What is Proofreading?

Proofreading is the final stage of the editorial process. It involves reading your paper carefully and searching for all the errors to correct them. Errors can be grammatical or typographical in nature, and they can also include wordiness, consistency, word choice, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, run-on sentences, structure, fonts or spacing. Proofreading is an important stage before handing out any paper that will be published or presented to an audience. 

Proofreading requires keen eye and attention to details. This is actually a thriving business and professional proofreaders make around $25 an hour on average. If you are passionate about reading and rereading, proofreading career might be the right one for you.

Tips for Proofreading

Proofreading can be a lot of work, but there are some tips that can make the process easier for you. The following proofreading tips and tricks will get you great results and guide you to get the job well done. 

Edit your paper before you start proofreading. You need to revise your paper and edit your work. You can find yourself removing sections or rewriting a whole paragraph. This stage should come before the proofreading to avoid doing the same process more than once. Start proofreading only when you have the final draft that you wish to submit.

Choose a good spot for proofreading. Proofreading requires focus and concentration. Look for a nice quiet place to do this task. You can be distracted by any external noises or interruptions. Choose a place where you know you can work for hours without distraction or interruption from anyone. A library can be a good place to do that and its atmosphere is encouraging.

Proofread at a specific time of the day. Proofread at the time of day when you are most alert to spotting errors. Some people are morning persons and others are night owls. Choose the best time for you, and try proofreading then.

Know your typical mistakes. There are certain mistakes that you usually do when you write a paper. You can use your professors’ comments, or check previous papers you wrote to find out your most common mistakes to look for. Collect all these mistakes and make a list of the mistakes you make repeatedly.

Learn how to fix those mistakes. There are specific mistakes that you do all the time. Try to talk to your professor about why you do them and how to fix them and ask him to help you to avoid them. You can also study grammar lessons and read about the rules of punctuation.

Use a ruler. Place a ruler under the line you are proofreading. This will give your eyes a manageable amount of text to read.

Take a break between writing and proofreading. After you write the paper, set it aside for few hours before proofreading. This will enable you to see the document with a fresh perspective. If you are tight on a deadline, half an hour would help.

Proofread backwards. Start with the end of the paper and read it sentence by sentence. This way, you will focus mainly on the words and sentences without focusing on the context or content of the paper as a whole.

Read the text aloud. The text sounds different when you hear it. You will notice the difference between what you intended to say and what you actually wrote. It is also useful to identify run-on and fragments. You can ask a friend to listen to you so that you can check for understanding and flow. He might help you with finding out the mistakes as well.

Proofread for one type of mistakes at a time. Go through the paper for the most frequent mistake you make. For example, if the subject-verb agreement is your most frequent problem, go through the paper checking this problem only. When you finish, proofread again for the next most frequent mistake. Programs like grammarly can be useful, but do not rely exclusively on grammar checkers.

Ask a friend to read over your paper. After you finish proofreading, give your paper to a friend or a family member to read your paper. A new set of eyes can find out errors that you may have overlooked accidentally.

Practicing can help you a lot to be better at proofreading. You can test your proofreading knowledge through the following links:

https://editingtests.com/proofreading-tests/free-sample-proofreading-tests.php

https://www.proofreadnow.com/blog/can-you-ace-this-basic-proofreading-quiz

https://www.ciep.uk/resources/test-yourself/

https://earnsmartonlineclass.com/proofreading-quiz/

Proofreading requires you to have a strong background on writing. You can find more articles about writing on our website. Click here to read about the topic sentence and learn how to create it. 

How to Proofread your Essay, Research Paper or any Piece of Content!

How to Proofread your Essay, Research Paper or any Piece of Content!

What is proofreading? Click here to learn how to proofread your essay, research paper or any piece of content! What is Proofreading?Proofreading is the final stage of the editorial process. It involves reading your paper carefully and searching for all the errors to correct them. Errors can be grammatical or typographical in nature, and they can also include wordiness, consistency, word choice, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, run-on sentences, structure, fonts or spacing. Proofreading is an important stage before handing out any paper that will be published or presented to an audience. Proofreading requires keen eye and attention to details. This is actually a thriving business and professional proofreaders make around $25 an hour on average. If you are passionate about reading and rereading, proofreading career might be the right one for you.Tips for ProofreadingProofreading can be a lot of work, but there are some tips that can make the process easier for you. The following proofreading tips and tricks will get you great results and guide you to get the job well done. Edit your paper before you start proofreading. You need to revise your paper and edit your work. You can find yourself removing sections or rewriting a whole paragraph. This stage should come before the proofreading to avoid doing the same process more than once. Start proofreading only when you have the final draft that you wish to submit.Choose a good spot for proofreading. Proofreading requires focus and concentration. Look for a nice quiet place to do this task. You can be distracted by any external noises or interruptions. Choose a place where you know you can work for hours without distraction or interruption from anyone. A library can be a good place to do that and its atmosphere is encouraging.Proofread at a specific time of the day. Proofread at the time of day when you are most alert to spotting errors. Some people are morning persons and others are night owls. Choose the best time for you, and try proofreading then.Know your typical mistakes. There are certain mistakes that you usually do when you write a paper. You can use your professors’ comments, or check previous papers you wrote to find out your most common mistakes to look for. Collect all these mistakes and make a list of the mistakes you make repeatedly.Learn how to fix those mistakes. There are specific mistakes that you do all the time. Try to talk to your professor about why you do them and how to fix them and ask him to help you to avoid them. You can also study grammar lessons and read about the rules of punctuation.Use a ruler. Place a ruler under the line you are proofreading. This will give your eyes a manageable amount of text to read.Take a break between writing and proofreading. After you write the paper, set it aside for few hours before proofreading. This will enable you to see the document with a fresh perspective. If you are tight on a deadline, half an hour would help.Proofread backwards. Start with the end of the paper and read it sentence by sentence. This way, you will focus mainly on the words and sentences without focusing on the context or content of the paper as a whole.Read the text aloud. The text sounds different when you hear it. You will notice the difference between what you intended to say and what you actually wrote. It is also useful to identify run-on and fragments. You can ask a friend to listen to you so that you can check for understanding and flow. He might help you with finding out the mistakes as well.Proofread for one type of mistakes at a time. Go through the paper for the most frequent mistake you make. For example, if the subject-verb agreement is your most frequent problem, go through the paper checking this problem only. When you finish, proofread again for the next most frequent mistake. Programs like grammarly can be useful, but do not rely exclusively on grammar checkers.Ask a friend to read over your paper. After you finish proofreading, give your paper to a friend or a family member to read your paper. A new set of eyes can find out errors that you may have overlooked accidentally.Practicing can help you a lot to be better at proofreading. You can test your proofreading knowledge through the following links:https://editingtests.com/proofreading-tests/free-sample-proofreading-tests.phphttps://www.proofreadnow.com/blog/can-you-ace-this-basic-proofreading-quizhttps://www.ciep.uk/resources/test-yourself/https://earnsmartonlineclass.com/proofreading-quiz/Proofreading requires you to have a strong background on writing. You can find more articles about writing on our website. Click here to read about the topic sentence and learn how to create it.