Editing/Proofreading Checklist
1.____ Read the paper backwards, one sentence at a time. Check for spelling errors. Use a dictionary, a friend, or a spell checker to find correct spelling.
2.____ Check to make sure you capitalized proper nouns and the first word of each sentence.
3. ____ Indent each of your paragraphs.
4. ____ Every sentence should have correct punctuation.
5. ____ Check your commas. Are they only used for compound sentences, a list of items, an introductory word or phrase, direct address, setting off interruptions, separating adjectives, or in dates> Do you need to add commas? Make sure you do not have commas separating complete sentences, thereby creating run-on sentences.
6.____ Apostrophes are used for and only for contractions and to show ownership.
7.____The use of more complex punctuation (dashes, hyphens, semi-colons, parenthesis, etc. is done correctly
8. ____ Have you used commonly mixed up words correctly? Check these: they’re/their/there, your/you’re, it/it’s a/an, to/too/two, are/our/hour and others.
9. ____ Read the paper backwards again. This time check for sentence fragments and run-ons and correct them.
10. ___ Did you stay in the present tense (such as is, am do, take, know, etc.) or past tense (such as was, were, did, took, knew, etc.) throughout the entire paper?
11. ___Did you stay in the first person (I, me, my, we, us, our) or third person (he, him, she, her, they, them, their) throughout the entire paper?
