English Grammar Rules That Could Have Used Copy Editing!

Hi everyone. Long time, no post. I apologize for that. I have been swamped! But I wanted to post some pics I have taken over the last month. These pictures are errors made by people that should have known better - or hired a copy editor!! Enjoy!

No comment really...other than maybe WHY would anyone name a gas station "Three way"? PLEASE consult your copy editor next time.

This one isn't so much funny as it is sad. CITY business should always be copy edited before "Every day" becomes an everyday thing..

I enlarged this picture so you can read it better. CNN--a leader in news reporting--really should have had their business reports copy edited before they put "gararge" on the news. Nice CNN, nice. =)

I hope you enjoy these and I will post again as soon as I slow down a bit. Until then, mind your Ps and Qs--and by all means, have your copy editor double-check your work! 

Your copy editor/proofreader,

Laura

Go Texas Rangers!!!!!

Congratulations to the Texas Rangers for their very first trip to the World Series!!! Awesome Job Guys!!!!

There's a LOT of happy people in Texas right now. =)

Your Copy Editor (and Ranger fan)

Laura

Your Copy Editor Wants You to Ask Yourself, "Is This Necessary?"

TGIF!!!! I hope everyone had a wonderful week! I know this week has definitely been a great one for me. I actually took a few days off to spend playing with my kids—ALWAYS time well-spent. 

I am working on compiling a list of style guide comparisons in between teaching and copy editing. Until I get the list compiled though, let me give you another comma point to ponder. =)

First, let’s talk about the difference between a restrictive clause and a non-restrictive clause. A restrictive clause adds information to the sentence that is imperative to its meaning. In other words, if you remove the restrictive clause, it will change the meaning of the sentence.

For example:

1. The proofreaders were responsible for catching the errors that the copy editors overlooked.

If you remove “that the copy editors overlooked” from this sentence, it changes the meaning of the sentence.

Now, a non-restrictive clause is non-essential information that is added to the sentence. In other words, if you remove the non-restrictive clause, the meaning of the sentence will not be changed.

For example:

1. The unedited technical document, which was written by the engineer, was lengthy and disorganized.

Here, if you remove “which was written by the engineer” from the sentence, it does not change the meaning of the sentence. 

What does all of this have to do with commas? Glad you asked. This is a VERY common error I find when proofreading or copy editing. Restrictive clauses are never set off from the rest of the sentence by commas and they usually begin with that, who, whose, or whom. The non-restrictive clauses are always set off from the rest of the sentence by commas and they usually begin with which, who, whose, or whom.

I find that many writers confuse that and which quite often. So in your writing, ask yourself “Is this information necessary to the meaning of the sentence?” If your answer is “yes,” then you will use that without commas. If your answer is “no,” then the correct usage is which with commas separating the clause from the rest of the sentence.

And if you STILL have questions, ask your copy editor. =) Make sure you don't miss any posts, and click "Follow Laura's Proofs" at the right-hand side over there! And right now, the first person to get 15 of their friends and family to "follow" my blog will win 2 FREE hours of proofreading or copy editing! Make sure your friends e-mail me at laurasproofs@gmail.com to tell me you sent them! =)

Until tomorrow,

Mind your Ps and Qs!

Your copy editor,

Laura

P.S. I am still taking submissions for my book of unique words and phrases. I would like to have some from all corners of the globe!

Are You and Your Friends Following Laura's Proofs YET?!

Well, what's taking so long? =) 

Make sure you don't miss out on any of my updates or posts! It's uber-simple to do! Just look at the right-hand side of this page and click "Follow." That's it! I don't send you anything, no spam. Just a way to keep up with me and my editorial rants. 

Oh yeah, and there IS that little contest for 2 FREE hours of copy editing or proofreading for anybody who can get 15 of their friends and family to "follow" me as well. But make sure they send me an e-mail to laurasproofs@gmail.com to tell me you sent them! 

Good luck to everyone and good night. =)

Your copy editor, 

Laura

The Commas, etc., in Your Copy Editor's Head!

I hope everyone had a fantabulous weekend!!! Mondays tend to…well, they just suck. So we are going to have a very simple comma lesson today. YEAH!!!! And for all my English tutoring students – “simple” does not mean you don’t need to study!! ;) 

Today I am just going to talk about comma usage with the abbreviations “etc.” and “et al.”

Etc. (et cetera) means “and others of the same kind.” 

For example:

1. It takes the work of many people such as authors, copy editors, proofreaders, publishers, etc., to publish a book.

Unless it falls at the end of the sentence, you always place a comma before AND after etc. Simple, right?

