Why is Proofreading Important?

Perhaps you don’t think about it too much, but every time you write something, your reputation is on the line—letters to clients and customers, a note to your staff, a description of a new product, and so on. Even a single error in your document can leave the reader with a bad impression of you. Your writing must be flawless.

Proofreading ensures that your document is free from mistakes. A professional-looking document makes a good impression on your reader, which could lead to that successful sale or new customer.  On the other hand, a poorly written document full of misspellings and wrong grammar can cause you to lose a prospect or lose the respect of your peers and staff.

What about the Spell Check and Grammar Check functions?

MS Word’s spell check is a useful tool, but it is not enough. The spell check can only tell you if words are misspelled; it cannot tell you if the word usage is incorrect. For example, the spell check will consider both “proofread” and “proof reed” as correct, but obviously, one is wrong. It also doesn’t help you with the correct usage of commonly misused words, such as their and they’re, your and you’re, and affect and effect. The grammar check is even more limited; it cannot understand that many expressions have multiple meanings and that the context of a single word can change the entire meaning of a sentence. The grammar check can’t spot common errors such as run-on sentences and vague pronoun references.

When should you hire a proofreader?

Proofreading takes a certain amount of proficiency in the English language. You can certainly proofread your own work, and in fact, this is recommended. However, spotting mistakes in a document that you have written is often difficult because you normally have a tendency to gloss over your own work.

A professional proofreader is new to your document and can look at it “from the outside,” providing a fresh outlook on it, and thus can spot your errors better. You may be worried about how much a proofreader will cost, but fortunately, some online companies now offer professional proofreading services at reasonable prices.

Remember, don’t take chances with your most important documents—proofread them!