"Nobody's Perfect," So Do You Need to Proofread?

Grammar Girl (AKA Mignon Fogarty) wrote a blog post about proofreading; she commented,  “…I feel like a fraud for covering this topic, because I make as many errors as everyone else…” I know how you feel, Grammar Girl! There’s tremendous pressure for the founder of National Proofreading Day to be accurate.

Grammar Girl continued, “…it’s nearly impossible for someone to accurately proofread [his/her] own writing and be consistently successful... The real key to avoiding typos is to have someone else proofread your copy,…” It’s embarrassing when someone finds an error in your writing; consequently, having that someone be the person who proofreads your copy is ideal!

Having an error is unprofessional and can be costly to you and your business. But, are there errors you’re willing to forgive? Do you think it’s acceptable if someone makes an occasional typo such as you vs. your or from vs. form? How do you feel when someone repeatedly makes the same mistake such as than vs. then or their vs. there? Do you feel like Kyle Wiens (author of “I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s Why.” See last week’s post.)? Please share your thoughts.

Judy Beaver, The Office Pro
Founder of National Proofreading Day