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By
Akindman
One
of the first special talents I look for in a new job – a good proofreader and
writer! Those are skills that are always
needed. Over the past couple of decades,
many electronic tools have been developed to assist in this endeavor – but they
simply do not replace the brain!
For
those who need a comic relief at this time, my I direct you to http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com/ - about how those tools can back fire on you.
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Ten Tips for
Proofreading Effectively
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There's no foolproof
formula for perfect proofreading every time. As Mark Twain realized, it's just
too tempting to see what we meant to write rather than the words that actually
appear on the page or screen. But these 10 tips should help you see (or hear)
your errors before anybody else does.
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Give it a rest. If time allows, set your text aside for a few hours (or
days) after you've finished composing, and then proofread it with fresh eyes.
Rather than remember the perfect paper you meant to write, you're more likely
to see what you've actually written.
Look for one type of
problem at a time. Read through your
text several times, concentrating first on sentence structures, then word
choice, then spelling, and finally punctuation. As the saying goes, if you look
for trouble, you're likely to find it.
Double-check facts,
figures, and proper names. In addition to
reviewing for correct spelling and usage, make sure that all the information in
your text is accurate.
Review a hard copy. Print out your text and review it line by line:
rereading your work in a different format may help you catch errors that you
previously missed.
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Read your text aloud. Or better yet, ask a friend or colleague to read it
aloud. You may hear a problem (a faulty verb ending, for example, or a missing
word) that you haven't been able to see.
Use a spellchecker. The spellchecker can help you catch repeated words,
reversed letters, and many other common errors--but it's certainly not
goofproof.
Trust your dictionary. Your spellchecker can tell you only if a word is a
word, not if it's the right word. For instance, if you're not sure whether sand
is in a desert or a dessert, visit the dictionary (or our Glossary of Commonly
Confused Words).
Read your text
backward. Another way to catch
spelling errors is to read backward, from right to left, starting with the last
word in your text. Doing this will help you focus on individual words rather
than sentences.
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Create your own
proofreading checklist. Keep a list of the
types of mistakes you commonly make, and then refer to that list each time you
proofread.
Ask for help. Invite someone else to proofread your text after you have
reviewed it. A new set of eyes may immediately spot errors that you've
overlooked.
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Links for additional information and good resources:
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