Now, et al. means “and others.” It is the abbreviation for et alia (neuter), et alii (masculine), and et aliae (feminine). You should place a comma before and after et al. just as you do etc. UNLESS it is preceded by only one item.

For example:

1. K. Thomas, R. Martin, et al., contributed to editing the technical document for their boss (more than one).
2. Thomas et al. contributed to editing the technical document for their boss (only one person’s name is listed).

You should also note that neither etc. nor et al. are italicized. This is a common error I find when editing materials.

AND, that’s it!! Told you I was going to ease you into Monday. =P

Have a great week!! We’ll chat again tomorrow.

Your copy editor,

Laura

Do You Know What Your Kids Have Planned this Week?!

Today begins Teen Read Week (through the October 23)! Teen Read Week is not very well-known, so let me explain what it is and what you as writers and readers can do. The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) began Teen Read Week 1998, so you can see it is still very young. During Teen Read Week, more than 5,000 librarians and educators help to encourage teenagers to put down their iPods, laptops, cell phones, and video games—if just for one week—and read a book. Libraries across the states hold special programs and events supporting teen reading. This year’s theme is “Books with Beat.”

Why do we need Teen Read Week? It’s simple: studies have proven that children and teens who read do much better in testing as well as when they join the workforce. We want the best for our children of course, so it’s important to remember that books provide a fun and free way for children to be entertained. As with most people, books allow you to escape your anxieties and fears in life. They provide a way for teens to connect with other people who share the same interests. And for teens struggling with becoming who they are in a world as chaotic as ours, books let them know they aren’t alone and that there are other people in this huge world of ours who feel the same way they do.

What can you do to help? Obviously, encourage your teenage children, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, students—everyone!—to pick up a book just for fun. Not because they are required to read something for school, but because they want to. You can also purchase Teen Read Week products. Bookmarks, posters, and gifts may be purchased from ALA Graphics (the official product line) at www.alastore.ala.org. All proceeds will help support our library systems across the states!

I look forward to hearing how all of you celebrate Teen Read Week! Now, put down the computers, iPods, and cell phones, turn off the television, and go lose yourself in a good book!

Have a great week!

Your copy editor,

Laura

Got Words? Your Copy Editor's Reminders and Some Thoughts for the Week...

Good evening everyone! I was sitting around (yes, I am old - haha) thinking about my copy editing blog here and had some ideas I wanted to run by you and some things I wanted to remind you of.

First, of course I am still looking for TONS and TONS of submissions for my book. Basically, the evolution of language has always fascinated me. New words are introduced into our dictionaries every year as "official" English language words. But where did these words originate? Who was the first person EVER to say foshizzle...okay, okay, maybe we DO know that one. =)

I want YOUR words - your FAMILY'S words, the words used by your best friend that you always made fun of him/her for. I want to know everything about them. Where did they hear them? What made them think of them if they were the ones that created these words? Use them in a sentence for me so I can get a feel for their usage. 

My nana used to tell me she was "tickled to the peewadden." To this day I have no clue what a peewadden is--and neither does she!! That is what makes this phrase even more awesome!! Words are an incredible way to expose your innermost thoughts and feelings - even if they make no sense at all to anyone! To me, "peewadden" means something silly, and I use it now when I am feeling silly too. And a simple silly word reconnects me to a woman I will always truly adore.

So please, share your words with me. I would like to have submissions from people all over the world for my book! I want this book to cross all cultural and physical boundaries and unite all of us in our love of language--regardless of what that language is! So bring them on!! I still need 100s!!!

Secondly, I am going to be making some changes to my recent posts about commas. Not that they were incorrect, but I am going to add in a little piece from other major style guides so that you can see a contrast of the differences between the major style guides. And eventually, maybe I will put together a large chart that compares the punctuation, grammar, and structure across all of the major guides. Sort of your "One Stop Grammar Shop."

Don't forget I also offer private English/Literature tutoring now. E-mail me for details.

And one last thing...I will have an article for you Sunday the 17th because it begins Teen Read Week!! So be sure to check in to find out what it is and what you can do!! 

Until then, if you have any questions or comments you would like to make, or if there is something you would like me to explain or discuss, you may either comment here or send me a private e-mail at laurasproofs@gmail.com.

I look forward to hearing from you! 

Have a great weekend!

Your copy editor,

Laura

Who Could Teach Grammar Better than a Copy Editor??

Hi everyone!

I have recently begun tutoring people of all ages in English grammar, spelling, pronunciation, structure, and so on. I can also tutor you in literature (my favorite).

