Proofreading IV

More things to look at during a proof read.


Parallelism


Look through your manuscript  for series of items and make sure these items are in parallel form.

Example:
Being a good friend involves good listening skills, to be considerate, and that you know how to have fun.

Edited version:
Being a good friend involves knowing how to listen, being considerate, and having fun.

Pronoun Reference/Agreement

•During a proof read of any work, stop at each pronoun. Search for the noun that the pronoun replaces.  If you can't find any noun, insert one beforehand or change the pronoun to a noun. If you can find a noun, be sure it agrees in number and person with your pronoun.

Apostrophes

•Stop at only at any  words ending in "s." If you're using the "s" to indicate possession, there should be an apostrophe, as in Mary's book.

•Check every contractions, like you're for you are, it's for it is, etc. Each of these should include an apostrophe.

•Remember that apostrophes are not used to make words plural. When making a word plural, only an "s" is added, not an apostrophe and an "s."

Summary:
 

Proofreading is primarily all about searching your writing for errors, before submitting for your reading audience, a teacher, or a publisher, to see. I offer these resource to help you find and fix common errors.

Suggestions for Proofreading Your Paper.

One of the most difficult parts of the writing process is proofreading. It is easy for us to see what we think we wrote, not necessarily what our readers will read. These suggestions were offered to me and they should help you take a step back and view your writing more objectively.

Read your Paper Aloud

Any time your text is awkward or confusing, or any time you have to pause or reread your text, revise this section. If it is at all awkward for you, you can bet it will be awkward for your reader.

Examine your Paragraphs

Examine your overall paragraph construction. Look specifically at the length, supporting sentence(s), and topic sentence. Individual paragraphs that are significantly lacking length or sufficient supporting information as well as those missing a topic sentence may be a sign of a premature or under-developed thought.

Track Frequent Errors

Keep track of errors that you make frequently. once you can spot these you'll stop making them

Two principles

•Begin sentences with short, simple words and phrases that (a) communicate information that appeared in previous sentences, or (b) build on knowledge that you share with your reader.

•In a paragraph, keep your topics short and reasonably consistent.

Exercise: Diagnosis, Analysis, Revision

Diagnosis
1.Underline the first few words of every sentence in a paragraph, ignoring short introductory phrases such as "In the beginning," or "For the most part."

2.If you can, underline the first few words of every clause.
Analyze your Writing 

1.Read your underlined words. Is there a consistent series of related topics?
2.Will your reader see these connections among the topics?


3.Decide what you will focus on in each paragraph.

4.Imagine that the passage has a title. The words in the title should identify what should be the topics of most of the sentences.

Revision

1.In most of your sentences, make the topics the subject of verbs.

2.Avoid hiding your topic by opening sentences with long introductory clauses or phrases. Put most of the subjects at the beginning of your sentences.
Questions to ask yourself as you revise sentences

Do your sentences "hang together"?

1.Readers must feel that they move easily from one sentence to the next, that each sentence "coheres" with the one before and after it.

2.Readers must feel that sentences in a paragraph are not just individually clear, but are unified with each other.  Have fun and do go through life with your story(s) stuck inside you.