Proofreading Tips

• Take a break between writing and proofreading.  Put at least an hour or two between the two, if you can.
• If you have time, focus on one editing problem at a time.  Proofread for your own most common error first. Proofread a second time and a third time, focusing on one of your most frequent problems each time.
•  Read your own writing out loud.  Even if you are just whispering it, this will help you to see whatís actually on the page.
• Read the paper S-L-O-W-L-Y, pointing to every word with your finger or a pencil and noticing every punctuation mark.
• Consider reading from last sentence to first in each paragraph, especially if you have problems with sentence fragments.
• Look up anything you're not sure of in your grammar handbook or a dictionary.  Don't guess; learn it the right way.
• If someone is helping you, get them to point out the line in which you have an error and then let you find it and correct it.  That's the only way youíll learn to do it yourself.