Archive for June, 2010
Split infinitives
Split infinitives are one of those pesky grammatical ideas that many people have heard of and have a vague idea will cause a loss of marks in an essay or undergraduate dissertation, yet aren't really able to define or avoid. In fact, to define 'split infinitive' is much easier than you might think, and the idea that they are grammatically 'wrong' is a myth, though you may still want to edit them out to be on the safe side when essay editing or proofreading, particularly in coursework or marked essays.
12 top tips for proofreading!
As a proofreader your work requires solid concentration and attention to detail. You have to notice every error in a text. Here are some key errors to watch out for when you proofread texts
Use your proofreading and editing skills to spot and correct these mistakes
Words that are spelt correctly but are not in the right place, for example “We are not in a recession” when the author meant “We are now in a recession”. These hard to spot mistakes can feel like a proofreading test even for experienced editors.
Professional proofreading: the “house style”
By now, you probably realize that proofreading should correct any spelling, grammar or punctuation mistakes in a text. But what other tasks should a proofreader undertake? The "house style" is something all editors need to be aware of, wherever they work. Here are a few points to keep in mind.
Proofreading should be used to make sure that a text conforms to house style. “House style” is an agreed set of rules that a college, publisher or company has decided upon so that all their texts conform to an approved pattern. For a college or university these instructions could be used for essay proofreading, dissertaton proofreading or other assignments in the approved style. A publisher’s house style will be applied to any books or journals that their authors’ produce. Often, the house style will be set out in a style guide or manual.
7 Errors You Must Notice When Editing
If you are editing typescripts, here are some classic mistakes to look out for. It is absolutely vital you do not leave these errors. They will make you look very careless and for essay proofreading or for dissertation editing, mistakes could lose the writer valuable marks.
Its/it’s – Remember that this is an exception to the possessive apostrophe rules: Its means “belonging to it” and It’s means “it is”.
English Grammar Rules – Fowler’s “Modern English Usage”
H. W. Fowler’s "Dictionary of Modern English Usage" is a popular grammar book originally published in 1926. It is often simply referred to as "Fowler's" and is a popular guide for those offering editing services.
Oxford English grammar
Fowler was a graduate of Balliol College, Oxford. After university he taught at Sedbergh School in Cumbria for 17 years. He resigned after being passed over for promotion and age 41 he began to scrape a living in his new role as an essayist in London. The lack of funds may not have bothered Fowler too much. He was a man of simple habits, liking austerity and routine.
