10 Tips for Effective Proofreading

Proofreading may not be terribly fun, but it's one of the most important parts of writing.

Have you ever read a web page or a document that had typos, grammatical errors, and punctuation mistakes? This reflects badly on you and your business, and you could easily lose a customer over a simple spelling mistake!

Here are some tips for quick and effective proofreading:

1. Wait several hours before proofreading. Otherwise you might be thinking about what you just wrote, rather than watching for typos and punctuation errors.

2. Eliminate distractions. This is very detailed work so you need to be focused.

3. Print out a copy of your work, rather than reading it on a computer screen. To make it even easier, print a double-spaced draft copy.

4. Read the document aloud. This helps to highlight punctuation errors and missing words.

5. Use a piece of colored paper as a guide. This will help to keep your eyes on the line you're working on. If you don't have any colored paper, use a ruler.

6. Read backwards for spelling mistakes. Yes, that's right! You'll find spelling errors much easier if you're going from right to left. Otherwise you might unconsciously start reading, and not "proof" reading.

7. Use a different colored pen such as green or red to make your correction marks. These colors are much easier to see than black or blue.

8. Carefully check numbers and totals. Refigure all calculations and look for misplaced commas and decimal points.

9. If you have a lengthy document to proofread, rest your eyes every 10 to 15 minutes.

10. When you're absolutely sure there are no mistakes, have a partner check your work. Sometimes all it takes is a second pair of eyes.

Jean Hanson is a Certified Professional Virtual Assistant. Discover how partnering with a virtual assistant will give you more time to do the things you love to do! Visit her at www.vaofficesolution.com.">http://www.vaofficesolution.com. Jean is also the author of the eBook, Virtualize Your Business - www.virtualizeyourbiz.com">http://www.virtualizeyourbiz.com

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Jamal Khashoggi death: give us the facts, western countries tell Saudis

Joint statement from UK, France and Germany says Riyadh needs to urgently clarify what happened to journalist

The UK, France and Germany have pressed Saudi Arabia to provide facts for its account of what happened to the journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as ministers from western governments lined up to reject the official line from Riyadh.

After two weeks of denials that the kingdom was involved in Khashoggi’s disappearance on 2 October, late on Friday the Saudi regime said he had died in a fistfight inside its consulate in Istanbul.

Trump was 'playful' in praising assault on Guardian reporter, Ben Sasse says

Nebraska senator: ‘People kind of tune most of it out’
Sasse is author of book aiming to ‘heal’ political divide

Donald Trump was being “playful” when he praised a Montana congressman who assaulted a Guardian reporter, said a Republican senator whose new book sets out to “heal” America’s glaring political divide.

Prostate cancer: radiotherapy could extend thousands of lives, study finds

Use alongside traditional treatment in advanced cases ‘could benefit 3,000 men in UK’

Radiotherapy could increase the chances of survival for thousands of men with prostate cancer that has already spread by the time they are diagnosed, new research suggests.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer to affect men in the UK. About 47,000 are diagnosed every year and around 11,500 die. Significant numbers of men are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread, which reduces their chances of survival.

Catalonia's independence struggle has hit Barcelona's reputation, says Valls

Mayoral candidate says push for independence has left Catalonia looking inward

Manuel Valls has warned that the Catalan independence movement’s “failed” attempts to bring about a sovereign republic have left the region frustrated and divided, hindering efforts to develop Barcelona as “a great European capital”.

The former French prime minister, who is hoping to become Barcelona’s mayor in next year’s municipal elections, said the push for independence had caused deep divisions and left Catalonia looking inwards rather than outwards.

Ditching nuclear arms treaty would be dangerous step, Russia warns US

Deputy foreign minister insists Moscow has strictly observed missile treaty signed in 1987

Senior Russian officials have lashed out at the United States after Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw from an arms control treaty.

The intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF) treaty, signed in 1987, has historically kept nuclear missiles out of Europe. The US president has accused Russia of violating the treaty first and told reporters on Saturday that the US would “have to develop those weapons” in response.

Actor Selma Blair reveals that she has multiple sclerosis

MS diagnosis came in August but Hollywood star has lived with symptoms for years

The American actor Selma Blair has been praised for speaking candidly about having multiple sclerosis (MS).

In an Instagram post the 46-year-old Cruel Intentions star said she had been officially diagnosed in August but had experienced symptoms for years.

