Final answer:
The correct guideline for proofreading and editing with ease is to initially read the text for content before focusing on finer details in revision and proofreading. This helps ensure that the overall narrative is strong and the text is clear, both structurally and grammatically. Option number a is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question you asked concerns proper guidelines for proofreading and editing a text for ease and clarity. The correct option is 'a) Read the text initially for content.' This option suggests that you should first focus on the general content of your writing, ensuring that the narrative is complete and makes logical sense before moving on to the details.
When you begin the process of refining your draft, it is advisable to start with revising the big picture, checking if the content's arrangement flows logically and cohesively. Only after acknowledging that, should you proceed to edit for finer points like sentence variety, verb tense consistency, and word choice. Reading your composition aloud or using text-to-speech features may help you catch errors you didn't notice when writing. Proofreading is generally the last step, where you scour the text for typographical and grammatical errors, ensuring subject-verb consistency, correct sentence structures, and proper documentation of sources and quotations. In doing so, you often pay attention to fine details such as spelling, punctuation, and other mechanics of writing.