Maybe it’s because I’m writing this on a Friday and the prospect of a weekend tipple is looming in blatant disregard for ‘Go Sober’ October, but I seem to have encountered a lot of beer-related typos recently. The processes and…
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Writing it with style 2 – compiling your own style sheet
In our previous blog post, we outlined the points that a publisher’s house style guide covers. However, if you’re proofreading for a private individual rather than a company, they are very unlikely to provide you with a style guide, and…
Posted in Proofreading/copy-editing
Writing it with style
One of the things we proofreaders constantly seek to achieve is consistency. And one of the ways we achieve this is through using a house style. Publishing companies, magazines, journals and newspapers, among others, frequently have their own. So, in…
Even if you think you know the answer, you may not! If vs though and may vs might
As I’m sure you’re aware, our beloved English language is full of little subtleties that are a continual source of fascination and confusion. Even if and even though Consider, for example, the difference in meaning between these two sentences: 1.a. …
Tagged with: even if, even though, if, may, may have, might, might have, modal, modal verb, modal verbs, modality, modals, though
Posted in Grammar, Proofreading/copy-editing
Posted in Grammar, Proofreading/copy-editing
What’s maths got to do with modifiers? Only, just, both and either
At first glance, it may seem that the precision and regularity of mathematics bear little relation to the notorious irregularity of the English language, but there is one area in which English is surprisingly logical: the position of adverbs such…
Tagged with: adverb, adverbs, modifier, modifiers, syntax, word order
Posted in Grammar, Proofreading/copy-editing
Posted in Grammar, Proofreading/copy-editing