3. Proofreading Your Paper

What makes a strong paper stand out from the others? Quite simply the ones that have undergone an extensive amount of proofreading! When you take the time to edit and proofread your paper, you eliminate any chances of your paper having simple mistakes whether it be related to grammar or composition.

The first read through will be to catch those simple grammatical errors you may have missed the first time you were writing your paper. It could be those simple spelling errors, repeated words, or adding a comma where it was not supposed to be.

Preferably, after your first read through, let your paper sit for a few hours. If time persists it, let it sit for a day. This will give you enough time away from your paper to be able to proofread it with "fresh eyes." Once you jump right in, read your paper out loud. Yes, out loud. When you read something out loud, your brain will be able to discern what sounds fluid and coherent and what just stops you in your tracks. Whenever you have that moment where you suddenly stop reading, it may be the sentence you were on could go through some editing and restructuring.

Once you have made it through you second run-through, your paper will be in WAYYY better shape than it was initially. Of course, your paper could always be proofread again, but this time have a classmate read it over. It is always great to get at least another set of eyes on your paper. Sometimes, other people's input can really help your paper reach that A+ status!