Back in the day, Ms. Nancy Duty taught me—and the rest of Bruceville-Eddy High school—to use two spaces at the end of every sentence and after colons. Most of us were learning to type on IBM Selectrics, although a few were using the newfangled electronic typewriters. (The previous year, my eighth-grade class had started to learn typing on Macs, but the school still had a limited number of computers.)
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Posts Tagged ‘proofreading’
Do Your Documents Show Your Age?
Playing the Numbers Game: Percentages & Time in Writing
Howard Levy, principal of Red Rooster Group, asks the following questions about proper style for percentages and time:
When you have a range of numbers referred to in a sentence, do you use an en dash or the word “to”? As in “20 to 40%” or “20 – 40%”?
Also, would you use the % sign after both the 20 and the 40?
What about time ranges? Do you need to use the :00 in all cases, even if some times start at :30, as in 6 – 7:30 pm vs. 6:00 – 7:30?
All excellent questions. As is typical when dealing with English grammar rules and style guidelines, the answers depend on the circumstances.
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It’s. Embarrassing.
Last week, I received an email from a blog I subscribe to, one I’ve always regarded as highly professional. That opinion dipped somewhat when I saw the headline misusing the word “it’s.”
“5 Things [FORTUNE 50 COMPANY] is Doing to Improve It’s Image (That You Can Do, Too!)”
These master marketers had mistakenly used the contraction form of “it is” instead of the possessive form, which doesn’t take the apostrophe.
The rest of the article used the possessive pronoun correctly, but the headline still gave me that moment’s pause.
We’ll write more about the “its” vs. “it’s” debate later, likely many times over the course of this blog. The big lesson here is the need for proofreading. Even the most diligent among us can overlook a glaring error – especially when we’ve already reviewed the material a half dozen times or so. When you’re writing for public consumption, those glaring gaffes can cost you credibility.
Before you hit “send” or sign off on that brochure, have fresh eyes proofread for you. After a point, we become virtually useless when it comes to reviewing our own work – or a project with which we’ve been closely involved. We all know someone whose superior command of English grammar slips toward annoying. Take advantage of that person’s persnickety tendencies.
If it’s up to you and you alone, try this:
Step away from the words. Head to Starbucks. Go to lunch. Do something completely different and clear your head before you give a document the final once-over. Like driving, proofreading doesn’t mix well with distraction.
Print the document. We read differently on screen than on paper. It’s easier to catch mistakes on a hard copy.
Read the words out loud. This approach forces you to look at each word – no skimming. You might also find some rough patches that need help.
Check the details. Make a list of critical items like name spellings, addresses, telephone numbers, etc., and check it against the final document. (Someone close to me recently worked very hard on his company’s new business cards – only to discover the city name was misspelled in the final product.)
Sure, everyone makes mistakes. But in a business setting, those errors have the potential to flub your company’s first impression on a prospective client, employee or strategic partner. Do you really want to take that chance?
Don’t Scare the Bamboo
Each time I visit Taiwan, I fall more in love with my mother’s country. The island’s natural beauty, the food, the culture – all make me proud of my Taiwanese heritage.
A friend who recently visited Taiwan described it as one of the world’s most under-rated travel destinations.
He has a point. But Taiwan has at least one serious challenge to overcome before tourists flock to its shores.
As a whole, the country does not cater well to English speakers.
I’m not trying to be the ugly American here, but English works pretty well as a universal language.
Which is easier: Trying to teach Taiwanese [insert nationality of choice] how to speak German, French, Spanish, Russian, Farsi, etc., or using English?
Signs of the Times
In the past 11 days, I’ve seen a number of hysterical signs and slogans that reflect the Taiwanese appreciation of the English language – minus editorial oversight.
Some of my favorites:
- “Baby & Kids Swears.” Reading this billboard for a children’s clothing store, I can hear my cousin’s voice clearly in my head. Of course, it’s supposed to read “Baby & Kidswear.” But it gives me a chuckle to think of precocious little tots swearing a blue streak.
- “Lideas.” It looks like a Greek heroine, but it was actually on a sign for a public women’s restroom. Occasionally, you see words with all the right letters, but in a nonsensical order. My aunt, for example, wore a varsity-looking shirt that said “NUISERVITY.”
- “Scared Bamboo.” I knelt down to read a sign in a public botanical display and laughed out loud. I’m guessing this particular plant holds some sort of holy significance. Or maybe some long-ago gardener frightened it and permanently altered the plant’s appearance.
Having studied a number of foreign languages, I admire the Taiwanese for bravely experimenting with English.
Now, it’s time to take the next step and finesse those skills with some editorial direction – something from which we can all benefit, yours truly included.
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