Proofreading Tricks -5 Proofreading Tricks you never knew
- September 22, 2022
- Posted by: Writers King LTD
- Category: Academic Writing Guide
Proofreading Tricks -5 Proofreading Tricks you never knew
Proofreading Tricks? This post will provide you with an easy and faster strategy for proofreading your written content. Why tricks when I can take the entire year to proofread my work? Well, the word trick does not always connote doing things wrongly but implies a faster and easy way of getting things done.
Simply put, proofreading can be regarded as the process of carefully identifying and correcting the errors, both grammatical and otherwise, which may be found in a writing piece. In other words, proofreading can also be regarded as the last and extremely essential stage in a writing process which involves the correction of minor mistakes like formatting inconsistencies, typing errors and so on, which may have occurred during the writing process.
The art of proofreading ought to be applied to all forms of written work. This includes academic papers, resumes, cover letters and so on. Since the entire process of proofreading involves carefully re-reading the written piece in order to pinpoint and correct the errors in it, it may be really stressful for most people.
In addition to that, if the written piece is really long, the writer may be unable to carry out the process efficiently because of time and all. Hence, the aim of this article is to provide five(5) hacks which can be used to make the entire proofreading process to be efficient and less stressful. These hacks include:
Wait for a day or at least six hours before commencing the proofreading
After constructing a long piece of writing, the human brain may get tired or worn out as a result of working for so long. If one decides to proofread in that state, the brain may miss out on specific errors or problems which may be in the paper. Hence, it is always important to wait for a long period of time before commencing the proofreading process.
This way, your brain will be well rested and thus, more able to identify common errors which may be found in the written piece. In order to make proper use of this hack, it is important to finish up the write-up before its due date. However, if it is impossible to finish on time, you can make use of the other hacks which will be provided in the article.
Make use of proofreading tools
The internet has made a lot of human activities which were once stressful or very demanding to be a lot easier. Proofreading happens to be one of those activities which have been made easier with the aid of the internet. Software and websites like Grammarly can make the proofreading process much easier for the writer. All that is needed for such activity is a strong internet connection and a laptop or smartphone.
Similarly, in order to carry out the process, all the writer needs to do is upload the completed file to the website or software and apply the necessary corrections to the written piece. Asides from Grammarly, it is important to note that there are other forms of paraphrasing tools which can be used or consulted during the paraphrasing process.
Some can be used on smartphones whereas others can only be used on laptops. Similarly, some websites require some sort of payment or premium version before allowing the user to carry out activities on these sites. Hence, it is important to browse and pick out the online paraphrasing tool which will be most useful to you and your budget.
Read out loud
Oftentimes, people tend to drift away or get distracted easily when reading a written piece inwardly, especially if the piece is written or constructed by the person. If a person pays little or no attention to the write-up when proofreading, he/she will automatically be unable to identify the errors in the piece.
Hence, the fastest way for a writer to solve this particular problem is by reading the write-up out loud in a quiet or peaceful environment. This way, it will be easier to follow the sentences word for word and rectify the problems in the piece.
Similarly, in order to make the reading process much easier and understandable, the writer can start by reading the write-up backwards. For instance, if a write-up has 15 pages, the writer can start reading the sub-topic on the last page out loud first and then use that particular pattern to progress forward.
Change the general outlook of the written document entirely
Scientific results have proven that the human brain tends to function differently in different spaces and contexts. For example, the way the human brain may process information in a digital form may be entirely different from how the brain may process information in an analogue form.
Hence, if you are unable to proofread on a computer, print it out and try proofreading then. Similarly, if you are unable to proofread a paper, try typing it on a computer instead. Alternatively, you can also change the fonts used to something more playful and catchy.
This way, it will be enticing to read and much easier for the reader to rectify the mistakes or errors in the written piece. The bottom line of this tip is that the reader/writer ought to try out a proofreading pattern which may be more conducive for him/her.
Ask a friend to help out
Friends can also come in handy during the proofreading process. This is so because, since they did not construct the piece, they will be looking at it with fresh eyes, thus making it easier for them to identify and correct the errors which may be associated with the write-up.
In addition to that, they can also evaluate the piece properly and help in the provision of ideas which will be useful to the piece. Hence, it is important to ask a friend for proofreading assistance after constructing a written piece. In a situation whereby you may have little or no time before the submission of the work, it will be more conducive to ask a friend to proofread the piece when you are close by.
This could be at your house, at the library where the both of you read together and so on. This way, it will be much easier for the friend to read, correct and deliver the piece back to you before you run out of time.