proofreader-academic

name	proofreader-academic
version	1.0.0
description	Academic proofreading for grammar, style, and consistency. Fix common errors while maintaining formal academic tone.
allowed-tools	["Read","Write","Edit"]

Academic Proofreader

Proofread untuk grammar, style, dan consistency dalam academic writing.

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COMMON ERRORS TO FIX

1. Grammar Errors

Error	Wrong	Right
Subject-verb agreement	The data shows	The data show
Tense consistency	The study finds... Participants completed...	The study found... Participants completed...
Comma splice	The results were significant, they indicate...	The results were significant; they indicate...
Dangling modifier	Having completed the survey, the analysis began	After participants completed the survey, the analysis began
Wrong word	Affect/effect, comprise/compose	affect (verb), effect (noun); comprise (include)

2. Academic Style Issues

Issue	Casual	Academic
Contractions	don't, can't, won't	do not, cannot, will not
Informal phrases	a lot of, lots of	many, numerous, substantial
Vague quantifiers	very, really, quite	significantly, considerably
Personal opinions	I think, I believe	The evidence suggests
Direct address	you can see	the results indicate

3. Tense Usage

Section	Tense	Example
Introduction	Present	Current research shows...
Literature	Past/Present	Smith (2020) found...
Method	Past	Data were collected...
Results	Past	The analysis revealed...
Discussion	Present/Past	These findings suggest...

4. Active vs. Passive Voice

Academic preference: Passive for objectivity

Active	Passive (Academic)
I analyzed the data	The data were analyzed
We conducted interviews	Interviews were conducted
Participants completed the survey	The survey was completed

But: Use active when agent matters:

• "Smith (2020) argued..." (not "It was argued by Smith...")

5. Wordiness

Wordy	Concise
due to the fact that	because
in order to	to
at this point in time	now
in the event that	if
prior to	before
subsequent to	after
with regard to	regarding
in the vicinity of	near

6. Nominalizations

Weak (verb → noun)	Strong
make an assumption	assume
conduct an analysis	analyze
provide a description	describe
give an explanation	explain
come to a conclusion	conclude

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CONSISTENCY CHECKS

Terminology

• Same term throughout (don't switch: smartphone/mobile phone/cell phone)
• Defined on first use, abbreviated thereafter

Spelling

• American vs. British English consistent
• -ize vs. -ise consistent

Numbers

• Spelled out: one to nine
• Numerals: 10 and above
• Consistent exceptions (percentages, units)

Capitalization

• Section headings consistent
• Proper nouns correct
• Figure/Table capitalized when referring to specific ones

Punctuation

• Oxford comma: consistent use or non-use
• En-dash vs. em-dash usage
• Spacing after periods

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ACADEMIC TONE GUIDELINES

Do's

✅ Be precise

• ❌ "Many students"
• ✅ "72% of participants (n=144)"

✅ Be objective

• ❌ "Obviously, this proves..."
• ✅ "These findings suggest..."

✅ Hedge appropriately

• ❌ "This always happens..."
• ✅ "This may indicate..."
• ❌ "There is no doubt..."
• ✅ "It is likely that..."

✅ Use formal vocabulary

Informal	Formal
show	demonstrate, illustrate
big	substantial, significant
get	obtain, acquire
look at	examine, investigate
thing	factor, element, component
good	effective, beneficial
bad	ineffective, problematic
help	facilitate, assist
use	utilize, employ

Don'ts

❌ Avoid:

• Contractions (don't, can't)
• Slang/colloquialisms
• Exclamation marks
• Questions (rhetorical or otherwise)
• Emotional language
• Absolute statements (always, never, all)
• Jargon without definition

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COMMON PHRASES IN ACADEMIC WRITING

Hedging (Tentative Language)

Strength	Phrases
Weak	might, could, may, possibly
Moderate	suggests, indicates, appears to
Strong	demonstrates, shows, confirms

Examples:

• "The results suggest a relationship..."
• "It appears that..."
• "These findings may indicate..."
• "This could be due to..."

Linking Words

Function	Phrases
Addition	furthermore, moreover, in addition, additionally
Contrast	however, nevertheless, conversely, in contrast
Cause	therefore, thus, consequently, as a result
Example	for instance, for example, specifically
Emphasis	notably, particularly, especially, significantly

Reporting Verbs

Neutral	Tentative	Strong
states	suggests	demonstrates
notes	implies	proves
discusses	proposes	confirms
describes	indicates	establishes

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PROOFREADING PROCESS

Level 1: Structural

1. Read for overall flow
2. Check paragraph transitions
3. Verify argument progression
4. Check heading hierarchy

Level 2: Content

1. Check citation accuracy
2. Verify figure/table references
3. Check data consistency
4. Verify quotes are accurate

Level 3: Technical

1. Grammar check
2. Spelling check
3. Punctuation check
4. Format consistency

Level 4: Polish

1. Read aloud
2. Check wordiness
3. Verify tone
4. Final format check

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QUICK REFERENCE: CORRECTION SYMBOLS

If marking hard copy:

Symbol	Meaning
SP	Spelling
GR	Grammar
P	Punctuation
AWK	Awkward phrasing
WW	Wrong word
VT	Verb tense
REF	Citation needed
CAP	Capitalization
#	Number error
∎	Paragraph break

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BEFORE & AFTER EXAMPLES

Example 1

Before:

A lot of students use their phones in class which is a big problem and teachers don't like it.

After:

Frequent smartphone use during instruction presents a substantial challenge to classroom management, as reported by educators.

Changes:

• "A lot of" → "Frequent"
• "big problem" → "substantial challenge"
• "don't like" → "as reported by"
• More formal tone

Example 2

Before:

We did a study to look at how AI helps students learn better.

After:

This study examined the effect of artificial intelligence integration on student learning outcomes.

Changes:

• "did a study" → "This study examined"
• "look at" → "examined"
• "helps" → "effect... on"
• "learn better" → "learning outcomes"
• Removed "We" (passive voice)

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TOOLS & RESOURCES

Recommended Checks

1. Grammarly (set to Academic/Formal)
2. Hemingway Editor (readability)
3. Citation checker (cross-reference)
4. Read aloud (flow check)

Manual Checks Essential For

• Technical accuracy
• Citation verification
• Argument logic
• Tone appropriateness