PROFESSIONAL PROOFREADING TRICKS 1. Take your time. Studies show that waiting at least twenty minutes before proof-
reading your work can increase your likelihood of finding errors. Get up from your
computer, take a break, or move on to some other task, and then come back to
your writing.
2. Read backward. Go through your writing from the last word to the first, focus-
ing on each individual word, rather than on the context.
3. Ask for help. A pair of fresh eyes may find mistakes that you have overlooked
dozens of times; and one or more of your colleagues may be better at finding
spelling and grammar errors than you are.
4. Go under cover. Print out a draft copy of your writing, and read it with a blank
piece of paper over it, revealing just one sentence at a time. This technique will
encourage a careful line-by-line edit.
5. Watch the speed limit. No matter which proofreading technique(s) you use, slow
down. Reading at your normal speed will not give you enough time to spot errors.
6. Know thyself. Keep track of the kinds of errors you typically make. Common
spelling errors can be caught by spell check if you add the word or words to the
spell check dictionary. When you know what you are looking for, you are more
likely to find it.
