So don't forget to proofread your writing before you publish it. Proofread for mistakes such as collocation, grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization:
Collocation(words often used together)
(verb+noun): surf the Internet, make friends, make mistakes...
(adjective + noun): heavy snow, hot water, the Great Wall...
(preposition): interested in, impressed with/by, worried about...
Grammar
Verb tense: I was (not 'am') offered a job yesterday.
Subject-verb agreement: My sister, along with her husband, is (not 'are') going to the cinema.
Uncountable noun: Could you give me some advice (not 'an advice')?
Article: I'm a doctor (not 'I'm doctor'). Go to the cinema (not 'Go to cinema'). She's an (not 'a') English teacher.
Spelling
It's (not 'its') a good news. Trying (not 'tring') to convince her. During an argument (not 'arguement').
Confusing words: 'novel, naval, navel' - 'saw,sow, sew'- 'quite, quiet' ...
Punctuation
Don't use a comma when you need a period to end a sentence.
Capitalization
I'm (not 'i'm') a doctor.
Hope that helps! Do you think it's a good idea to proofread your writing? Could you share us some more examples for the entries above?
Comments
juan
Good for you! It's a good idea to proofread what you've written, but sometimes we fail to do so. Maybe we should have proofread it many times before we publish it, or even should have had others proofread it for you.
Hi Wei-Chien,
Thanks for the comment. Yes, only too often, We forget to proofread what we write, which may make it possible that lots of mistakes appear in any of your writing - a blog, a comment, or an email message. And, what's worse is you may totally be unware of it, which could cause problems if the writing is so important as a resume, or an important message to your customers or clients.
Yes, the 'spelling checker' can be helpful in finding some spelling mistakes in your writing, but, most of the time, helpless in spotting grammar errors. It takes a lot of practice, however, to know all the ropes about grammar. I suggest reading some grammar books which is reader friendly and easy to read. If you have got any questions about grammar, you can post a new blog here with the question, and chances are some members here will help you with it. Good luck!
Regards,
Expector
Mistakes with prepositions are common in learners' writing, even though our learners have learned all the basic rules. Many learners find it difficult to use those 'little words' correctly. Yes, prepositions can be very tricky.
I'll help you learn the ropes here:
---in bed (not 'on bed'): but you say 'on a table', 'on a sofa')
---(a hole) in the socket (not 'on the socket')
---You say "You're lacking in confidence.", but you say "you lack confidence." (Don't use verb 'lack' before 'in'.)
...
Do you think using prepositons correctly can be a problem? What's the error you often make when using prepostions?
@Tara: Thanks for the nice comment. You rocks. Yes, it's a good idea to put off publishing what you write until tomorrow or later - that way, you'll have more time to think about it and spot some mistakes in it.
@deuce666: Thanks for the link!
@nida: Yes, it's true. You can't avoid all the possible mistakes, even though you're very very careful and have proofread your blog many times. You don't need to be that cautious. But we should try to make our blogs as correct as possible - no one enjoys reading something full of mistakes.
Thanks a lot for this wonderful blog!
It will be interesting for you to read :))
yes, Proofreading is very important. It become my primary concern before my blog published. nice topic!
-Nadiyah-
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