5 Proofreading Tips You Must Not Avoid
Probably the most important part of your writing process is the final proofreading and editing stage. It’s no good slaving over an essay, report or other project only to find that it’s riddled with careless errors. On the other hand, proofreading can seem so laborious after you’ve just spent all that time and mental energy putting the piece of writing together.
We cannot deny the importance of proofreading, so instead of despairing, we have prepared a handy list of tips and strategies to help make it easier and more effective for you. For this list, we don’t include some of the more obvious ideas like turning on spelling/grammar check. You should always have those active.
Strategy #1: Be mindful of errors that don’t appear as errors
One of the biggest problems when it comes to proofreading is that your computer doesn’t flag up certain mistakes because, in the computer’s eyes, they are not mistakes. For example:
Don’t forget to but your father a gift for his birthday.
Do you see the mistake here? The computer system doesn’t show any error, so your eyes may gloss over it quickly. Look more closely, and you’ll see that where it says “but” it should say “buy.” Other common words that we type wrongly, but are all true words:
You – Your
Their – There
Your – You’re
Every day – Everyday
No – Not
The list goes on. Your writing software likely won’t pick up formatting errors either, so if you capitalize something wrongly, or forget to use bold, italic or to underline something, the computer won’t know that it’s wrong. Microsoft Word is not able to read your mind!
Strategy #2: Proofread as you write
One simple strategy to use is to proofread as you write, paragraph by paragraph. Proofreading a single paragraph is easier and feels less rushed than when you’re glossing over the entire essay just to get to the end as fast as possible.
Develop this little habit and your work will be more accurate and easier for others to read.
Strategy #3: Try printing out the draft
Another common problem for some is that reading from the screen is difficult. If you’re tired, focusing on the screen is exceedingly difficult. Many people read more accurately and closely when reading on paper. Therefore, printing a finished draft and proofreading with a pen or pencil is preferable, and you’ll likely catch more mistakes.
Remember not to waste paper, though. Use scrap paper for drafts, and print on both sides of each sheet.
Strategy #4: Get a pair of “fresh eyes”
A further strategy is to use ‘fresh eyes,’ which means to have someone who has never seen the content before proofread for you. Never underestimate the power of fresh eyes on improving the quality of proofreading.
As a writer, you are much more prone to missing mistakes than a pair of fresh eyes. Your familiarity with the writing causes you to skip over errors or automatically fix them in your brain so you read it as correct, while it remains incorrect on paper.
Strategy #5: Don’t forget punctuation
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the words, but don’t forget about the punctuation, too. Typical writing software like Microsoft Word will flag up when most punctuation errors happen, but not always, and it will sometimes even offer bad corrections because it doesn’t fully understand your context.
In the end, the quality of your writing is important, so take care and make time for proper proofreading and checking. Your readers will thank you for it.
Impact of Good Health on Academic Performance
As a student, have you ever considered the value of
good health in your life? People with good health are positive in
their outlook. They can work for longer hours without feeling tired. So, we can
say a healthy mind is the asset of a healthy body.
Now, you must
be imagining yourself as an overburdened student who has lectures, assignments,
quizzes, exams, etc. Could such a student have a healthy and stress-free life? Of
course, it is possible, but there are certain things which are essential for
good health. To function at maximum capacity, students must understand and
realize the importance of mind, body and soul. The optimized synchronization of
these three essentials can lift their academic performances and achievements to
the mark. Good health enables students to get all their assignments and
projects done efficiently and effectively. The reason is, their physical and
mental state are working in an optimal state.
Besides
these, there are several advantages why students should be actively and
positively interested in their healthcare:
- Memory retention – Good physical health also means good mental health. A healthy mind has increased learning capacity. Excellent retention and recalling ability help students think and perform faster. In other words, if a student has good health, his memory will be good, and his mind is sharp.
- More focus, less distraction and better performance– Healthy brain functions clearly and efficiently without being distracted easily. Good health helps students in maintaining their focus on studies. Students with higher energy are better learners. They concentrate on their tasks well with distinguished academic success rate.
- Positive approach – People in good health always take their life more positively. Studies show that the students in good health are less complaining as compared to other students. They enjoy challenging tasks and look forward to them
- Self-motivation – According to the latest research study, all students with self-motivation and willingness to learn new skills are already enjoying good physical and mental wellbeing.
The Apostrophe: A User’s Guide
The apostrophe is undoubtedly one of the
most misused and misunderstood punctuation marks. Some people are very blasé
about how to use it, where others just stick it in before an ‘s’ hoping that
they’re right.
If you are ever unsure about the proper use
of an apostrophe, then this is the article for you. We’ll take you through all
the common usage, as well as letting you know the most common mistakes people
make when using them.
Broadly speaking, apostrophe use comes in
two forms. The first form is to indicate a possessive, and the second is in
contraction.
Possessives
When you are trying to indicate that an object in
the sentence belongs to someone, an apostrophe is the essential tool you need.
There are several ways of applying it, however, depending on the exact nature
of the word you wish to turn possessive:
- When it’s a singular possessive, we use ‘s — except with pronouns:
- When you have multiple possessors, use ‘s after the last item in the list:
- When you have a singular ending in ‘s’ or ‘z,’ use ‘s
- When you have a plural ending in ‘s,” use the apostrophe alone after the s — s’
Use of Articles
Articles are words used to modify nouns
such as persons, places, objects, or ideas. To put simply, articles are
technically adjectives, words that either aim to qualify, describe or modified nouns.