Unlike many tutoring schools, my prices will not force you into bankruptcy or cause you to take out a second mortgage on your home! E-mail me at laurasproofs@gmail.com for more information!

Have a great rest of the weekend!

Your copy editor,

Laura

South Carolina McDonald's Needs to Hire a Copy Editor...or They May Lose Sales!!

A Facebook friend of mine reposted this WONDERFUL example of just how unhealthy McDonald's food may be! Now, I LOVE McDonald's (and yes, I definitely realize it is not healthy), but I sure hope this wasn't on the menu tonight at my Forney McDonalds!!!

Thank you Debbie!! You ROCK as always!! =)

Your copy editor,

Laura

Have You Seen the TSI Typo Hunters Editing Signs in Your Area?

My father called me this morning because he recorded CBS Sunday Morning on his DVR for me. He knew, with my passion for punctuation, that I would be THRILLED to see what he found. And I was. These gentlemen have the most awesome copy editing/proofreading job there is. I am so insanely jealous. So I wanted to share this with all of you. If people really pay attention, you would be surprised just how many signs are spelled incorrectly. Another reason businesses should always have an in-house editor on hand. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

If any of you see signs with missing or extra punctuation or misspelled words, please take a picture of them and send them to me and I will post them. Enjoy! =)

TSI - America's Typo Hunters 

Have a fantastic Columbus Day!

Your copy editor,

Laura

Your Friends Can Help You Get Two Hours of FREE Copy Editing!

It’s Friday!!! Yeah! Hip hip hooray! In honor of the beginning of this weekend, we are going to skip the boring punctuation talk (returning to commas next week).

Instead, I am offering two free hours of copy editing or proofreading to the first person who can get fifteen of their friends to “follow” my blog.

The rules (yes, everybody has rules!):

• The new “followers” must actually be new, meaning they can’t already be followers.
• To get credit for your referrals, they must send an e-mail to laurasproofs@gmail.com that says, “(Your name) told me about your copy editing blog.”

This is the most absolutely simple contest! No copy editing tests to take this time. =)

Now, ready, set…GO!

Have a great weekend!

Laura

UPDATE!! I have gotten a few e-mails asking what happens if more than one person just happens to get 15 people to follow my blog at the same time. IF that were to somehow happen, I will award the two FREE hours of proofreading/copy editing to BOTH people. Awesome guys! Thank you! =)
Laura

Help!!! My Lists Are Being Smothered in Commas!!!

Good afternoon! I took the day off yesterday because I was not feeling very well. But I am back today and feeling much, much better!

Today we are going to cover a very simple rule for commas. So let’s begin!

Our rule today sort of continues our previous discussion of serial commas. What do you do if the list in your sentence ALSO has commas? 

For example:

• The Senior Technical Engineer wrote three technical manuals as follows: Becoming an IT Tech, which describes the learning process; The Importance of Continued Education in IT, which offers examples of how an IT tech can maintain his edge through education; and Review Time, which sums up how an IT tech can make the best impression when it’s time for his annual review!

In this sentence, you need a comma between the names of the technical manuals and their descriptions. If you only used commas here, this is what your sentence would look like:

• The Senior Technical Engineer wrote three technical manuals as follows: Becoming an IT Tech, which describes the learning process, The Importance of Continued Education in IT, which offers examples of how an IT tech can maintain his edge through education, and Review Time, which sums up how an IT tech can make the best impression when it’s time for his annual review!

Here is another example, which you will find in The Chicago Manual of Style (a copy editor’s best friend):

• The defendant, in an attempt to mitigate his sentence, pleaded that he had recently, on doctor’s orders, gone off his medications; that his car—which, incidentally, he had won in the late 1970s on Let’s Make a Deal—had spontaneously caught on fire; and that he had not eaten for several days.

You can see where this would tend to get a little confusing when you have large or complex lists that contain internal punctuation. So the rule states that if items in a series also contain commas (or any punctuation really) internally, separating the items with semicolons can make your text clearer.

Pretty simple, right? In many situations, this rule is optional, meaning you could use either commas or semicolons to separate the items in your list. However, as writers and copy editors, one of our main goals is to provide a text (in ANY genre) in which the reader doesn’t have to work at understanding what point you are trying to make. You want your text to flow simply, elegantly, and—most importantly—CLEARLY! 

So that’s all I will torture you for today! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. 

Until tomorrow—cross your Ts, dot your Is, and mind your Ps and Qs! They say a lot about you!

Your copy editor,

Laura