The final editing act I perform, before submitting a story, is to do a number of quick checks. Specifically I look at the usage of homonyms and depending upon my read throughs, words that I may joined differently (i.e. nightgown or night gown).
My standard checklist so far consists of:
- their/there/they're
- your/you're
- wear/where
- here/hear
- then/than
- our/are
- no/know
- new/knew
- to/too/two - I need to do a better job on these
I was wondering what other quick hit checks others recommend to perform?
dyslexic typists
That's my major worry, as in my fingers get ahead of themselves and type slightly incorrect words. If I type from as from one time in 50 I'd amaze myself, mostly I get form, or in this, si instead of is etc. I do mess up a few on your list too. Then tehre's um, there's punctuation which I'm mostly oaky, er okay with but still likely makes or make boo boos. Maybe I should get one of thsoe, um, those learn ta type things. Or slow down maybe. Sigh, perfection I'm woikin' on it. Probaly, er probably a wee way ta go ya think?
Kristina
Transposed letters and other common typing mistakes...
I use a program for the Mac called Typinator, which allows me to create macros which automatically transform my own common tangled-finger problems into the correct word. My fingers are perpetually numb due to a slight spinal injury two decades ago, so a little help is handy at times.
There are near equivalents on Microsoft operating systems (ShortKeys is one), and they have other uses as well, making it possible to define arbitrary "boiler plate" which one can insert with a few keystrokes. I use Typinator heavily and it saves just loads of time.
Cheers,
Puddin'
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Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
It was only when I started ...
... proofreading/editing for US writers that I discovered the confusion between 'then' and 'than'. I was puzzled at first until I realised that for speakers in the US the two words are homonyms whereas in the UK they are not. This is the first time I've seen an acknowledgement of that.
Dull observation, I suppose, but I find it interesting. Vive la difference ;)
Geoff
Homonyms
How can 'than' and 'then' be homonyms when they are pronounced differently, unlike, for example, 'there' and 'their'?
Regards,
Dave.
I assume ...
... that in some US accents they are pronounced similarly if not the same. In all UK English accents they are distinctly pronounced. I know I'd never come across the confusion until I started proofing for one US writer and then I came across it with others. It was just something I had to cope with - as if the peculiar spelling wasn't enough LOL.
Geoff
Then there was than
then and than aren't homonyms to me or in any dialect that I know of but, when my fingers are getting along with my muse, they can speak a whole 'nother language. Were and wear sound even less alike but can get mangled when I'm typing. Maybe it is a flaw in my madulla or something.
Pin and pen are not homonyms when I speak, but they were to my uncles, cousins, and many others where I grew up, and I have to concentrate to get the right one onto the page.
One of the problems that bothers me most (because I can't just read over it quickly) is confusion of lose, loss, loose, loses, and losses. How can people not get that right? But I forgive it in writers because of my own multitude of sins.
Do you Yahoo?
Shows what I know...
I thought homonyms were these super-wise
intelligent horses found only on a certain island.
Eighty-six, Forty-seven... HIKE!
.
Senators?
Those are senators, aren't they?
Joy,
I thought homonyms didn't exist any more.
And they were all "homophones" now...
Third grade
Miss. VanVechten, My third grade teacher, drilled those homonyms out of us. They have not been a problem for me, or I suspect, any of my classmates, since then.
Then/Than puzzles me also, maybe it is a regional thing.
Mr. Ram
Then, than
This is dialectical thing. In some US dialects (parts of the Deep South), then is pronounced more like "theeuhn" and in other US dialects (parts of the Midwest) "than" is "thaeyun". People who live near the boundaries of one of these areas or between them may think the two words are homophones.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Editing
Here are some comments someone sent to me and they make a lot of sense:
Click on Edit, then Find (Ctrl-f). Type "there is" in the blank. Each sentence beginning with "There is" can usually be improved by finding the real subject of the sentence, sticking it in the front of the sentence, and using the actual what-happens word as the verb. In other words, change "There is a place we like because it serves green tea" to "We like a place because it serves green tea." (Then consider getting more specific: We like the Lion's Den because it serves green tea. Or more action-oriented: The Lion's Den serves lovely green tea.) The meaning is not exactly the same, of course, but notice the shorter word count?
