I know the feeling… You’ve left the article or post to the last minute and now it’s really late and you just don’t have the energy to go through it and possibly have to write another draft.
But you know what?
Don’t press “publish” just yet! Posting work that has errors in it can make you and your company seem really unprofessional. Here are some tips on how to do a QUICK proofread.
Just a few steps and your work, and reputation, will thank you for it!
• Leave it alone for a few minutes or hours. If you have the time, let the article rest before you proofread it.
• Read it aloud. Sometimes when we read silently, we gloss over mistakes because our brains know what we want to be reading.
• Read every single word as slowly as possible. Really concentrate on every word.
• Look out for: typos, (damn you, autocorrect!!) spelling mistakes, errors in the way you have used words, mistakes in format, eg. You have mentioned 5 following points and listed 3, and paragraph breaks. Also, check that your sentences aren’t too long. Try to break them up into manageable portions.
• Give it one last read… just to be sure!
• And NOW you can press that “publish” button and grab yourself a warm drink to celebrate!
And that’s it, really. Take the time to proofread your work and your sense of ease, knowing that your work is perfect will be your ultimate payoff!
kelly@grammargoblin.co.za
www.grammargoblin.co.za
