Tips for Proofreading Academic Essays
C. Irr
Brandeis University
February 2003
The spell-check programs available in most word processing programs can do a lot, but they do not catch every error. For this reason, all students need to learn how to proofread. When proofreading, you can correct your errors and clarify your meaning. Time spent proofreading and correcting your paper is always time well spent. A clean, well-spelled, well-punctuated, and grammatical document looks more responsible and thoughtful than a messy and imprecise one. You gain and retain the trust of your reader (okay, your professor in this case) when you write with care and, ideally, grace.
When proofreading, check for the following:
1) Similar-sounding words: For example, when your paper says "their," do you really mean "there"? When your paper says "ideal," do you mean "idyll"? When your paper says "it's," do you mean "it is" (correct) or "of it" (incorrect)?
2) Thesaurus words: do you feel confident that you understand the meaning of each of the words you are using? If at any point you were searching for synonyms, be sure to look up the new word in a dictionary to check if it means what you want it to mean. Do the same if you find yourself using unfamiliar words that you have heard in class or discovered in the readings.
3) Consistency: do the subjects and verbs of your sentences agree with one another? If you start off writing in the present tense, do you later change to the past tense (or vice versa)? If it is necessary or useful to shift the tense, tone, or structure of your paper, be sure to indicate how and why those changes are being made.
4) Transitions: how are the clauses of your sentences joined together? Are you using commas where a semi-colon would be more appropriate (i.e., between two clauses each of which could serve as a sentence of its own)? Are your sentences linked by topic and/or logic? Have you separated independent topics into distinct paragraphs?
5) Citations: Have you provided a page number for each quotation? Have you put anything inside quotation marks (other than "…" or "[inserted content]") that did not appear in the original text? Have you underlined the title of every long work and put the title of shorter works in quotation marks? Does your list of works cited include every work from which you have quoted?
In addition to proofreading for correctness, you can also proofread for style. You can ask yourself some of the following questions:
-What kind of language is appropriate for the context? How can I ensure consistency of tone and diction?
-Have I clearly defined my key terms? Do these terms shift in meaning as the paper proceeds?
-How often am I repeating my central ideas? Does my thesis appear too often, not often enough, intermittently?
-Have I explained each of my ideas at a length sufficient to demonstrate my point? How much am I relying on my reader's knowledge? Have I walked my reader through my argument or do I leap rapidly from point to point hoping the reader will keep up?
-How closely are my introduction and conclusion related? Does my paper move towards a foreseeable end or drop off abruptly?
If you give yourself 30 to 45 minutes to proofread and make corrections before submitting your paper, you can easily avoid making simple errors. Your paper will be much better as a result.