Proofreading
Please review the helpful lessons on common proofreading issues.
1. Missing or mistaken words: Reading aloud will help you make sure that you have chosen the right word from a group of words that sound the same or are often misused. Below are some of the most common. You can also find an extensive list at the EWC's Guide to Commonly Confused Words.
| accept/except affect/effect breath/breathe/breadth knot/not know/no |
lie/lay lead/led lose/loose it's/its read/red |
then/than your/you're there/their/they're through/though/thorough to/too/two |
2. Spelling: Use spell check to highlight misspelled words and then right-click on the word. A pop-up list of possible spellings will appear (see video below on how to use your word processor's built-in spell checker). Also bookmark or favorite a reliable online dictionary such as www.dictionary.com. If you've always considered yourself a bad speller, these electronic tools will help.
3. Punctuation: One of the main types of punctuation errors is the typo. Look closely for stray punctuation that might have been part of a sentence you deleted. Look for two periods at the end of a sentence. Also make sure there's only one space between words, unless your instructor has told you otherwise. With some fonts (especially Courier), it's sometimes hard to tell if there's a space, so you may wish to try another font. Also notice that when you italicize a sentence, spacing and punctuation are often hard to decipher.
4. Numbers: Numbers are something our minds automatically correct as we read, so focus on dates, numbered lists, and dollar figures. Part of proofreading is learning to avoid our mind's automatic correction and seeing what's actually there. If you have a long number, check every digit against your source. If you have decimals, make sure the "dot" appears between the right digits.
Spelling vs. digits: The numbers nine and under are spelled out in APA Style—"one" through "nine." Any number over nine can be done in numerals— "10" and "50." If you are talking millions, billions, etc., put the number and then the multiplier:
$44 million 5 billion
searches
5. Apostrophes: Missing apostrophes are a common mistake because English uses "s" to signify both a plural word (two cats) and the possessive form of a noun (the cat's fur). The possessive, however, is formed with an apostrophe
+ s. Here is an excellent video tutorial on
apostrophes. This website also has information on correct use of apostrophes: http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/possessive.html
6. Capitalization: Capitalizing common nouns is a frequent problem. Much of what you learned in grade school about what to capitalize may be obsolete, so don't rely on memory. Times have changed, and so have the rules of capitalization.
- Use capitals to designate proper nouns (names) like American or Pompeii. Capitalize months but not seasons: "July is in the summer."
- Capitalize a title directly before a name: "President Lincoln." Do not capitalize when the title is after the name: "Lincoln was our 16th president."
- Capitalize specific building names, but not generic building words: "Blacksburg High School," but "student must attend high school."
- Capitalize religious titles and works ("God" and "the Koran").
As a society, we are capitalizing less now
than ever before. So when you use a capital which
is not at the start of the sentence, the word "I", or a proper name,
and if you are not absolutely sure a current rule says it should be
capitalized, check the EWC's
Guide to Capitalization.Final Thoughts
Keep in mind you don't have to know all the rules! You just have to know when there might be a mistake, and where to check for the right answer. Here are some links to two sites that provide the rules you need.
Best Use of Spelling, Grammar and Style Checkers
Your spelling, grammar, and style checker can be a great asset as you use your word processor. But you must use your checker thoughtfully. Some techniques to keep in mind:
Most word processors underline
misspelled or unrecognized words with red, and grammar and style concerns
with blue.
This underlining indicates only potential areas of concern. You, the
writer, must determine if any of the flagged elements are truly a
problem.
It is important to fine tune your grammar and style choices with the "Settings" option according to the type of document you are preparing and its intended audience.
Selecting a flagged element with a right-click provides more options that include revision suggestions and explanations of the possible problem.
It is important to fine tune your grammar and style choices with the "Settings" option according to the type of document you are preparing and its intended audience.
Selecting a flagged element with a right-click provides more options that include revision suggestions and explanations of the possible problem.