Do the same with "there are," then "there was," "there were" and "there will be."
Take a deep breath. Do the same with "It is" "it was" and "it will be." How many words have you clipped?
"It is" and "there is," and all variants of either, have their places in the English language. Each is useful. But any of them should be used only when chosen deliberately, in something as carefully crafted as the Gettysburg Address.
Now, do a search for "began to" as in "Joe began to run." A book I love to quote but can't remember the name of (something like How to Write a Mystery, edited by Sue Grafton,) advises writers to "Let Joe run." Unless something occurs to stop an action, such as Jane tripping Joe, use the simple verb for the action. "Joe ran."
Follow that search with "started to."
Take a breath. Now search for "up" as in "Swearing wearily, he kicked aside the chair and stood up." See whether the sentence reads properly if you delete the "up." Then search for "down" and see how often you can say "he sat" instead of "he sat down."
These hints help readability and will help your work be more professional.
Portia
Portia
What a good idea.
I'm copying your post and I'll apply the method when I next write something. Might be some time then :)
Geoff
Good stuff
Myself, I search first for "was" and try to reword the sentence to be more colorful or active. Then "were", then "been" and each of the other varieties of 'to be". Then I search for "then" and make sure I need the word each time I use it. The same for "and" and "but".
The "up" and "down" searches are nice additions to my list. :)
Another thing to look for is "-ing". Present tense gerunds can often be reworded to punch up phrases, though looking for "was" will catch most of these. "It was raining" becomes "it rained" or "rain fell" or "rain made little false stars twinkle on the windshield."
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Was Were Been
The very idea of this check, I have seen you post it before, almost makes me break out in a nervous sweat. Maybe I will be brave enough to try it one day :)
Those are Great
Definitely will add these to my list. One of the nice things with RoughDraft is you can do a search and all matches can should up in a side window, which forces me to use the words, rather than the context, as the driver of these checks. Though in turn, it may make me question context.
ADDENDUM: 67 uses of "it was", 63 ups, 224 wases Yikes!
More standard checks
I usually check "its" and "it's". Beyond that I think everyone has their own personal list of word pairs (and sometimes triples) that they confuse, and it isn't always homonyms.
A good list to check occasionally is the Eggcorn database; it'll throw up things you simply won't believe. One that jumps out at me, because of my long association with ponygirl fetish fiction, is rein and reign.
http://eggcorns.lascribe.net/
Xaltatun
Discreet and discrete
Which mean, respectively, secret and separate, are used wrong more often than right in net fiction. Usually in their adverb forms which is doubly annoying. And sometimes the confusion is confusing, "She put the dishes away discretely."
Huh?
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Punch up your punctuation
All of the comments so far have been spot on.
Yet no one has mentioned punctuation.
One of the most common mistakes is misuse of quotation marks. "It is important," Janet emphasized, "that quotation marks are used in pairs.
"Except when the same speaker continues into another paragraph."
Also remember that periods and end quotes only go together at the absolute end of the sentence.
In close dialog, make sure that it is clear who is talking. It is tedious to have 'she said,' ... 'he said,' after every speaker. If it comes to a point where one might lose track of who is speaking, adding action or description to the dialog will clear that up.
Another common problem is comma use and misuse. I see a lot of places where there aren't commas where they need to be and a lot of others where there are and they shouldn't be.
When one is adding information, a comma may be needed.
"This is my boss Jenny." Wrong
"This is my boss, Jenny." Correct
Now, it is possible to interpret the statement two different ways. The interpretation, however, is not the job of the comma. That's the job of context.
And then, there are those pesky ellipses...
;-)
I was forced to learn sentence diagramming when I was in elementary school and those lessons still haunt me. Still, the principles they taught have stood me in good stead ever since.
Janet
Mistress of the Guild of Evil Blonde Proofreaders
Janet
Mistress of the Guild of Evil [Strawberry] Blonde Proofreaders
To be or not to be... ask Schrodinger's cat.
comma
Commas are vile, evil vicious things. Like terriers on amphetamines, they jump around and nip at every word's heels. The things you mentioned I can handle but, when it is a complex sentence, the little gnats fly in swarms and won't behave. (...handle, but, when it is a complex sentence,...)
