Our proofreading course will equip you with the editorial skills you need to become a certified proofreader and copy editor. This online course will show you how to correct printed documents and webpages, and make them readable and legally compliant.

This comprehensive online course is ideal for:

  • Beginners.
  • Proofreaders and copy editors who want an accredited certification.
  • People who want to start a freelance business.
  • Staff training and development.
  • Website and blog owners who need to check their own content.
  • Writers who need to produce error-free copy.

Here are a few tips and techniques to make your proofreading sessions more effective.

Concentration is key

If you’re going to spot mistakes, then you need to concentrate. That means getting rid of distractions and potential interruptions.

Switch off your phone, turn off the television or radio and stay away from the email.

Put it on paper

People read differently on screen and on paper, so print out a copy of your writing.

If you read aloud, your ear might catch errors that your eye may have missed.

Watch out for homonyms

Homonyms are words that share the same spelling or pronunciation, but have different meanings. Switching ‘accept’ with ‘except’ or ‘complement’ with ‘compliment’ could be disastrous, so pay attention to them.

Watch out for contractions

People often mix ‘their’ and ‘they’re’, ‘its’ and ‘it’s’, ‘your’ and ‘you’re’ etc.

Check the punctuation

Focusing on the words is good, but do not neglect the punctuation. Pay attention to capitalised words, missing or extra commas, periods used incorrectly and so on.

Read it backwards

When writing we usually become blind to our own mistakes since the brain automatically “corrects” wrong words inside sentences. In order to break this pattern you can read the text backwards, word by word.

See our proofreading course