Oh, look everybody! It’s that time of the week again where I scream at everyone to proofread! I’m 37 tomorrow and it is my birthday wish that everyone reads their emails and homework before they send them. You don’t want to be my next victim!

What exactly is proofreading?

Proofreading is when you have finished writing what you want to say, and you read through your work again. When you are doing this you are looking for:

·         Correcting spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.

·         Replacing any vague descriptions or words with specific words (so instead of “a four-legged naked squeak machine” you could say “pig”).

·         Remove any accidentally repeated words and add in any words you missed.

·         Explain things that make no sense.

·         Put things into a sensible order.

·         Check your email fits the tone you want to go for (funny, relaxed, angry, legal, formal…etc.).

Why proofread?

I’m actually dyslexic, which means that I have an extremely good reason to proofread. I make mistakes in every single thing I write. Absolutely everyone who writes actually makes many mistakes. Most of the time it’s a missing letter or an extra word. Sometimes it can be a bigger problem. Here are some things I have done because I did not proofread:

·         Called someone the wrong name (and wrong gender).

·         Missed the word “not” out of a sentence, changing the entire meaning of my email.

·         Words like “runt” or “ship” are only one letter away from extremely impolite phrases.

·         Made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

·         Sent emails to the wrong person.

·         Insulted people by mistake.

·         Gave the wrong time for meetings.

·         Gave to the wrong place for meetings.

·         Gave on the wrong DAY for a meeting…

Honestly, there are too many to list here. Proofreading is one of the most important steps of writing anything. It’s your last chance not to write something that’s spelled incorrectly, makes no sense, insults everyone who reads it, and makes everyone turn up to your birthday party in the wrong city on the wrong day.

Be smart and be kind; proofread!