After you’ve spent a lot of time writing your book or article, you may not feel like going back and revising. Of course, you don’t have to revise if you simply hire professional editors to do the job for you, but there are a few things you can do quickly and easily yourself. In editing terms, “proofreading” is a simple grammar and spelling check. A “full edit” or a “content edit” may include more than just grammatical improvements; it might also include sentence rewrites, changes to words and phrases, and the addition or removal of information. Proofreading is a lot simpler because it involves following set rules and formulas about the English language and how it’s presented.
For some of us, writing comes naturally and so does writing correctly—properly using punctuation, spelling everything right, and using appropriate sentence structure. For others, especially those who use English as a second language, it can be confusing and frustrating to write correctly.
The first step you can take to eliminate a large number of grammatical errors from your work is to use the spelling and grammar check in your word processing program. Microsoft Word has been steadily improving the spelling and grammar check over the years, although it still has some issues when it comes to being 100% accurate (that’s when professional editing can help). For spelling mistakes, it is great because the misspelled words are underlined in red, and you can right-click on the misspelled word for a list of spelling suggestions. Simply click on the correct one and you’re set! If the spell check offers no suggestions, you can Google the word and see what comes up. As a professional editor, I admit to using Google when I come across an obscure or unfamiliar word.
Another useful proofreading “secret” is to learn how to properly use commas. The misuse of commas is one of the most common writing mistakes professional editors see. If you had to pick one area in which to improve your grammar, choose to finally learn how to correctly use commas. Here are some basic rules:
- Use a comma to separate 3 or more items in a list. For example: “I enjoy reading science fiction, romance, and mystery novels.” Do not use a comma to separate only 2 items. For example, it is incorrect to use a comma like this: “I enjoy reading science fiction, and romance novels.” However, if there are 2 or more adjectives describing a noun, the adjectives must be separated by a comma: “The woman’s shiny, white dress stood out against the dark background.”
- Use a comma to indicate an introductory phrase. For example, the phrase “for example” is an introductory phrase, so it should be followed by a comma to prevent confusion. Another example: “After lunch, we need to stop at the Post Office.” Also: “Later, I went online and hired a professional editor.”
- Use the “fanboys” rule. You may remember this one from grade school. Use a comma between two independent clauses (an independent clause is a phrase that could stand alone as a complete sentence) when the clauses are separated by one of the following words: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. Examples: “The store was closed today, but tomorrow we’re going to try again.” “I wouldn’t trade my past experiences for anything else, for all of my experiences have made me who I am today.” “My friends are coming over for dinner tonight, so let’s order two pizzas.” “I finished my book, and now I’d like to have a professional editor look over it.” Simply check and see if each half of the sentence could function on its own, and insert a comma before the connecting word (one of the “fanboys”). Learn this rule and you will be ahead of the game, as it is one of the most common grammatical errors editors see on a daily basis.
- Use commas to offset nonrestrictive clauses. A nonrestrictive clause is an optional phrase in a sentence. For example: “John, our neighbor, is on vacation.” This sentence could simply read, “John is on vacation,” but the nonrestrictive clause, “our neighbor,” adds additional information.
- Use a comma to separate an independent clause from a dependent clause. An independent clause could be a complete sentence, while a dependent clause needs a complete sentence in order to make sense. For example: “After many years as a successful pilot, he finally bought his own airplane.” The first phrase is dependent on the second phrase, and the second phrase could stand alone.
These simple rules can take practice, but once you get the hang of it, you will automatically be writing better. Proofread a few pages of your own work to see if commas have been used correctly, and use this information to make adjustments if necessary. Practice by noticing the commas as you read, and soon you will easily notice when to use commas.
There are many other ways to increase your proofreading skills, but as a professional editor I have concluded that it is best to learn one or two tricks at a time. And, as many teachers and professors will advise—learn the rules and follow them before you break them. Of course there are writers who “break all the rules,” even famous ones, but they do so intentionally and with talent and precision.
It is also useful for writers to use their edited manuscripts to learn. After you receive your edited work, look through the changes and see what your editor has done. In part 2 of “Proofreading: Secrets to Success,” I will address several more useful tips on correcting your own writing. Feel free to offer your comments and ask questions, and if you need help with your writing, don’t hesitate to hire a First Editing expert to assist you!
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