Audience. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/audience/
Purpose: To craft clear and logical transitions that guide your reader smoothly from one idea to the next, reinforcing the overall coherence of your argument.
Task: Analyze the logical link between two paragraphs, use an AI to generate options for executing that link, and select or craft a transition that best serves your argument.
Use your brain first:
Get AI Input: Use the prompt below. Providing your analysis of the relationship is the key to getting high-quality, relevant suggestions from your AI coach.
Act as a writing coach specializing in argument structure. My goal is to create a strong transition between two paragraphs.
Main Point of Paragraph 1:
"[Paste the main point of your first paragraph]"
Main Point of Paragraph 2:
"[Paste the main point of your second paragraph]"
My analysis of the logical relationship:
"[Paste your sentence describing the relationship]"
Based on my analysis, provide:
1. Several distinct transition sentences or phrases that effectively signal this logical relationship to the reader.
2. For each option, label the primary rhetorical move it uses (e.g., Cause & Effect, Elaboration, Concession, Comparison).
If you want to adapt this activity in your class, here are some things to consider:
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center. (2024). Transitions. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/transitions/
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center. (2024). Flow. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/flow/
Purpose: To draft an engaging introduction that sets up your argument and a memorable conclusion that reinforces your main takeaway, ensuring your paper starts strong and finishes with impact.
Task: Draft your full introduction or conclusion, then use a structured AI analysis to evaluate its core components and guide your revision.
Use your brain first:
Get AI Input: Select the prompt that matches the paragraph you wrote. This provides the AI with a clear rubric to act as your structural coach.
Introduction Prompt:
Act as a writing instructor evaluating the introduction of a paper.
My draft introduction:
"[Paste your full introduction paragraph here]"
Your task is to analyze my draft based on the three core jobs of an introduction:
1. **The Hook:** Quote the sentence(s) you believe act as the hook. Is it effective at grabbing the reader's attention?
2. **The Context:** Briefly describe the context my introduction provides. Is it sufficient for a reader to understand the topic?
3. **The Thesis:** Quote the sentence you believe is my thesis statement. Is it clear, specific, and arguable?
Conclusion Prompt:
Act as a writing instructor evaluating the conclusion of a paper.
My draft conclusion:
"[Paste your full conclusion paragraph here]"
Your task is to analyze my draft based on the three core jobs of a conclusion:
1. **The Synthesis:** Does the paragraph briefly synthesize the paper's main points (without just listing them)?
2. **The "So What?":** Identify the sentence(s) that explain the broader significance, implications, or importance of my argument.
3. **The Final Thought:** Does the paragraph offer a memorable final thought that leaves a lasting impression?
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center. (2024). Introductions. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/introductions/
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center. (2024). Conclusions. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/conclusions/
Revising: Revision is RE-VISION, i.e., looking at your draft again. During revision, you focus on things like your arguments, evidence and purpose and not on nitty-gritty details like commas and word choice. In this stage of writing, you are confirming that the foundation of your paper is solid.
Consider:
For a deeper dive, see the UNC Writing Center's guide on Revising Drafts.
Editing: Editing is refining; it's where you focus on how you express your ideas, ensuring your language is clear, effective, and polished.
Consider:
For more, see the UNC Writing Center's guide on Editing and Proofreading.
Proofreading: Proofreading is polishing the final details. It involves hunting for errors and typos that can distract your reader and undermine your credibility.
Look for:
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly, Lex and many others are excellent tools to support your revising, editing, and proofreading processes - as long as you don't let them do all the work. Remember: use your brain first, apply AI tools next, then use your own judgement in creating the final product. If you've reached this stage you should have been using your brain a lot to create your first draft. To effectively integrate AI into your revising, editing, and proofreading process, here is a suggested workflow:
Using AI to enhance your Revising -> Editing -> Proofreading without replacing your own intellectual effort.
For each of the revising and editing activities, I strongly recommend following the PAIRR framework for getting peer feedback (download the Word doc in the Appendix of the PAIRR paper. Supplementary materials section), AI feedback and then comparing the two. If you cannot get peer feedback, then you do the revising and editing activities yourself and compare to what the AI gives you.
