In Russian, attaching a prefix changes a base verb's meaning. For tasks like writing and editing, пере- and до- are especially useful.
пере- (Repetition and Revision)
Adding пере- usually means "re-doing" an action to improve or correct it. From писать (to write) we get переписать (to rewrite), and from читать (to read) we get перечитать (to reread).
| The text is bad, I want to rewrite this title. | Текст плохой, я хочу переписать этот заголовок. |
| The editor asked whether I reread the text to find typos. | Редактор спросил, перечитал ли я текст, чтобы найти опечатки. |
до- (Completion to the End)
The prefix до- indicates that an action is carried out to its absolute end. From читать, we get дочитать (to finish reading). From писать, we get дописать (to finish writing).
| I cannot finish reading the first paragraph. | Я не могу дочитать первый абзац. |
| Yesterday a new colleague and I finished writing the final draft. | Вчера мы с новым коллегой дописали чистовик. |
Putting It Together
These prefixes apply to many base verbs. For example, делать (to do) becomes переделать (to redo) or доделать (to finish doing). You will often use both when taking a document from a rough draft (черновик) to a final draft (чистовик).
| You must redo the draft today, and finish writing the article tomorrow. | Вы должны переделать черновик сегодня, а завтра дописать статью. |
| The author decided to rewrite the draft and finish the final draft. | Автор решил переписать черновик и доделать чистовик. |
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