Published on March 5th, 2019 | by Sumit Bhowal

Methods for Proofreading your Writing

There are many different ways to proofread your writing. What works for one person may be difficult for another. No matter what method you use, proofreading is essential in your writing process and this shouldn’t be overlooked.

These are the most effective ways to proofread your written documents:

1. Never rely on auto-correct or online spelling and grammar checks

Online spell checks and grammar checks are great in catching minor errors but the capability of these tools are limited and they can’t identify many common grammatical errors. Sometimes, they even make serious mistakes instead of actually correcting them.

2. Focus on one error at a time

It’s important to focus in proofreading so that you won’t miss major mistakes. Try focusing on one error before moving on to the next. For example, try to check and fix the spelling mistakes then move on to the punctuation errors before finally proceeding to the grammatical errors.

3. Read slowly and out loud

Read each word slowly and read it out loud. This will give you an idea how the text that you have written actually sounds when it is read. In this way, you will be able to pinpoint small mistakes such as the use of wrong words or even identify repetitive words or phrases.

4. Print out the document

This will make it easier for you to identify the errors in your writing as you will be able to spot them easily instead of proofreading your article on the computer.

5. Change the formatting of the document

By doing this method, it will be as if the document was written by someone else. It will also be easier for you to keep track of errors.

6. Use a piece of paper to block out unread text

Place a piece of paper or cardboard over the document to block out unread text while proofreading each line. This will help you concentrate on each word, phrase, or sentence which will make it easier and more accurate in identifying errors.

7. Ask someone to proofread your work

Having someone else proofread your work is a good idea in order to get a second opinion and to know whether you are able to convey the message that you want to convey across your readers. Ideally, one should seek the aid of those who provide professional proofreading services, especially when you are writing a paper or document that has to be written in a specific style, it helps to employ the help of someone familiar with this style to review your paper or document and to make sure that it meets the prescribed standards

8. Try online proofreading tools

If you are pressed for time and you need to proofread your document, email, or paper right away, you can always use reliable online proofreading tools such as wordeep. These tools not only check spelling, grammar, and punctuations. They also do sentence corrections and point out phrases or sentences that are written in a passive voice. They point out the wrong use of words. They also let you know when some phrases or sentences don’t make sense.

Tags: methods, proofreading, writing

About the Author

Sumit Bhowal An Internet addict and a MASTAN , Also a lazy Freelancer . I don't try to reinvent the wheel I just like to soak things in Steroid's :p Thanks (y)