Proofreading Services Retired
We’ve officially closed our proofreading services. You can probably guess why. With AI tools like ChatGPT now doing the job for free (and instantly), the demand for human proofreaders has all but vanished. If you still prefer a human touch, you're part of a rare—and shrinking—breed. We're now back to our roots: a forum for nitpicking the finer points of the English language. Thanks for your past support. We appreciate it.
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Latest Posts : Punctuation and Mechanics
From Jim Van:
“If the Recovery (read it Money) is in the millions [of dollars], even 4 decimal places would make a SIGNIFICANT figures.”
Question: What difference in use between parenthesis and square brackets?
On page 89 of “Eats, Shoots & Leaves”, Lynne Truss writes, “I wonder why?” Many people put a question mark at the end of this phrase, but to me it doesn’t seem like a question. Isn’t it a statement? “I wonder” is a statement. “Why” is a question in and of itself. In this context, though, the question mark is not making sense to me.
I am a student working on a thesis in anthropology and I am quoting one of my informants. In his quote, he says “United States Geological Service.” I know that it’s “United States Geological SURVEY,” not “service.” Should I put [sic] after the word “service” in the quote? Is it obnoxious to do that? Is it necessary?
How ought one format citations from specific books of the Bible. For example: According to the Book of James, “Faith without works is dead.” Should “Book of James” be underline/italicized?
My students choose a favorite piece of their own writing to read aloud to thier parents at an event we call “Writers Forum.” Should it be “Writers Forum” or “Writers’Forum”?
I’m writing for a trivia book that will use quote marks to signify a title. Would a correct possessive be:
How tall is “Sesame Street’s” Big Bird? or How tall is “Sesame Street”’s Big Bird?
In the phrase “...ranked in the top five in PC Magazine’s top-20 list...” I know that “PC Magazine” should be italicized. But should the italic formatting carry over to the apostrophe-s or not?
Imagine the title of an essay:
A Study of Molecular-Based Reactions A Study of Molecular-based Reactions
(I’m not a scientist so ignore whether or not the title makes sense!)
Which is correct, or more widely accepted? Personally I think the first one looks best.
Can I use a colon and a semicolon in the same sentence? Here’s my example, “There were no known friends or family members, so besides his physical symptoms he was admitted with only one certainty: his longstanding IV drug use; he had numerous track marks and was noticeably malnourished.” Is there a better way to structure this?
What is the term for the punctuation that is seen in theater programs, such as:
The Cast Maria...........................................Julie Andrews Capt. Von Trapp.................Christopher Plummer
I’m asking specifically about the multiple periods--is there a punctuation term for them as a group like “ellipsis” is for three periods?
Thank you! Deborah :)
