How Important Is The Role Of A Proofreader

As I ponder this question a few ideas come to mind. The fact that more than 1,000 million people world-wide regularly write and speak English is a good start. As English is more and more seen as a universal language, the importance of constructing precise, clear and informative language is crucial to attract readers and engage them with your work. As is so often the case, writers are bombarded with thoughts and ideas and are keen to showcase their work as quickly as their fingers dance across the keyboard. Consequently, in their haste, spelling or grammatical errors can occur, and often the writer maybe unaware of any mistakes or inconsistencies. The danger is that the author’s belief in what they have written may be at odds with what has actually appeared on the page and they may not even be aware of the discrepancy. This is where good proofreaders can ‘make or break’ a potential manuscript taking ‘pride of place’ in the bookstores.
We are all aware of the complexities of the English language. Many words are derived from Latin origins, whilst others are from Old English and contain vocabulary from the Anglo-Saxons, which originated from the German settlers up to and including the 5th Century. During the 8th and 9th Centuries, the influence of Viking invaders impacted the language as it absorbed many words with Scandinavian origins. The Norman-French influence on English resulted from the French invasion during the 11th Century. Not only is the European Union’s official language English but the English language is the main form of communication between Commonwealth Heads of State.
Understanding the various syntax styles and of course, the eight parts of speech, namely, nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions and interjections, all play an important role for proofreaders. It is important to not become too pedantic when scrutinizing work. I think that words should flow freely and sometimes certain rules can be bent, if not broken. For example, the adage ‘do not end a sentence with a preposition’, need not always apply. At times, this rule has to be broken to improve the flow of the sentence. As a result, no ambiguities will present itself to the reader. Using the correct verb tenses, as well as identifying transitive and intransitive verbs is a necessary element in good proofreading. The essential building blocks to all written work are, of course, the correct use of punctuation marks. All good proofreaders set the tone of a piece of work by paying close attention to this.
Some people may argue that proofreaders are becoming redundant because of the use of modern spell-checkers and on-line dictionaries. I disagree with this line of argument, as a spell-checker does not pick up errors where words sound the same but have a different meaning (homophones). For example ‘there’, ‘their’ and ‘they’re’. Only one of these words will be correct in the context of the sentence. Other words which the writer may use to appeal to their readers may well have the incorrect meaning in the context of the sentence. The proofreader will be able to identify this and suggest alternative, more appropriate words. It goes without saying, that the importance of a good proofreader can mean either success or failure for an aspiring writer. All too often, the writer is passionate about their work, the concepts and ideas expressed, yet is oblivious to the nuts and bolts involved in using English. Having a ‘fresh set of eyes’ peruse the written word can not only remedy any problems, but also enable the proofreader to make alternative suggestions as to how best the writer can express their intent. The small cost involved in having your written work properly analysed, corrected, and presented, gives the writer much needed credibility. After all, isn’t that what every writer aspires for? Credibility?