Lesson 7: Proofreading Topics Proofreading on a Computer and on Paper Common Mistakes to Look for Avoiding Sexist Language

ENGLISH COMPOSITION TWO Proofreading on a Computer and on Paper Proofreading can happen on a computer and/or on Paper  Many people prefer to proofread a printed copy of their paper.  Software programs can help with the job of proofreading.  Most word processing programs feature spelling and grammar checkers. Watch the following video for information on spelling and grammar checkers. Watch the Video

ENGLISH COMPOSITION TWO Areas Where Common Mistakes are Made Common errors to look for  Commonly confused words such as your and you’re or their, there, and they’re  Possessives  Vague pronoun references  Subject and verb agreement  Punctuation of quotations  Commas  Parenthetical citations  Dashes  Names  Colons and semicolons

ENGLISH COMPOSITION TWO Avoiding Sexist Language To avoid using sexist language,  Search your paper for instances of “man” and “he.”  Look for instances where “he” or “his” is used to mean both genders.  Use “his or her,” “he or she,” or “s/he” where appropriate.  Change singular subjects to a non-gender specific plural.  Alternate he and she and his and hers for an indefinite person.