A key to effective proofreading is to come clean with your faults.For example, I have a habit of typing the word “reasonable” when I mean to type the word “reasonably.” I have no idea why this happens. It’s as if the connection between my brain and my hands momentarily severs and out pops an “e” instead of a “y.” Unfortunately, the error is impervious to spell-check because “reasonable” is a word, just not the word I wanted to use. “Reasonable foreseeable,” though rhythmic, is not legally sound!
Another example is typing “you” rather than “your.” This error is particularly troubling because it lends a certain Soprano-esque quality to a sentence. “You argument is specious.” Fugetaboutit!
Recently, I’ve begun compiling a list of similar errors and using the “Find” feature in Microsoft Word to sniff out potential whoopsies. Nothing substitutes for thorough proofreading (multiple times, after periods of food, water, and rest, if possible), but the “Find” method provides at least some added security against the dreaded typo.
