Be able to identify and correct inconsistent line spacing, remove blank pages/slides, remove widows/orphans, inconsistent or incorrect application of styles, ensure that tables and lists are not split over columns or pages/slides

ICT 0417 – Topic 15: Proofing

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

• Apply consistent line spacing throughout a document or presentation.
• Identify and delete unwanted blank pages or slides.
• Detect and correct widows and orphans.
• Use and audit paragraph & character styles correctly.
• Employ spell‑check, grammar‑check and the Word Editor effectively.
• Proofread data and numeric information using recognised techniques.
• Keep tables and lists intact within columns, pages or slides.
• Record changes in an error‑log/revision history for the practical papers.

1. Consistent line spacing

Uniform line spacing gives a professional appearance and prevents hidden gaps. The syllabus requires the spacing to be applied to the whole document (or the master slide).

1. Select all text – Ctrl + A.
2. Open the Paragraph dialog:

   • Word: Home → Paragraph → Line & Paragraph Spacing → Line Spacing Options
   • PowerPoint: Home → Paragraph → Line Spacing

3. Choose the required spacing:

   • Single (exactly 12 pt for 11‑pt font)
   • 1.15 (default in recent Word versions)
   • 1.5
   • Double

   If an exact point size is needed, enter the value in the At: box (e.g., “Exactly 12 pt”).

4. Make the setting global:

   • Word: modify the Normal style (Styles pane → right‑click → Modify → set line spacing). All text using Normal will inherit the setting.
   • PowerPoint: apply the spacing to the Slide Master (View → Slide Master → select the master layout → set line spacing). This ensures every new slide follows the same rule.

5. Remove manual line breaks that can create hidden spacing:

   • Show hidden characters – Ctrl + Shift + 8.
   • Replace any Shift + Enter (soft return) with a normal paragraph break (Enter).

2. Removing blank pages or slides

Blank pages often result from stray paragraph marks, section breaks, hidden objects, or unused slide‑master layouts.

Word documents

1. Show hidden characters – Ctrl + Shift + 8.
2. Delete any stray ¶, page breaks, or section breaks (Layout → Breaks → Section Break) at the end of the file.
3. Use the Navigation Pane (View → Navigation Pane) to locate empty pages quickly.
4. If a hidden object (e.g., a text box or picture) is causing a blank page, select it and delete.

PowerPoint slides

1. Switch to Slide Sorter view.
2. Select any blank slide and press Delete.
3. Check the Slide Master for unused layouts that may generate blank slides when duplicated; delete those layouts.
4. Remove any stray placeholders or hidden objects on a slide by using the Selection Pane (Home → Arrange → Selection Pane).

3. Controlling widows and orphans

A widow is a single line of a paragraph at the top of a page; an orphan is a single line at the bottom. Both reduce readability and are explicitly required to be avoided in the syllabus.

1. Enable automatic control:

   • Word: Home → Paragraph → Line & Page Breaks → Widow/Orphan control.
   • Apply this setting to the Normal style (and any custom heading styles) so it affects the whole document.

2. If the option is unavailable or insufficient, adjust manually:

   • Insert or delete a line break (Enter) near the problem area.
   • Modify paragraph spacing slightly (e.g., add 3 pt before/after).
   • Re‑phrase the sentence to shift words between lines.

3. In PowerPoint, keep bullet points short enough to avoid a single line spilling onto a new slide. If this occurs, split the list into two slides or combine points.

4. Using and auditing styles

Styles guarantee consistent formatting and make global changes simple. The syllabus expects both paragraph and character styles to be used correctly.

5. Spell‑check, grammar‑check and the Word Editor

• Invoke the checker:

  • Word: Review → Spelling & Grammar (or F7).
  • PowerPoint: Review → Spelling.

• Use the integrated Editor for advanced grammar, clarity and readability suggestions (Word → Review → Editor).
• Set the proofing language correctly:

  • Review → Language → Set Proofing Language – choose the language for the whole document.
  • If the document contains more than one language, select the relevant paragraph(s) and set the language for each separately.

