How Proofreading Can Improve Your Writing

Having a proofreading service review your academic essay can be the difference between a good essay, and an excellent one. However, many students neglect the importance of a proofreading service as a key step in writing their essays. Proofreading is an essential step in the writing process and can be instrumental in ensuring your ideas and thoughts are communicated clearly and cohesively.

 

Proofreading should only be completed once the essay or document has been finalised. This means that the essay has already been through a rigorous editing process, where the argument has been thoroughly developed and organised. During this editing process, it is important to assess the structure of the essay. For example, could paragraphs be rearranged to improve your argument? Do the ideas you present follow each other in a logical and comprehensible way?

 

During the editing process, you should also take the time to rewrite any sections of the essay that you aren’t completely happy with, or that don’t add to the overall argument. The editing process allows you to revise aspects of the essay that may be weaker, or not as convincing as other sections. It is okay to add or change the content of your essay at this stage, as long as it relates to and supports your argument, and stays within the prescribed word limit.

 

The best practice during the editing process is to save each draft of your essay as a new file. This means that you will have a complete record of your progress and can refer back to older versions of the text if there is an idea you wish to revisit. When you are happy that the editing process is complete and the content of your essay is finalised, you can begin the proofreading stage.

 

Proofreading involves checking the content for errors in punctuation, spelling and grammar. It provides the opportunity to fix any errors or mistakes that may take away from the overall argument of the essay. Whilst many computers have software that can spell-checka document for you, they are not capable of checking for correct word choice or complex grammar.

 

An experienced proofreader can spot and fix grammatical errors, particularly as they will have a much greater understanding of the overall meaning of the sentence. Something as simple as incorrect punctuation can change the entire meaning of a phrase or sentence, so it is important to have your work reviewed by an expert.

 

Grammar, spelling and punctuation are key aspects of the academic grading process, and if unsatisfactory, they can bring the grade of the paper down. It is essential to have every error checked, regardless of how unimportant you think it may be. Proofreading can improve the clarity and understanding of your argument. A proofreading service can also check the format and clarity of the citations and references in the essay, another common mistake that impacts the grade.

How to Improve your Writing by UsingParaphrasing Services

In academia, a professional proofreading service can be instrumental in improving your writing. Paraphrasing can be a difficult skill to master, so if you are unsure, it is important to consult a professional paraphrasing service so that your work is not accused of plagiarism.

Paraphrasing is the act of rewriting a piece of text in your own words, whilst retaining the overall meaning and intention of the text. It can prove very useful if you have a large piece of information that you need to condense into a shorter, more digestible format. Paraphrasing is also a great opportunity to improve writing skills.

However, paraphrasing is not always a simple task. It requires strong comprehension skills as it requires a full understanding of the original text before it is rewritten. It is important that the meaning is not lost in each rewritten sentence. Practising paraphrasing can not only help to hone your skill, but also improve your written language skills as a whole.

Here are some ways practising paraphrasing can improve your overall writing ability:

 

Improves memory

The practice of reading a block of text, and then rewriting it in a new way can improve your memory. Paraphrasing encourages you to be more conscious of what are you are reading to ensure you fully understand its meaning and intention.

 

Improves understanding

Much like the point above, the act of paraphrasing can significantly improve your ability to take in and understand information. The process of rewriting the text in your own words, and ensuring the message is not lost improves your comprehension skills.

 

Improves creativity

Paraphrasing is a great way to become more creative and ambitious with your writing style and ability. As paraphrasing is not a direct copy of the original text, it provides you with an opportunity to make the text more engaging. It also requires you to learn new words and phrases that have similar meanings to those used in the original text.

 

Improves vocabulary

Paraphrasing is a great way to expand your vocabulary, as you search for new ways to say something written in the original text.

 

Practising paraphrasing can be an easy and fun task. Any text can be paraphrased so you can challenge yourself with a novel, or a magazine article. All you need to do is to pick a specific section of text and read it thoroughly. Once you are confident you understand the meaning of the text and its main discussion points, try writing them down in your own words. Paraphrasing aims to make the original text shorter, so try to make your writing more concise. It isn’t necessary to follow the same structure as the original text, as long as the meaning isn’t confused and the text flows.

