A very quick overview

When you receive your document back you will notice that there are a lot of highlights, additional text, squiggles, and red balloons on it: these are the basic elements of Microsoft’s Track Changes application which I use to highlight text that needs amending and offer my suggestions.

You will be able to accept or reject changes throughout your document. I recommend that you read each comment as it will help you avoid the same mistakes in the future.

This is a simple overview of how you work with the ‘Track Changes’ on your document:

What is all that red stuff?

All changes and deletions will be marked in red. Comments on each of these changes will be in a ‘balloon’ on the right hand margin of your page.

How do I accept or reject an individual change?

Right click your mouse button over any of the red words and a small pop-up menu will appear. You can either ‘Accept’ or ‘Reject’ the individual change by clicking on the menu. If you click ‘Accept’ the red will be removed and the change will be integrated seamlessly with your text. If you choose ‘Reject’ it will remove the change entirely (but not your original text).

Can I accept all changes?

Yes, you can but I suggest that you make each individual change so that you learn from your mistakes and the proofreading process.

To accept all your changes at once go to the ‘Review’ toolbar and select the dropdown menu for ‘Track Changes’. Scroll along or through the options* until you find the option ‘Accept all changes’ or ‘Accept all changes in document’*. Clicking on this will automatically accept all of the amendments I have made.

I always include a copy of your work that has all the changes accepted and comments deleted. This document will be ready for immediate submission.

*depending on which version of Microsoft Word you are using

Should I still have red balloons on the page?

You may still have the red comment balloons in the right hand margin of your page. Right clicking on the balloon presents you with the option to ‘Delete comment’; clicking on that option will remove the text and the balloon. Remember these balloons contain the explanation for my changes so it is helpful to read them before deletion. If you wish to delete all comments at once you can do so by using the ‘Review’ toolbar, selecting the ‘Delete’ scroll down and clicking on ‘Delete all comments’.

If you have any problems with this you can contact me and I will talk you through the process in your particular version of Microsoft Word. Track Changes is also compatible with open source software such as Open Office, though I am less familiar with this package. I will still try and help you with this though.