Proofreaders Marks

Basic Tools for

Proofreading
and
Editing
 Editing Printed Documents

Use a pen with contrasting-colored ink.

Use standard proofreaders marks to show corrections.

Mark all corrections clearly.

 Correcting General Errors

1. Use a caret () to show an

insertion.

2. Place a diagonal (/) through an

unwanted letter.

3. Change a letter by placing a

diagonal through it and writing
the correct letter above it.
 Deleting and Changing

4. Delete words and phrases by running a horizontal line through them.

Change text by first deleting it and then writing the correction above the
deletion.
 Transposing

5. Use the transposition symbol to indicate a reversal of

keystrokes, words, phrases, and even sentences.
 Closing Up and Inserting Spaces

6. Close up an extra space with loops above and below the space.

7. Show where a space is needed by using the insertion caret and placing the
number sign directly above the caret.
Just a few more
proofreaders
marks . . .
 Changing Internal Punctuation

8. To add internal punctuation, place the

comma, semicolon, or colon inside a
caret at the point of insertion.

9. To delete internal punctuation, place a

diagonal through
the mark.
To change internal punctuation, delete
the incorrect mark and insert the
correct one.
 Changing Closing Punctuation

10.To add closing punctuation, write periods, question marks, and exclamation marksand circle them.
To delete closing punctuation, place a diagonal through the mark.

To change closing punctuation, delete the incorrect mark and add the correct one; circle the new
mark.
 Other Punctuation

11. Add quotation marks or an apostrophe by placing the mark in an inverted insertion
mark ().
Add a hyphen by using the insertion mark () at the point of entry and placing an
equal sign (=) directly above the caret.
 Capitalizing Words

12. To show that a single letter

should be capitalized, place
three short lines under it.
To show that entire words
should be capitalized,
underline the word or word
group three times.
 Correcting Capitalized Words

Place a diagonal ( / ) through a capital letter that should appear

in lowercase form.
Use a diagonal and a straight line to show which letters should
not be capitalized in words appearing in all capital letters.
 Number Usage

If a figure should be written in words, circle the figure.

If a number written in word form should be in figures, draw a
horizontal line through it and write the correct figure or
figures above it.
 Abbreviations

If an abbreviation should be
spelled out, circle the
abbreviation.
If a word or words should
be abbreviated, draw a
horizontal line through the
word or words and write the
abbreviation above the
lined-out text.
 Paragraphs

To insert a new paragraph,

place a paragraph mark ()
at the point of insertion.

To delete a new paragraph

beginning, write No where
the paragraphs are to be
combined.
 Italics and Bold

Underline any words that

should appear
11th
in italics.
Place a wavy line under any
words that should be bolded.
The Finished Document

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