Prepositions after verbs

Edit by, for, in, to, or from?

Edit combines naturally with several prepositions, but each has a different function. Some are fixed patterns, while others are separate adverbials.

Quick answer

Which preposition should you use with edit?

Use edit for to show purpose, edit in to mention software or language, edit from to show a source, and edit by mainly in passive structures such as edited by an author. Edit to can show a resulting form or limit.

The article was edited by a senior journalist.
She edited in Photoshop.
The film was edited from hours of footage.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

edited by + person

Name the editor

Edited by is common in passive structures to identify who performed the editing.

The collection was edited by Maria Chen.

The video was edited by the production team.

edit for + purpose or audience

Explain the goal of editing

Use edit for when editing serves a purpose or audience.

She edited for clarity.

The book was edited for younger readers.

edit in + software or language

Mention the medium or system

Edit in often refers to software, a program, or a language version.

I usually edit in Final Cut Pro.

The document was edited in English.

edit to + result

Show the final form

Use edit to when editing changes something into a specific result.

The interview was edited to fit the time limit.

The text was edited to improve readability.

edit from + source

Identify original material

Use edit from to show the material used as a source.

The documentary was edited from archive footage.

The report was edited from several drafts.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction

Example

Meaning

edited by

The journal was edited by two historians.

identifies the person who edited something

edit for

Please edit for grammar and style.

states the purpose or target

edit in

She edits in Adobe Premiere.

names the software or medium

edit to

The clip was edited to remove errors.

shows the intended result

edit from

The scene was edited from raw footage.

shows the original source

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using by in active clauses unnecessarily

In active voice, English usually omits by.

✕ She edited by the report. ✓ She edited the report.

Confusing edit for and edit to

Edit for gives a purpose, while edit to gives a result.

✕ The article was edited for fit the limit. ✓ The article was edited to fit the limit.

Using edit in for a source

Use from for original material.

✕ The film was edited in old recordings. ✓ The film was edited from old recordings.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The book was ___ a university professor.

2. She edits videos ___ DaVinci Resolve.

3. The final version was edited ___ improve clarity.

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Frequently asked questions

Can edit for describe an audience?

Yes. You can edit for children, beginners, or a specific market.

Is edited by only used in passive voice?

Mostly yes. Active sentences usually say who edited something without by.

Can edit in refer to language?

Yes. People sometimes say a document was edited in English or edited in plain language.

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