**I am a student in a university writing course working on a paper. Pretend you are a peer-reviewer who will review my draft based on the assignment prompt and grading rubric I provide. Please provide clear, detailed, specific, and supportive feedback. The format for your feedback should be as follows: 1. Two to three positive aspects of my paper and why those aspects are effective. 2. Three to four aspects for revision and the reasoning about why each poses an issue, and 3. A suggestion for revising each one.
**Here is the assignment prompt: ||copy and paste assignment prompt||**
**Here is the rubric for the assignment: ||copy and paste rubric||.**
**Here is the paper: ||copy and paste draft||**
Revision is where you step back from the sentence-level and look at the big picture: your argument's logic, structure, and flow. The activities below treat AI as a structural analyst. You'll use it to get a "second look" at your paper's skeleton, helping you spot logical gaps, strengthen your thesis, and ensure your ideas connect seamlessly.
Purpose: To analyze the logical flow and structural integrity of your draft by creating an outline from your finished text. This helps you see if your argument progresses logically or if it jumps around unexpectedly.
Task: You will create a reverse outline of your draft using your own analytical skills, then ask AI to perform the same task. By comparing the two outlines, you'll discover whether you and the AI see the same structural strengths and weaknesses in your paper.
Use your brain first:
Get AI Input:
You are an _academic writing coach_ with experience teaching university writing courses. Please review my full draft (pasted below) and build a **reverse outline**.
The purpose of a reverse outline is to help determine if the paper meets its goals, discover places where you might need to expand evidence or analysis, and identify where readers might struggle with your organization or structure.
A reverse outline extracts the main claim of each paragraph so the writer can inspect logic, structure, and flow **after** drafting.
Here are the steps for creating a reverse outline:
1. Read through the entire draft to understand the thesis and overall arc
2. For each body paragraph: identify its core idea -> this is sentence 'a'; and identify its rhetorical job -> this is sentence 'b'
3. Number the sentences 1a, 1b, 2a etc.
4. Review the numbered list to analyze the paper's logical flow and structure and create a Structural Observations commentary where you note the strengthes, flag gaps or redundancies and suggest fixes.
Formatting:
- Keep each (a)/(b) sentence ≤ 30 words.
- Keep the **Structural Observations** section ≤ 200 words.
Here is my draft:
[Paste your complete draft here]
University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center. (n.d.). Creating a reverse outline. Writer's Handbook. https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/reverseoutlines/
Purpose: To develop your ability to create effective prompts that guide AI to provide useful revision feedback while maintaining your role as the decision-maker in the revision process.
Task: You will study established revision strategies, then engineer a comprehensive prompt that directs AI to analyze your draft and provide specific, actionable feedback. You'll evaluate the AI's response and selectively implement suggestions that align with your goals.
Use Your Brain First:
Please review my essay and tell me how to make it better.
[paste essay draft here]
Get Some AI Input:
If you want to adapt this activity in your class, here are some things to consider:
George Mason University Writing Center. (n.d.). 23 ways to improve your draft. https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/writing-resources/writing-as-process/23-ways-to-improve-your-draft
The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (n.d.). Revising drafts. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/revising-drafts/
Sperber, L., MacArthur, M., Minnillo, S., Stillman, N., & Whithaus, C. (2025). Peer and AI Review + Reflection (PAIRR): A human-centered approach to formative assessment. Computers & Composition/Computers and Composition, 76, 102921. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2025.102921
With a solid structure confirmed, editing is your chance to zoom in on the craft of writing. In this stage you will improve the clarity, impact, and style of your prose. You'll use AI as a style coach, to provide feedback on sentence construction, word choice, and paragraph coherence.
Purpose: Develop skill in identifying editing requirements, engineering prompts that keep the AI in the “advisor” seat, and deciding which AI-generated edits to trust.
Task: Build, test, and refine an AI prompt that gives you focused editing feedback (NOT wholesale rewriting). Then triage the AI’s advice and implement only what improves your draft.
Use your brain first:
Edit my paper for content, structure, clarity, and style.
