Did you know that famous poets and writers used to spend the most amount of time editing and proofreading their content? Once Oscar Wilde was writing a poem and he spent the whole evening figuring out whether he should add a comma or remove it from the content. The thing is there are different types of writing content some are casual ones that do not need any kind of proofreading but if it is a formal project, especially an academic writing project then proofreading plays a crucial role.
Students are well aware of the importance of proofreading the content as their professors lay extra stress on this point. This is why they were often seen buying dissertation proofreading services or editing help with other such academic projects. This post will help the readers in keeping in mind some specific points while proofreading their content.
The Importance of Proofreading:
Proofreading is an extremely important process as it converts your black-and-white draft to a colorful story. So; no matter if you have to buy the PhD dissertation editing services or have to proofread the whole of your book, just go for it. The importance of proofreading can be realized through the following few points;
- It improves the quality of the paper.
- It ensures that there are no mistakes left.
- It modifies the writing inconsistencies.
- It gives a clear and well-defined message to the reader.
Things to keep in mind while creating a proofreading checklist:
“When you have errors throughout your article, even if just one, you risk distracting your readers from your content’s message.” Annaliese Henwood
A slight misspelled word, punctuation error, or grammatical mistake is like an abrupt hurdle on a smooth passageway. One of the major problems that add to the challenges of the student’s academic careers is their unawareness of the proofreading process. The following few things must be kept in mind while creating a proofreading checklist:
1. Take a break after completing the project:
Never start proofreading your content soon after finishing writing it because you will just be wasting your time. Take a break of at least two to three hours before you proceed to the step of proofreading. Otherwise; there is a high chance of you overlooking the mistakes because your mind has not been able to rest as yet.
2. Proofread while there ain’t no distractions:
Proofreading the content while you have music playing or your favorite show running on the TV is the waste of time because it would be nothing more than a casual reading. If you really want to get rid of the inconsistencies in your content then put your entire focus on proofreading.
3. Read the content out loud:
Reading content loud works better than revising it in the heart. It is because when you read the content, the point where you will hinder will be the place where you have most probably committed a mistake.
4. Check the tone:
Make sure that the tone of your content is the same throughout the passage. Using a semi-formal tone in the beginning, then becoming casual and lastly being extremely formal will leave your readers confused. This is why while proofreading, heck for the tone of the content.
5. The sequence of events:
Make sure that your content is following a particular sequence. For example; you cannot write about the dress design and color before mentioning anything about the dress. This is why while proofreading the content, make sure that it is well aligned.
6. Focus on one element at a time:
Another aspect that must be kept in mind while proofreading is to focus on one element at a time. If you are looking for spelling mistakes at the same time as checking for punctuation errors, there are high chances you are gonna miss one or two things.
7. Grammar mistakes and punctuation errors:
No one will dispute that all writing involves language (D, 2016) and all languages involved grammar. Look for grammar mistakes or punctuation errors. You can do this first by checking it manually and then using the app or software. Some of the best grammar-checking software tools are as follows;
- Grammarly.
- Ginger.
- Scribens.
- Writer.
8. Look for Spelling mistakes:
You might be a post-graduate level student; still, you can make spelling mistakes. So; never think that you would not have committed any spelling mistakes in the content. Give a separate read just to check the spelling mistakes of your content.
9. Re-check if the requirements have been fulfilled:
Every written project has certain requirements that it must follow. As long as academic writing projects are concerned, the professor gives special requirements to the students that he wants to be added to the content. While proofreading your project, make sure that you have those requirements fulfilled.
10. Proofread the format:
Another element that must be added to your proofreading checklist is to revise the format. This step is crucial for academic writing projects in which a certain format has to be followed. The most commonly used format includes the usage of the “Times New Roman” theme, 12 font, and double-spaced distance between the lines.
11. Take review:
Taking reviews from experts in the field will also help in improving the quality of the content. This is yet another important step of proofreading but is not that widely discussed. However; make sure that you are not taking reviews from too many people because it might confuse you.
12. Exchange complex words for simpler ones:
The addition of too many complex words makes it difficult for the reader to follow the storyline or context of the project. Believe that the reader is not here to get impressed by your use of flowery language rather he wants to know the storyline or get the required information.
Conclusion:
So many posts and articles have been written on how to write academic projects, how to write a story, and so on. But there rarely are any posts that are about proofreading and the steps that are required for it. Hopefully; the above-mentioned post will help the readers in proofreading their content with more precision.
Bibliography
bestassignmentwriters. (2022, April 15th). How Academic Help Providers Save the Students’ Future? https://bestassignmentwriter.co.uk/blog/how-academic-help-providers-save-the-students-future/ .
D, F. (2016, Jan 26th). Promoting Grammar and Language Development in the Writing Class; Why, What, How, and When. Teaching English Grammar to Speakers of other Languages , 222-245.
