Or… How to earn brownie points with your professors

Why should I edit my paper?  So the reader knows what you are talking about  So your paper reads smoothly  So you develop good writing habits  So you sound intelligent  So you get a better grade  So you get a better grade

For instance… Compare these two writing examples:  i want to get a good grad on this paper for my sychology class. I did alot of research and so I am going to rite it all up in a paper for my teacher to read. I am gonna rite it all up in a paper about abnormal behavior.  I want to get a good grade on this paper for my psychology class. I did a lot of research, and I will summarize what I’ve learned about abnormal psychology in an essay. Which one sounds more intelligent?

Okay, okay, I know what you’re thinking - so you wouldn’t really turn in a paper that looked like this. You have spell-check, right? i want to get a good grad on this paper for my psychology class. I did allot of research, and so I am going to rite it all up in a paper for my teacher to read. I am going to rite it all up in a paper about abnormal behavior. i want to get a good grad on this paper for my psychology class. I did allot of research, and so I am going to rite it all up in a paper for my teacher to read. I am going to rite it all up in a paper about abnormal behavior. When I used Spell-Check on this paragraph, it did not catch all the errors. Plus, it isn’t written very well, is it? Yet, some people would turn this in, anyway! i want to get a good grad on this paper for my psychology class. I did allot of research, and so I am going to rite it all up in a paper for my teacher to read. I am going to rite it all up in a paper about abnormal behavior. i want to get a good grad on this paper for my psychology class. I did allot of research, and so I am going to rite it all up in a paper for my teacher to read. I am going to rite it all up in a paper about abnormal behavior.

So, why do people turn in papers filled with mistakes?  Not enough time  Laziness  Or… They simply don’t know HOW to proofread! (Let’s hope it’s the last one!)

So? I remember my teachers saying, “Don’t turn in your paper unless you’ve proof-read it!” Yet, they never taught me HOW to proof- read. They’d say, “look over your paper and fix your errors.” (If I knew how to do this, I wouldn’t be in this class, I’d think.) This Power Point presentation is designed to help you learn to proof-read (or edit) your own papers.

Where to Start  Look over previously graded papers and try to identify common errors based on teacher comments and markings.  Review those errors and learn the rules to avoid making them in the future.  Don’t wait until the last minute to start your next paper.  When writing your next paper, keep the rules in mind to avoid repeating them again.

Writing your paper  I used to hate writing outlines, but they really do help. They keep your thoughts and ideas organized and help you keep to those pesky thesis statements.  Refer to the aforementioned outline when writing your paper. Remember, an organized paper will be easier to read.  If you struggle with writing, pace yourself by writing a paragraph at a time. Small sections are usually easier to tackle. Stick to the outline.

HURRAY! You wrote the whole paper! (That was the easy part!)

First Read-through  Print out your paper. Do not try to read it from the screen.  Read your paper out loud.  Read slowly.  Read with emphasis, pausing where you put commas, periods or other punctuation. Don’t pause where you don’t have punctuation.

Know yourself  Be on the lookout for those common mistakes you make. (Do you often forget commas? Do you get “there”, “they’re”, and “their” mixed up?)  Realize that your typing isn’t perfect.  Remember to read slowly.  It is generally harder to read your own papers because you already know what you wrote, and you also tend to read what you “think” you wrote.

Ok, so I read it, now what?  Check capital letters.  Check punctuation.  Check spelling. (Spell Checkers will not know that you mean “here” if you typed “hear”.)  Check your organization. If you are writing about lizards and you don’t get to the topic at hand until paragraph three, you might want to check your outline again!

Read it again!  Realize that your reader does not know what you are talking about. Your reader cannot read your mind. Make sure what you are talking about is clear.  Who is your audience? Did you succeed in selecting words targeted towards that audience?  The more details you use, the more your reader will enjoy reading your paper. If you can give them an image, it makes a difference.  Check flow. When you read your paper, do you stumble over places that seem awkward? Reading out loud helps a lot in this area.  Sentence structure is important.

What next?  Make corrections.  Put your paper down for a few hours. Don’t look at it. Then reread it with “fresh” eyes.  Ask someone else to read your paper, preferably someone who knows something about grammar and punctuation!  Ask them specific questions about your paper, like “Could you imagine the setting?” or “What did you think of the dialogue – did it sound like people talking?”

The more you practice proofreading, the easier it becomes!