Writing assignments are not only about creating qualitative content, which is interesting to read. It is also about the ability to make that content a sleek one. That is the ability to check and proofread without missing even the smallest grammatical or spelling mistake.
Proofreading skills are important if you’re a college or university student, who cares about the diploma you’ll get. In fact, proofreading can make a world of difference for both a very proper as well as very poor content. A few simple changes to your essay or paper while checking them may bring you the grades you’ve always wanted. In fact, most students who don’t succeed in writing, are bad at proofreading. Today, we’re going to reveal a couple of techniques and recommendations on how to check your own assignments like a pro without additional help. So, keep reading, we have a lot of information to share. By the way, don’t forget to use plagiarism checker online additionally to proofreading. All college and university assignments should be 100% unique, as well as grammatically correct.
7 Steps to Improve Your Proofreading Skills
First of all, let’s make it clear why proofreading is an essential part of any essay or research paper. Often when we’re writing, we don’t actually write what we think, especially if we’re doing it quickly enough. Our brains work faster than our hands. This means, that you’re constantly making unintentional mistakes while writing something only because your ideas and thoughts move faster than your hands. This doesn’t mean that you’re stupid or don’t know the simplest grammatical rules. Even professional writers make mistakes while working on novels or academic papers. In order to define and get rid of those mistakes, you have to proofread what you’ve written for a couple of times. Proof read your assignments by using the plagiarism checker by EduZaurus. It is quite easy to use and works great.
How to Proofread Correctly
- Read slowly. The first rule of proofreading is to read slowly. Sometimes we proofread too quickly to notice a tiny typo in the word. The most simple mistakes are usually missed because of looking through your text too quickly.
- Read each word separately. Don’t miss even the simplest words. Even if it is a four-letter word, don’t miss it. Pay attention literally to every letter and sign.
- Read everything out loud. We know, most students are not used to reading aloud, especially when nobody is listening to them. But reading out loud helps to understand which word should be replaced and which word is not in its natural position. If a paper is difficult to read out loud or contain unnecessary words, which are not obligatory to use, then you’ve done something wrong. Your writing should be easy to read and should sound natural.
- If your writing consists of more than four-five pages, print it out. It is harder to see mistakes on the screen if you have a lot of paragraphs to check. Then, take a simple ruler and place it under each sentence while reading it. The ruler will help you to stay focused on that particular sentence without losing the place you’re checking if something distracts your attention.
- When the whole writing is checked, put it aside. Leave it for a couple of hours. Then, take it one more time and read again. Do the same once more if it is needed, this will help you find logical inconsistencies.
- Ask a friend to help you. Give your paper to a friend and ask him/her to read it, highlighting the paragraphs or words, which seem to be inappropriate in their opinion. They may pick up something important you’ve missed.
- Change the size or the color of the text to trick your eyes, making your writing look different. This will help you to perceive the information you’ve written in a new way.
You don’t need an extraordinary attention or professional skills to be good at proofreading. Just stick to the tips provided above, and you’ll see how editing your writing can be both an easy as well as a very interesting activity to do.
