Proofreading is the final step of the writing process. We encourage to never proofread right after you complete a draft. Give yourself some time to clear your head. If you jump right into you will tend to read what you intended to write not what actually appears on the page. Before you start make sure that you are using the correct medium for you. Some people can work right off of the computer screen, but more people find it helpful to print the work out and use a pen to correct their work. Also make sure that you have a quiet place to work and read the work aloud to yourself for the best results. You may want to proofread in parts if the work is very lengthy. I often start the process by writing down the overall goal of my work and after I read it through once, I ask myself if I achieved that goal. Make sure that every point you make is crystal clear to the reader. Make sure to read slowly and go over each sentence with a fine-tooth comb. Let your students know that spell check and grammar check won't catch every mistake (they are particularly bad about catching homonyms). Even writers that use computers can benefit from a real person looking over their work. The following collection of worksheets will introduce your students to proofreading and editing.
These worksheets will walk you through the process of using shorthand while editing. We will introduce you to commonly used symbols that you may find helpful as you review your own work. Remember these lessons and worksheets are made to help you grasp the process, not write a better story than what was written by the author. Activities include correcting all mistakes within a given paragraph, using three common ways of correcting run-on sentences, learning to proofread and how to use editing marks correctly, and more. Please Note: While answer sheets have been provided for each worksheet for instructors, in some cases, student answers may vary slightly.
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Printable Proofreading and Editing Worksheets
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Errors in a written work distract readers, and can prevent
the author's point from coming across. Checking a
written work for errors as a final step before publishing it is called
proofreading. There are special marks that can be used to indicate
that there is an error in a text.
It was a busy morning. first, Eddie
work up early, so his mother cooked him
breakfast instead of just handing him
banana on his way out the door. While
she was turning a pancake the baby
woke up. Then the cat hissed at the
dog, and when the dog was running
away, he knocked over the recycling
bin.
A run-on sentence is two or more complete sentences that are punctuated as one long sentence. Run
on sentences often occur in first drafts, but can be corrected during the editing process.
Katys father is a doctor. He takes
car of sick children helps them to
get better. he also gives children
shots, and talks to them and their
parents about how to stay healthy
Katy likes to visit her father at his
office, because he always has a
pocket full of Lollipops!
Ted has written a paragraph about how to wash
your hands. Read Ted's paragraph. Make corrections so that his
paragraph makes sense, and is easy to follow. Make sure Ted's
paragraph has lead, a topic sentence, and a conclusion.
The paragraph below needs to be proofread. Use editing marks to
make corrections. Then rewrite the paragraph on the lines below, correcting the errors.
Mrs. Jenkins, the school librarian, wrote a letter to her friend
who lives in another state. Her letter contains eight errors.
Find them and correct them. Rewrite her letter on the lines below.
It can be hard to see your own work objectively. Sometimes when you read your
own work, you see what you meant to write, and not what actually ended up
on the page. Peer review is a process by which a piece of writing is checked by
others in the same field to make sure that it meets the necessary standards
before it is published.
Kelly has written an article about how to create a podcast. Before it is published in the
school newspaper, it is your job to edit Kelly's work. Circle the errors that you find in Kelly's
article.
Haley has written a short article for her local newspaper. Her article contains
a few errors. Circle the errors. Then rewrite the article on the lines below.
Errors in a written work can be very distracting for
readers. Proofreading means to check your work for
errors. Only when a text is error-free can your reader can
concentrate on what it is you are saying.
Many people think of mosquitos as being just
annoying, but they can actually be very
dangerous pests. they can carry diseases like
West Nile Virus and Zika Mosquitoes are
usually found in areas where there is standing
water. Some Communities try to control
mosquito populations spraying insecticides.
It had been a bad Week. On Monday, Mr. Miller had
gotten a flat tire on his way to work He didn't have a
spare, and he ended up being three hours late.
The house on the corner is sale. It is a
rancher. it has three bedrooms and two
bathrooms. It also has a hug back yard
that is completely fenced it, so it would
be a great house for pet owners. My
father says that the asking price is fairly
low, so I expect that soon we will have
new neighbors?
The paragraph below needs to be proofread. Use proofreading marks to make corrections. This selection of text is more spread out than the previous versions.
There was always so much to do! Mrs. harper picked up her five-year-old from kindergarten.
She went to the grocery story and ran some other errands. Then she picked up her ten-year old
from school and took the girl's straight to their music lessons.
Read the passage. Circle the errors. Use the
checklist to indicate the kinds of errors you found in the passage.
How to Improve Your Proofreading and Editing Skills
The Internet has revolutionized the way we conduct business and communicate with each other, so being a good proofreader or editor can be an extremely valuable skill in today's world. Proofreading and editing may not seem like highly technical or complex tasks, but they are an essential part of the publishing process that should not be overlooked.
When people take the time to proofread their work before sending it out into the world, they let their audience know that they care about their work and want to make sure that it's presented in the best possible light.
As an author, editor, proofreader, or publisher, you can save yourself time and money by ensuring that every document you create goes through a meticulous proofreading and editing process before publishing. This means making sure all spelling errors, grammar issues, and formatting glitches are resolved before you publish.
Here are five ways you can improve your proofreading and editing skills so that you can take your writing to the next level and create content that has an impact on your readers.
1. Look at Things from Different Angles
When proofreading, don't just look at your work in a linear manner. Sometimes you can get a better feel for your writing by stepping back, looking at it from different angles, and zooming in on certain sections.
Read everything aloud, especially if you have difficulty with spelling or grammar-the act of speaking gives you better access to both of these skills than simply reading silently does.
2. One Type of Error at a Time
If you're proofreading a piece that contains spelling errors, start with those. If it has punctuation errors, start there. The idea is to work your way through each section in turn-and never mix editing styles.
For example, don't skip from one type of error to another without stopping for a moment; better yet, if you can only read one word at a time (such as when reading from a hard copy), then go back and complete all of one type of error before moving on.
3. Keep a List of Mistakes You Usually Make
Though we're not perfect proofreaders or editors, most of us are pretty good at spotting our own mistakes.
Make a list of your personal pet peeves-grammatical, punctuation, or formatting errors that you make repeatedly-and try your best to steer clear of them going forward.
4. Re-Read It Later. And Again. And Again...
if you've finished your work, you must go back through it one more time. Give yourself a day or two before you read it to ensure you don't proofread with your brain on autopilot. This is a good way to catch typos or grammatical errors that may have slipped by before. If you can, ask someone else to look over your work as well-they might notice something you missed!
5. The Fewer Words, the Better
This is true not only in speech but also in writing. The more words we use to communicate a message, it's more difficult it is for readers to understand. Think about when you are speaking with someone who uses jargon-professional or otherwise-and all of a sudden, everyone around you stops listening. The same goes for writing; if your sentences are too long and complicated, they will lose their audience quickly.
If you want to improve your editing skills, start by keeping your sentences short and straightforward.
Ending Note
While editing can seem like a tedious process, a single grammatical error or sentence misread by millions of readers is a colossal waste of your time. Good editing may not add instant value, but bad editing will always take away from your efforts and productivity-and in some cases, end up costing you lost credibility. Follow our tips to become efficient and well-versed in your craft.