In conclusion, paraphrasing is a great skill to learn if you frequently conduct research and need to summarise the information easily, but skilfully.

Benefits of Proofreading

Many people may question why they need to use a professional proofreading service in their professional or academic careers. But there are many benefits to using a proofreading service such as providing objectivity, providing reassurance of the quality of the document and protecting a business or brand from any reputational damage that may come from errors or confusion.

 

Proofreading is the last step in checking and reviewing a document before it is published. A proofreading service will check for accuracy and consistency as well as the standard checks listed below:

• -       Grammatical errors
• -       Spelling mistakes such as capitalisation and hyphenation
• -       Formatting errors
• -       Check for sense and understanding
• -       Check on word usage, such as subject-verb usage
• -       Incorrect or inconsistent page, chapter and section numbering
• -       Ensure headers and footers are correct and consistent across the document
• -       Incorrect captions on tables, figures and photos
• -       Consistency in the table of contents
• -       Consistency and correctness in referencing

 

Some less obvious and less well-known checks that will also be carried out by a proofreader are as follows:

-       Any end-of-line breaks that might cause confusion

-       Check the references cited in the document to ensure they are consistent. A proofreader will not however check the validity of the references themselves.

-       Check for style, design and layout

-       Check for “widows” which is a short last line of a paragraph at the top of a page, or “orphans” which is a short line of a paragraph at the bottom of a page

-       Alert the author to any areas of the text that are not clear

 

The proofreading process is a key part of the creation and publication of a document, in a range of contexts, from a university paper to a corporate press release. A proofreading service can find and fix any errors or inconsistencies before the document is published and any mistakes, which could prove irreversible if left unchecked!

 

Below are two examples that show the importance, and benefits of proofreading.

 

Example 1: When proofreading a financial textbook, the proofreader noticed that a key diagram that was described and referred to in text, was missing. The diagram was essential to the chapter and its omission would have had a knock-on effect on figure references and page numbering.

 

Example 2: When proofreading a company’s Annual Report and Accounts, the proofreader noticed a spelling mistake in the job title of one of the directors. This was then able to be corrected before the document was published for the world to see!

 

These examples demonstrate the importance of proofreading across a range of written texts. Whether it be a book, journal, report, commercial document, press release or social media post, each must be proofread before publication. There is only one chance to impress your audience, and an inaccurate or confusing document will reflect badly on yourself, ora business.

Copy Editing vs Proofreading: What’s the Difference?

Both copy editing and proofreading services have the same end goal: to make a piece of written text as coherent and free of mistakes as possible. Copy editing and proofreading services are not interchangeable, they are both as important as each other.

 

The role of a copy editor is to improve the writing of the author. This is mostly understood to be correcting spelling and grammar, but copy editing involves much more than that. In professional publishing, copy editors ensure that the text is in line with the chosen style guide, and is suitable for the correct audience.

 

Copy editors will also suggest changes to a piece of text, to improve its accuracy and readability. This can involve editing sentences to improve clarity and conciseness, suggesting alternative word choices to improve meaning, and ensuring the text adheres to the same tone of voice. The role of a copy editor is not to remove or edit the author writing style, but to improve it.

 

The role of a proofreader, on the other hand, is to check the writing of both the author and copy editor for any errors that may have been previously missed. In traditional publishing, a proofreader is the last person to read the complete manuscript before it is sent to print, and after it has been through the hands of a copy editor.

 

The proofreader will then carefully read the manuscript, checking for any errors that may have arisen after edits were made and checking how the manuscript reads in print. Proofreaders will also look out for incorrect page numbering, misaligned text, additional spaces between words, incorrect indexes and incorrect paragraphing. The role of the proofreader is not limited to those listed above, and often there can be much more involved at this stage, depending on the type of text that is being proofread. For example, if it was an article for a newspaper or magazine, the proofreader may also be responsible for fact-checking the text.

 

So, when should you hire a copy editing or proofreading service?