Pairs are not the only fruit!
Why isn't the same protection afforded to oranges, lemons, plums and other fruits?
I mean what have pairs done to be so singled out for special treatment? And what benefits does the insertion of quotation marks actually bestow? Surely the number used must be just a matter of taste?
Apropos to absolutely nothing at all, I cherish the definition that 'knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit and wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.'
Why are ellipses made of ROUND dots?
One of the problems with ellipses is that if you read five guides to proper punctuation, you will get five different recommendations.
Are there spaces between the dots? Between the words before and after the ellipsis? It appears to matter here whether you are writing for professional or educational journals, popular magazines, newspapers, non-fiction books, or fiction books. Or the net. An editor of a science journal will say one thing and a printer another.
The original use of the ellipsis and most guides will say the only use is to mark elided words and phrases -- stuff that's been left out.
But another use has sprung up -- marking the awkward and unexpected pauses in speech. Is this wrong? Prescription or description?
Ah, me....
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Punctuation Question
You provided the example:
If I understand both examples the context has Jenny being the boss, so using ", Jenny" is to qualify the word boss.
However, my question have more to do with when using the character's name, to whom another character is speaking. How should this be punctuated? My inclinations would be either:
Would either of these be correct?
more commas
Either "Heads up, Goober," or "Goober, heads up," is right, but you need a comma to separate the name of the person addressed from the rest of the sentence whether it is first or last (and two if it is in the middle of the sentence: "Heads up, Goober, quickly.")
The problem is that with "This is my boss, Jenny," if the reader doesn't already know, there is no way to tell if 'Jenny', is the name of the boss or the name of the person addressed. Fun, isn't it? {and I'm almost certain this post is punctuated wrong -- incorrectly.}
Where now?
"Heads up Goober" just conjures the wrong image. :)
I've noticed that set-off commas, final periods (or full stops) and closing quotation marks are more often missing in web writing by UK writers than by Americans, Canadians or Australians. Wasn't sure why until I noted that these same "mistakes" occur with some frequency in several of the less-than-first-rank newspapers of the Sceptered Isle. American newspapers are nearly moribund, both legitimate and tabloid, and make different sorts of errors at any rate.
I guess this evens out the sort of mistakes that Americans are more prone to make; homonyms, apostrophes and number agreement errors topping the Yank Hit Parade, as they do. :)
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Apposition Versus the Vocative Case.
>> "This is my boss Jenny." Wrong
>> "This is my boss, Jenny." Correct
Actually, the two phrases are *both* correct, but they mean different things.
In the first, "Jenny" is used appositively to restrict the scope of "boss", and should never be separated from the preceding noun. On the other hand, when apposition is used non-restrictively, as when a parenthetical comment is made, the apposition is always separated by a comma.
"This is my boss, a rocket scientist." Correct
"This is my boss Jenny, a rocket scientist." Correct
"This is my boss, Jenny, a rocket scientist." Correct
In the first example, the fact the Jenny is a rocket scientist is non-restrictive, where the phrase "my boss Jenny" restricts the scope of "boss", since there may be many individuals who might reasonably be so described.
In the second example, "boss Jenny" is identified, but the possibility exists that "boss Sarah" is lurking around the corner. People often have more than one person in charge. Jenny is parenthetically revealed to be a rocket scientist, but she might be described in any number of different ways, "Jenny, a gourmet chef", "Jenny, a ballet dancer", and so on.
In the third example, we are given the name of the person being addressed, but *not* the name of the boss, since the only plausible reading of this particular sentence is that "Jenny" is being used vocatively. In other words, Jenny could take the archaic vocative indicator "O":
"This is my boss, O Jenny, a rocket scientist." Correct, but a trifle "poetic" these days, suitable for bad (or even good) imitations of the classic poets. Note that the vocative "O" is *always* capitalised.
>> "Except when the same speaker continues into another paragraph."