Honduran refugee caravan crosses into Mexico through river

Thousands of migrants abandon legal crossing in bid to reach the United States

About 2,000 Central Americans trying to reach the US in a “migrant caravan” have swam or rafted across a river separating Guatemala from Mexico, defying Mexican efforts to stop them at the border.

The refugees, who said they gave up trying to enter Mexico legally because the asylum application process was too slow, gathered on Saturday at a park in the border city of Ciudad Hidalgo. They voted by a show of hands to continue north en masse, then marched to the bridge crossing the Suchiate River and urged those still on it to join them.

Conservatives must 'hold nerve' despite Brexit jitters, says Raab

‘Now is time to play for the team,’ minister says as speculation about PM’s leadership continues

A party at war: could Brexit split spell end of the Tories?

Dominic Raab has conceded that Conservative backbenchers have become jittery about the status of the Brexit negotiations but insisted “now is the time to play for the team” as speculation about Theresa May’s leadership continues.

The Brexit secretary said the Tories needed to hold their nerve after weekend reports that hostile backbench MPs would try to force a leadership challenge. Forty-eight MPs are needed to force a vote of confidence in the prime minister.

Eighteen people killed in Taiwan train derailment

More than 170 people injured after Puyuma express service came off tracks on a bend

Eighteen have been killed and 171 injured in Taiwan after an express train derailed on a popular weekend route, officials said.

The Puyuma service was carrying more than 366 passengers from a suburb of Taipei toward Taitung, a city on Taiwan’s south-east coast, when it came off the tracks at a curve at about 4.50pm local time.

France to investigate cause of upper limb defects in babies

Explanation sought for concentration of cases in Loire-Atlantique, Ain and Brittany

France’s health minister has announced a new investigation into the births of several babies with upper limb defects in various parts of the country in recent years, saying it was “unacceptable” no cause had been found.

Agnès Buzyn said she and her environment counterpart, François de Rugy, had decided to look more closely at what caused 14 babies to be born with stunted or missing arms since 2007, two weeks after health authorities said they had failed to find an explanation.

Rising high: the evolving skyline of New York City – in pictures

Manhattan’s skyline is the most famous in the world. Its horizon has been interrupted by verticals from the first 10-storey office buildings in the late 1800s, and will only continue to rise higher

'If we wanted beauty, we'd travel to Paris': how Calgary resisted its iconic pedestrian bridge

The controversial Peace Bridge is now one of the most-used walking and cycling routes in Calgary. The councillor behind it reveals the project’s stormy process

“The level of hatred directed towards that piece of infrastructure was out of proportion with the cost,” says Druh Farrell as she recalls the stormy process leading to the construction of Santiago Calatrava’s pedestrian and cycling Peace Bridge in Calgary. “It was an incredibly painful process. It became so intense.”

The celebrated Spanish architect was brought in to address a complicated brief. The crossing – connecting downtown to the northern river pathway and the community of Sunnyside – had to completely span the Bow River, while being flat enough to avoid obstructing a nearby helicopter-landing area.

Hoop dreams: backboards in backyards – in pictures

Carlos Marchand photographs basketball hoops in Queens, New York City, as a way of framing suburbia

The Mexican town that refused to become a smart city

Santa Maria Tonantzintla was set to be one of Mexico’s first smart cities – but residents saw it as an attempt to westernise their town and leave tradition behind

Lupita Tecual Porquillo had heard a rumour that the plaza was going to be “remodelled”. The 51-year-old grocery store owner lives around the corner from the centre of Santa Maria Tonantzintla, a sleepy town in the state of Puebla, about three hours from Mexico City. She assumed “remodelling” meant repairing the plaza’s centuries-old cobblestone pavement.

In November 2017, heavy machinery arrived to tear out the characteristic cobblestones and replace them with smooth, uniform stone tiles. On 11 January, Tecual Porquillo discovered the municipality had also knocked down the clock tower and stucco bridge – both beloved landmarks in the central plaza.

Jamal Khashoggi: murder in the consulate

After days of denial, Saudi Arabia has now said that the writer Jamal Khashoggi died in a ‘fist fight’ at its Istanbul consulate. Martin Chulov pieces together events surrounding this death and the investigation, and links to Riyadh’s controversial crown prince

The Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul is a homely looking place, much smaller than it seems, nestled into a quiet suburban street, and painted pastel yellow. Were it not for a giant steel door and a green flag flying on the roof – both sporting two large swords – it could easily be an Ottoman-era cottage like many nearby.