 

A copy editor should always review the manuscript or document before a proofreader. But before you send your manuscript off to a copy editing service, you should ensure that you are happy with the structure of the text. A copy editor will check for flow and clarity, and are likely to alter individual sentences and paragraphs. If there is a possibility that an extra chapter will need to be added, so don’t send your manuscript to a copy editor just yet!

 

Once your manuscript has been reviewed by a copy editor, hire a separate proofreader. This is best practice, as there is always a risk that a copy editor may not pick up on their own mistakes as similar to the original author, they know what the text means and should say. When the proofreading stage is complete, your manuscript is ready to be published and presented to your audience.

How to communicate with a proofreader or editor

When you use a proofreading or editing service as a student, you want to ensure everything goes right the first time.

However, if things go wrong when you’re using editing services, what’s the best way to communicate with your editor and let them know?

Professional editors and proofreaders are usually very busy, which means that they do not necessarily read correspondence or instructions carefully. This may also be true if you are criticising their work, or letting them know you were not satisfied with some aspect of their writing or proofreading.

It is worthwhile to note that this is the case with all professionals who are dealing with multiple tasks from day to day, and it is valuable to have the communication skills to deal with such situations.

Therefore, in order to communicate smoothly with your proofreader or editor on any matter ranging from low-quality work to arranging a deadline, this article highlights a few tips you can use for your next proofreading or proofreading service.

Image: A lot of the time, communication lies at the heart of good editing

Stay on track

Keep your communications with your proofreader or editor light, quick, and to the point.

If you’re contacting to enquire about a proofreader’s availability, do it in a precise and quick way. Say, if you want to know ifthe proofreader will work with you on an upcoming project, you can write that in the subject line of an email: “New Proofreading Task, 24 hours, 8,000 words.”

Then, in the body of the email, you can attach the document with other details about the proofreading task.

This type of clean and to-the-point communication is useful not only for proofreaders or editors but also for the users of editing services.

Image: Keep your communications quick and light

Bold and underline

When you write emails to proofreaders and editors to enquire about services, availability, and lodge complaints, styling your email can help you get a quicker response.

For example, if you use bold text, italics, and underline – don’t overdo it! – this can draw the reader’s attention to key parts of your text. If you use too much of either one, this can ruin the effect altogether.

If you’re trying to work with a popular and in-demand proofreader, for instance, you can embolden text in your email such as the word count, document type, or subject area.

This will help the proofreader navigate your email, which will increase their likelihood of responding.

Image: Format your text to have a strong impact

Don’t be afraid to phone

Proofreaders and editors are good writers and preparers of files and documents, but they are also usually well-spoken and good communicators, too.

For this reason, you should never be afraid to call your proofreader if there is anything you’re unsure about. Whether you are considering making an order or whether you’ve already ordered an editing service, your editor should always be happy to offer advice over the phone.

Editor-author communication in book editing

When students use editing and proofreading services, long-winded discussions and communications are rarely needed.

By contrast, when editors and book authors collaborate on book proofreading services UK, it is vital to have clear, sharp, and effective communication between authors, editors, and proofreaders.

This article highlights three reasons why sustained and long-term editor-author communication in book editing is essential.

 

Length of books

Compared to student essays, most books are incredibly long.

This is the same for research papers from academics, press releases from commercial organisations, and other types of content. They are almost all considerably shorter than most fiction or non-fiction books.

The long length of books means that proofreading and editing them also takes longer.

For this reason, it is usually important for the editors, proofreaders, and authors of the book to get to know each other better. As the project they are working on is long term in nature, it is worth developing a closer collaborative relationship.

 

Author-specific details

Mostly for the editor’s sake, knowing the author is hugely worthwhile. Understanding the author’s writing style, for example, and their idiosyncrasies can save substantial time and guide the editing process.

It can also lead to the avoidance of misunderstandings, such as when an editor overwrites too much of a writer’s authorial voice.

Consider how today’s editors and proofreaders – usingchecklists and modern techniques – would find it difficult to work with authors like Cormac McCarthy, who wrote No Country For Old Men (2005), without communicating beforehand.

