Proofreading is a vital step that one has to do prior to submitting any text. No matter if it is an academic paper, job application, book manuscript, business document, or even that intimidating email to your manager, you have to proofread it.
Though proofreading can be commonly lumped in with editing, it is typically the last step in the overall writing process.
The main aim of proofreading is correcting tiny errors, and not committing major changes to the content.
If you are not a seasoned proofreader, then worry not. As you can easily learn to proofread your own work competently by reading some expert tips. That is right!
We have shared some juicy tips and tricks below to help you become an expert proofreader yourself. Otherwise, you can always seek help from reputable proofreaders to get your work reviewed.
Let us look at the basic steps you have to do to polish your work to perfection.
5 Major Steps Of Proofreading | Everything You Need To Know About Becoming An Expert Proofreader
If you are a beginner who wants to ditch online proofreading services UK and start proofreading your own work, you first need to be acquainted with all the basics. Luckily, these basics can be summed up in only five major steps. You can do these steps simultaneously or separately, as per your preference. These steps make up the most common errors and mistakes that you need to be aware of while reviewing your work. Let us look at these steps bit by bit in detail. They are:
Step No. 1 – Check All Spelling And Word Choice Issues
While you are proofreading any text, it is vital to keep an eye out for any spelling mistakes. Spelling issues are quite common, no matter how exceptional your spelling ability is. When working swiftly, it is very normal to slip up and mistype every now and then. So, proofreading also proves to be a great opportunity to seek out any ineffective or improper word choices. Lastly, keep in mind to steer clear of any misuse of definite and indefinite articles, homophones, prepositions, and a lot more.
Step No. 2 – Get Rid Of Any Stylistic Inconsistency
Next up we have stylistic inconsistencies. They can refer to a lot of different things. Say, for instance, you might be capitalizing titles or terms inconsistently or jumping between numerals and words for numbers. Jumping between the writing conventions of multiple different countries can also raise a lot of concern. For instance, if you are based in the US and are working for a client based in the UK, then you need to be vigilant about not using any US spelling for words like honour, favourite, and so many more words.
Step No. 3 – Remove Any Incorrect Punctuation
Punctuation – it refers to the symbols that are used to structure and separate the sentences. If a piece of content is filled with punctuation issues, it can puzzle the readers and make your work look a bit unprofessional. Apart from content, your professional documents, such as your personal statement should also be free from any punctuation errors. If you are not sure as to what punctuation errors are, then read below or you can always hire reputable personal statement proofreading services. We have listed some of the common punctuation errors to look for when proofreading your work. They are:
- Confusion between en dashes and em dashes
- Missing commas
- Misapplied hyphens
- Misused apostrophes and a lot more
Step No. 4 – Eliminate All The Grammatical Errors
Another major aspect of proofreading your work is hunting down any grammatical errors. We have already corrected some of the most common grammar issues, but unfortunately, there are more. Here are seven other types of grammatical errors that you must get rid of while proofreading your document.
- Who vs. Whose vs. Who’s vs. Whom
- Less vs. fewer
- Dangling modifiers
- Passive voice
- Incomplete comparisons
- Misuse of semicolons
- Improper title capitalization, etc.
Step No. 5 – Steer Clear Of All Formatting Problems
You might need to correct all the formatting issues, such as incorrect formatting of quotations and citations, missing headers, and footers, inconsistent paragraph indentation as well as page numbers. We suggest you save this proofreading step for the last as making other edits after this might create additional errors in terms of spacing, page numbers, and a lot more.
How Long Should Proofreading Take?
Proofreading might be a lengthy or short undertaking. It depends on the overall experience of the proofreader, the complexity and length of the content, and much more. Say, for instance, it might take an expert proofreader about half an hour to do thesis proofreading of 1000 words. In that case, a beginner proofreader might require somewhere between 45 minutes to an hour or more to proofread the work thoroughly as a professional editor.
That being said, you must not begin proofreading your work the very next minute you have finished writing and editing it. You might find it easier to spot mistakes while reviewing your work after a break. For ideal results, we suggest you ideally wait for at least a day or two prior to starting the final round of proofreading. However, if you are on a tight deadline, then waiting for an hour or more can also help a lot.
Bonus Proofreading Tips For Beginners
To help newbie proofreaders stay at the top of their game, we have compiled some expert tips for them. Here are a few bonus tips to help you level up your proofreading game:
- Be Wary Of Digital Shortcuts: Any relevant online spell checker such as Grammarly can help you pinpoint and correct any errors in your work. Still, you must never rely on them completely. These digital shortcuts can overlook punctuation, spelling, grammatical errors, and much more. Â
- Make A Note Of Recurring Mistakes: There is always a word that a person misspells. Maybe you do not use enough commas or you use them too frequently. Try to take note of these repeating mistakes so you can get rid of them while proofreading your work.
- Consider Hiring A Professional Proofreader: Expert proofreaders and editors are way more reliable as compared to digital spell checkers. They are also unbiased, fast, experienced, and able to pinpoint mistakes that you might miss otherwise.
Summing It All Up!
And that is it, folks! This is all that you need to know about unlocking your writing excellence. We do agree that becoming a proofreader is not an easy task. It takes a lot of your precious time and attention to review only a small part of any content. However, we are sure that with the tips and tricks we just discussed above you can easily pave your way to becoming the best proofreader in no time. Like every other skill, it might take you some time, but if you stay consistent, you will surely get there!
