» Grammar

This is a GREAT article by CopyBlogger.com that gives we bloggers an understanding of how to proofread. I suggest everybody bookmark this posting.

Note: This post contains 25 misspelled words, and I bet you can’t find any. Ready? Begin proofing!

“Proofreading is vitally important, hard to do well, and tedious as hell.” ~Brian Clark

That’s the best quote I’ve ever heard about proofreading, but I’d like to extend Brian’s remarks a bit. In fact, I’ve got 14 tips that are just about guaranteed to make you a better proofreader, and maybe make the task a tad less terrible.

Ready? You’re still watching for those typos, right?

#1: Assume a proofreader mindset.

Proofreading is tedious, but so is exercise. Who really wants to do 25 pushups right? I don’t.

But, imagine someone challenged you to do them. Would you refuse the test and let the antagonist think he won? Or, would you take the challenge just to prove him wrong? I’m betting you’d take the challenge and you’d no longer think pushups were tedious either. Your mind would be in a different place where resolve, confidence, and a heightened sense of attention and focus replaced the tedium. You’d be in the zone and you’d finish the set with perfect form to prove your worth.

Well, why not transfer this mindset toward your proofreading?

In fact, you may already be in that mindset. In the first sentence of this post I challenged you to find 25 misspelled words (I lied; there aren’t any).

To see the rest of the article click the link below:

Resource: http://www.copyblogger.com/proofreading-tips/

This handout lists some guidelines for capitalization. If you have a question about whether a specific word should be capitalized that doesn’t fit under one of these rules, try checking a dictionary to see if the word is capitalized there.

Use capital letters in the following ways:

The first words of a sentence
When he tells a joke, he sometimes forgets the punch line.

The pronoun “I”
The last time I visited Atlanta was several years ago.

Proper nouns (the names of specific people, places, organizations, and sometimes things)
Worrill Fabrication Company
Golden Gate Bridge
Supreme Court
Livingston, Missouri
Atlantic Ocean
Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Family relationships (when used as proper names)
I sent a thank-you note to Aunt Abigail, but not to my other aunts.
Here is a present I bought for Mother.
Did you buy a present for your mother?

The names of God, specific deities, religious figures, and holy books
God the Father
the Virgin Mary
the Bible
the Greek gods
Moses
Shiva
Buddha
Zeus

Exception: Do not capitalize the non-specific use of the word “god.”
The word “polytheistic” means the worship of more than one god.

Titles preceding names, but not titles that follow names
She worked as the assistant to Mayor Hanolovi.
I was able to interview Miriam Moss, mayor of Littonville.

Directions that are names (North, South, East, and West when used as sections of the country, but not as compass directions)
The Patels have moved to the Southwest.
Jim’s house is two miles north of Otterbein.

The days of the week, the months of the year, and holidays (but not the seasons used generally)
Halloween
October
Friday
winter
spring
fall

Exception: Seasons are capitalized when used in a title.
The Fall 1999 semester

The names of countries, nationalities, and specific languages
Costa Rica
Spanish
French
English

The first word in a sentence that is a direct quote
Emerson once said, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”

The major words in the titles of books, articles, and songs (but not short prepositions or the articles “the,” “a,” or “an,” if they are not the first word of the title)
One of Jerry’s favorite books is The Catcher in the Rye.

Members of national, political, racial, social, civic, and athletic groups
Green Bay Packers
African-Americans
Anti-Semitic
Democrats
Friends of the Wilderness
Chinese

Periods and events (but not century numbers)
Victorian Era
Great Depression
Constitutional Convention
sixteenth century

Trademarks
Pepsi
Honda
IBM
Microsoft Word

Words and abbreviations of specific names (but not names of things that came from specific things but are now general types)
Freudian
NBC
pasteurize
UN
french fries
italics

To see the rest of the article click the link below:

Resource: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/592/01/

Although usage varies, most people spell out numbers that can be expressed in one or two words and use figures for other numbers:

Words
over two pounds
six million dollars
after thirty-one years
eighty-three people

Figures
after 126 days
only $31.50
6,381 bushels
4.78 liters

Here are some examples of specific situations.

Days and Years
December 12, 1965 or 12 December 1965
A.D. 1066
in 1900
in 1971-72 or in 1971-1972
the eighties, the twentieth century
the 1980’s or the 1980s

Time of Day
8:00 A.M. (or) a.m. (or) eight o’clock in the morning
4:30 P.M. (or) p.m. (or) half-past four in the afternoon

Addresses
16 Tenth Street
350 West 114 Street

Identification Numbers
Room 8
Channel 18
Interstate 65
Henry VIII

Page and Division of Books and Plays
page 30
chapter 6
in act 3, scene 2 (or) in Act III, Scene ii

Decimals and Percentages
a 2.7 average
13 1/4 percent
.037 metric ton

Large Round Numbers
four billion dollars (or) $4 billion
16,500,000 (or) 16.5 million

Notes on Usage

Repeat numbers in legal or commercial writing.

The bill will not exceed one hundred (100) dollars.

Numbers in series and statistics should be consistent.

two apples, six oranges, and three bananas
NOT: two apples, 6 oranges, and 3 bananas
115 feet by 90 feet (or) 115′ x 90′
scores of 25-6 (or) scores of 25 to 6
The vote was 9 in favor and 5 opposed

Write out numbers beginning sentences.

Six percent of the group failed.
NOT: 6% of the group failed.

Use a combination of figures and words for numbers when such a combination will keep your writing clear.
Unclear: The club celebrated the birthdays of 6 90-year-olds who were born in the city. (may cause the reader to read ‘690′ as one number.)
Clearer: The club celebrated the birthdays of six 90-year-olds who were born in the city.

To see the rest of the article click the link below:

Resource: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/593/01/