In the following sentence, McCarthy shows an example of polysyndeton.This is when an author deliberately inserts conjunctions into a sentence in order to slow the rhythm of the writing, create a stream of action, or convey a solemn tone.

The deputy left [a person] standing in the corner of the office with his hands cuffed behind him while he sat in the swivelchair and took off his hat and put his feet up and called Lamar on the mobile.

Cormac McCarthy – award-winning author and screenplay writer –has technically written an incorrect sentence that all trained proofreaders would change and correct. They would write these sentences with polysyndeton (Ancient Greek: meaning many bound together) out in proper, grammatical sentences!

However, in book proofreading services UK, as well as in good editing and proofreading services, there should be “synergy” and knowledge between the author and editor, which depends on precise communication.

 

Developmental editing

For books, especially works of fiction, editing is usually a developmental process.

For this reason, if the author and editor are to work together more closely than they would in a smaller-scale project (e.g., a thesis, corporate press release, or other short files), it is important for them to develop a more robust editor-author relationship.

This assists the openness and productivity of the developmental editing process, enabling each party – the editor and the author – to bring their ideas to the table.

 

Using transition words to rewrite a document

The difficulty of paraphrasing means it’s important to make use of every available tool.Some people use professional rewriting services as a tool, but if a rewriting service isn’t available, one of the next best tools you can apply is a good understanding of so-called transition words.

For students of the English language, as well as learners seeking to improve their academic writing and paraphrasing skills, it is also especially important to create a transition list. Transition lists, as discussed in this article, are an essential resource for anyone aspiring to provide rewritingservices.

Therefore, this article defines transition words and explains how to use them not only to improve your writing but also to enable you to paraphrase/rewrite text much more effectively.

 

What are transition words?

A transition word (also known as a transition) is a word or phrase that connects ideas in a piece of writing. In academic writing, as well as other areas, sentence starters increase the cohesion of a document, the sharpness of sentences, and the reader’s ability to follow your logic.

In the following example, the word afterwards is an example of a transition:

“Lightning filled the room, lighting it up, and shortly afterwards it thundered loudly.”

A sentence opener (or sentence starter) is a particular type of transition that opens a sentence. Almost all transition words can be used as sentence starters, and in most cases, transitions read more naturally as sentence starters.

Examples of sentence starters include:

·         In summary, ...

·         In this paper, ...

·         Next, ...

 

What is a transition list?

For students of the English language, as well as learners seeking to improve their academic writing skills, it is also critically important to create a transition list.But what is a transition list?

A transition list is a long list of transition words. Similar to a thesaurus, the items in a transition list can be arranged in alphabetical order and made searchable.

The best transition lists are organised by the nature of the argument you are making. For example, your list could be categorised as follows:

·         Category 1: Words showing contrast 

o   however

o   instead

o   in contrast

·         Category 2: Words that set up an additional idea

o   moreover

o   coupled with

o   correspondingly

·         Category 3: Words for cause and effect

o   accordingly

o   because

o   subsequently

·         Category 4: Words for emphasis

o   chiefly

o   granted

o   ordinarily

 

Value of transition words in rewriting

Whenever paraphrasers provide a rewriting service, using transition words – as well as transition lists – helps to create a unique, cohesive piece of text.

 

Summary

Whether you’re a student, academic, or businessperson, it’s always advisable to work with professional paraphrasers to improve your writing, ensure it’s free from plagiarism, and watch your writing come to life in a better, more polished form.

However, if this isn’t possible, transition words and transition lists are an essential resource – they make your sentences sharp, connect your ideas, and help you communicate more nuanced meanings.

Proofreading and time management as a student

Most students understand the need to proofread documents such as essays, research papers, and even emails. Many people, but significantly fewer, are even aware of the benefits of using proofreading services.

While there is growing recognition of the clear advantages of using a professional proofreading service compared to reviewing your written work alone, very few people recognise the value of proofreading as a time management tool.

Therefore, this article zooms in on the topic of time management among students, showing how proofreading services – among other essential tools – should be on the radar of every student in 2022 and beyond.

 

Why master time management?

At university, mastering the skill of time management should be at the top of your agenda. If you can plan and use your time to your advantage, it will be invaluable in later life.

