{"id":24315,"date":"2024-07-02T18:00:49","date_gmt":"2024-07-02T10:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=24315"},"modified":"2024-06-30T21:33:30","modified_gmt":"2024-06-30T13:33:30","slug":"improve-proofreading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/improve-proofreading\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Improve Your Proofreading Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"

With every blog post, newspaper article, book, magazine, or other reading materials, editing and proofreading are essential steps. If no proofreading was done, you would notice.<\/strong> Proofreading happens after editing and before printing or publishing. It\u2019s the process that helps reduce mistakes or inconsistencies in a piece of writing.<\/p>\n

That said, it\u2019s quite rare to find a piece of writing that is flawless and free from errors \u2013 even dictionaries are known to contain mistakes<\/strong> missed by their editorial team. But if you don\u2019t want to frustrate your readers, you cannot<\/em> skip proofreading your posts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So How Does Proofreading Work?<\/h3>\n

The key to proofreading is to detach yourself from the work<\/strong> or to review it in unfamiliar settings.<\/p>\n

Why? Well, the brain is a know-it-all that likes to fill in the blanks<\/a> for us, making us miss things that are \u201cright there\u201d.<\/strong> When we are familiar with the work, the brain predicts the next scene. Under these circumstances, it becomes easier for us (or our brains) to miss typos<\/a> that are hiding in plain sight.<\/p>\n

Check out this simple exercise<\/a> to understand how our brain often misleads us.<\/p>\n

How to Proofread<\/h2>\n

The easiest way to get proofreading done is to get someone else to do it for you<\/strong>. Fresh eyes pick up more mistakes, and just about anyone can do a quick proofreading job. They just need to have a good enough grasp of the language to catch the typos and irregularities.<\/p>\n

If you want to go in-depth with proofreading or do your own proofreading, here are some tips and techniques that may help.<\/p>\n

1. Read It Out Loud<\/h3>\n

You can read the post out loud or to yourself (if you are in a public setting). If there is dialogue in your writing, give it voices so that you can attach different personalities to your characters. If it is a speech, read it like you are in front of your audience \u2013 dramatize it, strive for perfection, and your mind will become more sensitized towards mistakes and typos<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

2. Print It and Read It with a Pen<\/h3>\n

For lengthier posts or assignments, I would suggest printing out the post to read. More importantly, hold a pen<\/strong> while you read, and don\u2019t be afraid to use it<\/strong>. When you allow yourself to \u201cmark\u201d your own article, you will \u201caccept\u201d the fact that the post is not yet ready, and there is still work to be done.<\/p>\n

You will be amazed at how many typos you can find with this method. I find bright-colored ink works better than black or blue, but that\u2019s just me.<\/p>\n

3. Change Elements of the Piece<\/h3>\n

If you don\u2019t want to read out loud or don\u2019t have a handy printer around, you can do proofreading on-screen, but you will need to change the \u201cin-house environment\u201d of the piece.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Break down your piece<\/strong> into 3 to 4 lines for better clarity. Paragraphs that are too lengthy overburden your short-term memory. Sometimes by the time you get to the end of that paragraph, you might have forgotten what you\u2019ve read near the beginning. You can put everything back to its \u201coriginal position\u201d when you\u2019re done.<\/li>\n
  2. Change the font size or typeface<\/strong>. I have a specific typeface and font size that I am more comfortable with; you will need to find yours. If it is possible, publish your pieces in this comfort font. If you don\u2019t want to make typeface changes, you can zoom in instead.<\/li>\n
  3. Try changing the spacing<\/strong> (as in 1.5 or double spacing) of the piece. If there is a lot to work with, you can split the post into two columns<\/strong> to make it easier on the eyes. Don\u2019t underestimate how big of an influence spaces can have on your reading.<\/li>\n
  4. When in doubt, leave the piece aside<\/strong> for a while \u2013 maybe 10 days to 2 weeks. Work on something else first and totally distance yourself from the product. By the time you go back for a second look, it\u2019s like reading it for the first time. If it isn\u2019t, then give it a couple more days.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    4. Don\u2019t Trust the Spellchecker. Not Fully.<\/h3>\n

