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Academic writing

I am currently in my final year at university studying primary teaching. I have had difficulties with my academic writing and had the same feedback all the way through "proof read" "grammatical errors" etc. I got help from support teams and went for dyslexia tests and I got let down by the teams for reviews to implement support. Ive had people proof read my assignments and used grammarly to help with minor typing errors. What is the best way to avoid this feedback?

Reply 1

Liverpool Hope University

Official Rep

Original post by Olivia9822

Whilst at university, I found that half the battle when it came to essays was learning to proofread in a way which worked best for me. What you're already doing is a great start - getting people to check your work for you is a great way to spot errors and Grammarly is a very useful resource. I would warn you though not to fully rely on Grammarly (as it doesn't always spot everything) and to make sure you have the settings as 'British English' not 'American English' (as some American conventions are different).

Here are a few other tips which you may find useful:

- Figure out how you like to proofread - You may find it easier to print off your work and check it (as sometimes our brains see things differently on paper as opposed to on a screen). Conversely, you might prefer reading from a screen.

- Proofread several times - I found that when I tried to look at everything in one proofreading session, I would often miss simple mistakes. I would recommend proofreading several times - once focusing on grammar, then on essay structure, then on spelling, then on content. That way, you know you have covered all of your bases.

- Finally, take a break - Make sure you leave enough time between finishing your work and proofreading to take a break. Taking a break from your essay for a day or so will not only give you a well deserved rest, but will also let you detach from your work (making you more likely to spot potential mistakes).

I hope this is all useful! Good luck with your studies!

if you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

Melissa :five: