Proofreading Skill

Workflow Position

[Document ready for review]
        ↓
    personal:proofreading     ← YOU ARE HERE
        ↓
    [Mode: Quick | Standard | Deep]
        ↓
    [Pass 1: Structure] → [Pass 2: Language] → ...
        ↓
    [Generate Style Sheet]
        ↓
    [Legal Audit]
        ↓
    Output: Corrections + Style Sheet + Audit Report
        ↓
    [Document ready for publication]

Overview

Professional proofreading skill combining EY Style Guide 2025 compliance with best-in-class proofreading techniques. Uses a multi-pass methodology to systematically catch issues across structure, language, numbers, punctuation, and consistency.

Key Features:

• •5-pass methodology (adaptable by complexity)
• •EY legal term compliance checking
• •Style sheet generation for consistency
• •Audit report for complex documents

When to Use

• •Final review before publishing/sending any document
• •Documents that require EY style compliance
• •Multi-section documents needing consistency checks
• •Any content where professional quality matters

When to Skip

• •Code-only files (use linters instead)
• •Auto-generated content (fix the generator)
• •Draft notes not intended for others
• •Already proofread by a professional editor

The Process

Step 0: Determine Complexity

Ask the user:

How complex is this document?

Quick (< 1 page, informal)

• •Single-pass essential checks
• •Output: Annotated corrections only

Standard (1-10 pages, formal document)

• •3-pass methodology
• •Output: Corrections + Style Sheet

Deep (10+ pages, multi-section)

• •5-pass methodology
• •Output: Corrections + Style Sheet + Audit Report

Auto-escalate to Deep if ANY of these apply:

• •Multiple authors
• •Executive audience
• •External publication
• •Legal/compliance content
• •Brand-sensitive material

Wait for answer before proceeding.

Quick Mode

For short, informal documents. Single comprehensive pass.

Quick Pass: Essential Checks

Review the document for:

Language Essentials:

• • Spelling errors
• • Basic grammar issues
• • Sentence fragments
• • Subject-verb agreement

EY Legal Quick Check:

• • No "ensure", "assure", "make sure"
• • No "expert/expertise"
• • No superlatives ("best", "leading", "unique")
• • EY used as adjective only

Basic Formatting:

• • Consistent capitalization
• • No double spaces
• • Proper punctuation

Present corrections and ask: "Here are the issues found. Should I apply these corrections?"

End of Quick Mode - Skip to Output section.

Standard Mode

For formal documents requiring full EY compliance. 3-pass methodology.

Pass 1: Structure & Formatting

Review document structure:

Heading Check:

• • Sentence case (not Title Case)
• • No end punctuation (unless question)
• • Logical hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)
• • Consistent styling

Visual Elements:

• • Tables have headers
• • Figures are numbered/captioned
• • Bullet points parallel structure
• • Lists punctuated consistently

Formatting:

• • Publications in italics
• • Bold and italics not combined
• • Email addresses lowercase
• • URLs without "http:" or "www"

Present findings: "Structure pass complete. Found X issues. Review and confirm before continuing."

Pass 2: Language & Legal Terms

Grammar & Style:

• • Subject-verb agreement
• • Pronoun-antecedent agreement
• • Parallel construction
• • No sentence fragments
• • No run-on sentences

EY Language Standards:

• • US English spelling
• • Contractions OK (encouraged for accessibility)
• • People-first language
• • Gender-neutral writing
• • Singular "they" acceptable

EY Legal Term Audit:

• • No "EY" as noun ("the EY" → "EY")
• • No "EY" as possessive ("EY's" → "the EY organization's")
• • Legal firm name with ranks (e.g., "John Smith, a partner at Ernst & Young LLP")

Present findings: "Language pass complete. Found X issues. Review before continuing."

Pass 3: Numbers & Punctuation

Number Standards:

• • 1-9 spelled out ("three clients")
• • 10+ as figures ("15 locations")
• • Consistent within context
• • No superscript ordinals (10th not 10^th)

Date Format (Global):

• • Day month year (15 January 2025)
• • No commas in dates
• • Months not abbreviated (except tables)

Currency:

• • Symbol before number, no space ($5m)
• • Consistent abbreviations (m/b not million/billion mix)
• • Currency specified for non-US ($5m vs US$5m)

Punctuation:

• • No serial comma (unless needed for clarity)
• • Open em dashes ( — with spaces)
• • Closed en dashes for ranges (10–20)
• • Smart quotes (" ") not straight (")
• • One space after periods

Present findings: "Numbers and punctuation pass complete. Generating style sheet."

End of Standard Mode - Proceed to Output section.

Deep Mode

For complex, multi-section documents. Full 5-pass methodology.

Pass 1: Structure (Same as Standard)

See Standard Mode Pass 1.

Additional checks for Deep:

• • Table of contents matches headings
• • Section numbering sequential
• • Cross-references valid
• • Appendices properly referenced

Pass 2: Language (Same as Standard)

See Standard Mode Pass 2.

Additional checks for Deep:

• • Terminology consistent across sections
• • Acronyms defined on first use per section
• • Voice consistent (active preferred)
• • Tone appropriate for audience

Pass 3: Numbers (Same as Standard)

See Standard Mode Pass 3.

Additional checks for Deep:

• • Figures/tables numbered sequentially
• • Data in text matches data in tables
• • Percentages calculated correctly
• • Statistics properly attributed

Pass 4: Punctuation Deep Dive

Quotation Marks:

• • Smart quotes throughout
• • Punctuation inside quotes (US style)
• • Nested quotes alternate (" ' ' ")

Specialized Punctuation:

• • Ellipses spaced correctly (. . . or ...)
• • Parentheses vs. em dashes used consistently
• • Colons introduce complete thoughts
• • Semicolons join related independent clauses

Lists:

• • Parallel structure in all lists
• • Consistent punctuation (periods or none)
• • Introductory text complete with colon

Pass 5: Consistency Audit

Terminology Check: Track all key terms and verify consistency:

• • Same concept = same term throughout
• • Acronyms consistent after definition
• • Proper nouns spelled identically
• • Technical terms used correctly

Cross-Reference Verification:

• • All "see section X" references valid
• • Figure/table references accurate
• • Hyperlinks functional
• • Footnote numbering sequential

Final Quality Check:

• • Read opening and closing paragraphs aloud
• • Verify key names, dates, statistics
• • Check headers/footers on all pages
• • Confirm page numbers accurate

Present findings: "Deep audit complete. Generating comprehensive report."

End of Deep Mode - Proceed to Output section.

EY Legal Term Quick Reference

Never use these terms:

Output Format

Corrections Document

Present corrections inline with clear markers:

[ORIGINAL]: The EY's experts will ensure maximum ROI.
[CORRECTED]: EY professionals will help improve ROI.
[ISSUES]: "EY's" possessive (2), "experts" (1), "ensure" (1), "maximum" (1)

Style Sheet (Standard/Deep)

Generate and save to document location:

# Style Sheet: [Document Name]

**Generated:** [Date]
**Proofreader:** Claude (personal:proofreading)
**Mode:** Standard | Deep

---

## Terms & Spelling

| Term | Preferred Form | Notes |
|------|----------------|-------|
| healthcare | healthcare | One word per EY style |
| data | singular verb | "data shows" not "data show" |
| email | email | No hyphen |
| percent | % | Use symbol after figures |

## Abbreviations

| Abbreviation | Definition | First Use |
|--------------|------------|-----------|
| AI | artificial intelligence | Section 1.2 |
| ROI | return on investment | Executive Summary |

## Style Decisions

- **Date format:** day month year (global)
- **Number threshold:** Spelled out 1-9, figures 10+
- **Serial comma:** No (unless clarity required)
- **Em dashes:** Open (spaced)
- **Contractions:** Used for accessibility

Audit Report (Deep only)

# Proofreading Audit Report

**Document:** [Name]
**Date:** [Date]
**Mode:** Deep (5-pass)

---

## Summary

| Category | Issues Found |
|----------|--------------|
| Critical (legal terms) | X |
| High (style violations) | X |
| Medium (consistency) | X |
| Low (preferences) | X |
| **Total** | **X** |

---

## Critical Issues (Legal)

| Location | Issue | Recommendation |
|----------|-------|----------------|
| Page 3, para 2 | "ensure compliance" | "so that you comply" |
| Page 7, heading | "Our Experts" | "Our Professionals" |

---

## High Priority (Style)

| Location | Issue | Recommendation |
|----------|-------|----------------|
| Throughout | Serial comma used | Remove per EY style |
| Page 5 | "EY's approach" | "the EY approach" |

---

## Cross-Reference Verification

- [x] TOC matches section headings
- [x] Figure numbers sequential (1-12)
- [ ] Table 4 referenced but missing
- [x] Internal hyperlinks valid

---

## Consistency Notes

- "Client" vs "customer" - standardized to "client"
- Dates converted to global format throughout
- Acronym "AI" defined in each major section

---

## Sign-off

Document has been reviewed using the 5-pass methodology.
All critical and high-priority issues should be addressed before publication.

After Proofreading

1. •Apply corrections to the document
2. •Save style sheet with the document for future reference
3. •Address critical issues before publication
4. •Archive audit report (Deep mode) for compliance

"Proofreading complete! Document reviewed using [Quick|Standard|Deep] mode."

Issues found: X total (Y critical, Z high)

Outputs generated:

• •Corrections list
• •Style sheet (Standard/Deep)
• •Audit report (Deep only)

Key Principles

• •One pass at a time - Don't try to catch everything at once
• •EY legal terms first - Critical compliance issues take priority
• •Consistency over perfection - Same style throughout > perfect style
• •User validation between passes - Catch misunderstandings early
• •Style sheet is the source of truth - Document decisions for future use
• •Read aloud for final check - Catches what eyes miss