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Proofreadingand Editing Work

The document discusses proofreading and editing written work to improve its quality and marks. It suggests allowing time between drafting and reviewing, choosing an editing environment with few distractions, and asking others to review one's work. Aspects to check include content, structure, style, and developing self-correction techniques.

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José Daniel Gutiérrez Rojas
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10 views

Proofreadingand Editing Work

The document discusses proofreading and editing written work to improve its quality and marks. It suggests allowing time between drafting and reviewing, choosing an editing environment with few distractions, and asking others to review one's work. Aspects to check include content, structure, style, and developing self-correction techniques.

Uploaded by

José Daniel Gutiérrez Rojas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Proofreading and editing your work

Checking and revising your work before you submit it to a tutor is almost
guaranteed to improve its quality and hence improve your mark.
Proofreading involves meticulously checking through a piece of writing in
search of actual errors (e.g. spelling mistakes, repetition of words.) Editing
is generally a more extensive process of reading through the draft of an
essay and improving it in terms of style, conciseness, paragraphing and
focus.

Suggested ideas

 Create “distance” between you and your text. Allow some time to
pass between writing the draft and checking it. That way you are likely
to be more detached and objective in your approach to errors and
improvements.

 Choose your preferred medium. Some people prefer to work with a


pen and a paper copy of the essay, others opt for the computer. It
depends on what works best for you in terms of spotting things to
correct or improve.

 Choose a suitable place to work. Editing and proofreading require a


particular kind of concentration which is different from the frame of
mind required for reading or writing. You’ll need to avoid distractions if
you are to do the best possible job of revising your work.

 Avoid long stretches of work. It’s generally advisable to do your


proofreading and editing in reasonably short bursts. That way your
concentration won’t flag and you’ll avoid the danger of missing errors.

 Ask a friend or colleague to read your work. This is not a


substitute for doing the job yourself, but can be an additional aid.
Sometimes they will spot something you have missed.

Aspects to consider when editing

 Is the content (subject matter) ok? Check that you have answered
the question as set, used argument effectively and backed up your
views with references to sources. Have you used the Harvard
referencing system correctly?
 Is the structure clear? Make sure you have an introduction, well-
sustained main section and a satisfactory conclusion. Check for
sentence and paragraph connections that supply cohesion and
signposting. Does it all flow?

 Is the style accessible? The tone needs to be right (normally a fairly


formal academic tone is needed, without sounding pompous). Ensure
you replace words and phrases that are inadequate or too informal. Is
there a balance of passive and active verbs? Have you defined
important terms used in the essay?

 Is there a pattern to what I do? It is important do develop self-


correction techniques as part of the process of becoming an
independent learner. As you edit, take note of repeated features
(repetition, over-long sentences, poor paragraphing, for example) and
look out for these as you go through.

Points to consider when proofreading

 Proofreading is not an identical process to editing. Though they


overlap in some respects it is a good idea to keep them separate.
(Checking for spelling errors requires a different approach to that
required for refining content.)

 Don’t rely on spelling checkers. Most of us know these are not


completely reliable and will often miss an error if the word is the correct
spelling of an existing word, however incorrectly used in the context.
The same thing applies to grammar checkers.

 Focus on one kind of error at a time. It is very difficult to proofread


for a range of different mistakes. Search separately for spelling,
punctuation and grammar errors, for example.

 Accept the fact that it is a slow process. There is no alternative to


a thoroughgoing, methodical approach to proofreading. It really should
be done word for word. (See the accompanying handout, Proofreading
Techniques.) However, with practice and experience your technique
should improve.

 The results of not proofreading can be serious! There is at least


one example on record of a student receiving a zero mark for a
disastrous, error-strewn essay that had clearly not been checked in any
way before it was submitted.

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