Academics · Subject Resources

Spell check passed it.
Now find what it missed.

Proofreading works best as several short hunts, one kind of error at a time, starting with the mistakes you personally make. Choose the error types for this piece, list your usual mistakes with an example and a fix, and print a card to work through. The builder estimates how long reading it aloud will take.

Build a cardWhat you get

Your writing

The worked example is made up: a 900-word history essay due Friday with three habitual mistakes, and a short job email. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Academics · Subject ResourcesFree

What you finish with
A record per piece of writing: title, kind, length, due date, error types to check, the writer’s usual mistakes with examples and fixes, and seven proofreading passes. Estimates read-aloud minutes; prints a proofreading card with what to look for under each error type; flags a skipped read-aloud, a close due date and no usual mistakes listed.
Who it is for
Students in grades 4 to 12 and college, and anyone proofreading an application, email or report.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per piece. Prints a proofreading card, one record, every record in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Subject Resources space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Add the piece with its length and due date.
  2. Choose three to five error types for this piece.
  3. List your usual mistakes with an example and a fix.
  4. Print the card and do one pass per error type.
  5. Finish by reading aloud, then backward for spelling.

Build a card

What software misses

Errors spell check missesErrorExampleWhy software misses itSound-alike wordtheir going homeEvery word is spelled rightMissing wordshe went the storeShort sentences look fineDoubled wordthe the windSome checkers skip itWrong name or datethe Dust Bowl of 1953Facts are not checkedWrong fix accepteddefinitely to defiantlyYou clicked the suggestionErrors spell check missesSound-alike wordExample: their going homeWhy software misses it: Every word is spelled rightMissing wordExample: she went the storeWhy software misses it: Short sentences look fineDoubled wordExample: the the windWhy software misses it: Some checkers skip itWrong name or dateExample: the Dust Bowl of 1953Why software misses it: Facts are not checkedWrong fix acceptedExample: definitely to defiantlyWhy software misses it: You clicked the suggestion
Reading aloud catches the first three; checking against your notes catches the fourth.

Why one error at a time

Readers asked to find every kind of error at once catch fewer than readers hunting for one kind per pass. Short, focused passes also keep you reading what is on the page instead of what you meant.

Your own mistakes

Most writers repeat the same few errors. Two marked papers usually show them; once they are on the card, they are the first thing you look for every time.

Sources

  1. Purdue Online Writing Lab. Proofreading and Steps for revising your paper (owl.purdue.edu).
  2. University of North Carolina Writing Center. Editing and proofreading (writingcenter.unc.edu).
  3. Daneman, M., and Stainton, M. (1993). The generation effect in reading and proofreading. Reading and Writing, 5(3), 297 to 313.
  4. National Governors Association and CCSSO (2010). Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Language standards 1 and 2.

The worked examples are made up. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.