Error Correction, Proof-reading information

I receive loads of emails from people and I love it. It's great they're brave enough to write. I always write back and sometimes I mention some spelling errors they've made - it's good to get feedback and learn. 

So in this error correction section, I'm going to include some of the emails or some exercises I've used over the years. 

It's so important to be able to spot your own errors. I have to re-read my emails tons of times to check my spelling, grammar, punctuation and typos. I type so fast I transpose letters, for example, I always type 'adn' for 'and'.

It's tempting to just send an email, a comment, a status update without reading it through a few times, but try to read everything you write before sending it. Even if it's just an email to a friend - you want to be sure it makes sense and that you've got your point across.

Top 3 mistakes are: 

  1. Not using a capital for I (I have a problem with spelling, not i have a problem with spelling). You must use a capital I for I, I'm, I am, I’ll, I will, I’ve, I have. Using a capital I and not i shows you care and are a careful writer.

  2. Making homophone mistakes — there, they're, their; to, too, two; passed, past; your, you're, etc. Re-read and check you’re used the right one.

  3. Not using punctuation at all. You must use punctuation. I know punctuation is hard but please use a full stop/period (AmE) to stop the sentence from running on and confusing your reader.

OK, you might not be able to recognise some mistakes and it's important to write even if you make mistakes. But you can at least just try to make the writing clear for the reader by using simple sentences with full stops/periods (AmE).

I'm not a 'fascist' when it comes to mistakes because I think you should write and enjoy the process. But there are people out there who will judge you, especially if you're applying for jobs, or sending workplace emails.

Try these exercises

Spot the mistakes on these tattoos

More tattoo errors -video exercise
Email error-correction & 2 classic mistakes
Spot the punctuation and spelling mistakes
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