Job Discussion Forums

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

In writing many students don't proofread their work, or if they do they do it poorly.

I've compiled a proofreading checklist I try to get them to run through, mostly applies to essays but it can be applied to any written work.

Check the following:

1. conjunctions.
2. prepositions.
3. transitional words and phrases.
4. articles.
5. phrasal verbs.
6. verbs - correct verb and tense.
7. modal verbs.
8. active voice instead of passive.
9. modifiers.
10. nouns.
11. pronouns.
12. punctuation and spelling.

Can anyone add anything?

askiptochina · Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 488 Location: Beijing

If you are proofreading for someone who is writing something for a college or giving a presentation, maybe you will be more strict and need a checklist.

If this is for simply helping students advance without some clear agenda, then I find it better to look for 1 change that will help them the most. Then, find 2 changes, and so on.

If you mark all possible things wrong, the student will be overwhelmed by all of their mistakes, they will lose confidence and a starting point to fix their mistakes.

From the given list, I would not worry about 1. conjunctions as much as 6. verbs

Phrasal verbs would be at the bottom of the list if the student was having problems with basic spelling and articles.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

This is for a college writing class.

Maybe I should have mentioned that these are not in order of priority. I just typed them on here off the top of my head - I actually have a .ppt file that deals with them in the order I think they should be corrected.

Further, this isn't for my benefit. When the students do write and hand in an essay I don't go through this list myself correcting all of these things - I don't have time to do that for 275 of them. This list is for them so THEY can check for these things before they hand in written work of any kind.

I just want to know if other people use a similar checklist and what their list might consist of. or how they conduct a lesson on "how to proofread."

Lobster · Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 9:51 am Post subject:

Subject-verb agreement

Ariadne · Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 960

I think it might help to have a shorter, but more specific list. What about the conjunctions? What should they look for with the nouns? What is subject-verb agreement? I have a personal gripe about beginning sentences with conjunctions, but not all teachers or textbooks agree.

.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

askiptochina · Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 488 Location: Beijing

Ariadne · Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 960

Skip, I disagree. Students don't always review their notes and grammar books are not always superior to a list. Am I the only one who has stressed a particular point repeatedly in class, only to have the students make the same mistakes?

.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

big_big_bang_theory_fan · Joined: 10 Aug 2011 Posts: 105

I believe in the concept of "putting your money where your mouth is" when discussing issues such as this. It is ironic that the original post has not been truly proofread as it relates to punctuation (most specifically).

That being said, Chinese students, in my opinion, are the weakest note-takers in the education realm. They have no concept of what notes are, their purpose, now to take them, utilize and review them, and so on.

While Chinese students are force-fed grammar, they simply do not know how to self-edit or apply proofreading into everyday practice without specific training - such as if it were their actual job (employment).

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

Guerciotti · Posted: Sun Oct 09, 2011 5:43 am Post subject:

Yu · Joined: 06 Mar 2003 Posts: 1219 Location: Shanghai

This one was mine...

Here is a checklist:
1. Does every clause in every sentence have both a subject and a verb.
Identify them. Make sure the subjects and verbs agree. Look out for
problems related to fragments, comma splices, run ons, stringy
sentences, choppy sentences, and parallel structure problems. Make
sure to use a variety of sentences types, and don't always use the say
method to connect your clauses. For example, if you use moreover in
one sentence. Use furthermore the next time.

2. Make sure the tense is appropriate and consistent throughout your
entire essay.

3. Be sure to use the correct articles (a, an, the, his, her, their,
our, etc...) before your nouns.

4. Make sure you are using the correct plural form of each noun if needed.

5. When you use pronouns, be sure each pronoun clearly refers to
something already mentioned in the previous sentence or two. Make sure
you choose the correct form of the pronoun so that it agrees with the
noun in both gender and number. (Chinese students pay careful
attention to his & her and he & she)

6. Make sure you are using the correct word form (geography vs.
geographic) AND be sure that the word is spelled correctly. IF there
is a word that you have spelled incorrectly, and you are aware of it.
PRACTICE the correct spelling on a seperate piece of paper at least 10
times until it becomes a habit to write it correctly. Revist your list
of misspelled words at least 3 times until you no longer make the
mistake. (I.e. chinese students often mistake mordern for modern....
don't let this kind of simple mistake happen to you)

7. Check your capatilization and punctuation. Do not make careless
mistakes. Learn the rules (I will give you a handout) and follow them.

8. If there are any places where you are not sure about the words you
are choosing, get out a dictionary and check their meanings. Use
www.thesaurus.com to find synonyms for words that are often repeated
in your essay. If there are any vocabulary words that you feel could
be improved, work on them.

9. Read your essay out loud to make sure there are transitions between
your ideas. Each sentence should flow to the next one. Transitions are
what make this possible. Make sure the transition you choose shows the
best relationship between the two ideas. Use stronger transitions
between main ideas.

10. Make sure you use the correct word order in your sentences.

Yu · Joined: 06 Mar 2003 Posts: 1219 Location: Shanghai

I pulled the checklist together of things I found as common mistakes made by students. it is just one version of my list and I know I have a more complete one elsewhere. I do think the list is really really helpful. Students can tackle the list and use it to improve.

Also on that list should be to be careful of commonly mistaken words to, two, too or whether or weather. (Although I feel these mistakes maybe be more native speaker like).

Students who learned the list improved their writing.

Old Surrender · Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 6:27 am Post subject:

The problem I encounter is that they can fix other people's grammar but they make the same errors in their own writing. Or, better yet, I get them a grammar exercise, they nail it, but they can't apply to it to their own writing.

Chinese students love the workshop environment more than American students. That opportunity to work together on something is like manna from the gods.