Final answer:
The word that completes the sentence is 'revision' - the process of improving a draft to ensure the purpose of the writing is clear and effective for the audience.
Step-by-step explanation:
The writer's main goal in revision is to evaluate the draft to be sure the purpose of the writing is clear to the audience. Revising involves rereading and rethinking the draft to ensure clarity, coherence, and consistency in conveying the intended message. It can involve making large-scale changes to the document's organization, argumentation, and evidence to better refine and articulate the thesis and supporting points. These revisions ensure the conclusion logically follows from and reinforces the thesis without introducing new points. It means critically engaging with the text, perhaps altering the thesis, re-ordering paragraphs, and introducing smoother transitions to guide the reader more effectively.
When you begin revising, it is important to analyze the draft against the basic questions of topic, purpose, audience, and culture. These considerations will frame how you approach the text, allowing you to view your work from the perspective of your intended readers. You may even need to let go of significant portions of your text to achieve a more potent and streamlined draft, and a period of time away from the draft allows for more objective self-review. It's through this recursive process that the draft becomes more aligned with the writer's goals.
Therefore, revision is not about simply correcting errors or rewording sentences; it's about making sure everything from the large structure to the fine details serves the main objective, which remains clear and engaging to the audience. This is distinguished from editing and proofreading, which focus on language accuracy and error correction respectively, rather than the broader content and structural issues addressed in the revision process.