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Proofreading exercise

by: Garry Pierrepont (14 October 2011)

Thinking you can proofread, and actually doing it are two very different things. Even when you’ve completed (and passed) tests, when you are presented with your first real piece of work, you feel exposed. There are so many errors in tests, but are there any in the piece of work you have to look at? How do you mark it up? How does the writer use commas, capitals, numbers? Is it UK or US English? So many questions for such a "simple" task!

We’re going to present a few tests for you, which may or may not have any errors in. If you’re interested in sending your views to us, please do so, to admin@writeitclearly.com. Here's the first one in NewsSpot.

Adam, this time along with Terry, Stuart, Wendy and Angela, went along to visit Gerald the nest day, and the latter went with them to see Rodney at his house nearer town. First Gerald, and then Rodney, were gushing in their thanks and praise to the five for coming to see them and enquire after Rodney's welfare. It was now over a week since Rodney's beating and he was much better.

'No broken bones, just a few interesting bruises are left,' he told them with that knowing look that they were getting used to, and could now either ignore or laugh along with.

'We can see your face is bruised, but for any others, we'll, well just have to believe you, won't we?' Adam assured him, and they all laughed.

'Have the police spoken to you again?' Stuart asked Rodney.

'No,' Rodney replied, becoming serious instantly. 'I guess they've just left it with us to try and see them again. Even then, I'm sure they'd be able to do very little. It would be my word against theirs – and I didn't even see them – or your word against theirs, and you didn't see them hitting me. All in all it's a lost cause. What the police need are witnesses to a crime. In this case, there were none.'
'I suppose,' Gerald added, 'that we'll just have to be careful where we go, who we mix with and how we behave.'