Proofreading Techniques
Print your paper out and cut it into small sections - paragraphs. Then proofread.

 

Proofread backwards. Begin at the end and work back through the paper paragraph by paragraph or even line by line. This will force you to look at the surface elements rather than the meaning of the paper.

Place a ruler under each line as you read it. This will give your eyes a manageable amount of text to read.

Know your own typical mistakes. Before you proofread, look over papers you have written in the past. Make a list of the errors you make repeatedly.

Proofread for one type of error at a time. If commas are your most frequent problem, go through the paper checking just that one problem. Then proofread again for the next most frequent problem.

Try to make a break between writing and proofreading. Set the paper aside for the night -- or even for twenty minutes.

Proofread at the time of day when you are most alert to spotting errors.

Proofread once aloud. This will slow you down and you will hear the difference between what you meant to write and what you actually wrote.

Try to give yourself a break between the time you complete your final version of the paper and the time you sit down to edit. Approaching your writing with a clear head and having at least an hour to work on editing will ensure that you can do a thorough, thoughtful job. The results will definitely be worthwhile.

Ask someone else to read over your paper and help you find sentences that aren't clear, places where you're being wordy, and any errors.

Try reading backwards, a sentence at a time. This will help you focus on the sentences, rather than getting caught up in the content of your paper.

Know your own patterns. Your instructor can probably help you identify the errors you've made most often in your previous papers, and then you can focus your attention on finding and fixing them.

Read through your paper several times, once looking just at spelling, another time looking just at punctuation, and so on. Again, this can help you focus so you'll do a better job.

Use the spell-checker on your computer, but use it carefully, and also do your own spell-checking. Computer spell-checkers often make errors - they might suggest a word that isn't what you want at all, and they don't know the difference between there, their, and they're, for example.

Get help. If you're not sure if you need that comma or whether to use "affect" or "effect," look it up in a writing handbook, or ask your instructor for help.

Remember that editing isn't just about errors. You want to polish your sentences at this point, making them smooth, interesting, and clear. Watch for very long sentences, since they may be less clear than shorter, more direct sentences. Pay attention to the rhythm of your writing; try to use sentences of varying lengths and patterns. Look for unnecessary phrases, repetition, and awkward spots.

Proofreading Your Work

It is always difficult to find errors in one's own work. The words and sentences appear correct on rereading because if the writer had known better, he or she would not have made the errors in the first place. But a careful rereading of a paper aloud before it is turned in helps considerably.

Perhaps a checklist of common errors will serve as a guide for you. Keep this list and a grammar book with you as you read your paper over, checking every sentence for these items.

Run-on Sentences and Sentence Fragments

Check each sentence to make sure it has a subject, a verb, and a complete thought.

Have you run two sentences together incorrectly without a period, conjunction or semicolon separating them?

Punctuation

Have you ended every sentence with a period, question mark, or exclamation point?

Are your thoughts within sentences broken up correctly by commas for easier understanding?

Have you broken up series with commas?

Have you used a period after abbreviations?

If you are in doubt about the proper punctuation of a sentence, have you asked or looked at our handouts on punctuation.

Quotation Marks

Did you remember to place exact quotes within quotation marks?

Did you place all periods and commas inside the quotation marks while placing semicolons and colons outside them?

Subject-Verb Agreements

Check every subject and verb to make sure that if you have used a singular subject, you have also used a singular verb.

Similarly, a plural subject needs a plural verb.

Sentence Length

Compute the average number of words per sentence. How close is that number compared to the average of 22?

Have you varied the length of sentences in each paragraph?

If your sentences are too long, break them into shorter units.

Sentences that are very short tend to produce a jerky style of writing.

Does each sentence follow clearly and logically from the one before it? Have you used some type of transitional device between each sentence?

Apostrophes

Have you used them correctly to indicate possession? If you're unsure, check a grammar book.

Tenses

Have you incorrectly jumped about in different tenses?

Have you used the correct form of the verb to express the tense you want?

