Proofreading Symbols and How Professionals Use Them



Documents such as academic, business, and government papers need proofreading to ensure every word written in the copy communicates to its readers as intended. Any errors encountered can stain the document’s credibility, and worse, could lead to miscommunication that may complicate matters or relations.

Proofreading is exactly what you need as it refines your copy by spotting errors and giving suggestions on how to fix them. Making use of professional proofreading services will do just that for you to prepare your document for finalization and submission.

Who Does the Work?

Proofreaders with the passion of reading and writing, patience, and eye for detail are the ones who give you the full benefits of a professional proofreading service. They meticulously sift through all of your document’s pages for errors and tell you what to rectify through the use of proofreading symbols.

The Tools of the Trade – Proofreading Marks



This is a great example of a professional proofreading service done right.

A good proofreader scrutinizes each and every grammar aspect including usage, punctuation, and spelling. Once the copy returns, you can expect plenty of red marks all over it. The writer in charge will now use those marks as a guide to revise the copy effectively.

Those red marks you saw above are called proofreading marks or proofreader’s marks and here are some of them:


Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/261912534552279039/

According to Scribendi, the commonly used abbreviations (proofreading marks) are the following:
  • Let it stand:
  • Spelling: 
  • Capitals: 
  • Lowercase: 
  • Italics:
  • Roman Typeface:
  • Bold Typeface:
·         Faulty diction:
DICT
·         Awkwardly expressed or constructed:
AWK
·         Wordy/too verbose:
WDY
·         Wrong word used:
WW


Understanding these marks can give you some knowledge in proofreading to some extent and may even aid you in becoming a better writer. A professional proofreader uses these to show you everything that your copy should have, shouldn’t have, and what it can improve upon.

What a Proofreading Service Should Have

When looking for professional proofreading services, you should always look for the right proofreader with the right qualities and knowledge for the job. Mastery of the proofreading marks is just one of the many skills required to perfect your copy and this is important because any documents you need to submit deserves keen attention to details to help it leave a lasting good impression on your readers.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Proofreading Myth Explained: The Difference between editing and proofreading

Image
As known to many, proofreading and editing functions totally as one. As for what I’ve known for so long, I have always thought that a proofreader or an editor is the one who checks for spelling, grammar and punctuation errors for a piece of writing. Well, it’s quite close to what both of these processes offer but there is a more in depth explanation and differentiation on both process. So how does a proofreader’s job differ from an editor’s job? Editing Editing focuses on how you present your information and ideas. What it does is it makes your publication easy to understand, more organized and makes it more suitable for your reading audience. It refines your language and clarifies what message you want to convey with your readers. It is as if you are having a make-over to make you more fabulous before your senior’s ball. Proofreading Proofreading on the other hand is the final critical process before launching your publication. It is always done after finishing your editing. Acco
Read more

Benefits of Proofreading your Paper

Image
What does Proofreading actually do? Upon searching Google, it showed the simplest result possible which says, “Read and mark any errors.” While this definition is actually correct, proofreading is also equivalent to editing ones paper. It is also e it is expected that when one is expected to proofread, one is expected to read and find any or all of the errors in a paper. Errors usually include: spelling, grammar and flow. Many assume that good writers seldom make mistakes which mean they don’t need proofreading but to be honest, even the greatest writers create mistakes, which means even you are a great or a newbie in writing, at the end of the day, your paper should always undergo proofreading. That is why professional proofreading services are available nowadays. So, how does one benefit from proofreading? #1 Utilize your Spell-Checker Spell checkers emphasize wrong spelling and grammar from your document. Some word processors underline it colored in red or
Read more