ProofreadNOW_Blog (48)

Acceptable Number of Document Errors?

Posted by Conni Eversull Nov 9, 2010 4:30:00 AM

We recently received the following question from one of our readers:

Topics: errors, published documents

Active Proofreading: How to Successfully Proofread Your Own Work

Posted by Conni Eversull Nov 2, 2010 4:30:00 AM

The following is a guest post from Maria Ranier.

Topics: proofread, proofreading, spelling, proofeading technique, spell-check software, homonyms

Wrong Words Make Bad First Impression

Posted by Phil Jamieson Oct 26, 2010 10:41:00 AM

Making sales today is tough business. Finding jobs is even tougher. And though everybody is allowed a mistake here and there, the gatekeepers to both sales and jobs are clamping down on proposals and resumes, and even speech patterns. They're saying to themselves more and more, "Make the first pass easier by simply eliminating the ones with mistakes." So you want to avoid mistakes! Here are some more tips on making the right choice in words:

Topics: errors, misused words, proposals

Word Test - Phobias

Posted by Phil Jamieson Oct 19, 2010 4:30:00 AM

While phobias can be serious challenges for affected people and their psychiatrists, most of us toss the extension onto almost any word and run with it. Schoolophobia is what you have at the end of vacation. Dogophobia is what you have if you've been bitten by a dog. Is phobophobia what you have when you fear being labeled as fearful? Here are some real phobias. Can you identify the meanings?

Most Confusing Two Letter Word

Posted by Conni Eversull Oct 12, 2010 4:30:00 AM

I received the following from one of our editors, Marie Stewart. Neither Marie nor I could find information about the author of this piece although we found it quite a few times on the Internet without any attribution.

Topics: misused words, two letter word

Often-Confused Words

Posted by Phil Jamieson Oct 5, 2010 4:30:00 AM

Well, the words aren't confused, but sometimes people who use them are. Our job today is to help you avoid confusing the following words, some of which we've seen even in documents processed by our editors THIS VERY DAY!

Topics: misused words

3 Quick Tips to Improve Business Communications

Posted by Conni Eversull Sep 19, 2010 5:00:00 AM

Whether writing web copy, an annual report, a proposal, email, or a marketing brochure, all of us want our written business communications to be clear and concise. Most important, we want them to be read! Ambiguity that causes confusion or missed errors can detract from our company's credibility and distract readers from getting the message we're delivering. If we make mistakes, many readers will simply put our message aside and go on to their next task. Today, we'd like to offer three simple tips to improve your written business communications:

Topics: business writing, punctuation, spell check

Question: Straight or Curved Quotes?

Posted by Conni Eversull Sep 14, 2010 5:30:00 AM

We receive lots of grammar and punctuation questions from customers and visitors to our site. This week, I thought I'd post a question we received about quotations along with Phil Jamieson's answer. In coming weeks, I'll post some of the other questions we've received along with their answers.

Topics: quotations, business writing, punctuation, grammar

Word Test - Oil. It's on the Brain These Days.

Posted by Phil Jamieson Sep 7, 2010 5:00:00 AM

The price of oil. The countries that have it. The companies that produce it. The people who buy it. Talk is everywhere. Try this slick vocab quiz and see how much your brain is worth per barrel.

1. hydrocarbon: (a) a residual product (as from the distillation of petroleum); (b) a chemical isolated or derived from petroleum or natural gas; (c) an organic compound (as acetylene or butane) containing only carbon and hydrogen and often occurring in petroleum, natural gas, coal, and bitumens; (d) carbon derived from seawater.

2. oil cake: (a) the solid residue after extracting the oil from seeds (as of cotton); (b) a cake whose ingredients include canola oil, peanut oil, molasses and ginger; (c) an oil (as linseed oil) that changes readily to a hard tough elastic substance when exposed in a thin film to air; (d) dipstick.

3. crack: (a) to disperse (as an oil) in an emulsion; (b) to break up (chemical compounds) into simpler compounds by means of heat; (c) an oil well with a copious natural flow; (d) a constriction in an outlet (as of an oil well) that restricts flow.

4. copra: (a) dried coconut meat yielding coconut oil; (b) a yellow fatty oil obtained from the germ of Indian corn kernels and used chiefly as salad oil, in soft soap, and in margarine; (c) a usually glass bottle used to hold a condiment (as oil or vinegar) for use at the table; (d) a fragrant essential oil (as from rose petals).

