If you are a university student who writes essay papers for your course, you may not have access to thorough proofreading to ensure that your essay is free of grammar and spelling errors. Or, you might have thought about it but didn't know how to proceed. Avoiding proofreading and editing your essays by choosing either of these options is a significant mistake, as failing to do so could cost you dearly when you submit your document for evaluation. When you proofread your essay, it's important to realize that there are several techniques used in this process, and this article highlights the key steps.
1. Take a break between writing the article and proofreading it. Ensuring that you have a clear mind and as much time as needed to edit your article will allow you to do a more thorough job, making the final result much more worthwhile. Choose a time of day when you can concentrate well, and minimize distractions. The more effort you put into it, the better your essay will be.
2. When reviewing your paper, it may be helpful to read it backward. This technique assists many writers who proofread their own work because they will actually read each word rather than what their brain assumes they've read. Additionally, some people find it useful to place a ruler under each line they're reading, which helps them stay on track. You should check for grammar, punctuation, spelling errors, and ensure all sentences make sense.
3. Use a spellchecker. Most word processors have a dictionary with a spell checker built-in, but this isn't always reliable. Therefore, you should manually check words that are spelled differently but may be similar, such as "through" and "thorough." They mean different things, yet the program might consider both correct without considering the context.
4. Ask for help. If you're unsure about where to place an apostrophe, consider asking a friend who knows. Ensuring these details, along with all of your references being correctly displayed, is crucial. These simple mistakes only take moments to correct but could cost you significantly upon submission.
5. Reflect on past work you've completed and identify common errors. Asking your tutor may also be helpful. Create a list of the errors you repeatedly make and read your essay backward again for each one, correcting them as you go.
6. Read the paper aloud once. This ensures the sentences sound correct and are punctuated properly. It will also highlight the difference between what you intended to write and what you actually wrote. Make sure your essay flows smoothly.
7. Ask someone else to review it. After you've finished reviewing your paper, consider asking a university friend to look it over. They will likely spot mistakes you missed and provide a more objective viewpoint.
8. Re-read through your paper. After completing the above steps, go through your paper once more to ensure there are no mistakes or errors and confirm that everything makes sense. Once you've made all these checks and proofread your essay, it should be perfectly written and ready for submission. The entire process shouldn't take more than two hours and will ensure you don't lose marks due to silly mistakes. As you get accustomed to making these checks, you'll become faster at doing them, and your writing grades will improve rapidly due to the higher quality of the material you'll be submitting.
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