A panda walks into a café. He orders a sandwich, eats it, then draws a gun and fires two shots in the air. “Why?” asks the confused waiter, as the panda makes for the exit. The panda produces a badly punctuated wildlife manual and throws it over his shoulder. “I’m a panda.” he says at the door. “Look it up.” The waiter turns to the relevant entry in the wildlife manual and, sure enough, finds an explanation. It says “Panda. Large black-and-white bear- like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves.”
— Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Lynne Truss
Proofreading
Not a grammar geek? You are not alone. Even great writers aren’t exempt from misspellings and errors in grammar and punctuation as even they can be oblivious of their mistakes. Whether you are involved in producing documents for print or electronic communication, you need to ensure what is published is error-free.
Incorrect use of words and misspellings can make you look bad and can leave you readers confused and distract them from what you have to say, so it’s worth paying attention to these details. Sure, proofreading takes extra time and effort but it pays off in the end.
Let us turn your document, thesis or dissertation into a well-written one: polished, prepped and ready-to-go. Remember: you have only one chance to make a good first impression with your readers.