The following are some common errors you can find when proofreading a document.
Punctuation Errors
We know the various punctuation marks in language and how to use them appropriately. For instance, a comma distinguishes between the introductory clause and main part of a sentence or separates numerous items in a list. On the other hand, full stops signal the end of a sentence. It is not unheard of to find the author used the wrong punctuation mark in a sentence where they shouldn't have.
Spelling Mistakes
Spelling mistakes are one of the most common yet easiest to fix within a legal document. Words that could cause trouble to the person creating the document include their and there. The author could also confuse words like affect and effect, which give sentences within the document a whole new meaning.
Grammatical Errors
Grammatical errors include sentence fragments that leave the reader hanging and ask why the author didn't provide additional information. Another grammatical error is the use of dangling modifiers. For instance, the legal document could use "they" instead of mentioning the names of the individuals. Grammatical errors can leave the reader feeling lost and impede their ability to digest the content.
Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement
Another standard error in a legal document is incorrect subject-verb agreement. For instance, the sentence might contain a subject in the singular form, but the verb appears in the plural. In addition, legal documents have words like jury or committee that take up different meanings depending on the context. The sentence might address the jury as a unit or a group of individuals.