Proofreading
1 - Give it a rest
= set aside some time for yourself, whether it being a few hours or days but not for too long! This will allow yourself to take yourself away from it and look upon it with new eyes to it all.
2 - Take it one little problem at a time
= focus only on certain areas through each proofread (spelling, puncuation, plot holes etc). This will allow you to focus more on the problems you need to overcome.
3 - Check everything!
= the most important thing is making sure than all your facts and figures are correct. A business man would get grief for a figure wrong so if this fact is wrong, then it could mean bad on you as well if things don't add up. Check with different sources to see if the information adds up!
4 - Print it out.
= I always find the easiest way to check it throughly is to print out. This has been a saviour to my coursework through many years. Reviewing something without the distraction of an Internet connection or a computer accessory does help!
5 - Go back to basics and read it to the wall
= We learnt to read by reading out aloud so why not try it here. This way you can tell if a sentence does not flow right or that special something is missing.
6 - Spell Checkers are your best friend...almost
= Now, this is borderline help as my spell checker (Word) is useless but picks out problems such as misspelt words and incorrect tenses(sometimes).
7 - Dictionaries are your real best friends!
= I once read the Dictionary and it was quite insightful. Instead of using spell checker, simply reach for your dusty Dictionary and give it a read to boost your vocabulary or find that extra special word.
8 - Read it backwards.
= Slightly strange point but I can see the appeal. Reading your sentences backwards (yes, take one sentence at a time otherwise a headache will take place!) will allow you to focus on the words rather than getting yourself reading the sentence as a whole and overlooking the mistake.
9 - Keep a list.
= Keep a list of your most commonly mistaken words, grammatical errors and tenses so you can refer to it and know what you have to look out for it and improve these points. This is more like a checklist whilst editing.
10 - Don't be shy! You are not alone!
= Get someone else to read it. From my own experience I got my dad to scan over my Uni writing piece to showcase myself and he ended chopping loads of stuff out but it was so much better! A stranger to your writing can only benefit!