Capitalization

Have you capitalized names of persons, cities, countries, streets, and titles?

Have you capitalized a quotation according to the original and according to the needs of your sentence?

Spelling

Check any word you have doubts about.

If you are unsure of the spelling of a certain word, look it up.

Be especially careful of the words listed as spelling nightmares: "ei" and "ie" words, words which add "-ing" and "ed," and words with one or more sets of double letters.

Paragraphing

Does each paragraph have a topic sentence which states the main idea?

Have you used examples and vivid specific details to describe your topic?

Have you used explanatory sentences to give your opinion or judgment on the topic?

Have you included sentences which pertain only to that idea?

Are transitions used between sentences and paragraphs?

Is there a concluding sentence?

Omissions

Have you left out any words in your sentences

 

Proofreading Tips

The skill of proofreading is necessary whether you are a student, a professional writer, or someone who creates lots of office memos. No matter the context in which you are writing, there are systematic procedures that you can follow to ensure you produce the best work possible.

There are three types of proofreading: Comparison, content, and format. A comparison proofread may not be applicable to every project you do. It applies to projects in which you have an original document you are copying from. This 'original document' could be your own handwritten notes, they could be a typed document that needs to be re-typed because a file was lost, or they could be a document with changes scrawled by hand all across the pages. A comparison proofing requires a word for word, character for character comparison of the new document and the old document. The purpose of this reading is to make sure that the exact same words and punctuation are in both documents. A comparison proofread is the first type of proofing that will take place.

For a content proofread, you may put aside the original document and focus on the new document. At this stage you will be looking for correct sentence structure, logic, spelling, punctuation, and factuality. You will also be looking for consistency. If your memo says, "(s) he would be in violation of company policy" and then later states " he/she would need to report the incident to the appropriate supervisor", there is a consistency error. A change should be noted to use either "he/she" or "(s) he" consistently. The purpose of the content read is to make sure the document is correct and reads well.

Finally, a format proofread is performed. A format proofing is just what it sounds like. You are looking for a correct format and consistent format in the document. There are certain formatting conventions that are followed when typing, for example, a business letter. There may also be specific formatting rules when typing a memo for company. An easy way to start a format proofread is to 'scan the edges' of the document and look for anything that sticks out and doesn't look right. Then look at the overall page: Does it look balanced? For example, is the text consistently justified or consistently left aligned? Now scan the document and pay attention to the spaces instead of the words. Take out any extra spaces you find within the text. Finally, this is the time when you will check page numbers and footnotes, if applicable.

Give yourself ample time to go through each of these three types/stages of proofreading for the cleanest most professional resulting document. The following tips will help you do a more accurate proofing at any stage:

  1. Always proof from a hard copy. Do not try to proof a document from your computer screen; you will miss many errors this way.
  2. When marking the document, try using proofreader marks. If you are unsure of the proofreader mark for a particular correction, write out the change you want to make. Be clear and specific about your corrections, do not simply circle the errors.
  3. When possible, do not proofread your own work. You know what you mean to say, so you are more likely to skim over errors. If you are able, get more than one person to proofread your work. Everyone has different strengths and they will find different errors.
  4. Break down your tasks. When you are doing a content proofing, the number of things you need to look out for may overwhelm you. It is best to break it down into quicker, more specific proofreads rather than one big proofread. For example, do one proofing for spelling and punctuation, next proof the document for grammatical errors, then do a third content proofing for factuality and consistency.
  5. When you are doing a comparison proofread, use a straight edge (such as a ruler or piece of paper) as a guide. If you carefully move the straight edge from line to line on the original document, you are less likely to miss omitted text in the new document.
  6. During a proofing for spelling, try reading the document backwards. When each individual word is looked at, outside the context of a sentence, you are less likely to miss spelling errors.
  7. After corrections have been made, don't forget to proof the revised document. First check to see that all the corrections were made, then read over the document one more time to make sure you didn't miss something the first time around!