    It is okay to depend on the spellchecker for most spellchecks, but remember that it cannot recognize context, which means it will block words like \u201cinfinitesimal<\/em>\u201d or \u201ccompartmentalization<\/em>\u201d whenever there is a typo but allow a mistake like this too<\/em> go through. Like a traffic light, spellcheckers should not be trusted fully \u2013 they are tools, and tools have limits and faults too. Don\u2019t let your trust in them be the reason for your mistakes.<\/p>\n

    5. General Tips on Proofreading<\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. Always use copy paste, don\u2019t rewrite a word that is already there. Copy-pasting minimizes errors.<\/li>\n
    2. When making a correction that spans a few words, read it on the spot to check for any mistakes. Then read it again during the next cycle. Mistakes that you introduce to a post is a major no-no.<\/li>\n
    3. Never proofread until the editing process has been completed; otherwise, that proofreading round is basically pointless.<\/li>\n
    4. In determining usage consistency, always confirm which version of the spelling or word is the right one before you make the changes.<\/li>\n
    5. Right up until it is time to print or publish, you might still find small mistakes and typos that you\u2019ve missed. It\u2019s alright. In books, these typos are removed in subsequent editions. In online publishing, the mistake can be rectified almost immediately.<\/li>\n
    6. When in doubt, consult the dictionary. When you have two dictionaries telling you different things, follow the newer edition, or follow the one that is considered the authority in your publishing circle \u2013 so skip urbandictionary if you write for offline publications. Remember that language is \u201calive\u201d<\/a>.<\/li>\n
    7. If you are helping someone else proofread their work, the writer of the post may argue with you on some of the grammar rules or changes you want to make. What you should do depends on the situation, but at the end of the day, it is the writer\u2019s name on the post, so he or she should have the last say.<\/li>\n
    8. To make sure you catch as many of the typos as possible, do repeated readings: proofread by cycles<\/strong>. I call them cycles because of the repetitive nature of this exercise. In each cycle, check just one particular issue<\/strong>, and ignore the rest; you will get to them eventually.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Here\u2019s a sample routine you can adopt:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Check two- and three-letter words. Sometimes they go missing. The culprits include \u2018is\u2019, \u2018be\u2019, \u2018of\u2019, \u2018the\u2019, \u2018and\u2019, \u2018for\u2019, \u2018to\u2019 \u2013 you get the idea.<\/li>\n
      2. Check capitalization (you may need to be more particular with brands).<\/li>\n
      3. Check subject-verb agreement. (Google has<\/em> or have<\/em>?)<\/li>\n
      4. Check for the letter \u2018s\u2019 (the most notorious, confounding letter in the alphabet, \u2018s\u2019 can be found missing from plurals and tenses).<\/li>\n
      5. Check punctuation and uneven spacing.<\/li>\n
      6. Check if you closed the \u201cquotes, (parenthesis, and [brackets you open.<\/li>\n
      7. To hyphenate or not to hyphenate (this needs a post of its own, which I am ill-equipped to write).<\/li>\n
      8. Check for consistency (if you are using email<\/em>, go all the way. Ditto if you prefer e-mail<\/em>, but never do both in the same piece).<\/li>\n
      9. If you have particular formatting styles, check for consistency for this as well.<\/li>\n
      10. If you included Figures<\/em> with running numbers like Figure 1.1, Figure 1.2, do run a check as well to make sure the numbers are right.<\/li>\n
      11. Check, check, and triple check everything.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        So that\u2019s that!<\/p>\n

        Up to this point, we\u2019ve looked into basic techniques that you can use in a proofreading exercise<\/strong>. However, if you want to go deeper, here are a few areas you have to be careful with.<\/p>\n

        The next section deals with English, the language, which I am far from being a subject expert in. With that in mind, please double-check anything you are not sure of using external sources from other sites or blogs, or with your grammar teacher, if you have one available.<\/p>\n

        Problem Areas<\/h2>\n

        Truth be told, some of the most common typos appear in the shortest of words. Here\u2019s a short list of the usual mistakes we make not only in articles but also when commenting or chatting:<\/p>\n

        1. Dealing with Contractions<\/h3>\n

        This happens to a lot of writers and often occurs in comments as well.<\/p>\n