How to proofread

• Proofreading is an important stage in the writing process.

• Proofreading means checking your work for errors in punctuation, spelling or grammar.

• It is sometimes tricky to see errors in your own writing so proofreading can feel difficult.

Proofreading your writing is very important, but it is trickier than it sounds!

When you read your writing, your eye sometimes sees what should have been written, rather than what is actually on the page. This means that you need to find different ways of forcing yourself to spot any errors in your writing.

There are three great methods you can use whenever you are proofreading:

1. Read your writing aloud

The easiest way to proofread is to read your writing aloud. This way, you will often notice when a word or sentence doesn’t sound right.

The most common things to look out for are mistakes with punctuation. You can often 'hear' these if you speak the text out loud.

2. Read your writing backwards

Reading backwards is especially good for spotting spelling errors. Reading your text backwards, word by word, can sometimes help you to notice spellings because it forces you to look at each word in isolation.

3. Proofreading for just one kind of error at a time

Perhaps you already know what kind of mistakes you are likely to make, so begin by looking out for these. Some of the most common mistakes involve getting homophones mixed up.

Or give yourself a proofreading routine: begin with punctuation and capital letters; then sentence structure; then think about spelling.

Remember…Proofreading is often easiest when there is a gap between writing and reading your work. So take a break before starting!

Sometimes, proofreading might not highlight any errors, but there are always opportunities to make improvements to your work. Some of the ways that writing can be improved are as follows:

• Uplevelling your vocabulary:

Using synonyms and more advanced vocabulary are easy ways to make improvements. For example, instead of describing something as 'nice' or 'good', use a thesaurus and select one of the many synonyms for these words.

• Change up your sentences:

Have a play around with the syntax.

Instead of starting sentences with a noun phrase:

The lazy dog snoozed on the bed all morning.

You could begin your sentence with the fronted adverbial, eg ‘all morning’ so that your sentence reads:

All morning, the lazy dog snoozed on the bed.

• Expand your sentences:

Try to include a variety of sentence types in your writing (simple, compoundcompound and complex). This will also help you to include a wider range of punctuation. Instead of writing ‘I entered the house’ consider what other information you could add to this sentence to convey an idea of what kind of house it is or how you are feeling about being there.

For example:

Hesitantly, I peered around the large oak door before tentatively stepping over the threshold.

This more detailed sentence still tells the reader that the character entered the house but it also tells the reader that it may be a dangerous house and that the character is unsure about going inside.

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