Checkpoint 6 · Grammar in Use

Proofreading: Finding and Fixing Mistakes

A simple checking routine for the last few minutes of the writing task, the mistakes to hunt for, tricky homophones and worked examples to practise on.

British & IGCSE › Checkpoint 6 › Checkpoint 6 English (Cambridge Primary 0058)

1. What is proofreading?

Proofreading means reading your writing again to find and fix mistakes in grammar, spelling and punctuation. Leave the last 3–4 minutes of your 30 minutes of writing time for it. Small mistakes that you can fix in seconds can cost marks in Grammar and punctuation (7 marks) and Word structure (spelling) (3 marks).

2. The checking routine

Check in this order. Read slowly, looking for one kind of mistake at a time.

Sentences: every sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with . ? or ! (no comma splices or run-ons).
Tense: the same main tense all the way through.
Agreement: we were, he doesn't, there are, everyone has.
Standard English: no we was, could of, me and him went.
Punctuation: commas in lists and after opening clauses, speech punctuated correctly, apostrophes in the right place (its/it's, their/they're/there).
Spelling: check tricky words, especially irregular past forms and -er/-est spellings.

Read it in your head, slowly

Point at each word with your pencil. If you read fast, your brain reads what you meant to write, not what is on the page.

3. Fixing mistakes neatly

Draw one neat line through the wrong word and write the correct one above it.
To add a missing word, put a small ^ and write the word above.
To show a new paragraph you forgot, write // before the sentence.
Do not scribble over words: the examiner must be able to read your work.

4. Mistakes to hunt for

Mistake	Wrong	Right
Comma splice (two sentences joined by a comma)	It was late, we went home.	It was late, so we went home. / It was late. We went home.
Missing capital letters	on monday we visited cairo.	On Monday we visited Cairo.
Tense change	She opened the box and finds a key.	She opened the box and found a key.
Agreement	The girls was laughing.	The girls were laughing.
Missing apostrophe	Its my brothers bike.	It's my brother's bike.
Wrong apostrophe	I bought three apple's.	I bought three apples. (plurals do not need apostrophes)
Double comparison	the most biggest	the biggest
Missing word	We went the beach.	We went to the beach.

5. Homophones: words that sound the same

Words	Meaning	Example
there / their / they're	a place / belongs to them / they are	They're putting their bags over there.
its / it's	belongs to it / it is (or it has)	It's sad that the bird hurt its wing.
your / you're	belongs to you / you are	You're going to love your present.
to / too / two	towards / also or more than enough / 2	Two of us went to the shop too.
where / were / wear	a place / past of are / put on clothes	Where were you going to wear that?
whose / who's	belongs to who? / who is	Who's the boy whose dog ran away?
of / off	belonging to / not on	A piece of cake fell off the plate.

6. Worked example

This original paragraph has at least ten mistakes. Try to find them before you look at the correction.

last saturday me and my cousin goes to the zoo, we was very excited. The lions was sleeping but the monkeys were the most funniest animals there. Their was a sign that said “dont feed the animals.”

Corrected: Last Saturday, my cousin and I went to the zoo. We were very excited. The lions were sleeping, but the monkeys were the funniest animals there. There was a sign that said, “Don't feed the animals.”

last → Last (capital at the start of a sentence)
saturday → Saturday (days need capitals)
me and my cousin → my cousin and I (standard English)
goes → went (past tense)
zoo, we → zoo. We (comma splice fixed)
we was → we were (agreement)
The lions was → The lions were (agreement)
the most funniest → the funniest (double superlative)
Their was → There was (homophone)
dont feed → Don't feed (apostrophe for omission, and a capital letter at the start of the speech)
said “ → said, “ (a comma before the speech)

7. How Checkpoint asks about it

Where proofreading matters

Writing: there is no separate mark for checking, but every mistake you fix improves your Grammar and punctuation and Word structure (spelling) marks.
Reading: grammar and punctuation questions may ask you to spot or correct an error, choose the correct word (their/there), or explain why a punctuation mark is used. The same checking eye helps you there.

Know your own mistakes

Look at your last three pieces of marked writing. Write down the two mistakes you make most (for example we was or missing full stops). In the exam, hunt for those two first.

نصيحة سريعة

سيب آخر 3 أو 4 دقايق من وقت الكتابة للمراجعة، وما تكتبش لحد آخر ثانية.
راجع حاجة واحدة كل مرة: الحروف الكبيرة والنقط، بعدين الزمن، بعدين توافق الفاعل مع الفعل، بعدين الإملاء.
صلّح بخط واحد نضيف فوق الكلمة الغلط، ما تشخبطش.

8. Practice

Correct the sentence: my freind and me goes to the park every friday.
Show answer
My friend and I go to the park every Friday. (capital letters, spelling of friend, standard English, agreement)
Fix the comma splice: The rain stopped, the children ran outside.
Show answer
The rain stopped, and the children ran outside. / When the rain stopped, the children ran outside. / The rain stopped. The children ran outside.
Choose the right words: (Their / There / They're) going to visit (their / there / they're) grandmother.
Show answer
They're going to visit their grandmother.
Correct: The dog wagged it's tail.
Show answer
The dog wagged its tail. (its = belonging to it; no apostrophe)
Find and fix the tense mistake: I picked up the phone and hear a strange voice.
Show answer
hear → heard.
Correct: I have two sister's and three brother's.
Show answer
I have two sisters and three brothers. (plurals, no apostrophes)
Correct: Where you at the match yesterday? I seen you there.
Show answer
Were you at the match yesterday? I saw you there.
Find and fix six mistakes:yesterday we visit the museum. it was more better than i expected, and the guide were very friendly.
Show answer
Yesterday we visited the museum. It was better than I expected, and the guide was very friendly. (capital Yesterday, past tense visited, capital It, better not more better, capital I, guide was)
Why is it a good idea to proofread for one kind of mistake at a time?
Show answer
Because your eyes look for one thing carefully instead of reading quickly and missing errors.

All pages in this course

Start here: the exam

Grammar and Punctuation

Grammar in Use

Reading Skills

Writing: Non-fiction

Writing: Fiction