How to Read for Punctuation and Grammar Mistakes
Set the text aside., Print out the document or alter its look., Read the paper out loud., Read the work backwards.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Set the text aside.
It is very common to miss mistakes when editing your own work, especially if you've just written it.
You end up reading for what's in your head and not what's written down on paper.
Setting a work aside for a day or so can allow you to get the space you need to spot errors.Ideally, the longer you set a text aside, the better.
A day or more might be a good idea.
However, if you're working on a deadline you might not have that much time.
Try to at least set the text aside for half and hour or 15 minutes before revisiting it. -
Step 2: Print out the document or alter its look.
Anything you can do to make a text look different can help you spot errors more easily.
Altering the text or seeing it in a different medium can help with the proofreading process.
Ideally, you should print the text out.
Not only can reading a text on paper rather than a screen help with proofreading, you'll also be able to use a pen or pencil to mark any errors you see as you go.It's not always possible to print out a text, however.
If you do not have a printer handy, you may have to proofread on a screen.
If this the case, try altering the look of the document.
Change the font's type, color, or size.
Copy and paste the text into an e-mail document, send it to yourself, and then read it online., Sometimes, hearing the text out loud can help you catch errors in the text.
In a quiet room, read the text as you go along.
Try to pay attention to what's written and not what's in your head as you read.
Go slowly, focusing on each individual sentence.
You might also want to take a pencil or chop stick and tap each word as you go, as this will force you to focus on what's written and not what's in your head., Changing the order of a text can help you catch errors.
Much like proofreading, this changes how you look at the text and can help you read what's written and not what's in your head.
Read the last sentence first, then the sentence before the last, and so on.
Do this until you reach the first sentence of a paper. -
Step 3: Read the paper out loud.
-
Step 4: Read the work backwards.
Detailed Guide
It is very common to miss mistakes when editing your own work, especially if you've just written it.
You end up reading for what's in your head and not what's written down on paper.
Setting a work aside for a day or so can allow you to get the space you need to spot errors.Ideally, the longer you set a text aside, the better.
A day or more might be a good idea.
However, if you're working on a deadline you might not have that much time.
Try to at least set the text aside for half and hour or 15 minutes before revisiting it.
Anything you can do to make a text look different can help you spot errors more easily.
Altering the text or seeing it in a different medium can help with the proofreading process.
Ideally, you should print the text out.
Not only can reading a text on paper rather than a screen help with proofreading, you'll also be able to use a pen or pencil to mark any errors you see as you go.It's not always possible to print out a text, however.
If you do not have a printer handy, you may have to proofread on a screen.
If this the case, try altering the look of the document.
Change the font's type, color, or size.
Copy and paste the text into an e-mail document, send it to yourself, and then read it online., Sometimes, hearing the text out loud can help you catch errors in the text.
In a quiet room, read the text as you go along.
Try to pay attention to what's written and not what's in your head as you read.
Go slowly, focusing on each individual sentence.
You might also want to take a pencil or chop stick and tap each word as you go, as this will force you to focus on what's written and not what's in your head., Changing the order of a text can help you catch errors.
Much like proofreading, this changes how you look at the text and can help you read what's written and not what's in your head.
Read the last sentence first, then the sentence before the last, and so on.
Do this until you reach the first sentence of a paper.
About the Author
Ryan Perry
Writer and educator with a focus on practical practical skills knowledge.
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