Expert: Dan Smith - 5/6/2011

Question
You’ve carefully revised and polished your document, and it’s been sent off to the word-processing department or a designer to be put into final form.  You can breathe a sigh of relief, but only for the moment : You’ll still be proofreading what comes out of the printer.  To ensure that any document is error-free, always proofread the final version.  Following are some hints to help make your proofreading more effective.
   Multiple passes – Go through the document several times, focusing on a different aspect each time.  The first pass might be to look for omissions and errors in content; the second pass could be for layout, spacing, and other aesthetic features; a final pass might be to check for typographical, grammatical, and spelling errors.
   Perceptual tricks – Your brain has been trained to ignore transposed letters, improper capitalization, and misplaced punctuation.  Try (1) reading each page from the bottom to the top (starting at the last word in each line,) (2) Placing your finger under each word and reading it silently,  (3) making a slit in a sheet of paper that reveals only one line of type at a time, and (4) reading the document aloud and pronouncing each word carefully.
   Impartial reviews – Have a friend or colleague proofread the document for you.  Others are likely to catch mistakes that you continually fail to notice.  (All of us have blind spots when it comes to reviewing our own work)
   Typos – Look for the most common typographical errors (typos): transposition (such as teb), substitution (such as economic), and omission (such as productivity)
   Mechanics – When looking for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization, if you’re unsure about something, look it up in a dictionary, a usage book, or another reference work.
   Accuracy – Double –check the spelling of names and the accuracy of dates, addresses, and all numbers (quantities ordered, prices, and so on).  It would not do to order 500 staples when you want only 50.
   Distance – If you have time, set the document aside and proofread it the next day.
   Vigilance – Avoid reading large amounts of material in one sitting, and try not to proofread when you’re tired.
   Focus – Concentrate on what you’re doing.  Try to block out distractions, and focus as completely as possible on your proofreading task.
   Caution – Take your time.  Quick proofreading is not careful proofreading.
Proofreading may require patience, but it adds creditability to your document.


Career Applications :
1.   What qualities does a person need to be a good proofreader ? Are such qualities inborn, or can they be learned ?
2.   Proofread the following sentence :
  application of these methods in stores in San Deigo nd Cinncinati have resulted in a 30 drop in robberies an a 50 percent decling in violence there, according at the developers if the security system, Hanover brothrs, Inc.

Answer
I assume you want me to correct this sentence.


Application of these methods in stores in San Diego and Cincinnati have resulted in a 30 percent drop in robberies and a 50 percent decline in violence according to the developers of the security system, Hanover Brothers, Inc.