The document provides various proofreading strategies for editing written work, including: - Taking a break before proofreading to return with a fresh perspective. - Asking others to review for errors and provide feedback. - Reading content backwards or aloud to catch errors more easily. - Using spellcheck and carefully checking for common personal errors. - Determining the best format and environment for thorough proofreading.

1. PROOFREADING
STRATEGIES
COM/156

2. Proofreading Strategies
Take a break for a few hours.
• A fresh set of eyes will allow you to view the essay with
renewed energy.

3. Proofreading Strategies
• Ask a peer or relative to read your essay to look for
glaring errors.
Image from
Bing Images

4. Proofreading Strategies
• Role-play
• Read your essay aloud, pretending you are presenting it
to an audience. Listen for errors or awkward phrasing.

5. Proofreading Strategies
• Read from end to beginning.
• Reading your essay backwards will sound fresh to your
ears and new to your eyes.
Conclusion  Body  Introduction

6. Proofreading Strategies
• Use the Grammar and Spell-check in Word.
Image from
Bing Images

7. Proofreading Strategies
• Know your weaknesses. Catalogue a list of common
errors you tend to make and double-check for those
errors.
List of Common Errors
Did I remove all first and second person
references from my paper?
Have I eliminated all run-on sentences
from my paper?
Have I overused commas?
Have I used colloquial terms, such as got,
kids, pop?

8. Proofreading Strategies
• Determine the medium for your best proofing.
• Do you proofread better from a printed text?
• Do you proofread better from a digital text?
Images from
Bing Images

9. Proofreading Strategies
•
Change your perspective.
•Changing the look
of your
may help you more easily
recognize errors.
document

10. Proofreading Strategies
• Proofread in a place with no distractions or loud noises.

11. Proofreading Strategies
• Edit in short bursts of time if possible.

12. Proofreading Strategies
• Sweep for errors by proofreading for only one type of
error at a time.
• Examples of proofreading errors:
-First person and second person elimination
-Tense consistency
-Proper APA formatting
-Punctuation

13. Proofreading Strategies
• Knowledge is power!
• If something looks wrong, look it up or ask your instructor.
• For instance, Google the differences between using who
and that or who and whom. If you know you struggle with
certain writing problems, search for resources that provide
insight on common errors, such as run-ons and comma
splices.
Image from
Bing Images

14. Proofreading Strategies
• We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not
an act, but a habit.
-Aristotle
• Stick with your system. Once you have developed a
revision and proofreading system that works, continue to
perfect it.
• Using the same system encourages consistency and
more thorough editing.

15. Review
o What are the three parts of an introductory
paragraph?
o What should be present in each body paragraph?
o What are the three parts of a conclusion paragraph?
o What is the difference between revising and
proofreading?
o What revising and proofreading tips appeal to you?

16. References
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Accuracy. (n. d.). [Media]. Retrieved from
http://www.aicpa.org/interestareas/youngcpanetwork/resources/career/pages/5tipstomakingyourwritingmoreexciting.aspx
Balance. (n. d.). [Media]. Retrieved from
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=balance+&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=5DA26BD87762E024A8887A93339ACCB
9E126CDA5&selectedIndex=2
Clarity. (n. d.). [Media]. Retrieved from http://wic.oregonstate.edu/news/clarity-remains-king-fall-faculty-seminar-recap
Delivery. (n. d.). [Media]. Retrieved from http://www.ajcctech.com/Pasadena-Pick-Up-Delivery-Computer-Support.html
Digital Proofreading. (n. d.) [Media]. Retrieved from http://www.deskshare.com/resources/articles/proofread-documents.aspx
Editing. (n. d.). [Media]. Retrieved from http://janefriedman.com/2013/05/31/find-freelance-book-editor/
Focus. (n. d.). [Media]. Retrieved from http://lifehacker.com/5689579/five-best-distraction+free-writing-tools
Grammar and Spell Check. (n. d.) [Media]. Retrieved from http://www.tutorialspoint.com/word_2010/word_spell_check.htm
Hamburger. (n. d.). [Media]. Retrieved from http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/books/newsat/chapter6section3.rhtml
Organization Definition. (n. d.) [Media]. Retrieved from http://stockfresh.com/image/501756/word-organization
Peer Review. (n. d.). [Media]. Retrieved from http://blog.socrato.com/student-peer-evaluation-plusses-and-minuses/
Presentation. (n. d.). [Media]. Retrieved from http://www.whyhowproveit.co.uk/
Proofreading Marks. (n. d.). [Media]. Retrieved from https://www.boundless.com/writing/paper-execution/revising-yourpaper/revising-your-paper/
Sloan Consortium. (2013). New Study: Over 6.7 million Students Learning Online. Retrieved from
http://sloanconsortium.org/news_press/january2013_new-study-over-67-million-students-learning-online
Sweep. (n. d.). [Media]. Retrieved from
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=sweep+&FORM=HDRSC2#view=detail&id=D1D01ACE9CE516C509DBBEC7F15DB0
AC9C1CA047&selectedIndex=0
Stop Watch. (n. d.). [Media]. Retrieved from http://blog.paperrater.com/2010/03/proofreading.html
Tone. (n. d.). [Media]. Retrieved from http://yeahwriters.tumblr.com/post/47802331062