A key reminder for proofreading course learners

We remind people on our proofreading course to avoid getting so immersed in specialist terminology, that they forget how to speak English.

Proofreaders can never assume that a client – or someone else in the production chain – knows the same terms as them. Assumptions can lead to mistakes.

Terminology depends on your background: terms you’re familiar with may mean nothing to other people.

The best advice for students on our online proofreading course is to assume that their clients do not know any proofreading, editing or grammatical terms, and adapt their language accordingly. Or check first, to see which terminology they use – if any. This ensures there are no misunderstandings.

See our proofreading courses