Transcript Let`s Eat Grandma or Let`s Eat, Grandma

Let’s Eat Grandma, or
Let’s Eat, Grandma?
Basic Proofreading Tips to Save Lives
Presented by: Dr. Rheanna Plemons, Western Kentucky University
Why is Proofreading Important?
▪ Readers get an impression of your
overall abilities based on your business
communication.
– Credible?
– Detail Oriented?
– Careless?
▪ Ease in Reading and Understanding
– Important documents are often
printed or scanned for future
reference.
Common Mistakes
▪ Run-On Sentences
▪ Using “That” & Other Extras
▪ Ending Sentences with
Prepositions
▪ Broken Uniformity
▪ Using Incorrect Words
▪ Interchanging Singular and
Plural Pronouns
▪ Apostrophe Usage
▪ Comma Usage
▪ Dangling Modifiers
Run-On Sentences
▪ Definition: Two or more sentences
joined without the appropriate
punctuation or a conjunction.
▪ Example:
Students must earn a minimum
of 120 semester hours to
graduate students must earn a
minimum of 42 hours in upperdivision credit.
Run-On Sentences
▪ Possible Fixes:
 Add a period between the two sentences.
Students must earn a minimum of 120 semester hours to graduate. Students
must earn a minimum of 42 hours in upper-division credit.
 Add a coordinating conjunction.
Students must earn a minimum of 120 semester hours to graduate, and
students must earn a minimum of 42 hours in upper-division credit.
Remembering Coordinating Conjunctions
FANBOYS
for
and
nor
but
or
yet
so
Run-On Sentences
▪ Possible Fixes:
 Use a semicolon.
Students must earn a minimum of 120 semester hours to graduate; students
must earn a minimum of 42 hours in upper-division credit.
 Use a semicolon and a transitional phrase.
Students must earn a minimum of 120 semester hours to graduate; in addition,
students must earn a minimum of 42 hours in upper-division credit.
Common Transition Words and Phrases
However
Therefore
Although
Nevertheless
In addition
For example
Run-On Sentences
▪ Possible Fixes:
 Consider colons to make lists of important items.
To earn an undergraduate degree, students must have:
•
•
•
•
•
120 total semester hours.
42 hours in upper-division credit.
A cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
At least a 2.0 GPA in the major(s) or minors(s).
Completed all University and major/minor requirements.
Each bullet should complete the sentence;
therefore, each bullet should have a period at
the end.
Ending Sentences with Prepositions
Sentences should never end
with a preposition! But…
What did you write it on?


On what did you write it?
To keep writing simplistic, remove
prepositions that are not needed.
Where are you at?
Where are you?
The President fell off of the stage.
The President fell off the stage.
Ending Sentences with Prepositions
Remember the majority of the population was
taught to avoid prepositions at the end of a
sentence! So…
– Avoid using prepositions at the end of
sentences, especially in professional settings
(i.e., cover letters, correspondence, etc.)
Example:
These are the options you can choose from.
Possible Fix:
These are the options from which you can
choose.
Ending Sentences with Prepositions
Using Incorrect Words
Spellcheck isn’t artificial intelligence.
There  Their  They’re
Where?
Heir = Person
They are
Your  You’re
You are
Accept  Except
Include
Don’t include the Ex.
Using Incorrect Words
Two  To  Too
Location
Include or Extreme
Its  It’s
It is
Affect  Effect
Verb
Noun
Principle  Principal
Rule
Person or Rank
Interchanging Plural and Singular Words
▪ Singular Subjects have Singular Verbs.
– The Commencement ceremony is on Saturday.
▪ Plural Subjects have Plural Verbs.
– Commencement ceremonies are held in the arena.
Beware Tricky Situations!
The degree audit, which
is divided into sections,
checks for degree
requirements.
The bouquet of flowers
fits well in front of the
podium.
Interchanging Plural and Singular Words
▪ Make sure Pronouns match.
Everyone must have their grades in by noon.
Singular
Plural
Everyone must have his or her grades in by noon.
Art students must submit his or her portfolio for
departmental faculty to review.
Art students must submit their portfolios for
departmental faculty to review.
Apostrophe Usage
▪ When should you use an apostrophe?
– To show possession (i.e., Tony’s shoes; Jones’s
house; Clowns’ noses)
– To make a contraction (i.e., it’s; can’t; they’re;
etc.)
▪ When should you NOT use an
apostrophe?
– Possessive nouns (i.e., theirs, yours, ours, etc.)
– Plural but not possessive (i.e., 1980s, CDs,
DVDs, etc.)
– In Verbs (i.e., finds, seeks, etc.)
Comma Usage
▪ When should a comma be used?
– Before a conjunction connecting two sentences (i.e., I work in
the Office of the Registrar, and I volunteer with a local nonprofit.)
– After a transition word (i.e., I work in the Office of the
Registrar; in addition, I volunteer with a local non-profit.)
– To identify clauses or names (i.e., I, Rheanna Plemons, work in
the Office of the Registrar.)
– To separate three or more items in a list (i.e., My primary job
responsibilities include overseeing degree checkout,
maintaining the degree audit system, and updating the
undergraduate catalog.)
THE OXFORD COMMA SAVES LIVES!
Comma Usage
Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers
▪ A dangling modifier points to or
modifies words that are not clearly
stated.
After the
bartender
finished his drink?
▪ Example: Having been fixed the night
before, the students were able to use
the new registration system.
▪ Fix: Since the new registration system
was fixed the night before, students
could use it.
Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers
▪ A misplaced modifier is a word,
phrase, or clause that is improperly
separated from the word it modifies
/ describes.
▪ Example: The President nearly
stood for 12 hours on
Commencement day.
▪ Fix: The President stood for
nearly 12 hours on Commencement
day.
Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers
Using “That” & Other Extras
▪ Keep it simple; remove unnecessary words.
(Prolixity)
▪ Example: The journal that I received from
SACRAO is on my desk which is a mess.
▪ Fix: The journal I received from SACRAO
is on my messy desk.
Here are some additional fixes:
Using “That” & Other Extras
Wordy Phrases
Possible Solutions
Due to the fact that…
Because
At the same time as…
While
In order to…
To
As to whether…
Whether
Completely finished
Finished
Appear to be…
Appear
It is important that…
Must
For the purpose of…
For
With the possible exception of…
Except
Many different ways…
Many ways
Using “That” & Other Extras
Words to Eliminate
Basically
Essentially
Generally
Tend to
Really
In my opinion
I think that
Various
Virtually
I feel
Apparently
Literally
Broken Uniformity
▪ Consistency is key!
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Bullets
Spaces after Periods
Spaces between lines and paragraphs
Fonts and Sizes
Hyphens and Dashes
Numbers (Phone Numbers; Addresses)
Abbreviations
▪ Use formatting tools.
▪ Pick a style and follow it. (APA, AP, MLA, etc.)
Qualities of a Proofreader
▪ Computer Skills
▪ Attention to Detail and
Patience
▪ Enjoys Reading
▪ Solid knowledge of grammar
▪ Problem-Solver (review manuals,
correct errors)
▪ Consistent
▪ Communication Skills