Remote Learning Proofreading Guide Learning Development Service Learning
- Slides: 7
Remote Learning: Proofreading Guide Learning Development Service
Learning Intentions This session aims to support you in the remote learning process of proofreading your work. It will focus on five key areas: • Why proofreading is important • What to look out for • Identifying your common mistakes • Practical tips • Useful links
Why is proofreading important? 1. Your intended audience might misinterpret you. You may think that you are getting your point across loud and clear, but your audience thinks otherwise – even something as small as a comma can make a difference. 2. How you write dictates your reader’s confidence in you. Every missing or wrong use of punctuation, faulty grammar or usage mistake turns off a reader. It makes the work look careless and unreliable.
SENTENCE LENGTH What can I look out for? SPELLING ERRORS (PARTICULARLY HOMOPHONES, FOR EXAMPLE ADVICE/ADVISE) MISSING WORDS TEXT SPEAK, ABBREVIATIONS AND CONTRACTIONS PUNCTUATUION
How can I identify my common mistakes? • Re-read any previous feedback received in assignments • Make a list of specific errors that are marked frequently • Order them in terms of most often occurring • Proofread for one error at a time
What can I do practically? Break Time Reverse Print Ask Read Use Take a break between writing and proof-reading. Set the paper aside for the night - or even for twenty minutes! Proofread at the time of day you concentrate best Proofread backwards (from the last paragraph to the first) Print your work out in doublespacing and place a ruler under each line as you read it Ask someone in your home to read over your work Read your work out loud Use spellchecker on your computer but use it carefully!
Useful links • Confusable words http: //www. qub. ac. uk/cite 2 write/esl/Confusable%20 Words. swf • Punctuation http: //www. qub. ac. uk/cite 2 write/esl/Punctuation. swf • Grammatical errors https: //www. qub. ac. uk/directorates/sgc/learning/New. Brand. Docs-File. Store/Filetoupload, 781718, en. pdf
