Re: proofreading techniques

["Prof. Jean Timpel" <JTIMPEL@bach.cuw.edu>]

I've been following the proofreading thread avidly because, like the 
rest of you, we get asked for that all the time.  We have a soft 
policy on no proofreading, but we are not rigid.  When the student 
asks to have a paper proofread, we sit down and deal with the first 
error by explaining what went wrong and then moving along until it 
appears again.  We point to the sentence and ask the student what is 
wrong here and try to get her to fix it.  I tell my writing 
consultants that the students need to have grammar addressed, but 
from the standpoint of teaching them about those errors, not having 
us just fix them.

My request of you is with this line I have encountered a number of 
times in the WCenter community--"We will help you become a better 
proofreader."  How do you do that?  What are some of the techniques 
about self-proofreading (is that a word?) that you try to teach 
students who come in?  What works?  

Jean
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Jean Timpel
Concordia University-Wisconsin
12800 N. Lake Shore Drive
Mequon. WI 53097
414-243-4216
jtimpel@bach.cuw.edu
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