Accuracy, clarity, and concision are the goals shared by all technical communicators. This isn’t always simple to accomplish, and it’s typical for a piece of writing to require significant rewriting beyond its initial draught before it is acceptable. Editing and proofreading procedures aid in enhancing the first document and advancing the project to completion. This method is used by many online writing services such as ‘corporate law assignment help’ that provides complete edited and proofread assignment to their students.
However, the task will typically be left to the writer if there isn’t enough time or money to hire a proofreader or professional editor. How could you proofread anything that you have written yourself? This makes for a challenging process. Proofreading is the process of finding and noting mistakes for rectification.
Proofreading, like a draught, is the final step of editing, when the author has one more chance to look for errors before submission (helpwithdissertation, 2021). Here are some pointers for editing your own writing. See how many faults you can remove from your work by heeding this advice and 12 top tips mentioned below.
1. Don’t rely on a spellchecker
Doing a simple spell check is rarely sufficient. Obviously, spell checks have their place, but they won’t catch every error. Words are frequently misused, even when they are spelled correctly. Compare the following two statements for instance:
- We have an enviable track record.
- We have an envious track record.
The spell checker quickly moves on and declares everything to be fine. But hold on, the second line isn’t accurate (believe us, even though we’re envious of everyone else!). It is one thing to be aware that such problems exist; it is quite another to locate and resolve them. Don’t give up though; that’s what the remaining advice is all about.
2. Be clear
Keep in mind who you are writing for. Will your writing be understood by them? Consider these fundamentals:
Clarity: Be specific in your language
Simplicity: if feasible, avoid using jargon
Be respectful in your language choice.
To concentrate on your job, choose a calm environment to do it or put in some earplugs. Since proofreading requires careful attention to detail, being frequently interrupted makes it difficult to accomplish it effectively.
3. Use printouts
Printing out your work to proofread is the least eco-friendly piece of advice. Some people find it easier to find mistakes on a piece of paper than that on a screen. You’ll understand what it means if you’ve ever used Microsoft Word to write a letter and then discovered an error after it was printed. The line of text which spans the whole length of your page might easily begin to have words skipped. To read fewer words per line, try adjusting your document’s left and right margins to be two inches wide. It achieves the same result to format the text into two columns.
4. Read content backwards
You can find anomalies and errors in your text by changing the way you read. At first, reading backwards might be difficult, but you’ll soon pick up the pace. If you persevere, rewards will follow.
5. Read out loud
Speaking your sentences out loud frequently might help you identify the sentences that are most likely to confuse readers. If a statement seems awkward when you speak it to yourself, consider how it would sound to someone else. Make things easy for your viewers by rephrasing.
6. Use online tools for grammar check
Use online tools to check for grammar mistakes to proofread in your writing. Keep in mind that software won’t spot every error, so you’ll still need to decide whether the suggestions are accurate.
7. Examine sentence structure
Consider each statement independently. Look for sentence fragments and run-ons, and see whether unclear dangling modifiers or pronouns are contributing to confusion. A sentence’s topic may be solitary or plural. Verify that the subject and the related verb are in agreement.
In order to make a string of words or sentences easier to read, parallelism makes sure that they all follow a similar pattern. Consider commencing each of a list of bullet points with a verb in the gerund form (with the suffix “-ing”).
8. Check for spelling errors
Spelling mistakes are often proofread and rectified (Daffern, 2017). Consider each word individually now. Verify the spelling and look for terms that are misspelt, repeated, or placed incorrectly. Additionally, it is a good moment to assess the distance between phrases and words.
9. Check words for meaning
Keep an eye out for homonyms, which have similar sounds but different meanings. For instance, while writing, “Affect” and “Effect” are frequently confused.
10.Check for punctuation
Every time you use a punctuation mark like a hyphen, colon, semi-colon, or apostrophe, take a moment to consider how it should be utilized.
One of the most often used punctuation markers, commas may be challenging to utilize correctly. Learn how to properly use commas so that you can insert them in your writing.
11.Divide the task
Read your text many times, scanning it for various problems. Here’s an illustration:
Reading 1: solely pay attention to spelling
Reading 2: concentrate entirely on the grammar
Reading 3: Pay close attention to the headings
Each reading gets simpler the more you divide things down. This strategy is excellent for enhancing your writing’s coherence.
But be careful not to read your writing too many times. You can prevent “word blindness” by taking lengthy rests in between sittings.
12.Be systematic
To make sure nothing slips between the gaps, proofread your work gradually. Consider proofreading your writing once for spelling before moving on to punctuation. Making many attempts is necessary, but you may concentrate on one mistake at a time.
Conclusion:
All these tips are readily used by many online writing services like ‘Best assignment writing service’ which gives guarantee that your writing is of the greatest caliber as proofreading is a crucial step in any form of writing process.
Reference:
Daffern, T., Mackenzie, N.M. and Hemmings, B., 2017. Testing spelling: How does a dictation method measure up to a proofreading and editing format?. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, The, 40(1), pp.28-45.
HWD.2021. Editing vs. proofreading. Online Available at<https://www.helpwithdissertation.co.uk/blog/editing-vs-proofreading/> [Accessed on 26th July 2022].
