how to proofread an essay on microsoft word

Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Writing > Tips for proofreading and editing essays

Tips for proofreading and editing essays

Proofreading and editing your essays before submitting them is essential. You’d be surprised how many typos and grammatical errors can go undetected by spellcheck. Learn more on how you can proofread and edit your essay to earn a higher grade.

While spellcheckers are reliable, they’re not always perfect. If you want to get the grade you deserve for on your paper, you’ll need to proofread and edit it. It’s normal to need two to three drafts (or sometimes more!) before handing in your essay. Follow these proofreading and editing tips to nail your next essay.

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How to proofread and edit an essay

Re-read the prompt and requirements.

Before you pore over your essay, re-read the prompt and essay requirements from your teacher or professor. It’s easy to get carried away and go off-topic while writing an essay. It’s also easy to forget to use the right font or font size your instructor requested. By re-reading the prompt, you’ll have the requirements fresh in your mind, so you don’t lose points over preventable mistakes.

Read your essay out loud

Reading your paper aloud can help you identify choppy sentences and grammatical errors you might not have discovered if you proofread your paper silently. Make sure to read your essay out loud slowly to catch any mistakes. Once you find an error, fix it right away so you don’t get distracted and forget to fix it. You can also use the Read Aloud feature in Microsoft Word for proofreading, which will read what you’ve written out loud for you.

Read your essay from end to beginning

While reading your essay backwards might sound illogical, it’s a great way to identify spelling issues or confusing sentences. Start by reading the last sentence of your paper for errors, then move on to the second to last sentence, and so on. Reading your paper out of context can help spot any issues in your writing.

Double-check your sources

Make sure you appropriately cite all the sources in your paper. Cite your sources when you use a quote, summarize or paraphrase someone else’s idea, or share research that was conducted by someone else. Learn how to navigate different citation formats and tailor your writing to your essay’s requirements.

By re-reading your paper, you can identify sentences you may have forgotten to cite. Plagiarism can have major consequences, so avoid it at all costs.

Check the structure of your essay

An unorganized essay can feel messy and confusing. Check that you structured your paragraphs in the correct order and made seamless transitions between each paragraph. As you read through each paragraph, make sure they correspond with your thesis.

Analyze your essay’s tone

As you read through your paper, make sure the tone is formal. Scan your essay for the following examples:

• Generalizations (“all” or “many”)
• Exaggerated adjectives (“brilliant” or “genius”)
• Adverbs (“simply” or “obviously”)
• Inflammatory or emotional language (“evil” or “heartless”)
• Qualifiers (“sometimes” or “usually”)

If you find any of the above in your paper, be sure to revise: this language should be avoided in academic writing.

Take breaks while proofreading

Give yourself time to reset with a break for a few minutes (or even a few hours) while reading through your essay. You’ll pick up on any typos or issues in your paper once you return to it with a fresh mind.

Get a second pair of eyes

If you can, get a peer to review your essay. Sometimes, a third party can point out spelling errors or mechanical issues you wouldn’t have noticed on your own. They can also let you know if you accurately answered the essay prompt and made your message clear.

Proofreading and editing your essays are key to avoiding preventable mistakes and earning better grades. To continue taking your writing to the next level, check out tips for mastering the essay , brainstorming effectively , and how to build trust with your audience .

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• How to Edit & Proofread in Microsoft Word

by Russel | Nov 1, 2023 | Editing

If you’re editing a document or manuscript for someone, you need to use Microsoft Word and its Track Changes feature. Track Changes does exactly what it says – it tracks all your edits so the author can see what you’ve changed and can approve, reject or amend your edits.

What about other programs?

You can also track changes in Google Docs, but if your client isn’t using this platform, some of their formatting could go missing if you convert their file from Word to Google Docs format. Word is also the default writing and editing program used in publishing, so for the purposes of this article, we’ll stay with Word. The easiest way to lean how to edit or proofread in Word is just to watch my video tutorial below. But I’ve also summarised the main steps below the video.

Editing in Microsoft Word using Track Changes:

1. Activate Track Changes: To begin editing your document with Track Changes, click on the “Review” tab in the Word ribbon, and then select “Track Changes.” This function allows you to make revisions and suggestions without permanently altering the original text.

2. Make Edits and Comments: As you review your document, make edits, insert comments, and suggest changes. All your modifications will be displayed with different formatting, making it easy to spot what has been altered.

3. Review Comments: If you’re working with others, they can add comments for clarification or suggestions. To review these comments, navigate to the “Review” tab, and click on “Reviewing Pane.” This allows you to see all comments in one place and address them accordingly.

4. Accept or Reject Changes: After reviewing all the suggested edits and comments, you can accept or reject them individually or all at once. This feature helps maintain control over your document while integrating valuable input.

5. Final Review: Before considering your document complete, it’s essential to do a final review with Track Changes turned off to ensure it looks polished and professional.

If you want a more detailed explanation of editing in Word as well as in PDFs, see my Udemy course: Become an Editor and Proofreader.

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