Police barriers to the left of the building mark a point where visitors gather before being allowed through to apply for visas or tend to official business. On 2 October one Saudi citizen, Jamal Khashoggi, stood at the fence line, pondering his next move. Khashoggi needed to deal with paperwork that proved he had the legal right to marry the woman nervously standing with him that day, his new Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz. He paced the barricade for around 20 minutes, removed his two phones from his blazer and gave them to Cengiz. “Wish me luck,” Khashoggi said. “This will be a birthday present,” she replied.

Migrants building £2.6bn windfarm paid fraction of minimum wage

Workers on Beatrice project in Scotland include unregulated migrants on under £5 an hour

Among workers hired to build the £2.6bn Beatrice offshore windfarm in Scotland are unregulated migrants paid a fraction of the UK minimum wage, the Guardian can reveal.

Offshore windfarming is one of the UK’s biggest growth industries, hailed by both the Conservatives and Labour as a priority for investment that will create thousands of jobs while also producing clean energy.

Poison Ivy was the brains behind the Cramps | Brief letters

Crime rates | Jamal Khashoggi | Toilet goldfish | Female guitarists

It cannot be a coincidence that the rates of homicide, burglary and attacks on women are at the highest rate in 10 years (Report, 19 October). The Tory government’s austerity measures must be a major contributory factor, plus their general uncaring attitude, while their whole focus is on Brexit, itself a gnawing anti-social business that is draining millions from the coffers. Such a depressing state of affairs.
Catherine Roome
Staplehurst, Kent

• Re Jamal Khashoggi (Report, 20 October), if this is what the House of Saud does in its embassies, what are they doing in their prisons?
Joseph Wood
Cork, Ireland

States ‘failing to seize Sudan’s dictator despite genocide charge’

At least 33 countries ignored International Criminal Court’s warrants for arrest of Omar al-Bashir, say lawyers

Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir has been travelling freely around the world despite an eight-year-old international warrant for his arrest on charges of war crimes and genocide, human rights lawyers have found.

A project to document the travels of Bashir has called in question a key component in international law after repeated failures to arrest him.

Kerryn Phelps pulls further into lead in Wentworth after rollercoaster ride in count

As of Sunday evening, Phelps was more than 1,600 votes ahead of the Liberal candidate, Dave Sharma

The high-profile independent Kerryn Phelps remains on track to take the seat of Wentworth from the Liberals after jubilant scenes on Saturday night gave way to a rollercoaster ride in the count on Sunday.

As of Sunday evening, Phelps was more than 1,600 votes ahead of the Liberal candidate, Dave Sharma. Earlier in the day the gap between the two dropped to 884 votes as postal votes strongly favoured Sharma.

'I'm more valued than before': women in Tajikistan get a new lease of life – in pictures

Physical and sexual violence against women is commonplace in Tajikistan, but a project designed to address the issue has produced remarkable results

• All photographs by Anisa Sabiri for the Guardian

• The scheme ending abuse against women in Tajikistan

'It's a miracle': the scheme ending abuse against women in Tajikistan

For 22 years, Rano Mahmurodova was violently abused by her husband. A groundbreaking new project changed everything

• Women in Tajikistan get a new lease of life – in pictures

The change in behaviour of Rano Mahmurodova’s husband was nothing short of a “miracle”.

Married at 18, the 42-year-old had spent more than two decades being physically and verbally assaulted by her husband, who was fuelled by drink, drugs and unemployment.

Demonstrator ambushes Penny Mordaunt on stage during aid abuse speech – video

The development secretary was dramatically interrupted while addressing delegates at a conference on sexual abuse in the aid sector when Alexia Pepper De Caires, a charity whistleblower and former Save the Children employee, strode on to the stage

Penny Mordaunt confronted on stage by protester over failings on aid sex abuse

Penny Mordaunt confronted on stage by protester over failings on aid sex abuse

Development secretary allows demonstrator to address audience at event called in response to Oxfam scandal

Penny Mordaunt was dramatically confronted on stage by a protester who accused her of failing to give women a voice at a conference on sex abuse in the aid sector.

Alexia Pepper De Caires, a whistleblower and former Save the Children employee, approached the minister while she was delivering her speech in London on Thursday.

Khashoggi murder exposes Trump administration's dependency on Saudis

It’s not just arms sales and business contacts, Trump needs Saudi Arabia to boost oil production when Iran sanctions kick in and to fund US plans for Syria

The murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi has come at time when the Trump administration is at its most dependent on Riyadh for the success of both its foreign and domestic policies.

