What You Need to Know When Proofreading Your Own Work

You’ve finally finished writing your essay for an IELTS practice test. You’ve deliberated over your structure, double-checked your choice of words, and made sure you addressed all the task points.  You’ve also reread your final work several times to pick out grammatical inconsistencies. You’re positive that it’s error-free.

Unfortunately, your essay is anything but error-free. Your online IELTS review instructor was quick to point out as such. Some of the errors he/she identified are so obvious that you wonder how you missed them.

Why It’s Difficult to Pinpoint Your Own Typos

Believe it or not, failing to pick up certain errors when you proofread your own work is actually a common occurrence. Here’s why.

People have a tendency to overlook grammar errors in their work because of their reflex subjectivity toward their work. They “know” that everything they wrote is grammatically correct. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have written it. So, when they do proofread their work, they do so in a cursory manner. Make sure you don’t commit the same mistake during your online IELTS review.

Now, that you know why it’s difficult to catch your typos, let’s discuss…

What Most People Miss When They Proofread Their Own Work

Keep an eye out for the following mistakes when your review your essays.

         ·         misspellings

         ·         inaccurate pronouns

         ·         inappropriate word choice

         ·         proper nouns that are not capitalized4

         ·         uncountable nouns that are written in “plural” form

         ·         missing or incorrect punctuation

         ·         problematic sentence structures

         ·         subject–verb agreement inconsistencies

Want to find out what other mistakes are often overlooked by IELTS exam takers? Enroll in an IELTS training program. Can’t commit to a week-long review course? Avail a one-day IELTS review program instead. Here are some of the tips that IELTS instructors teach their students.

         ·         Analyze each sentence on its own.

         ·         Consider your transition signals.

         ·         Take note of your frequent grammar mistakes during your review period.

         ·         Read from the last sentence backwards to trick your brain into believing that you’re reading something new.

Take note: these are only some of the proofreading strategies that IELTS coaches impart to their students. If you want to learn more, you need to secure a training program. Enroll in an online/center-based training program or a one-day IELTS review course today!

References:

Clarke, Chandra. “Common Grammar and Spelling Mistakes You Missed Even After Proofreading,” Scribendi. Accessed October 1, 2018. https://www.scribendi.com/advice/common_grammar_and_spelling_mistakes_after_proofreading.en.html

Kolowich, Lindsay. “Why Your Brain Lets You Make Grammar Mistakes (Even If You Know Better.” Accessed October 1, 2018. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/why-your-brain-makes-grammar-mistakes

McClellan, Leah. “Get Your Eagle Eye On: 10 Tips for Proofreading Your Own Work.” Accessed October 1, 2018. https://writetodone.com/get-your-eagle-eye-on-10-tips-for-proofreading-your-own-work/

Stockton, Nick. Wired. August 12, 2014. Accessed October 1, 2018. https://www.wired.com/2014/08/wuwt-typos/