How to Proofread Another Writer's Work

Most people don't know exactly what to do when they need to proofread another's writing. The proofreader might not want to hurt the person's feelings, so they don't give any constructive help. Alternatively, the proofreader might dominate the paper, correcting so much that the paper no longer feels like it belongs to the initial writer.

There's a fine line to balance. There's also tips and techniques that will help. After reading this article, I'm confident you will be prepared to be a fantastic proofreader!

What is Proofreading?

First, what is proofreading? Even with a simple question like this, I've seen varied answers. Some people go through each sentence and cross out words, change the order of words to flow better, modify sentences structures, add commas & periods, add words, etc. This isn't proofreading. That's editing. And it usually isn't helpful. When you edit instead of proofreading, you often change the writing. It sounds like your own. And often your way isn't better than the original; it's just different. This is the sort of stuff that hurts people's feelings. Please avoid this.

Don't get me wrong, you can make little editing changes here and there. Just realize that editing is not your focus. You're the proofreader.

So What Does the Proofreader do Then?

The proofreader doesn't change the writing. That's the writer's job. The proofreader makes comments. Most of your writing should be in the margins. Does a paragraph not make sense to you? Don't change the paragraph to make sense. Write down that the paragraph doesn't make sense to you. That will help the writer the most. He or she can then fix the problem. Does a sentence sound bad? Don't change the sentence, but tell the writer about the problem so he or she can fix it.

Most people are too focused on individual words and sentences. Again, that's the job of an editor, and usually isn't that helpful. Try to step back a bit and take in the big picture. First, and most importantly, do you understand what the author is trying to say? If not, the author needs to know that.

-Is the point of a certain paragraph not clear? Is anything hard to understand? If so, tell the writer.

-Have an idea that the writer may not have included? Tell the writer and maybe they will be included, improving the writer's argument.

-Do you think something the author wrote is particularly strong or convincing? Tell them that.

-Do you have trouble believing something the author wrote? Then tell them that and they can improve that item.

Once you get the hang of it, proofreading comes quite easily. Just step back from the picky details, and the comments will come flying out of you. And your comments will be more helpful.

At the end, you should be able to write a short little paper (1 page or less) with your overall thoughts on the piece. What did you like? What didn't you like? Where should the author focus his or her revision efforts?

And remember: you're a commenter, not an editor!