No one is convinced by the Saudi story of a ‘fistfight’ that went wrong | Simon Tisdall

Jamal Khashoggi’s death leaves the crown prince’s reputation in the west in tatters, however much Trump says otherwise

This is where truth and realpolitik collide. Saudi Arabia’s belated, incomplete and highly tendentious explanation for the death of Jamal Khashoggi is barely credible, and will certainly be dismissed by critics of the Saudi regime and by the journalist’s friends and supporters as an ugly fabrication or, at the very least, a gross distortion of the facts.

But for western governments, first and foremost the US, the statement in the early hours of Saturday from Riyadh claiming that Khashoggi was unintentionally killed in a “fist fight” offers a possible way out of a diplomatic crisis that has threatened to disrupt, or even destroy, a political, security and financial relationship they regard as vital to their national interests.

The steps to gender equality are more than male Trump voters can handle | Arwa Mahdawi

A recent poll found Trump voters think men are one of the most persecuted groups in the US. Really?

The Week in Patriarchy is a weekly roundup of what’s happening in the world of feminism and sexism. If you’re not already receiving it by email, make sure to subscribe.

US ready to move on from Khashoggi case but will Turkey play along? | Patrick Wintour

Few believe the Saudis’ explanation. The question is whether they pretend to do so

“Here’s the smell of blood still. Not all the sweet perfumes of Arabia will sweeten this hand,” bewails Lady Macbeth as she confronts her guilt. And so with the leaders of the Saudi Arabian court as they seek to wash their hands of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi by pinning the blame for his murder on a gang of senior intelligence officers.

Donald Trump has said the Saudi explanation of Khashoggi’s death in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul is credible and insisted sanctions will not be countenanced. It is a step forward for the Saudi court to admit the murder took place. There had been two weeks of denial, including by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself in an interview in Bloomberg.

Racist incident filmed on Ryanair flight – video

A man on a Ryanair plane has been filmed calling a woman sitting in the same row an 'ugly black bastard', and shouting 'don’t talk to me in a foreign language' when she spoke to him in English with a Jamaican accent. The airline, criticised for not removing the abusive passenger, has referred the incident to Essex police

Ryanair accused of inaction over racist incident on plane

'Good first step': Trump welcomes Saudi arrests in Khashoggi case – video

Speaking at Luke air force base in Arizona, the US president welcomed an admission from the Saudi government that Jamal Khashoggi was dead. He said that arrests of a number of high-ranking Saudi officials were 'good first steps' but he would prefer retribution would not include cancelling weapon contracts with the kingdom

Migrant caravan in Guatemala breaks through border fence into Mexico – video

About 3,000 central American migrants have streamed over the international bridge from Guatemala into Mexico after breaking through metal gates at the border fence. Locals cheered and handed out bottles of water, while Guatemalan police officers stood to the side of the road and watched the migrants pass

Caravan of 3,000 Central American migrants crosses into Mexico

At least 50 killed after train ploughs into crowd in India – video

Dozens of people died in northern India when a train ploughed into a group of people who had gathered to watch fireworks during a religious festival. The victims were standing on the tracks on the outskirts of Amritsar and did not hear the train approaching

At least 50 dead as train hits crowd watching fireworks in India

Laughter as Trump lauds politician's body slam of Guardian journalist – video report

The US president draws laughter at a Montana rally with advice to 'never wrestle' local Congressman Gianforte, who in 2017 assaulted a Guardian reporter. 'Any guy that can do a body slam ... he's my guy,' says the US president. Trump’s comments mark the first time the president has openly and directly praised a violent act against a journalist on American soil.

It comes in the wake of Trump’s refusal to condemn Saudi Arabia despite growing evidence its leader, crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, ordered the decapitation and dismemberment of the journalist and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi.

'He's my guy': Trump praises Gianforte for assault on Guardian reporter

Donald Trump: It 'certainly looks like' Jamal Khashoggi is dead – video

The US president tells reporters that 'it certainly looks like' missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead. Trump said his administration is still awaiting the results of a number of investigations into the journalist's disappearance after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul

UK and US pull out of Saudi event over alleged murder of Jamal Khashoggi

Vladimir Putin takes Egyptian president for spin on race track – video

Abdel Fatah al-Sisi sits upfront as the Russian president takes the wheel for a lap of a race track in the Black Sea resort of Sochi where the two have been holding talks

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10 Tips for Effective Proofreading

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