Proofreading Tips
Whether you’re just getting started or are an experienced proofreader, there’s always something new to learn. That’s where our blogs come in! We've got expert advice on spelling, grammar, punctuation, referencing, proofreading different types of writing (from creative to business and academic), and much more!
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How Commas Pull Their Weight
How Commas Pull Their Weight
Published Mar 09, 2018
Last Updated Mar 07, 2025In previous posts, we’ve discussed how proofreaders need to be aware of meaning when working on a document. And it’s not only word choice that affects meaning: punctuation can also change a sentence. In this post, then, we look at a few things you can do with commas. Direct Address A comma is necessary to […]
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Top 3 Justifications for Sentence Fragments
Top 3 Justifications for Sentence Fragments
Published Mar 01, 2018
Last Updated Nov 19, 2024This post is very. Let that sink in for a moment. Deep, isn’t it? Unfortunately, it’s also poor grammar. As proofreaders, we know that incomplete sentences are usually unacceptable. But there are circumstances in which a partial sentence might make sense. Thus, here are our top three reasons to leave sentence fragments be. 1. For […]
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Citing Edited Books in MLA and IEEE
Published Feb 15, 2018
Last Updated Nov 28, 2024We’re sorry. We’ve made you wait, trembling with anticipation, for the next exciting instalment of our occasional series on referencing. Perhaps your desperation for referencing tips has led you to seek out the darker corners of the internet for dodgy tips cut with misconceptions. Stop. We have the good stuff. And if you’re not sure […]
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Transatlantic Differences: 3 Tips on UK vs. US Punctuation
Published Feb 06, 2018
Last Updated Nov 26, 2024America and the UK have been cultural cousins for some time. For better or for worse, they therefore bear some striking resemblances, such as sharing a language. But there are some important differences in how each country uses English. The differences between UK and US spelling (e.g. organise vs. organize) and word usage (e.g. trousers […]
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Unruly Prefixes: Pre and Pro
Published Jan 23, 2018
Last Updated Nov 18, 2024Prefixes. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t communicate without ‘em. Can’t even say prefixes without ‘em. And we can see both how essential and how tricky they are by looking at the words prescribe and proscribe. First, though, some preliminaries. Prefixes for Beginners If you’re pursuing a career in proofreading, you probably know a thing or […]
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When Alright and Anymore Aren’t All Right Any More
Published Jan 16, 2018
Last Updated Nov 26, 2024Even as a proofreader, alright and anymore may not ring any alarm bells. In less formal English, both are common. But two things you may need to know about these words include: That alright technically isn’t a word. That anymore (as one word) has a very specific usage. So put on your editing hats and […]
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How to Fix Subject–Verb Agreement Errors
Published Jan 09, 2018
Last Updated Nov 25, 2024Do you ever feel like the only voice of reason in a world where all the words hate each other? We do. Sometimes, arranging a sentence so that it reads naturally is a daunting task. This is particularly true of ensuring that verbs agree when dealing with things like compound subjects and collective nouns. So […]
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What to Do When a Document Is Hard to Follow
Published Jan 01, 2018
Last Updated Nov 26, 2024Early January is just like any other time of year, except you see a lot more people jogging in an attempt to keep to their new year’s resolutions. But here at Proofreading Academy, we believe that your resolutions don’t have to be exhausting! So instead of paying a year’s membership fees for two days at […]
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Ghosts of Typing Conventions Past
Ghosts of Typing Conventions Past
Published Dec 25, 2017
Last Updated Nov 19, 2024Chapter 1: Common Misconceptions It was Christmas Eve and Mr Scrivener Drudge, a wicked old miser who bore no similarity to anyone that would raise copyright issues, sat gloomily at the computer in his office. His nephew had bought it for him last Christmas after, in a fit of rage, Drudge threw his typewriter at […]
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Citing Chapters of Edited Books in Harvard and APA
Citing Chapters of Edited Books in Harvard and APA
Published Dec 19, 2017
Last Updated Nov 28, 2024The Becoming A Proofreader course has an academic referencing module that tells you how books, journal articles and websites should be cited in the Harvard, APA, MLA, Chicago and IEEE styles. But it would take a hefty book to cover all possible sources and referencing styles. So every now and then our blog will focus […]