As it is often the case, adjectives help to modify nouns by describing them,
but articles have slight distinction in their use as they only point out to
nouns.
Types of Articles
In English Language, two types of articles
which are recognized in writing and refer to nouns (or a group of nouns). They
are called the definite and indefinite articles.
Rules for Articles
The proper use of articles in English
language is quite straightforward.
1. The Use of Definite Article
“the”:
The definite noun “the”
is used to refer to specific nouns or group of nouns.
2. The Use of Indefinite Articles
“a” and “an”:
Some trouble may, however, arise when one
is trying to determine which indefinite article—”an,”
“a”—to use. At times like this, it’s imperative remember that the
choice of indefinite article will depend on the sound at the start of the noun
being referred to. There’s a way to remember this.
Use “an” if the noun that is
after the indefinite article has a first letter that has a vowel sound. Vowel
sounds in English language are sounds that are created by any of the five
vowels: “a,” “e,” “I,” “o,”
“u.”
Example:
i) An adversary of the people
(“a” begins this noun, which is a vowel).
ii) An elder in the religious group
(“e” begins this noun, which is also a vowel).
Use the article “a”’ when the noun that is
after it has its first letter as a consonant sound. In English language,
consonant sounds are sounds that come from the letters of the alphabet other
than the five vowels.
Example:
i) My brother wants a novel for his
birthday.
ii) A woman brought a dog to church
today.
Types of Articles
1. Definite Article
As stated earlier, definite article ‘the’ in
English Language directly refers to specific nouns or groups of nouns.
Examples:
i) The hair on his on his head.
ii) The Louis Vuitton crocodile bag
in my closet.
iii) The flash fiction magazines on
her table.
It should be noted that definite article
‘the’ in these examples refers directly to the noun or group of nouns in these
examples.
2. Indefinite Articles
On the other hand, indefinite articles are
the two words “a” and “an.” Like the definite article,
these two articles are used in the English language to refer to nouns. However,
the nouns being referred to in this case—persons, places, objects, or ideas—are
neither specific nor direct. The function of indefinite articles in pointing
out to nouns is not clear, as it can be any noun or a group of nouns.
Examples:
i) A mango from the tree.
ii) An envelope from the shelf.
iii) A BMW from the car park.
Note that in each of the three cases, the
nouns that are referred to are not precise. The mango could be any mango ripe
for plucking from the tree. Similarly, the envelope could be anyone from the
shelf, or the BMW could be any car of the same make parked in the car park.
Common Errors
When completing academic papers,
the rules of writing are essential to ensure a high grade, regardless of how
great your ideas are. Common errors that
students frequently make can bring research papers down, making the student
lose confidence in their ability, disheartened and frustrated. Use this guide
to help ensure that your piece of work is not losing marks for simple mistakes.
#1 – Spelling. While most students
rely on spellcheck, simple typing errors can create issues. Sentences can have
a totally different meaning due to the absence of a letter in a word. While the
word is still spelt correctly, it is not what the writer means. Another common
issue is English UK vs English American spelling. Check which language your
program is set at to avoid common misspelt words. Finally, make sure to check
the spelling and meaning of words. For example, they’re and there. Knowing
which word to use can help erase simple mistakes in your writing.
#2- Using the same word or phrase
repeatedly. This is very common when someone lacks the knowledge of the words
or phrases that are needed to express how they feel. Unfortunately, this is
very common when someone is writing in their second language. A thesaurus can
help, providing suggestions for other words, but remember that all word ideas
may not have the same meaning. Asking others to proofread your work can also
help to improve your grade.
#3 – Planning. Students sometimes
are so eager to get an assignment started that they do not plan out their work.
As a result, the introduction may be too long, an argument is poorly
constructed, and the conclusion is missing. Time planning an article is never
wasted time. It allows you to logically structure your arguments, include
accurate resources and demonstrates your academic ability.
#4 – Stick to your word limit. If
an organisation has given you a word limit, there is a reason. Going over the
word count is not a way to show the reader all your knowledge, in an aim to get
a higher grade. Planning, organisation of your article, in depth analysis,
demonstrating your view clearly and referencing can help show your academic
ability. But this must be limited, showing your ability to be concise and
getting to the point.
#5 – Issues with referencing. All articles must reference other academic sources by citing results of other academic writers. This will help you to strengthen your argument. However, several referencing styles exist. MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard are all different ways to reference, so ensure to reference the way required by your school. Follow guides online to help if required.
استخدام الفاصلة: دليل مهم
الفاصلة هي واحدة من علامات الترقيم الأكثر شيوعًا في اللغة الإنجليزية. يصفها البعض بأنها نقطة بذيل صغير وتبدو كذلك فعلا،ولكنها تخضع لمجموعة من قواعد الاستخدام. في مقالة اليوم، سنستعرض لكم أهم أستخدامات الفواصل، ونأمل أن تساعدك في تحسين جودة كتابتك في هذه العملية. سنفعل ذلك من خلال إظهار الوظائف الرئيسية للفواصل ثم تضمين الأمثلة: