Proof-Reading + Editing ESL Reading and Writing Activity

I’m all about ESL warm-ups. It’s hard for our students if we lead right into the main lesson without giving them a chance to warm up their brains, and start thinking, talking, reading and writing in English. It’s also the perfect opportunity to do some review of the things I’ve taught in previous classes. One of the best ones that focus on reading and writing skills is proofreading and editing.

Many of my warm-ups you’ll see online are loud, active, partner or group focused and require speaking. I like to use a few quieter, individual ones that I know some of the more introverted students appreciate. Proof-reading and editing is one of these quieter activities. It’s also a nice choice for teaching English as a second language online. and it’s also ideal for fostering student autonomy in English writing classes.

Keep on reading for all the details you need to know about this ESL editing activity.

Proof-Reading & Editing ESL Activity

Skills: Writing, reading

Materials Required: Worksheet/whiteboard/PowerPoint, workbook

To keep proper grammar usage fresh in your students’ minds, they should practice frequently. This doesn’t need to be a full grammar lesson; a quick warm-up can do the trick.

You can give your students a variety of errors to correct: word choice, subject and verb agreement, word order, punctuation, passive vs active voice, capitalization, modals, etc. You can give them a worksheet if you have time to prepare it. Otherwise, put a few sentences on the PowerPoint and students can write the correct sentence or passage in their notebooks.

Editing and proof-reading makes an excellent ESL warm-up activity for kids as well as adults. It’s a key concept in academic English as well. It can take only a minute, or up to 10, depending on how difficult you make it. This activity can also reinforce a huge number of concepts—spelling, punctuation, grammar, vocabulary, etc. Just about anything really!

Teaching Tips for ESL Proof-Reading:

Begin by asking students a few review questions about whatever rules they are practicing. (“When do you use capital letters?” or “What is a run-on sentence? How can you fix it?”)

Also do one example sentence with them so they have a clear idea of what they need to do for the rest of them.

Procedure for this Proof-Reading & Editing Warm-Up:

1. In advance, prepare a worksheet or PowerPoint, or write several sentences on the whiteboard. You could even take a previous workbook activity and reproduce it.

2. The sentences or passage should practice previously studied points of grammar by having errors of that sort: word choice, word order, punctuation, capitalization, transitions and conjunctions, etc. (more conjunction activities here).

3. Have students correct the errors. If they are working from a PowerPoint or the white board, have them write the sentences or passage correctly in their notebooks.

4. Go over the answers to this ESL proofreading activity quickly as a class.

You can also use this exercise as a homework activity, or you can use it as a quiz or test. Need more ideas? Check out these Whiteboard Games.

Proofreading Worksheets and Exercises

If you’re looking for some proofreading practice worksheets, I have some good news for you. There are a ton of great resources online that you can just print off and use with your students. Here are some of the best ones:

ISL Collective

English for Everyone

ESL Printables

Do you Like this ESL Proofreading Activity?

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Proofreading Checklist for English Learners

A proofreading checklist for English learners can help them identify and correct common errors in their written work. Here’s a sample proofreading checklist:

1. Grammar
   • Are verb tenses used correctly and consistently?
   • Are subject-verb agreement errors avoided?
   • Are articles (a, an, the) used appropriately?
   • Are pronouns used correctly and clearly refer to their antecedents?
   • Are sentence structures varied and clear?
2. Punctuation
   • Are periods, commas, question marks, and exclamation marks used correctly?
   • Are quotation marks used accurately for dialogue or direct quotations?
   • Are apostrophes used correctly for contractions or possessives?
   • Are commas used appropriately in lists, clauses, and to separate items?
   • Are capital letters used appropriately for proper nouns and at the beginning of sentences?
3. Spelling and Vocabulary
   • Are commonly misspelled words checked and corrected?
   • Are words with similar sounds (homophones) used correctly (e.g., their/there/they’re)?
   • Are synonyms and contextually appropriate vocabulary used effectively?
   • Are words and phrases used consistently throughout the text?
4. Sentence Structure and Clarity
   • Are sentences complete and grammatically correct?
   • Are run-on sentences and sentence fragments avoided?
   • Is the text organized into paragraphs with clear topic sentences?
   • Is there coherence and logical flow between sentences and paragraphs?
   • Are sentence transitions and connectors used appropriately?
5. Formatting and Presentation
   • Is the document formatted consistently with clear headings and subheadings?
   • Are margins, font size, and line spacing consistent and legible?
   • Are quotes, citations, and references formatted correctly (if applicable)?
   • Are any formatting errors or inconsistencies corrected?
6. Overall Readability
   • Does the text convey the intended message clearly?
   • Are ideas expressed in a logical and coherent manner?
   • Is the writing style appropriate for the intended audience?
   • Is the tone consistent and appropriate for the purpose of the text?
   • Are any repetitive or redundant phrases or ideas eliminated?

Have your Say about ESL Editing and Proofreading

What are your thoughts about this warm-up activity for English learners? Or, did you use it for an ESL writing exercise? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

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More Ideas for Teaching Writing

Last update on 2022-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API