I provide freelance writing, editing, and proofreading services, primarily for authors and literary publications. Projects include books, magazines, and websites. I’m proficient in Chicago style and also work with in-house style guides.
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Handy Hint: Upmost vs. Utmost
Which is correct? A) Grammar is a subject of the upmost importance. B) Grammar is a subject of the utmost importance. Whether or not you agree with the statement, the correct answer is B. Many people mistakenly use “upmost” when … Continue reading
Handy Hint: Because vs. Since
Which is correct? A) I’m writing about word usage because it’s a popular topic. B) I’m writing about word usage since it’s a popular topic. If you read the results of my recent poll, you know both statements are true. … Continue reading
Handy Hint: A While vs. Awhile
Which sentences are not correct? A) John and Jane have been dating for a while. B) John and Jane have been dating for awhile. C) John and Jane started dating a while ago. D) John and Jane started dating awhile … Continue reading
Handy Hint: On to vs. Onto
It’s easy to pass over this one in conversation, but when editing, you may find yourself coming to a complete halt to decide between the two. According to Merriam-Webster, “onto” is a preposition meaning “to a position on” (he hopped … Continue reading
Handy Hint: Hyphens and Adverbs
Copy editors love hard-and-fast rules (they make our job easier), but unfortunately, there aren’t many of them. Even though we have style guides, it seems a lot of “rules” are open to interpretation – and misinterpretation. So it’s no wonder … Continue reading
The Tricky Past Tense
A friend of mine recently asked if the past tense of “dream” is “dreamed” or “dreamt.” Dreamed or dreamt. Dreamt or dreamed. The more I thought about it, the more they both seemed correct. She also wanted to know whether … Continue reading
Handy Hint: Toward vs. Towards
Which sentence is correct? A) John walked toward Jane. B) John walked towards Jane. Both are! For those of you who resolved to improve your grammar in 2008 (good for you!) I’m starting you off with an easy one. There’s … Continue reading
Handy Hint: Orphans and Widows
Some editors never see their work past the manuscript stage, but others are responsible for proofreading layouts and should know the difference between orphans and widows. Although both are single lines separated from the rest of a paragraph, orphans are … Continue reading
Copy Editing vs. Proofreading
The terms are often used interchangeably, but technically, they serve separate editorial functions. Generally, copy editors rework content and correct grammar, punctuation, and style whereas proofreaders make sure these edits are accurately laid out. While there is some overlap between … Continue reading
Handy Hint: Compounds and Hyphens
Compound modifiers, also known as adjectival or adverbial phrases, are made up of two or more words that describe a noun. In general, hyphenate them when they come before a noun, such as “low-income family” or “open-minded person.” However, if … Continue reading
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It’s a Punctuation Celebration!
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For some people, the holiday season starts with Halloween; for others, it’s Thanksgiving—or the day after—and for a festive few, the party never stops. But for language lovers, it’s National Punctuation Day, “a light-hearted opportunity to teach good punctuation” from founder and former newspaper reporter Jeff Rubin, aka Punctuation Man. (Despite his journalistic background, he endorses the serial comma.)
The seventh-annual punctuation celebration features a haiku contest (e.g., “Punctuation marks: / Commas, colons, periods / That give words meaning”). Hundreds have already entered, and winners will receive—what else?—punctuation prizes. (Visit the website for submission guidelines and other ways to participate.)
The holiday has a punctuation publication, The Exclamation Point, with book recommendations, literacy news from around the world, and articles about Punctuation Playtime, a “program that teaches elementary school students punctuation in a fun and engaging way” from Rubin and his wife, Norma.
There are also the requisite T-shirts, cards, and mugs, but of course the best way to celebrate is to learn the rules of proper punctuation. It’s easier than it sounds, and the National Punctuation Day website has plenty of products and resources to help you do so.