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A Proofreading Checklist:

Before turning in any writing, always read your work over at least three times. You will be amazed by how many errors you can catch each time you reread (especially if you read aloud), even after you’ve already corrected many mistakes. As you read, ask yourself these questions and mark areas of your paper that need improvement. Don’t worry about addressing all of these issues—just focus on areas that you know need improvement.

Questions to Ask Yourself to Improve Content:

1. Have you included a hook to make the beginning of your essay captivating? If you were the reader, would you want to read your essay beyond the first sentence?
2. Does your essay have a main idea, preferably stated within the first paragraph? Do you stay focused on this idea throughout your essay?
3. Did you remember to insert paragraphs for shifts of time, subject, and/or speaker? Did you remember to use transitional words to link paragraphs?
4. Have you added descriptive details to help the reader see your stories? Have you included specific examples to make the reader believe your points?
5. Have you remembered to answer the questions “who, when, where, what, why, and how?” Have you let the reader know why your topic is important, to you and to them?
6. Did you remember to write for a reader and not just for yourself? Have you explained any names, events, or terms that your reader might not know?
7. Have you edited out casual commentary, bad language, and remarks that stray from the focus of the essay?
8. Did you finish your essay with a summary of your main idea and an interesting tidbit to leave the reader satisfied?
   

Questions To Ask Yourself To Improve Grammar & Punctuation:

1. Did you fix your fragments by making sure that every sentence has a subject, a verb, and is a complete idea? If you think your sentence isn’t complete, add more information or see if the idea can be attached to the previous sentence.
2. Have you fixed your run-on sentences by inserting periods at the end of ideas or by adding connecting words to link ideas? Try reading your work aloud to listen for pauses (or times when you take a breath) which often indicate the need for a new sentence.
3. Have you scanned your paper for homonyms (commonly confused words), especially for the words you know you frequently misuse? Consult a dictionary if you’re not completely sure of a meaning.
   

Tip: A very effective way to catch errors is to scan for your trouble spots (areas your LIA has mentioned are hard for you) one at a time.  For example, first you might read looking just to make sure you stayed focused on your main idea, then you might just try to find places to put paragraphs, then you might search solely for incomplete sentences, and finally you could readjust looking for incorrectly used homonyms.

Skills for the Writing Process / 290 Content / 290 Homepage

Writing Center / Watsonville Integrated Learning Center

English Department / Cabrillo College Homepage

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