We have talked about editing and proofreading several times – we just cannot emphasize this enough. Sometimes, however, our proofreading does not work. This could be due to a variety of reasons. So here are some tips that could help you proofread your work more effectively. Concentrate Sometimes, when you edit your work, you tend to be lax and your mind wanders. This could be due to tiredness – after all, you just spun out several hundred words. Still, if you want a clean piece of work, then you have to focus on your task tightly. Just a few more minutes and you should be done. Go back to good old paper There are some people who work better when the words are on paper. If you are one of those people, then you might want to give this trick a try. Print out your piece of work that has to be edited and then edit on paper. Once you are done, input the modifications on your computer. Pay close attention to contractions and apostrophes Common mistakes involve these elements. For example, you might use “its†for “it’s†and vice versa. Even the best of speakers and writers make mistakes like this. As such, it would only be prudent to look out for them especially. Try to be objective Distance yourself from your work if you can. One of the biggest problems I face is this – I am too attached to my work that I overlook some things. Try being objective and you would edit better.
Originally posted on August 26, 2008 @ 3:25 pm
