Proofreading Tips

Whether you’re just getting started or are an experienced proofreader, there’s always something new to learn. That’s where our blogs come in! We've got expert advice on spelling, grammar, punctuation, referencing, proofreading different types of writing (from creative to business and academic), and much more!

  • Capitalisation: Compass Points and Titles

    Capitalisation: Compass Points and Titles

    Jul 02, 2018

    • Common Errors
    • Grammar
    • Other Errors
    • Proofreading Tips

    In our time training proofreaders, we’ve noticed that the subtleties of capitalisation can sometimes confuse even the best students. So, today, we’re going to look at two tricky capitalisation issues that might trip you up: compass points and titles. Compass Points and Directions It is a common misconception that the four compass directions should always […]

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  • Spellcheck and Proofreading Software

    Spellcheck and Proofreading Software

    Jun 25, 2018

    • Proofreading Software and Tools
    • Proofreading Tips

    We all like to feel needed. We give and give, and we’d like a little appreciation in return. But boring old human proofreaders aren’t terribly glamorous. We’re only flesh and blood. And sometimes clients seem to have more faith in technology than in humanity. In today’s blog post, then, we’re looking at non-fleshly attempts to […]

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Dealing with Difficult Proofreading Situations

  • Proofreading and Editing Tips: Formatting Titles in Academic Documents

    Formatting Titles in Academic Documents

    May 18, 2018

    • Academic Editing
    • Formatting
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Style

    Although proofreading and formatting are different, they overlap in some respects. For instance, when an essay names a source in the text, it is standard for the proofreader to ensure its title is appropriately formatted. Let’s take a look at how formatting titles works. Italics and Quote Marks Formatting titles in the text of a […]

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  • Poetic Licence

    May 04, 2018

    • Proofreading Tips

    We took a little census of the people on our team, And the general consensus was things are not as they seem. Some words use a simple ‘s’ to settle spelling strains, While certain others celebrate soft ‘c’’s fancy refrains.   Moreover, you may realise that Britain’s hallowed ground Prioritises ‘s’ when words utilise a […]

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  • Proofreading and Editing Tips: Proofreading for Websites

    Proofreading for Websites

    Apr 26, 2018

    • Business Editing
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Style

    You can’t always apply the same proofreading guidelines to different kinds of documents. Academic proofreading, for instance, is very different to proofreading web copy. This is one reason why proofreaders haven’t yet been replaced by robots. Importantly, reading on screen is different to reading a printed page. And this may mean you need to approach […]

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  • Citing Edited Books in Chicago Style

    Apr 13, 2018

    • Academic Editing
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Referencing and Citations
    • Style

    Sound the celebratory trombone and strike the ritual tambourine. It’s referencing time again! And today we’re looking at how to cite edited books again. In this post, we’re going to look at Chicago referencing. There are two versions of this system: Author–date citations and a reference list (more common in the sciences) Footnotes and a […]

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  • Post-Easter Eggs

    Apr 04, 2018

    • Proofreading Tips

    Here at Knowadays, we were so busy gorging on chocolate all Easter we forgot to get you anything. Better late than never, right? Unfortunately, we don’t yet have the technology to send actual chocolate via a blog, but we can share some ‘Easter eggs’ all the same. You might already know the pop-culture definition of […]

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  • Common Latin Terms

    Mar 26, 2018

    • Proofreading Tips
    • Vocabulary Tips

    You might want to throw on some Ricky Martin before you read this because we’re going Latin. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be as sexy as Señor Martin was at his hip-gyrating peak. In your proofreading career you will encounter several Latin terms, and you may already be familiar with many of them. However, it’s […]

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  • Top 5 Formatting Tips

    Top 5 Formatting Tips

    Mar 15, 2018

    • Formatting
    • Proofreading Tips

    If there’s one thing that this blog has said ad nauseam, it’s that being a proofreader isn’t just about having good spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Take formatting, for example. It’s not proofreading, but a lot of jobs aimed at proofreaders require it and a lot of employers will expect you to format documents professionally. For […]

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  • Proofreading and Editing Tips: How Commas Pull Their Weight

    How Commas Pull Their Weight

    How Commas Pull Their Weight

    Mar 09, 2018

    • Common Errors
    • Grammar
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Punctuation

    In previous posts, we’ve discussed how proofreaders need to be aware of meaning when working on a document. And it’s not only word choice that affects meaning: punctuation can also change a sentence. In this post, then, we look at a few things you can do with commas. Direct Address A comma is necessary to […]

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