Proofreading Archives

Review: Grammarly’s Spelling and Grammar Checker

As a writing expert who relies on Microsoft’s grammar and spelling checker to flag what I don’t see, I was eager to test Grammarly’s power to find additional errors. I signed up for the premium version and tested it to the max. I wanted to… continue reading

Fact Checking to the Rescue

During election seasons, we often hear about fact checkers working overtime to check candidates’ assertions. But in this guest post, marketing expert Marcia Yudkin shares why and how business writers should check the facts in their proposals, marketing pieces, and other writing. Read Marcia’s excellent advice… continue reading

Great Book for Copyeditors and Others: The African Svelte

I love it when a book on language teaches me a lesson. The African Svelte: Ingenious Misspellings That Make Surprising Sense, a guide by Daniel Menaker filled with humorous, elegant word errors, taught me that I’d better slow down and think if I want to… continue reading

A New Word That’s Not a Word: Disconcerning

Lately I have been hearing the word “disconcerning.” When it came up yesterday in an interview on NPR (National Public Radio), I knew it was time to write about it. “Disconcerning” is actually not a word–at least not a correct one. I’ve just checked all… continue reading

Proofreading

For Adjacent Numbers–Figures, Words, or Both?

Which is correct: two 2-room apartments, 2 two-room apartments, 2 2-room apartments, or two two-room apartments? In business writing classes, people often ask whether to use words or figures for adjacent numbers like those. What do you think? Here's advice from The Gregg Reference Manual (Gregg): When… continue reading

The Most Common Capitalization Error

Guess which is the error: Best Regards, OR Best regards, In email after email (including two this morning), I find people incorrectly capitalizing the complimentary close. The rule is to capitalize only the first word of the close. This rule applies wherever you use a complimentary… continue reading

A Sales Flyer in Need of Hyphens

On a morning walk, I picked up a sales flyer for a luxury building–luxurious except for the missing hyphens. How many hyphens would you insert in the passage below? Feel free to list your hyphenated words. Stunning stand alone home. Striking design and functionality come… continue reading

using commas with appositives with example of "My husband, Michael, gets copies of my email."

My Husband Comma Michael Comma

Over the 10+ years of writing this business writing blog, I’ve been consistent about virtually all my style, punctuation, and grammar choices. But there’s one comma rule I’ve flip-flopped on: my husband Michael my husband, Michael, I have just one husband. His name is Michael. In a… continue reading

School-AgeD? Pint-SizeD? Is “D” Required?

To D or not to D? I published my monthly newsletter today, and it included the phrase “Olympic-size pool.” But should it have been an “Olympic-sized pool?” A subscriber wrote and asked the -sized question. She also wondered whether to wear a striped shirt or a stripe shirt. Her questions… continue reading

Proofreading

Help Proofreaders Stay Sane and Efficient

Good proofreaders catch errors that would embarrass, torment, and diminish us if those errors appeared in print or online. But their jobs aren’t easy. Those valuable workers often put up with tense deadlines, continual interruptions, and unrealistic expectations. Are you someone who makes proofreaders’ lives difficult? Don’t make your… continue reading