Chapter 1: Proofreading for Careers

Each chapter of this book has a proofreading exercise called Proofreading for Careers. You will improve your spelling, grammar, and usage of English by completing these exercises. Proofreading is more than checking for spelling and typographical errors—often called “typos.”  Proofreading tests alertness and knowledge.  Proofreading is slower than other types of reading.  Proofreading requires more than one reading. Don’t let anything get past your desk that doesn’t make sense to you or is incorrect. Proofread to eliminate:  Typographical or spelling errors  Omitted words  Misused words  Grammar, punctuation, and capitalization errors  Number style and abbreviation errors  Errors in standard format for business documents

Using Proofreading Marks

Proofreading marks are universally used symbols that show where errors occur in printed copy and how to correct them. Use them whenever you proofread your own work or that of someone else. Take time now to review the Proofreader’s Marks on the inside back cover of this book. You will find similar charts in your college dictionary, reference manuals, and other textbooks. The marks will be the same—the only thing that might differ is more or fewer symbols may be shown.

Proofread and make corrections in the following:

A. From a classified ad in a Tennessee newspaper: Telephone receptionish needed for doctors’ office. Duties are to relay massages between patients and doctors.

B. Under a supermarket advertisement in a Los Angeles newspaper: NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TYPORGRAPHICAL ERRORS

C. An answer from a science student’s test that made biology history: An example of animal breeding is the farmer who mated a bull that provided good meat with a bull that gave a great deal of milk.

D. Another newspaper typographical error: Downtown has its fair share of buried treasurers.

E. Your computer’s spell checker will find only two of the preceding errors. Which ones?