Write and Review

The final step in the writing process is paying attention to small errors in grammar, formatting, or sentence structure. You’ve put a lot of work into your paper, after all, and it would be a shame to lose points for typos or formatting errors.

By this point, your eyes might glaze over every time you open your document, but here are some tips and resources to help you catch common mistakes.
 

• Read the paper out loud. This will force you to look more closely at your words and trick your brain into not skimming over your sentences.  
• Print a copy of your paper. Seeing your words in a different format can help you catch errors you might miss on a screen.
• Have a friend read the paper out loud. This is another way to mix up how you experience your writing. You might even suggest that your friend point out sentences they find confusing or awkward. Just don’t forget to return the favor!  
• Know your patterns. If you always have trouble with commas, for example, you might specifically look at every comma you use in your paper. Or you might do a CTRL+F command to find every time you use who or whom. The key is identifying the patterns of grammatical mistakes that are doing the most harm to your writing (and your grade) and concentrating on them. The Writing Center has handouts on most common grammar and punctuation issues.
   

Once again, check your assignment instructions to see what kind of format your instructor is expecting. If the paper is to be written in standard APA style, the Purdue OWL has a comprehensive APA format guide and sample paper. 

Finally, double check that your citations are properly formatted. For more information on APA Style references and in-text citations, check out our Citation Styles guide.