University is usually the first-time students are required to engage in extensive independent, self-directed learning. This is especially true for international students, many of whom have only experienced a teacher-led (or teacher-dominated) style of education.

For this reason, developing the ability to take hold of your own time, optimising each minute, is something that’s worth the effort of spending time on.

 

General tools to master time management

Useful tools to improve your time management skills include:

·         Scheduling tools

·         To do lists

·         Taking breaks

 

Scheduling tools

To ensure you’re kept up to date about assignments, deadlines, tutorials, lectures, and meet-ups, using a scheduling tool – such as a calendar – is worthwhile. Google Calendar is a simple, freely available digital calendar tool.

 

To do lists

Create a list of all the activities you need to complete. Then, order the list by importance. If necessary, include required completion times in your to do list.

 

Taking breaks

If you study for too long without stopping, the output you gain from the effort you exert decreases dramatically. Taking breaks, on the other hand, offers a chance to recharge, refuel, and refresh your mind. This, in turn, allows you to return to your work with much greater productivity.

 

Proofreading tools for time management

Students need to leave time to proofread their essays, assignments, and other documents. However, for many students, it’s a matter that’s easier said than done.

For students facing time pressure, using a Professional proofreading service is indispensable in terms of enabling good time management.

Clearly, it can save students from submitting unedited text or files that haven’t been proofread. At the same time, though, working with a professional proofreader as a student is worthwhile for time management even if you aren’t running up against a tight deadline.

This is because, as an activity that’s permitted by universities, having your work professionally proofread as a student saves you a massive amount of time. The time you save on proofreading your own work is time you can invest in other essential activities. 

 

Proofreading and other underused digital resources for university students

Some students are surprised to learn that proofreading services are one of the most widely used digital resources today, not only among students. They often think: Who, other than a university student, would need to use a proofreading service?

As a result, they risk underusing this important tool.

For many businesses, academic researchers, and university students, digital resources like proofreading services – as well as other digital resources, including databases such as Google Scholar – are unavoidable tools if you demand top-notch writing and research.   

For example, if you need to prepare a literature review for an important journal article, how can you achieve that without a database like Google Scholar, PubMed, or the Cochrane Library?

Similarly, without using a proofreading service, companies and academics will lose valuable time that they could be allocating to some other task.

Given that using a proofreader is a key digital resource available for students today, this article:

·         Defines proofreading as a digital services

·         Discusses the features of the available services

·         Provides a list of other underused digital tools

 

What is proofreading and how is it a “digital resource”?

What is proofreading?

A proofreading service corrects the grammar, punctuation, and spelling in your writing. In other words, a trained professional – rather than you yourself – proofreads your document for a fee.

More in-depth proofreading services, including higher-priced editing services, may also ensure your sentences follow a consistent style and flow naturally.  

 

What is a digital resource?

Digital resources include smartphone apps, databases (Google Scholar), websites (such as blogs, digital magazines, and journals), and digital services (such as web design or proofreading services) 

Digital resources are materials that have been created using digital means, such as a computer, or by translating an analogue material, such as a handwritten document, into a format that is digital.

 

How is proofreading a digital resource?

With the ongoing trend of digitalization, the proofreading industry has gone almost entirely digital. This is true for the document preparation services industry altogether.

That is to say, the vast majority of services for proofreading are delivered online, and most of the essential tools that proofreaders use for their work are digital tools (e.g., Grammarly, Word, etc.).

 

Other underused digital resources

Dragon Microphone

This underrated smartphone app offers university students a good speech-to-text system, available any time on their device for note-taking, writing, and other tasks. 

 

Office Lens

Students can use Office Lens to create an instant scan of an analogue document (such as a business card), converting it into a digital format (e.g., a Word file).

Be sure to proofread the document after scanning it, though!

 

Uni Calculator

This little-known grade-tracking calculator helps you keep on top of your exams and total assessments at university. This plays a key role in coordinating your work for all the modules.

 

Google Drive

Google Scholar is widely used among university students, but Google drive is less popular. However, this file storage and file synchronization system offers incredible value.