Guide to Proofreading

Guide to Proofreading

· Work from a printout, not the computer screen.

· Read out loud. This is especially helpful for spotting run-on sentences, but you'll also hear other problems that you may not see when reading silently.

· Use a blank sheet of paper to cover up the lines below the one you're reading. This technique keeps you from skipping ahead of possible mistakes.

· Check separately for each kind of error, moving from the most to the least important, and following whatever technique works best for you to identify that kind of mistake. For instance, read through once (backwards, sentence by sentence) to check for fragments; read through again (forward) to be sure subjects and verbs agree, and again (perhaps using a computer search for "this," "it," and "they") to trace pronouns to antecedents.

· End with a spelling check, using a computer spelling checker or reading backwards word by word. But remember that a spelling checker won't catch mistakes with homonyms (e.g., "they're," "their," "there") or certain typos (like "he" for "the").

· The Twenty Most Common Errors (from the Bedford Reader) http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/nsmhandbook/errors.html

· 1 Missing comma after an introductory element

· 2 Vague pronoun reference

· 3 Missing comma in a compound sentence

· 4 Wrong word

· 5 Missing comma(s) with a nonrestrictive element

· 6 Wrong or missing verb ending

· 7 Wrong or missing preposition

· 8 Comma splice

· 9 Missing or misplaced possessive apostrophe

· 10 Unnecessary shift in tense

· 11 Unnecessary shift in pronoun

· 12 Sentence fragment

· 13 Wrong tense or verb form

· 14 Lack of subject-verb agreement

· 15 Missing comma in a series

· 16 Lack of agreement between pronoun and antecedent

· 17 Unnecessary comma(s) with a restrictive element

· 18 Fused sentence

19 Misplaced or dangling modifier

· 20 Its/It’s

You can find a complete guide to grammar, punctuation, usage, and mechanics at http://www.grammarbook.com or consult a guide.