• 2-minute read
• 4th December 2015

6 Top Proofreading Tips

Time to proofread your work? It’s always hard to proofread your own writing, so we’ve compiled our six top tips for proofreading.

1. Get a Hard Copy

You’ve already spent weeks staring at a computer screen so, when it comes to the proofreading stage, it’s always best to print your essay out and mark it up with a good old fashioned red pen! Changing the format of the work will help you to spot all those little errors that slip through the net.

2. Reverse it!

It sounds weird, but reading your essay backwards, a sentence at a time, can really help you to spot grammar and spelling errors. Keep an eye out for homonyms and homophones that are not picked up by the spellchecker.

3. Perfect your References

Most people are not aware that references should follow the examples given exactly, right down to the placement of the commas and full stops. Get a copy of your style guide and go through each reference meticulously. You could always check it against a reference generator as well at this stage.

4. Select the Correct Proofreading Language

Most copies of Microsoft Word are set to US English. Make sure yours is set to English (AU). You can do this by first selecting all of the text, then going to the tools menu and clicking ‘language’. You can then select the required language. This will help you by underlining any words that are not spelled correctly in your target language.

5. Take a Break!

Taking regular breaks can really help your powers of observation. Make sure you take at least 5 minutes out of every half hour for optimum brain efficiency! Even better, go for a walk outside and get some fresh air as if the room you are working is stuffy, you will get sleepy.

6. Read It Out Loud

Reading your work out can help you to spot any grammatical errors as well as stylistic inconsistencies. If you spot any long sentences, mark them with a pen and work out where you think they should be split.