Proofreading Guidelines

Proofreading Guidelines

• Proofread everything, including titles, subtitles, words, punctuation, capitalization, indented items, and numbers.
• Concentrate on each word. If necessary, read your document backwards to check spelling. Then read sentences and paragraphs out of order. This helps you read what you actually have typed instead of what you believe you have typed.
• Cover the document with a piece of paper so you can read only one line at a time. This will help you overcome your eyes' tendency to move on too quickly.
• Read aloud to someone who will follow along on another copy of the document.
• Examine all numbers and totals. Recheck all calculations and look for misplaced commas and decimal points.
• Make sure all quotation marks, brackets, dashes, and parentheses come in pairs.
• Double check all highlighted material
• Keep a list of all repeated errors. See if you find a pattern that will help you proofread future documents more effectively.
• Ask co-workers to proofread your document and to initial it when they are confident they have uncovered all mistakes.

     

  => You cannot proofread your own work with 100% accuracy; your mind is too efficient and simply will supply the missing word in a sentence or will transpose letters into their correct order.

  It is always easier to find errors in someone else's work.

     

  Product Evaluation

     

• Ask yourself, "Does this communication achieve its purpose?"
• Obtain feedback from others about the quality of the communication.
• Encourage feedback from the receiver about the quality of your communication.

     

     

  Some tips

     

  Sometimes the passive voice can be a useful tool for avoiding placing blame for an error or for intentionally making a sentence vague. Effective use of passive voice in business writing is an art.

  There are times when judicious use of passive voice can increase the tact and diplomacy of your writing.