PROOFREADING COURSE - TIPS FROM EXPERTS TO START PROOFREADING

Proofreading course - Tips from experts to start proofreading

Proofreading course - Tips from experts to start proofreading

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It doesn't matter whether you are writing a casual email, an important job application letter or copy for your website, producing something that is free from grammatical and spelling errors is critical.

Proofreading is time consuming and mundane and for this reason many people opt to use automated spell checkers. However, as we have proven on this site, many of these software programs have flaws and can miss very obvious errors. There really is no substitute for thorough proofreading, and you should never treat this part of the writing process lightly. Many people say that they don't actually know how to proofread properly. For this reason we have compiled a list of tips that may help you if you wish to check your own work for spelling and grammatical errors.


Proofreading requires concentration
Before starting the proofreading process you need to find somewhere quiet where you can place all of your attention on the task at hand. You cannot adequately proofread a document while sat on a bus or train, or while the television is on in the background. You need to have your attention based solely on the document you are proofreading and should try and place yourself somewhere that is free from distraction or potential interruptions.

Create a physical copy of the document you are proofreading
Professional proofreaderswill always create a physical document for proofreading purposes and will often commence the editing process by making notes on this document. If you are going to proofread a piece of text yourself you shouldn't try and do it from a computer screen. Text appears differently on screen and this can affect how your eyes see something.


Proofread by reading the document out aloud
Many proofreaders will read something out aloud to themselves when they are attempting to identify potential grammatical errors. When reading something aloud you utilize two senses; your sight and your hearing, and therefore increase your chances of identifying something in the written document that does not quite sound right. Something as simple as a misplaced comma will impact how a document is read and, when the reader poses in the wrong place as a result of seeing the comma, will instantly stand out as being incorrect.


Proofread homonyms with care
When proofreading, the most common mistakes that our copyeditors spot concern the use of homonyms. A homonym is a word that is pronounced in the same way as another word but has an entirely different meaning. Examples of homonyms are tea and tee, bear and bare, so and sew etc. Both human proofreaders and computerized proofreaders often miss errors relating to homonyms because they are not easy to spot. However, it is crucial that you check for them thoroughly, as a misused homonym can reflect extremely badly on your ability as a writer. For this reason you need to be extremely careful when you are proofreading and need to be prepared to invest a great deal of time and effort into thoroughly checking your document.


Pay attention to contractions and apostrophes when proofreading
Another common area in which our proofreaders identify mistakes is related to the incorrect use of apostrophes and contractions. Very often errors are made with words like you're and your, their and they're and-the most common one of all-it's and its. These types of errors are quite often caused by a lack of grammatical knowledge and understanding as opposed to being the result of poor proofreading. If you are unsure of the grammatical rules underpinning the use of apostrophes and contractions then you really should consider using online proofreading services.


Proofread text by reading it backwards
One technique that professional proofreaders use is to read the document backwards; starting with the last word and finishing with the first word. Although this sounds a little odd, it really is effective in assisting you to spot errors. Again, this will take a great deal of time and effort but it will undoubtedly help you to identify errors that you may have missed when you read the text in the normal manner. One of the main reasons this works is because the human brain is trained to read things in a certain way, and will often connect words automatically, even if they are not actually there. By reading something backwards you force your brain to concentrate on each word in turn and therefore proofread what is actually on the paper as opposed to what your brain is tricked into seeing.


Enlarge the text before proofreading
Another trick that many proofreaders use is to enlarge the font of the text that they are proofreading. This makes it much easier to spot mistakes.
Proofread your document a day or two after you wrote it


It is always useful to leave some time between writing a document and proofreading it. Quite often you may have been concentrating on the text for sometime and may miss mistakes because you are too immersed in it. By extracting yourself and returning a day or two later, you will be able to proofread the document with fresh eyes and will be in a much better position to spot mistakes. If you are in a rush consider using an online proofreading service. For a low price you can submit your document and have it proofread by experts while you sleep.
Ask for someone to help you to proofread your document

Even when you have already proofread something yourself you should always look for a second set of eyes to double check your work. They will be able to read your document from afresh and-because they will not be as closely engaged with it as you are-they will be more likely to be able to identify errors. If you are not confident in your own ability to write well, asking for help will be all the more critical. If you have the resource you really should use a professional proofreader. There is no substitute for English experts who know how to spot problems and errors. Proofreading services are not the unattainable, expensive options that they used to be. You can access great proofreaders online at very affordable prices.


Proofreading courses are an important tool that allows proofreaders to verify textbooks, magazines or journals for mistakes before they contact the public eyes. To comprehend the role of proof-reading procedure and the great responsibility it carries, you have to enroll these courses. By joining proofreading courses you will study handy advices and details on proofreaders and copy-editors activities, terms and proof-reading lettering and symbols, needed punctuation and correct spelling. You will additionally study a highly demanded ability - the conversion from UK English to American, guidelines in gathering money owned to you, hints in setting up a freelance and a lot more tricks to help you shine in this profession.
Proofreading courses can conclusion in accreditation if you graduate the SfEP (Society for Editors and Proofreaders) exam, which earns you a specialized qualification in proofreading. This official recognition subsequent the proof-reading courses automatically confers superior membership and can earn you many business inquiries as its accreditation test curriculum is connected to preparation proofreading courses run by both SfEP and the Publishing Training Center (PTC), plus in close connection to the pertinent sections of the Training Occupational Standards for Publishing.

After attending the proofreading courses and becoming recognized, the next qualification is registration, for that you necessitate official approval plus 500 hours of practice distributed between two or more customers within the past three years, proving that your competence and reliability have been assessed and valued by clients or employers. Since 2002, the official recognition following the proofreading courses has been a stepping stone on the trail to registration.
There can be numerous proofreading courses you can take, based on your level or aims. If you enlist proofreading courses you will be able to select:

Introduction to proofreading
Addressed to novices and consisting of introductory notions about the principles and exercise of proofreading for publishing, thus comprising, among others, practical exercises, relevant typesetting, design and publishing terms. Next to introduction to proofreading is proofreading problems, measured to be the next phase in proofreading courses, meant to teach applicants to resolve problems like inadequate typesetting and strongly edited copy.

Proofreading for accreditation
This is the proofreading course that familiarize candidates with the SfEP exam, the qualification test in proofreading. This segment encompasses aspects of the accreditation syllabus, illustrations and captions, headlines, headings and footnotes, inserting page numbers and paragraphs etc.

Brush up your proofreading course
Last but not least, among proofreading courses you can join the "brush up your proofreading course", which starts with at beginning, with exercises using BSI symbols to correct text, then moves on to page proofs and issues of page make-up, making it easier for you to check your knowledge in the field, brush it up and update it.

Those interested in improving their knowledge should attend to proofreading courses bearing in mind the certification they can gain and the reality that these classes can be helpful if you do proofreading on a professional base. Individuals concerned in developing their proofreading have to join proofreading courses; since this isn't an inherited skill but a learned one they must obtain the tutorial material and projects. Structured in chapters, they require no previous background in proofreading, copy-editing or publishing, therefore nearly all proofreading courses are proper for newbies. Theoretical documentation is provided throughout the course, followed by a series of exercises that must be completed and marked by your private tutor. Students will be able to profit from the assist of a support team available anytime for any possible matter along with a course instruction manual, assignments and study guide and a personal instructor.


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