How to Read for Punctuation and Grammar Mistakes

Whether you're in school, in a business, or writing for fun, it's important to read over your paper for grammar and punctuation mistakes. There are many ways to go about it, but this is a simple, one-person way to do it that doesn't require a computer or a spell-check.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Written piece
• Dictionary
• Thesaurus

1. Read the piece backwards out loud. By reading it backwards, you will not focus on what is being said, but the words used to say it. This will help you spot the spelling mistakes.

2. Circle words that can be spelled differently for different meanings. For example: "then" and "than"; "their," "there," and "they're"; "your" and "you're." Make sure you're using the correct word for the context it is in.

3. Read you piece out loud. Slowly. If you come to sentences or paragraphs that are difficult to read or you trip up on the wording, chances are anyone else reading it will have the same difficulty. Once you've made your edits and it sounds good out loud, it is most likely finished.

4. Finally, if there is someone else who can read your piece, eHow recommends a second set of eyes giving the piece a look. Usually when a person writes something it makes sense to them but may not necessarily make sense to someone else.

[emilyism82]

on 12/13/2008 I agree with Step 4. In my line of work, we call it 'peer review'. It helps to keep our document clear and concise.