Proof reading

How many of us would not read a second time whatever we have written on a piece of paper or typed in a word file? We do it to verify that what we have written and to make it less of mistakes and errors and still mistakes
would remain unnoticed and unattended. Not because we don’t  know the things that we make mistakes but due to our carelessness.

Any book, before it is being taken to printing has to be proof read several times and that too by a couple of people. The moment anything is written becomes a public property, no longer it belongs to the author.

Normally people like us do not give our writings to others to read, either our ego does not allow us, or we are worried about the mistakes and criticism that could be found and made. It is always intelligent action that we give our writings to a third party to read, otherwise also it has to reach in the hands of the third party the reader.

This theory also could be applied in proof reading. It is always easy to find fault with other, not our own fault. As a writer, one cant find fault with his on writing but for a third person (proof reader) it would be easy to find fault with the writing, in terms of spelling, grammar, construction and logical sequences.      

Anything that is written should undergo the process of proof reading. Human beings are bound to make mistakes. So proof reading is a must. Why do we need to proof read whatsoever the writing might be? When a writer writes a particular piece of art (literature) he would have everything in mind and he tries to put the thoughts into words and there will be times when the writer having the idea in mind and unable to write the exact replica that is there in the mind.  So even after writing it down when the writer reads it, he reads what is in his mind rather than what is actually written on the sheet of paper. There will be mistakes which the writer, himself can’t not find.

Proof reading is an art that everyone should have. When the whole writing is given to a third person (proof reader) he is getting it as fresh piece and as he does not know anything about it, he automatically reads with his critical and curious mind and he would be able to find the mistakes so easily. A fresh mind will be always curious and it has to discern what is there, whereas what is written by the writer is preexisting in his mind, so the writer won’t be reading what is actually there on the paper but he reads what is there in the mind. Therefore, it is difficult to find the mistakes for the writer himself.  


(This article has not undergone proof reading)
(Photo: Google)