Whether one is writing an article for a magazine or an essay for the admission committee of a university, one must be sure that it’s correct. Proof reading is not exactly the easiest of tasks especially when reading someone else’s work.  Here are a few tips that can be helpful for proofreading.

1. Concentrate Hard while reading the Article

The writer really needs to concentrate hard when reading an essay with the purpose of spotting mistakes. This means there should be no distractions like mobile phones and social media in proximity. The TV or radio should not be on either.  (Although classical music has been proven to help in some situations)

1. Be mindful of grammar

• Watching out for homonyms is important since these are the words that have the same sound but do not have the same meaning.
• Writers should also look out for differences between verbs and nouns – for example advice and advise.

1. Punctuation

Punctuation is the key when one is writing the essay. Punctuation must be spot on.  The sentence structure should be correct and different phrases should be separated with commas.

1. Spelling Mistakes

One often becomes blind to the spelling mistakes especially when he/she is looking for spellings. Therefore, the writer should be use spell check software for this purpose

1. Looking for One Kind of Mistake at a Time

Mistakes in the essay can be divided into the following types broadly:

• Grammar
• Sentence structure including punctuation
• Spelling mistakes

Try and look for only one kind of mistake at a time. This will help in quick identification of errors and more comprehensive correction in the essay. Of course, if you are dealing with a legal document where there can be no errors due to its importance, you could always have it checked by an Ascot solicitors company such as Parachute Law.

1. Reading Backwards

This is a very useful technique for catching hold of the spelling errors. This is because when one is reading backwards then the person focuses on the individual words and not on the complete sentences. Therefore, the person can catch spelling errors in an easier manner.

1. Double Checking the Facts and Figures

A lot many times people quote numbers and facts in their essays. These facts need to be double checked.