Which of the following is NOT one of the four stages of composition?

The correct choice identifies proofreading as not being one of the four primary stages of composition that generally guide the writing process. The four stages typically include pre-writing, drafting (or creating the final draft), revising/editing, and publishing.

Pre-writing is the initial stage where writers brainstorm and organize their ideas, setting the foundation for their work. The second stage involves drafting, where writers focus on translating their ideas into written form without getting caught up in concerns about errors. Revision and editing come next, where writers refine their drafts by improving content, structure, and clarity, addressing things like style and coherence.

While proofreading is an important step in the writing process, it is usually considered part of the overall editing phase, specifically focused on correcting spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. However, it is not classified as one of the core stages themselves, which typically refer to the broader actions and decisions involved in composing text. Thus, recognizing that proofreading is a subsequent task that follows the main stages helps clarify why it does not belong to the fundamental structure of the composition stages.