Although this is marginally true in English, other languages have different conventions. In Spanish, for example, continuing paragraphs are *preceded* by a close quote.
More to the point, almost every quotation that spans multiple paragraphs should probably be set as a block quote, that is, indented from the main body of the text, in which case it doesn't take quotation marks at all. Extended quotes set flush to the main body of the text are sure to confuse many people, since our eyes skip easily over tiny little marks at the end of a sentence.
Many editors prefer that *all* quotes lengthy enough to deserve a separate paragraph be set as a block quote, since it makes one paragraph quotes easily-distinguishable from the running text, and it imposes a certain consistency on all such quotes, whether they span multiple paragraphs or not. Consistent rules make reading easier, and we're not typing on Remington typewriters these days; block quotes in computer publishing are made by means of simple tags.
Cheers,
Puddin'
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I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.
--- Ralph Waldo Emerson
A little step forward, a little step back. And they sway,
And their eyes are closed. O heavenly bodies.
O bodies of time. O golden bodies of lasting fire.
--- Mark Strand, from Blizzard of One, Five Dogs
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Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Media Usage
Not knowing how to type has been a problem and sometimes the fingers don't do what the mind is saying.
American grammar is going down the tubes. The National media on television aren't that bad; however, the local news media's use of proper grammar is almost non-existent (I had to spell check that last word). One of our pet peeves is "We've got" or "I've got"; "we've" being a contraction of "we have". Just say "We have got" or "I have got." Doesn't that sound nice? Another one, and this will really stir up the wasps, is the use of "healthy" when the word "healthful" is correct. One does not eat healthy food (unless we are talking about eating a sick cow). One eats healthful food. Healthy is a state of being, where as healthful means something is good for one. Usage over time does change the rules. A good example of this is the word "quality". Quality infers a status of something, e.g., what is the quality of the steak you are eating - terrible, so-so, good, outstanding, or what was the quality of the paint job on your just repainted automobile: shoddy to outstanding- or maybe unacceptable to perfect. Qualities run the spectra. Eleanor Roosevelt screwed everything up when she coined the phrase 'quality time'. What is the quality of the time spent? Now when we say that is a 'quality' car, restaurant or 'quality' time, the interpretation is that it is top notch (whatever that means). I certainly forgive improper grammar when it is what someone is saying in a quote; however, poor grammar detracts from the author's effectiveness. I feel bad (or is it badly?) when gross errors slip by me because they reflect my image. I will keep trying to improve my writing and I appreciate it when someone points out an error in my writing. I certainly wish I had listened more effectively 55 years ago. Portia
Portia
Hate to disagree
I hate to disagree with one's pet peeves when they provide so much fun but some of these are wrong.
"Healthy" does mean 'conducive to health', and it has for a very long time. It is the same adjective when you say "healthy food" as it is when you say "a healthy diet", or "Exercise is healthy."
Quality has been used for centuries to mean 'superiority' as well as degree of excellence or of nature. "A man of quality" is a very old example. 'Quality time' appeared long after Mrs Roosevelt had left us (sorry, you can't blame her for that), but 'quality control' began being used while she and Franklin were in the White House.
And bad is a perfectly good noun, and it many be a condition which is felt.
Hate to disagree
Don't hate to disagree. The English language, both English and American, is a very flexible organism. I think 'quality control' has several meanings including insuring (ensuring?) mediocracy. Your argument concerning 'healthy' vs 'healthful' is certainly worthy of examnination; however, to say someone is a 'man of quality' begs the question what is that quality? This obsfuscates being definitive of what a person's qualities are. In other words, to say someone is a person of quality assumes the other person shouldn't question what the person, subject of the discussion, qualities are. The use of of the phrase says don't question me or the person's position.
If I say I feel bad, means I am ill or at discomfort about something. If I say I feel badly. I must mean my ability to feel (sense) is not working correctly. I was being facetious (I didn't spell check). Portia
Portia
effective writing
I always have trouble with confusing affect and effect. Any time I use one, I'll look at it and wonder if I used the right word, then go look up the usage note.
My most common grammatical mistake is that I keep wanting "eachother" to be one word.