When it comes to writing an essay, there are certain things you must do to present your best version. One of the most important steps here is to take the time to proofread. If you are in college or you are just someone looking to fine tune your writing skills, here are a few of the top tips for proofreading your written work.
1. Put it away for 24 hours.
One of the first things you need to do upon completing your essay is to put it away for a day. This is the most essential step, as you need to have fresh eyes when you start proofreading what you wrote. Giving yourself a full day between writing and proofreading allows your mind to rest. And having a clear mind makes it much easier to catch any mistakes you have made in the initial writing process. If you are pressed for time, allow yourself at least two hours away from your essay before checking.
2. Read your essay aloud.
This step may sound silly to many but it is highly effective. When you read your essay aloud, you may hear mistakes that you won’t catch when reading them in your head. Ensure that the room you are reading in is quiet and free from distractions, as this will help you concentrate better on proofreading your essay. If possible, you can even ask a fellow classmate, friend, or even a parent to read your paper aloud to you as well. This provides two sets of ears to notice any potential errors.
3. Check your spelling.
Despite the fact that many computers and software, such as Microsoft Word, have built-in spell checkers, it often happens that they miss words. In some cases, you may have spelled a word correctly, it may just be the wrong word for your sentence because of the definition. Never be afraid to turn to a real dictionary to verify that you are using words properly. It is better to take extra time to check the words you used than to submit an essay with spelling mistakes or unclear wording.
4. Check punctuation, contractions & apostrophes.
It’s very important to ensure you are using the correct punctuation, contractions, and placement of apostrophes. Online tools and apps that auto-check your spelling may also check your grammar. Unfortunately, they do not always catch all of the mistakes made throughout your essay. If you have trouble with these items, you can always enlist the aid of a friend, family member, or trusted classmate to check for you. The misuse of words such as your and you’re, its and it’s, they’re and their can call your credibility into question. The same can be said about using too many or too few commas, periods, and other punctuation marks.
5. Verify all facts & figures.
When proofreading, you should do fact checking as well, and it concerns any facts that may be included in your essay. You do not want to include data that is false or misleading, especially if you have a professor that is inclined to verify your facts on their own, or, already has tremendous knowledge on the topic in which you are writing.
6. Read the essay in reverse.
This may sound rather odd to anyone who has never heard of this proofreading technique. Instead of reading your essay from the beginning to the end, do it in the reverse. Begin to read word for word starting at the end. This unusual technique frequently helps people find mistakes that they would not have found reading their essay in the typical fashion.
7. Proofread a hard copy.
Once you are happy with your essay after proofreading it for the first time, print out a hard copy, so you can read it once again. Sometimes you can miss errors when reading your work on computer that you will catch when check over an actual printed copy. If there are no mistakes in your essay, then you already have a hard copy printed to turn into your professor.
8. Have someone proofread your essay.
This may seem unnecessary if you proofread your paper on your computer and then a printed copy. The truth is, even if you are fully confident in your essay, go ahead and ask someone else to read over it for you. This gives you one last check prior to turning your essay in to your professor.