Proofreading a paper can be a time consuming and complicated task for some. This is primarily due to the fact that many people dont know how to correctly proofread a paper. These people are in luck, because I have compiled a list of the most helpful proofreading tips. No matter what your document is about, these proofreading tips will help you finally perfect that paper you spent so much time writing.

Always proofread a hard copy of a document. If you are proofreading a paper of a monitor you will be more likely to miss your errors.

Proofread at an alert time of day. You will be better focused and more prone to find errors.

If all possible, find another person to proofread your paper after you do so yourself. That person may find further mistakes that you missed.

Read your paper out loud. You can use this method to easily spot out wrongly phrased sentences.

Look for errors you commonly make first.

Proofread in a relaxed but focused manor. This will make you more likely to find errors within your document.

Proofread your paper for one type of error at a time.

Dont proofread directly following the completion of writing your paper. Take a small break to let yourself recuperate.

Check format; this includes bold, italics and underlining. Make sure these are all correct. - Always have a dictionary handy. its the quickest and safest way to make sure your spelling is in check.

A thesaurus is always a good idea as well. A dictionary and thesaurus are two basic proofreading tips everyone should follow.

Take it one sentence at a time. Read every sentence in an individual manner and make your corrections accordingly.

After you correct an error, remember to reread that sentence to make sure you made the right changes.

The second half of the paper is more likely to have errors. Proofread that half first. You can use a ruler or straight edge to go view the paper one line at a time.

By reading your paper backwards you are more likely to find spelling errors in your paper. This helps you look more directly at individual words.

Dont rely on spellchecker. Always go back and make sure spellchecker made the right changes to your paper.

You can read you paper backwards one sentence at a time to single out individual sentences.

Read your paper once again even after you proofread it. This helps ensure you didnt miss any errors.

Pat O'Sullivan
http://patsblogs.com