Must-follow 15 Tips for Proofreading and Editing

When it comes to assignment writing, most students succumb to deadlines and give a blind eye to proofreading and editing. If you have such thoughts lurking in your minds, don’t give it a vent. Considering the fact that human beings are prone to mistakes, proofreading and editing are integral for producing great write-ups. But the question is ‘HOW’? Does it merely signify going through the entire content all over again? ‘NO’. Here comes the significance of this blog. Let’s delve deeper:

The proofreading and editing tips can be categorized into six logical sections with a single thread, encompassing the aspects like:

• Habits
• The Larger Picture
• Sentence-level Editing
• Practical Processes
• Formatting

Habits

It includes certain actions that you should do every day for effective editing and proofreading of a write-up:

• Read your writing aloud:Simply gazing at the paper or silently reading won’t help. Make out-of-the-box approaches like reading the content aloud. In that case, your eyes won’t jump over the words on the write-up. If you try reading your write-up out loud, and more importantly, listen to how it sounds, self-editing won’t be a difficult affair for you.
• Go through the content at various times of the day:You may be a morning or late night person. That isn’t a problem. But the thing is, try to go through the write-up when you feel most productive. Similarly, you can also try the other way around. For example, look at your paper at different times of the day. It will shed all the biasness if you have.
• Keep a running list of the writing errors:Before stepping into the writer’s shoes, you need to keep an error list by your side while considering your areas of strengths and weaknesses pertaining to a certain realm. It will make things easier for you, especially in the editing stage. In case you are unaware of your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to writing, introspect or hire an Homework Help agency to realize the same.

Practical processes

Given below is the list of some practical approaches that you can embrace to sharpen your proofreading effectiveness:

• Read the sentences in reverse order: Picking out errors can be difficult if you have gone through the content more than thrice. It is because your mind is aware of the happenings and knows what’s coming next. A trick to seek a new perspective and view sentences anew is to reverse the order.

• Search for one problem type at a time: You can’t be done with proofreading and editing in a go. No matter how well you brainstorm, it’s quite difficult for our brains to memorize a full-fledged list of proofing and editing categories.
• Follow the descending order while editing: It means you should check and edit the big stuff first and the small stuff second. The micro aspects of your writing, like modifying sentences or checking spelling and punctuation errors, should be your second concern. Your priority will be on the major stuff like characterization, plot, argument, order, and so on.

The larger picture

Follow these macro-level tips if you want to give a logical structure to your write-up before focusing on the finer details:

• Focus on the introductions: You just can’t write an introduction for the sake of it. It is one of the most important parts of your content, as a good introduction sets the tone of an excellent write-up. While proofreading the entire piece, ensure your introduction is up to the mark and will entice both scholars and average readers to go through your content. If you find any missing link, include one or two provocative sentences that can draw the attention of readers.
• Conduct more research: During the proofreading stage, you may feel that some important information is missing or a section is underdeveloped. In this case, the best approach is to tell the audience, “future research works should address X, Y, or Z.”
• Filter out the irrelevant sections: Excluding some portion of your write-up may be heart-wrenching, especially if the subject is one of your favourites. It’s true that they are weaved into your write-up, but objective readers may not hold the same viewpoint as yours.

Sentence-level editing

Now, you have to put your hands into the micro-level of editing: the vocabulary and sentences. Use this as an opportunity to make your sentences tighter and clearer:

• Eliminate dead verbs:Undeniably, verbs are integral to every sentence. It won’t be an exaggeration to state that verbs give a smooth flow to your write-up as the content creators do things. Don’t fall for the words, especially verbs with no movement like is, are, was, were, to be.
• Check the wordiness and redundancy of your content:Even the expert writers compose drafts in their initial attempt. But, do you know the reason behind this apart from voicing the very common statement that preparing a draft takes time. Unfortunately, very few students realize that making a draft is important for their project. After your initial attempt, make the second attempt more productive by weeding out unnecessary words and phrases that make your content redundant at times.

This approach of yours is particularly necessary while handling an assignment on technical topics related to engineering, computer science, management courses, etc. For better results, you always have the option to hire an expert offering assignment help or any other specialized in their respective fields.

• Always make positive statements:Yes, you have to make positive sentences throughout the content as they create a direct, and more importantly, strong impression on the readers. If your manuscript comprises negative statements, try converting them into positive ones. This assertive approach in writing is what readers always expect from you.
• Ensure that every paragraph conveys a single idea:The best approach is to present a single idea in a paragraph. While writing, you are playing with the thought process and intellect of readers. So, try to keep it simple as it will help the average readers evaluate your text. Following this pattern also gives a logical flow to your write-up while making it coherent in every aspect.

Formatting

If you think that formatting errors won’t cost you much, you are wrong. Some typos can ruin your entire project and, subsequently your efforts. Chances are also there that readers will misunderstand your content. So, ensure that every aspect of your writing style is in harmony:

• Fix the formatting inconsistencies:Do you want the essay body flush to the heading? Or, do you want a line space between the two? Whatever it is, focusing so much on vocabulary usage and sentence inconsistencies can make you give a blind eye to formatting. No matter how big a document you are writing, formatting errors always set you on backtrack as the reviewers sense that you aren’t sincere enough.
• Insert sub-headings wherever possible:Unless you are writing an essay, remember to use sub-headings before every paragraph, or at least, on the transition of two ideas. In professional writing, content creators can enhance their understanding of their content by instilling headings and sub-headings. Moreover, it is really helpful for readers, especially while dealing with a tough subject.

The Takeaway

Now that you have understood the importance of proofreading and editing, you can’t afford to give it a miss. If you do, nobody except you will be the loser. And, it’s also important to accomplish this section following a sequence. The above blog highlights the nuances of proofing and editing in a detailed manner and thereby helping students to become the better version of their writing self from the very next attempt.

Author Bio

Ethan Taylor has been serving as an academic counsellor in the UK for more than ten years. With profession being his passion, he is also associated with MyAssignmenthelp.com for a significant period. His Essay Typer services serve as a motivation booster for numerous average learners in the UK. Travelling, hiking, gardening, and poetry are some of her favourite pastimes.