Reviewing your paper after you have completed it is an essential step to ensure that all of your work has been completed exactly as you envisioned it. However, many students slack-off on this task and end up submitting a document that is visibly clunky, unpolished and incoherent. Put in the time and effort required to guarantee that no flaws slip past you and end up costing you essential marks. Below are seven suggestions from the Best Professional Essay Writers UK to proofread and edit your papers.
Focus Is Key
The fundamental mistake most students make when they proofread their essay is that they do not concentrate. We can understand why you might want to be lax with this endeavor. After putting in hours to research and draft a paper, you might be too exhausted to want to put in the same level of dedication to editing.
However, in order to catch mistakes and correct them properly, your mind has to be in the present. Retain your concentration span and do not try to read in-between texts, music, or any other distraction.
Print It Out
Sometimes, we can focus and retain information of a physical page better than we can do on-screen. Simply print out your essay, mark any mistakes you see, correct them, and then make the necessary alterations on the computer file.
Read It Aloud
When you want to catch grammar and diction related mistakes, you need to break out of your own bias and identify errors within your writing style. This can be difficult since people’s writing style is very innate. The best means to this end is to read your essay aloud.
Instead of only reading your content, you should also try listening to it. You will ‘hear’ any flaws in your expressions that can be promptly smoothed.
Center On Heteronym
Heteronyms are words that sound similar, but have distinct meanings, such as; ‘affect’ and ‘effect’ and ‘desert’ and ‘dessert’. Mistaking these ones for the others can either completely change the meaning of what you are saying, or could make you sound incomprehensible. Whenever such a case arises in your piece, slow down and double-check to ensure that you are using the correct term.
Recheck Your Numbers
False numbers are a mistake that, although earnest, have dire consequences. Many students know better than to make them but still do because they proofread their paper too hastily. Every time a numerical figure shows up, make sure it is exactly the sum you want. $1,000 is very different from $10,000.
Correct Apostrophe Use
It is very easy to place an apostrophe where it should not be, and take it away from where it should be. Make sure that you are using it properly next to nouns to indicate possessiveness of an object; especially when the noun in question is a plural one, where the apostrophe will come after the ‘s’.
You should also see if you are unknowingly including contractions in your paper. Use of ‘couldn’t’ instead of ‘could not’ and ‘he’ll’ instead of ‘he will’ is frowned upon by your examiner as it makes for very casual reading. Your paper has to have a formal finesse, so correct all contractions by properly taking the words apart into their two components.
Get A Third Opinion
Sometimes, we need to get another person’s opinion to see errors in our work that we – due to our own biases – do not see. You can refer to a friend who is taking the same course in this regard, and ask them to assess your paper for you. But they might be too preoccupied with their own work.
Your best option is to ask a professional essay writing service to proofread your work. They will meticulously locate mistakes in your piece, and then expertly make amends to them.