Proofreading insturctions

Proofreading Instructions:

Good proofreading involves completing each of the following steps:

1. Form: Review of the structure: here you will once again compare the essay to your outline to be sure that all of the necessary parts of the essay are included.

2. Formal language: do not se slang or informal language!

3. Spelling: Spelling counts! If you are not sure of a particular word, use a synonym that you are sure of!

4. Paragraphs: make sure that you do not have any one sentence paragraphs.

5. Sentences: Remember, sentences express complete thoughts. You should review every sentence to be sure it has a predicate (verb) and a subject (noun or pronoun).

6. Punctuation: Be sure every sentence ends with proper punctuation, and includes commas and semi-colons when necessary.

7. Capitalization: Be sure every sentence as well as every proper noun begins with a capital letter.

8. Fragments: Be sure to identify sentence fragments. Find these ‘sentences’ and fix them by adding the missing elements or joining the clause or phrase with the preceding or following sentence.

9. Run-on sentences: Find these sentences, which express more than one thought and fix them by creating more than one sentence.

10. Grammar: look especially for agreement between verbs & nouns and between pronouns & nouns.

11. Do’s and Don’t List/Use less often list: This is a list of words, phrases and expressions you should memorize to avoid or to include in your formal writing. When proofreading, you should apply these lists to your work. While the lists do not include every error, they are composed of many of the most common errors experienced in the process of learning to write formal college-level English.

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