Proofreading

        Basicaly, its the last step befoe print out you're final drafft. So, buy nature, its a minor step, but it's realy the most important one you have to do. If you donot proofread, instead handing in a paper thats got al sorts of errors in it, then your waaving a bunche of read flags in the prof's face--how can you're prof concentrate on you're meaning its concealed under bunch of typos or other mestakes? Lets putt it thiss way--how eazy was it for you to reed this paragraf?

        Here's some suggestions to help you "see" any mistakes:

1. Spell Check.

2. Concentrate only on the surface of the paper. By the time you're ready to proofread you should already have your thoughts worked out. Now you're just looking for mistakes.

3. Time and distance-- put the draft away, go do something fun, then come back to it. That way you won't get bogged down; you'll stay fresh.

4. Spell Check.

5. Read the paper out loud-- read only what's on the page. Or better yet, get someone to read it to you.

6. Try reading the paper backwards. No, not sdrawkcab; rather start with the last paragraph and work back toward the introduction. Or read the sentences of each paragraph in reverse order. That way you'll break your expectations about the paper; you'll be less likely to "correct" as you read, more likely to notice word is missing.

7. Double space your draft. Not only does this give you room to work, it also allows you space to see what you've written. Use a larger font or print.

8. Spell Check. Be aware of words that the computer won't catch-- alternative spellings might refer to another word with a different meaning than you want; some words sound the same but have different spellings and references, ie. bare/bear.

9. Consult a dictionary or misspelled word guide.

10. Make a list of your common errors. Include misspellings, punctuation rules, suggestions to vary sentence length or construction, examples, or even pictures. Whatever it takes to remind you of the little things you often forget. Then keep that list handy while you proofread.

11. Visit the Writers' Center. We won't proofread for you, but we'll help you with any problem areas.

12. Use marks you can read and understand.

13. Spell Check often