[paste draft]
| Element | Your choices (bullet form) |
|---|---|
| Context | Course, assignment purpose, audience, citation style… |
| Role | “Senior copy-editor for an academic press,” etc. |
| Action | Ask for the 3-4 passes you selected in Step 2, plus one thing it should not do (e.g., “Do NOT rewrite sentences”). |
| Format | Bulleted issues + concrete example from my text + fix suggestion (no more than 20 words each). |
| Tone | Professional, concise, non-directive. |
Get Some AI Input:
If you want to adapt this activity in your class, here are some things to consider:
Purdue Online Writing Lab. (2024). Editing and proofreading. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/graduate_writing/graduate_writing_topics/graduate_writing_topics_editing_proofreading_new.html
The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (n.d.). Editing and proofreading. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
Sperber, L., MacArthur, M., Minnillo, S., Stillman, N., & Whithaus, C. (2025). Peer and AI Review + Reflection (PAIRR): A human-centered approach to formative assessment. Computers & Composition/Computers and Composition, 76, 102921. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2025.102921
If we stick with our initial definition of proofreading (Grammar & Punctuation Errors, Spelling Mistakes, Formatting Issues, Typos), it's clear that proofreading is mostly a mechanical, rules-based activity. In most cases, using an AI tool to do these checks is acceptable, even in classes where using AI is strictly prohibited. In fact, it is difficult to avoid using an AI tool to do these checks. If you are working in MS Word, you are going to get grammar and spelling suggestions automatically and these are driven by AI. That being said, a final proofread by a human is always necessary to catch those things that AI still misses.
Word processors like Word and Google Docs have built-in proofreading but there are many other AI tools that are designed for proofreading (and editing). Two of the most popular are Grammarly and Quillbot, but there are many others. The other tool worth mentioning is Draft Coach from Turnitin which is available to Okanagan College students through our institutional license (as of June 2025). Draft Coach is built-in to your online version of Microsoft 365 when you login with your OC credentials. It helps you with citations, grammar, and avoiding plagiarism.
Personally, for proofreading, I prefer to rely on the built-in tools in Microsoft for the basic stuff, chatbots with targeted prompts for a more detailed check, and then doing a final check with my own eyes. It makes the process intentional and I can prompt for specific things with each (grammar, vocabulary enrichment, verb tense consistency, passive vs. active voice). The main downside is that this an extra step that requires cutting and pasting whereas tools like Grammarly are built right into the text editor.
Your proofreading process is up to you, but remember that for every new tool that you use, you are sharing your personal information and your work with another company. I know that people rarely do this, but read the privacy policy and data agreement to understand what the company is going to do with your data and work.
Based on my own limited experience and the online consensus here is a quick overview of the suggested proofreading tools (for a quick but more comprehensive summary, ask Perplexity Deep Research to compare these tools):
Purpose: Compare the proofreading capabilities of different tools.
Task: Provide a small writing sample to different proofreading tools to see which one can find the most errors.
Use Your Brain First:
Example 1:
The principal designer argued that the principle concern was aesthetic cohesion, not cost overruns. At the budget meeting, however, finance officers insisted that sticking to first principals required cutting the lighting plan, leaving the principal’s proposal in jeopardy.
Dr. Singh finally met with Rivera after reviewing the performance data, and she decided the pilot needed another month. She also recommended that the team document every iteration before presenting it to the board.
Glancing quickly through the microscope, the bacterial colonies appeared to morph into translucent threads that the research assistant could barely count.
The new onboarding manual asks interns to (a) log their hours, (b) complete safety training, and that they submit a weekly reflection journal to HR by Friday.
Only one of the project milestones were completed on schedule, yet management announced that the results “exceeded expectations” in the quarterly report.
The engineers finished the stress analysis earlier than expected the marketing team, meanwhile, had already printed the brochures with outdated specifications.
During the interview, the CEO explained that the company’s guiding mantra is “build what matters to the customer, test it relentlessly, and scale responsibly.
To synergize our outreach stack, we should parallel-process the empathy touchpoints while hard-pivoting into a data-literate mindset; that way the vibe stays premium but also low-latency for key stakeholders.
Example 2:
At yesterday’s kickoff meeting, the lead architect argued that energy efficiency, not superficial aesthetics, ought to steer every major decision in the greenhouse build. He predicts that a roof-mounted heat-exchange loop could trim utility costs by nearly forty percent without sacrificing crop yield, and added that the design would compliment the surrounding orchard.
