Training

Proofreading and editing training

● Brisbane ● Sunshine Coast ● Gold Coast ● Sydney ● Melbourne

I provide training in proofreading, editing, and grammar and tailor the structure of the course to suit your needs (and your workplace).

My in-person courses are ideal for anyone who works with words. Why? Because following a structure that will ensure the work you’re producing and/or editing is accurate, clear, and concise is the best way to get the most out of your hours at your desk. Don’t waste another moment contemplating how to make that pesky sentence work better. Instead, know in an instance what to do, so you can get on with the rest of your day.

I know you don’t have time for fussy, confusing content, and neither does your reader or potential customer. Make every word count with one of two courses: Solving the Proofreading Puzzle and Editing Essentials.

I’ve designed these courses, so you can survive the treacherous road that is the English language and overcome (grammatical and typographical) obstacles to transform every sentence into gold.

If you want your writing, or the writing of those you work for, to stand out in a crowded world full of words, then this training is for you.

Knowing how to proofread and edit is an important skill for you and an asset to your workplace.

Benefits

• Develop a solid foundation in the principles, theory, and practice of proofreading/editing
• All course materials provided
• Group and one-on-one support provided
• Easy to understand course content

Solving the Proofreading Puzzle (2.5 hours)

You will learn:

• Essential rules for grammar, punctuation, and style
• How to spot common proofreading mistakes in grammar and punctuation
• How to proofread business documents, reports, brochures, online content, and books with ease

Overview

This course covers the basics of how to proofread documents for communication and publication. Participants are taught effective strategies for proofreading and the essential rules for grammar, punctuation, and style; and then this theoretical information is grounded in practical exercises throughout the course. Materials for proofing may also be fully customised to the specific needs of your workplace.

Course content

1. The importance of proofreading
2. What is the difference between proofreading and editing?
3. Strategies for effective proofreading
4. Use of style guides
5. Common sentence structure problems and how to overcome them, including—
   • Run-on/fused sentences
   • Incorrect coordinating conjunctions
   • Comma splices
   • Verb-subject agreement
   • Dangling participles/modifiers
   • Passive voice vs active voice
   • Sentence fragments
   • Nominalisations
6. Exercise and discussion – sentence level problems
7. Common punctuation errors and how to overcome them
8. How to use apostrophes, colons, semi-colons, and commas
9. Exercise and discussion – punctuation
10. Proofreading exercises

Editing Essentials (3.5 hours)

You will learn:

• Structural (big picture) editing and copyediting (sentence level)
• Essential rules for grammar, punctuation, and style
• Editing for clarity, accuracy, and conciseness

Overview

Unless you have a road map, editing can be incredibly time consuming (and not that effective). This half day course will provide the framework you need to edit efficiently and effectively. You’ll learn how to spot common errors at a sentence level (grammar, syntax, and style), as well as at the paragraph level. You’ll discover the key strategies for producing clear content that will have your readers, clients, and colleagues asking you for more.

1. The importance of proofreading and editing
2. What is the difference between proofreading and editing?
3. Strategies for effective proofreading and editing
4. Use of style guides
5. Common sentence structure problems and how to overcome them, including—
   • Run-on/fused sentences
   • Incorrect coordinating conjunctions
   • Comma splices
   • Verb-subject agreement
   • Dangling participles/modifiers
   • Passive voice vs active voice
   • Sentence fragments
   • Nominalisations
   • Discovering your ‘signature usage patterns’
   • Enhancing paragraph structure
6. Exercise and discussion – sentence level problems
7. Common punctuation errors and how to overcome them
8. How to use apostrophes, colons, semi-colons, and commas
9. Exercise and discussion – punctuation
10. Proofreading exercises
11. Editing for clarity and conciseness
12. Editing exercises

Contact Margie for more information about these courses.