If you’re wondering how to make sure your report or essay is the best it can be, finding a trained and trustworthy English proofreader is easier said than done, however the following should help act as a guide on how and when to obtain use a proofreader.

A good English proofreading service should offer a thorough review of your British Standard or American Standard English document for spelling, grammar, sentence contextualization, and boilerplate writing. If the service includes editing (whether on paper or online), you should look to improve the flow of writing where necessary. The professional edition includes common phraseology, proverbs, and sayings that are checked for correct usage, and words that are used incorrectly or sentences that are unclear need to be changed or rearranged. Each proofreader has their own standards and should tell you about them, in no uncertain terms, before starting work. These are very different services than copywriting services or essay writing services, where the copy is written from scratch.

Most proofreaders offer online editing and charge a flat amount based on the number of words in your document and turnaround time, and most professionals will require a sample of your writing or view the document in advance before quote a job

Therefore, you need to make sure that your proofer is up to the task of editorial work. Reviewing requires patience, attention to detail, and obviously a thorough understanding of the rules that govern your language; it is not simply a matter of crossing the ‘t’s and dotting the ‘i’s. It can be a laborious task that requires hour after hour of concentration, not just reading and understanding the text within an often complex dissertation, but simultaneously thinking ‘how is this written and can it be written better?’ Understanding the general meaning of the text and being able to improve it without altering the original meaning requires the ability to understand a wide variety of topics, a good level of education (graduate qualifications are usually the minimum for editors), and writing skills. That, combined with good time management skills, means that not everyone who knows how to read can proofread.

There are many solid reasons to revise or edit your text, in both the business and academic worlds. For example, a website that is poorly written and lacks clarity could mean that potential customers quickly leave your site, largely because within five seconds of entering your site they need to know what is available where and when. Similarly, poor grammar and spelling will look highly unprofessional and reflect a lack of attention to detail in the service offered.

For tertiary level students, it is not recommended to leave linguistic errors in an essay or research proposal. By the time students arrive at UK universities, tutors expect them to be able to write articulate essays that do not contain basic grammatical errors or confusing language. If you don’t meet these expectations, it could mean that even though your ideas are brilliant, your writing skills will let you down. Therefore, having your essays or theses corrected and, at the very least, having a grammar check is a worthwhile investment.

Similarly for academics, submitting an article or research paper to a publisher that lacks clarity and contains unwieldy writing reduces its chances of publication. Many peer reviewers also complain about the garbled language of their peers’ work and are inclined to give less favorable reviews if reading the article is a feat of endurance. Copy editing is essential to ensure that articles are suitable for publication.

Writing your thesis statement or a long thesis on your topic is often a labor of love and small mistakes are hard to spot; a good proofreader can offer an unbiased second opinion on the clarity of your document. So getting that professional look at your text, editing and proofreading it on your behalf can be an invaluable service.

by Georgina Little