Tricks for Finding Errors
PROGRAM: "IN A WORD"
EPISODE: TRICKS FOR FINDING ERRORS
[5 to 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Mary Beth Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
Every once in a while, I find myself writing an important email or something that should be nearly error free, but I don’t have time to let someone else review it before sending or submitting it. Sometimes, it’s hard to catch typos and grammatical issues on your own. And if you’re on a tight deadline, you might not have time to have someone else look over your work. Luckily, there are a few strategies you can use to find errors you might have overlooked in the revision process.
First, if you haven’t already, print your writing so that you can work from a hard copy. Identifying errors can be easier on a printed copy than on a computer screen. Also, make the font larger or change it completely when you print the document. That way, the text will be easier to see, and you will be forcing your eyes to look at the words in a new way.
Next, try reading it aloud slowly. Your ears will catch errors that your eyes have missed. When you read, you can try emphasizing words that you normally wouldn’t, such as prepositions, like “to” or “on,” and relative pronouns, like “who” or “that.” This strategy can help you recognize when a sentence is sprawling or when you’ve used a word excessively.
If you aren’t comfortable reading aloud to yourself, use the text-to-speech feature on Microsoft Word to read your writing aloud to you. Then, you could close your eyes and try to listen for anything that sounds awkward or incorrect.
You’ve also probably been reading your work from left to right and from start to finish. To get a new perspective, try working from the end of your paper toward the beginning to catch mechanical errors you might have missed. You can read sentence by sentence or word by word, but either way, you’re forcing your brain to see your writing in a different order.
Also, when you revise and edit, it’s often helpful to know the general strengths and weaknesses of your writing. If you know what errors you tend to make, you can make an effort to look for those explicitly. Try to find the last piece of writing that you had edited, reviewed or graded by someone else. What problems did they mark more than once? Say you’ve had instructors or peers point out that you sometimes forget the comma after introductory words and phrases. When you edit, you should check each sentence for that particular error.
Even if you’re not a grammar expert, you can look for other issues when you edit, such as unnecessary repetition. Is there a word you tend to use a lot when you write? If so, you can use the “Find” feature in Microsoft Word to quickly identify whether you’ve used that word too often. You might even keep a list of words or phrases that you know you use frequently so that when you proofread, you can search for them using the “Find” tool.
And don’t underestimate the power of spelling and grammar checkers in word processing programs. Make sure your web browser has a built-in spelling and grammar checker, too. Also, pay close attention to errors in titles and headings, since we sometimes forget to read those when we edit.
Finally, if you can, take some time away from whatever you’re writing, even if it’s just ten minutes. Taking a short break, and looking at your writing in new ways, might mean the difference between meeting the CEO for dessert or meeting her in the desert.
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Mary Beth Schaefer, helping you make every word count.
[5 to 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
EPISODE: TRICKS FOR FINDING ERRORS
[5 to 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Mary Beth Schaefer with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
Every once in a while, I find myself writing an important email or something that should be nearly error free, but I don’t have time to let someone else review it before sending or submitting it. Sometimes, it’s hard to catch typos and grammatical issues on your own. And if you’re on a tight deadline, you might not have time to have someone else look over your work. Luckily, there are a few strategies you can use to find errors you might have overlooked in the revision process.
First, if you haven’t already, print your writing so that you can work from a hard copy. Identifying errors can be easier on a printed copy than on a computer screen. Also, make the font larger or change it completely when you print the document. That way, the text will be easier to see, and you will be forcing your eyes to look at the words in a new way.
Next, try reading it aloud slowly. Your ears will catch errors that your eyes have missed. When you read, you can try emphasizing words that you normally wouldn’t, such as prepositions, like “to” or “on,” and relative pronouns, like “who” or “that.” This strategy can help you recognize when a sentence is sprawling or when you’ve used a word excessively.
If you aren’t comfortable reading aloud to yourself, use the text-to-speech feature on Microsoft Word to read your writing aloud to you. Then, you could close your eyes and try to listen for anything that sounds awkward or incorrect.
You’ve also probably been reading your work from left to right and from start to finish. To get a new perspective, try working from the end of your paper toward the beginning to catch mechanical errors you might have missed. You can read sentence by sentence or word by word, but either way, you’re forcing your brain to see your writing in a different order.
Also, when you revise and edit, it’s often helpful to know the general strengths and weaknesses of your writing. If you know what errors you tend to make, you can make an effort to look for those explicitly. Try to find the last piece of writing that you had edited, reviewed or graded by someone else. What problems did they mark more than once? Say you’ve had instructors or peers point out that you sometimes forget the comma after introductory words and phrases. When you edit, you should check each sentence for that particular error.
Even if you’re not a grammar expert, you can look for other issues when you edit, such as unnecessary repetition. Is there a word you tend to use a lot when you write? If so, you can use the “Find” feature in Microsoft Word to quickly identify whether you’ve used that word too often. You might even keep a list of words or phrases that you know you use frequently so that when you proofread, you can search for them using the “Find” tool.
And don’t underestimate the power of spelling and grammar checkers in word processing programs. Make sure your web browser has a built-in spelling and grammar checker, too. Also, pay close attention to errors in titles and headings, since we sometimes forget to read those when we edit.
Finally, if you can, take some time away from whatever you’re writing, even if it’s just ten minutes. Taking a short break, and looking at your writing in new ways, might mean the difference between meeting the CEO for dessert or meeting her in the desert.
This has been “In a Word,” a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Mary Beth Schaefer, helping you make every word count.
[5 to 10 SEC OF MUSIC]