How to Better Proofread An Article in 6 Simple Steps

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Blogging is one of those fields of work, where you have all the freedom of work. You can select your time, your fav place and work from there with your convenience. This article is not about lazy and good side of Blogging but about how to proofread an article.

I have already shared how to write blog posts effectively and how to do onpage optimization for SEO. These, two factors are crucial but to make sure your content is very useful Proofreading article before publishing will polish the article and make it more likable by readers.

Picture the scene! An author (it may even be me!) has been burning the midnight oil to finish his article before the dreaded deadline tomorrow morning. He has been working on this piece for several days, has written and re-written it several times and know the content by heart. He submits it in the knowledge that he has given all he can and done his best. But has he? The proof is in the proofreading – here is how to do it properly.

How to Proofread a document
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6 Ways To Better Proofread An Article

Use a Proof-reading tool:

Grammarly proof-reader tool
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No matter how careful you are, there are chances that 1-2 grammatical errors or spelling errors might slip in. You can always use the free tool like Microsoft Word or any other to proof-read your article, but the one that I find the best and use myself is Grammarly.

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It is one amazing tool that let you check your article for Grammatical errors, spelling suggestions and also suggest to change weak words with power words. I have been a big fan of this proofreading tool, and I recommend you to use it too.

Use Grammarly proof-reader 

Take your time and look at your writing with a fresh pair of eyes

If at all possible step away from your article and leave it overnight or at least for a couple of hours. Only then print a copy of it and go through your work line by line, marking any mistakes on the paper copy as you go. It is easier to find mistakes with rested eyes and mind but most particularly when away from the monitor.

Check for grammar and punctuation mistakes

Pay particular attention to spelling mistakes and misused words. Your computer spell check will have picked up the most glaring typos, but it may not be able to tell the correct use of “their” and “there” or whether it should be ”affection” or “affliction”. If in doubt about a word get out your trusted dictionary and look it up by hand. The latest WordPress version also has a proofreading tool which can correct more than just the common mistakes. So use it.

Don’t repeat yourself

Keep a particular eye on repeated sentence structures and words. Your reader will soon get bored if you consistently repeat part of the same sentence. Regardless of the topic of your writing your reader will be grateful for a flowing style and won’t thank you for endless repetition.

Credit where credit is due

Make sure you identify where your facts come from. Not only is plagiarism illegal, it is also unethical. How would you feel if someone claimed your words as their own? Eespecially when you quote facts and figures, be sure to give credit.

Does this make sense to you

If at all possible get someone else to read your work for you. A person unfamiliar with the topic you are writing about will easily pinpoint inconsistencies or let you know where more explanation is needed. Another tip is to read your article out loud. It is easier to see if it “flows”.

The benefits of proper proofreading are obvious. A properly written, edited and presented text projects a professional image, gets you taken seriously in the world of blogging and ensures you are listened to. Taking the time to proofread properly is a worthwhile investment on any blogger’s time.

Meanwhile will love to know your answer on: Do you proofread your  articles ?

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Authored By
Kurt is a webmaster and Wordpress front end developer based in Mauritius. He is the owner of 2 popular satire news websites and recently launched his new blog WPSpells.com which is all about Wordpress tips, mods, plugins and theme reviews.

13 thoughts on “How to Better Proofread An Article in 6 Simple Steps”

  1. Zaini

    Yes. I’m proofread my articles. Read again and again the articles. Sometimes take more than 5 times revision. In online, most of the time using Grammarly. The best part for Grammarly, it can integrate with Chrome and Firefox and live checker during writing blog post.

  2. Jennifer

    I have returned to college recently, and Grammarly has become a vital part of assignments and in email corespondence with professors. Using Grammarly has also become an invaluable learning tool with the advice and explanations provided. I always proofread my work, because an ‘A’ paper can become a ‘B’ by couple spelling mistakes or misplaced punctuation marks. With the nicest tone intended: There are a few of errors in the article that could be caught using your excellent proofreading advice and tips.

  3. Victorscorner

    It pays to proof read my work. I have learnt to always do that at least thrice before i hit the publish button.

  4. Suresh Khanal

    I was composing a post ‘Best Blogging Tips – Writing Posts’ and looking for some information regarding proofing. Your post is great. I found it worth refering. Thanks for this great post, it was of much help!

  5. Michael Sellars

    Once you’ve read the article as a whole and are happy that it has flow and bounce (the two essential qualities of a really readable article), you should read it again, but this time out of sequence. Read the last paragraph, then the second paragraph, then the second to last and so on.

    This out of sequence reading prevents you from ‘skimming’ and forces you to focus on each word and sentence in their own right.

    Mike

  6. Sachin @ Web Design Bureau

    I proof-read all my articles though some mistakes do go through the filters. Luckily, my wife re-reads my postings to spot other errors. To add to all these tips, there’s one that really helps: write short but to the point sentences. It has many advantages: less space for mistakes, better reader attention and great for SEO.

    Great article Kurt.

    1. Kurt

      Thanks buddy. That’s a good point too. Writing shorter and simple sentences reduces the amount of mistakes but also make readers, who do not have English as their primary language, more at ease to read an article.

  7. Gautam

    Install After the Deadline Plugin. 😉
    It also checks for mistakes you pointed out in #2.

    1. Harsh Agrawal

      Good point After the deadline helps a lot.. Also one can use F7 key in Windows live writer for spell check.

    2. Kurt

      Yes one advantage of having wordpress plugins. 🙂

  8. Basant Singh

    “Take your time and look at your writing with a fresh pair of eyes”…this is the best tip. Most of the times when we are in flow we may miss the obvious mistakes. Take a break to catch those errors. It’s just like rebooting your system after a long session when it is — “Not Responding”

    1. Kurt

      Exactly. And most of the time when we are writing something, our mind is actually reading something else. That’s why when we check an article again later, we can see errors that we didn’t see while writing.

    2. NpXp

      My favorite tip is to “read it aloud” and if it makes enough sense that is the best way to proofread it.

      I sell content to various blogs and I personally proofread it to maintain quality and make my clients happy.

      It is good to do so because you don’t want some crazy errors to happen when you publish it.

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