PROOFREADING YOUR OWN WRITING

No one is perfect, but your writing has to have a certain level of perfection. You would not want to flop up after gathering your thoughts and idea and documenting it and make your readers not comprehend due to individual errors. Therefore after writing, you need to proofread and edit, one process that can’t be overlooked. There are different methods you can proofread a documented work. As the saying goes, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. Whatever method works best for someone might not be the best method for another.

WAYS TO PROOFREAD WRITING

1. DISCERN WHAT METHOD WORKS BEST FOR YOU.
   Stated earlier is the fact that everyone has a proofreading method that works best for them. You must identify this before embarking on this process. You could choose to edit on your computer or edit a printed work with your pen.
2. DON’T DEPEND ON SPELLING CHECKERS
   Spelling checkers are useful tools, but too much dependence on them may not be right. They have a limited dictionary in which some words will not be present. This applies for grammar checkers as well.
3. TAKE A BREAK
   After writing, you still have a good knowledge of what you have documented. Sometimes, you know which word goes next (even before you complete the sentence). It’s quite difficult to edit a work you still seem very familiar with because you tend to skip errors you should correct. You could take a few hours break, days, weeks or even months have to take a break, move away from your work for a while before going back to complete the process. Getting back to your work, you have a different feel about your work and editing becomes more natural and effective.
4. WORK IN A SERENE ENVIRONMENT
   Working in a quiet place aids useful thinking. Rather than being distracted by noise or movements, you concentrate and
5. PROOFREAD FOR ONLY ONE KIND OF ERROR AT A TIME.
   Take one step at a time. There are different types of errors; punctuation, grammar and spelling and each should be proofread at different times. Editing all errors at the same time would warrant losing concentration and overseeing some errors. In other words, treat each error one after the other.
6. READ ALOUD SLOWLY.
   Reading slowly aloud enables you to hear how the words sound when pronounced together. You become more conscious this way and correct the errors effectively.
7. PROOFREAD A LINE AT A TIME
   This is another effective way to identify and correct your errors. The ‘enter’ key on your keyboard is needed for this technique. Press the key to separate the sentences that each sentence begins a new line. Then read each line at a time, scrutinizing for errors.
8. READ BACKWARDS
   This method doesn’t seem to make sense. Does it? Doing this no sense will be derived from meaning, sentence structure, and punctuation but is the best technique to proofread your spelling. Begin with the last word in your writing and read all the way to the beginning of your work. In the case of sentence structure, a backward reading sentence by sentence could be of help. This way, no meaning is derived, but you’re conscious of the structures of the sentences.
   Proofreading is not just a process of correcting your work. You should also learn from this process. Improve your vocabulary and build on your sentence structure

Learn about Public speaking.

References:

Editing and Proofreading

7 Effective Ways to Proofread Writing