After the city inspector spoke with Dr. Reyes about the ventilation blueprint, she requested a revised drawing that clarified the airflow differentials. Walking through the half-finished frame, the LED grow lights looked far too bright for seedlings. The project charter promises to reduce waste, improving neighborhood engagement, and to create seasonal teaching modules for local schools.
None of the preliminary safety tests was conclusive, but the team declares that the system “operates flawlessly” in internal memos. Volunteers assembled the seed racks before dawn the installation crew, however, arrived after lunch and had to reposition every tray. During a radio interview, the project lead explained that the guiding slogan is “grow local, learn global, and share endlessly. To hyper-optimize our community-facing deliverables, we must granularly gamify the outreach funnels so the stakeholders feel maximum uplift vibes.
Let AI give it a try:
The principal designer argued that the principle concern was aesthetic cohesion, not cost overruns. At the budget meeting, however, finance officers insisted that sticking to first principals required cutting the lighting plan, leaving the principal’s proposal in jeopardy. (Word-choice homonym: principle / principal)
Dr. Singh finally met with Rivera after reviewing the performance data, and she decided the pilot needed another month. She also recommended that the team document every iteration before presenting it to the board. (Ambiguous pronoun reference)
Glancing quickly through the microscope, the bacterial colonies appeared to morph into translucent threads that the research assistant could barely count. (Misplaced modifier)
The new onboarding manual asks interns to (a) log their hours, (b) complete safety training, and that they submit a weekly reflection journal to HR by Friday. (Faulty parallelism)
Only one of the project milestones were completed on schedule, yet management announced that the results “exceeded expectations” in the quarterly report. (Subject-verb agreement)
The engineers finished the stress analysis earlier than expected the marketing team, meanwhile, had already printed the brochures with outdated specifications. (Comma splice / run-on sentence)
During the interview, the CEO explained that the company’s guiding mantra is “build what matters to the customer, test it relentlessly, and scale responsibly. (Unbalanced quotation mark)
To synergize our outreach stack, we should parallel-process the empathy touchpoints while hard-pivoting into a data-literate mindset; that way the vibe stays premium but also low-latency for key stakeholders. (Jargon / unclear language)
At yesterday’s kickoff meeting, the lead architect argued that energy efficiency—not superficial aesthetics—ought to steer every major decision in the greenhouse build. He predicts that a roof-mounted heat-exchange loop could trim utility costs by nearly forty percent without sacrificing crop yield, and added that the design would compliment the surrounding orchard. (Verb-tense shift; Word-choice homonym)
After the city inspector spoke with Dr. Reyes about the ventilation blueprint, she requested a revised drawing that clarified the airflow differentials. Walking through the half-finished frame, the LED grow lights looked far too bright for seedlings. The project charter promises to reduce waste, improving neighborhood engagement, and to create seasonal teaching modules for local schools. (Ambiguous pronoun; Misplaced modifier; Faulty parallelism)
None of the preliminary safety tests was conclusive, but the team declares that the system “operates flawlessly” in internal memos. Volunteers assembled the seed racks before dawn the installation crew, however, arrived after lunch and had to reposition every tray. During a radio interview, the project lead explained that the guiding slogan is “grow local, learn global, and share endlessly. To hyper-optimize our community-facing deliverables, we must granularly gamify the outreach funnels so the stakeholders feel maximum uplift vibes. (Subject-verb disagreement; Verb-tense shift; Comma splice; Unbalanced quotation mark; Jargon)
Source: Reddit - r/ChatGPTPromptGenius
Act as a proofreading expert tasked with correcting grammatical errors in a given text below. Your job is to meticulously analyze the text, identify any grammatical mistakes. This includes checking for proper sentence structure, punctuation, verb tense consistency, and correct usage of words. Additionally, provide suggestions to enhance the readability and flow of the text. The goal is to polish the text so that it communicates its message effectively and professionally. Identify where the error is, explaining what the error is and then make suggestions for fixing it.
[text here]
UNC Writing Center Tips: https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
Perplexity Deep Research Report: Proofreading Tools Comparison
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