5. baba ghanoush: (a) thick slices of bread grilled, rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil, often topped with tomatoes and herbs, and usually served as an appetizer; (b) bituminous material occurring in shale and yielding oil when heated; (c) an appetizer or spread made chiefly of eggplant, tahini, garlic, olive oil, and lemon; (d) (capped) the prime minister of oil-rich Oman.

6. holy oil: (a) petroleum oil produced in the Holy Land; (b) petroleum oil high in myrrh; (c) mineral spirits; (d) olive oil blessed by a bishop for use in a sacrament or sacramental.

7. sweet crude: (a) crude oil light in sulfur content; (b) crude oil light in hydrocarbon content; (c) crude oil light in sodium content; (d) crude oil heavy in sucrose content.

8. Brent crude: (a) crude oil produced in Brent County, Texas; (b) crude oil produced in a part of the North Sea; (c) petroleum oil traded for Krugerands in South Africa; (d) crude oil drilled by a guy named Brent.

9. cresset: (a) a usually glass bottle used to hold a condiment (as oil or vinegar) for use at the table; (b) consecrated oil used in Greek and Latin churches especially in baptism, chrismation, confirmation, and ordination; (c) a framework or tower over a deep drill hole (as of an oil well) for supporting boring tackle or for hoisting and lowering; (d) an iron vessel or basket used for holding an illuminant (as oil) and mounted as a torch or suspended as a lantern.

10. derrick: (a) a graduated rod for indicating depth (as of oil in a crankcase); (b) a framework or tower over a deep drill hole (as of an oil well) for supporting boring tackle or for hoisting and lowering; (c) a building and equipment for refining or processing (as oil or sugar); (d) the head domino.

See how well you did. Click here for answers.

Topics: word test, vocabulary

Me, Myself, and I

Posted by Phil Jamieson Aug 31, 2010 4:30:00 AM

I know, I know. GrammarTip harps on the use of pronouns too much. But the trouble is, we keep hearing people who should know better - newscasters, politicians, celebrities - butchering them to a fare-thee-well. We ran these tips months ago, but it's summer vacation time, plus people keep making the same mistakes. So until the world gets it, we'll keep at it, hoping that someday all three of us--me, myself, and I--can live in pronoun peace.

IS IT I or IS IT ME: Linking up.
Guideline. Favor the subjective case form for pronouns that follow linking verbs, but don't force the issue in conversation.

It was they who initiated the idea of holding the water ski tournament in Alberta next year. (They is in the subjective case because it follows the linking verb was.)
It is we who must take the responsibility for the injuries we suffered when we jumped off Frye's Leap. (We is in the subjective case because it follows the linking verb is.)
But:
If anyone can vouch for Talullah's dependability, it's me. (I is technically correct, but me is the natural choice in conversation and is considered acceptable in all but the most formal writing situations.)

MYSELF or ME. Beware of self-indulgence.
Guideline. Confine your use of pronouns ending in -self to those situations in which the -self forms are appropriate. Don't fall victim to the misguided assumption that "myself" is a more elegant way of saying "I" or "me."

Sassafras and I would love to judge this year's slam-dunk contest. (There is no need for myself; I is the proper choice.)
We would like to invite Mortimer and you to travel with us next spring to Two Egg. (There is no need for yourself; you is the proper choice.)
Q: How are you? A: Fine, and you? (NEVER answer "Fine, and yourself?" It is less than substandard English. It is like answering, "Fine, and how is yourself?" And that sounds flakey.)

A closer look. There are two legitimate uses of pronouns that end in -self. One is for emphasis. The other is with reflexive verbs.

Emphasis

I myself will be driving the towboat for the slalom competition. (Following I with myself emphasizes that the speaker intends to take full responsibility for the driving.)
Matilda herself will write the acceptance speech. (No speechwriters need apply for the job.)

Reflexive Verbs
The children amused themselves by barefoot skiing and by skiing backwards. (Themselves is the object of amused [a reflexive verb] and refers back to children.)
Lucius has a habit of causing injury to himself whenever he starts skiing from the beach. (Himself is the object of the preposition to, and refers back to Lucius.)
I nearly killed myself when I hit the wake at 75 mph. (Myself is the object of the verb killed and refers back to I.)

Possible exception:
As for myself, the plans for the airplane trip are still up in the air. (Me is probably the better choice, but myself could be defended on the grounds that the writer or speaker wants to emphasize the first-person pronoun and has elected to omit me.)

Partial source: Grammar for Smart People by Barry Tarshis.

GrammarPhile Blog