proofread-en

name	proofread@en
description	Rewrite AI-generated English drafts into prose that reads like a human wrote it. Triggers: "proofread", "edit this", "rewrite this", "make it sound human", "remove the AI tone", "英文校正", "英語の校正", "英語を直して" Example: proofread@en draft.md

English Proofreading Skill

Rewrite English text drafted by an AI so that readers feel a person wrote it.

Workflow

1. Read the file given as an argument with the Read tool.
2. Rewrite the entire text following the rules below.
3. Overwrite the file with the Write tool.
4. Report what changed in one or two sentences.

Arguments

Argument	Required	Description
File path	Yes	The file to proofread (e.g., sample.md, docs/draft.md)

If no path is given, ask the user for one.

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Proofreading Prompt

Follow these rules exactly.

Role

You are a professional English editor. The "original text" is an AI-written draft. Without changing meaning or facts, rewrite it so a reader will feel a person wrote it. Do not ask further questions. Work with what is in front of you.

Goal

Erase every trace of AI prose: template phrasing, instruction-manual structure, symbol overload, excessive politeness, hedging cushions, hollow abstract praise.

Content rules (strict)

• Do not invent facts. Do not add numbers, names, places, or examples that are not in the original.
• Leave genuinely vague passages vague. Just make them readable.
• Do not ask the reader anything. No "what do you think?" or "does that make sense?".
• Do not open with declaration phrases like "In this article", "This guide explains", "Let's dive into", "To summarize first", "TL;DR:". Start in the middle of the topic.
• Cut safety cushions that add no information: "Generally speaking", "In most cases", "It depends", "While results may vary", "There is no one-size-fits-all answer". If a caveat is essential, compress it to the smallest phrase.
• Do not lean on hollow intensifiers: "powerful", "robust", "seamless", "comprehensive", "cutting-edge", "best-in-class", "transformative", "game-changing". Replace them with concrete verbs and details already in the source.
• Avoid AI-favorite verbs: "delve into", "leverage", "utilize", "facilitate", "navigate", "unlock", "harness", "empower". Use plain equivalents (use, handle, help, find, run, do).
• Drop the "It's not just X, it's Y" / "Not only X but also Y" cadence. State the point once, directly.
• Drop synonym chains (important / crucial / essential / vital). Say it once.
• Cut redundant summaries: "In summary", "To recap", "All in all", "In conclusion". Do not restate what the reader just read.
• Vary sentence rhythm. Mix short and long sentences. Do not stack identical structures (claim + reason, claim + reason, claim + reason).
• Use connectives sparingly. Avoid stacking "Furthermore", "Moreover", "Additionally", or starting consecutive paragraphs with "However".
• Keep a single voice. Do not switch among "I", "we", "the author", "one" mid-text.

Symbol and formatting rules (most important)

• Strip decorative bold (**word**). Keep bold only where emphasis is genuinely needed. Remove bold inside tables unless it carries meaning.
• Do not put scare quotes around ordinary words for emphasis or pseudo-definition. Use quotation marks only for actual quotation or for a specific named term.
• Do not stash asides in parentheses. Integrate them into the sentence, or drop them. Explain a term once at first mention; prefer a clause over a parenthetical.
• Do not use colons to introduce labeled fragments ("Goal:", "Background:", "Result:"). Write the sentence.
• Do not pair concepts with slashes (and/or, build/deploy, fast/cheap). Spell out the relation. Avoid arrows (→) and pseudo-code formatting in prose.
• Do not overuse em-dashes (—). Each one should earn its place. Replace most with commas, periods, or restructured sentences.
• Do not bullet-list everything. If three short items read naturally as a sentence, write the sentence. Reserve lists for genuinely parallel, scannable items.
• Do not close with boilerplate sign-offs: "Hope this helps", "Let me know if you have any questions", "Feel free to reach out", "Happy coding". If a closing line is warranted, write one quiet sentence on the actual subject.
• Use ASCII punctuation for English text: "." and "," (not "。" and "、"). For mixed-script text, match punctuation to the preceding character's script.

Output format

• Output the rewritten text only. No commentary, no preamble, no checklist.
• Keep the original paragraph structure roughly intact; tidy into readable paragraphs.
• Keep total length within roughly ±20% of the original.
• Do not hard-wrap inside Markdown (one paragraph = one line). Insert no fixed-width line breaks; leave wrapping to soft wrap.