• Remember the limitations:

  • Proper nouns, technical terms, and acronyms are often flagged incorrectly.
  • Spell‑check does not catch correctly‑spelled but inappropriate words (e.g., “form” vs. “from”).

6. Validation checks

Validation ensures that data entered conforms to the expected format. The syllabus expects you to use the built‑in tools for Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Word – Restrict Editing (forms)

1. File → Info → Protect Document → Restrict Editing.
2. Check “Allow only this type of editing in the document” → “Filling in forms”.
3. Click “Settings…” to define allowed formats (e.g., dates, numbers, dropdown lists).
4. Start enforcing protection with a password if required.

Excel – Data Validation

1. Select the cell(s) to validate.
2. Data → Data Validation → set criteria (Whole number, List, Date, etc.).
3. Optionally add an Input Message and an Error Alert.

PowerPoint – Accessibility & content checks

• Selection Pane (Home → Arrange → Selection Pane) – verify that all required objects (titles, charts, alt‑text) are present and correctly named.
• Review → Check Accessibility – ensures each slide has a title and that images have alt‑text.
• For presentations that include embedded spreadsheets or forms, apply the same validation rules as in Excel/Word before embedding.

7. Proofreading techniques

• Visual scanning: read the document at 150 % zoom to spot spacing or formatting errors.
• Read aloud: helps locate missing words, duplicated text, and awkward phrasing.
• Peer review: exchange work with a classmate and check each other’s document using the checklist.
• Double‑entry method: for critical data (e.g., totals), enter the information twice and compare the results.
• Reverse reading: start from the last page/slide and work backwards to catch typographical errors that are easy to miss when reading forward.

8. Verifying numeric data

1. Re‑calculate totals manually or with a calculator to confirm spreadsheet results.
2. In Word tables, display formulas (Table Tools → Layout → Data → Formula) and verify the calculation logic.
3. Use “Show formulas” in Excel (Ctrl + `) to see the underlying expressions.
4. Cross‑check figures against the source data (e.g., receipts, test results).
5. Round numbers consistently (e.g., two decimal places) and ensure the same rounding rule is applied throughout.

9. Error‑logging / revision history

Keeping a short log demonstrates the proofing process and is required for the practical papers.

10. Keeping tables and lists intact

Word tables

1. Select the table.
2. Table Properties → Row tab → uncheck “Allow row to break across pages”.

   • Rule of thumb: uncheck when the table has a header row or when each row must stay together.
   • Leave checked only for very long tables where breaking is unavoidable.

3. If the table is wider than the column:

   • Reduce column widths, or
   • Switch to a single‑column layout for that section (Layout → Columns → One).

PowerPoint lists

1. Keep the number of bullet points to 6‑8 per slide for readability.
2. Use the “Keep with next” paragraph option (Home → Paragraph → Line & Page Breaks) to keep related items together when copying the slide to a hand‑out.
3. If a list is too long, split it across two slides and add a “Continued…” label.

Multi‑column layouts (Word)

1. Select the paragraph that introduces the table or list.
2. Paragraph → Line & Page Breaks → check “Keep with next” so the element stays with the following text.
3. Alternatively, insert a manual column break (Layout → Breaks → Column) before the table to start it at the top of a new column.

11. Quick proof‑checking checklist

1. Uniform line spacing (applied to the Normal style or Slide Master).
2. No unintended blank pages or slides (including stray section breaks and unused master‑slide layouts).
3. No widows or orphans (Widow/Orphan control applied to Normal and all heading styles).
4. All headings, sub‑headings and body text use the correct paragraph and character styles; no direct‑formatting overrides.
5. Spell‑check, grammar‑check and Word Editor completed; proofing language set correctly for each paragraph.
6. Validation rules applied where required (Word restrictions, Excel data validation, PowerPoint accessibility).
7. Numeric data verified (totals, formulas, cross‑checks).
8. Tables and lists remain whole within columns, pages or slides.
9. Changes recorded in an error‑log/revision history.