What Are Acronyms and Initialisms?

Acronyms and initialisms are both abbreviations that are formed by the first letter of each word in the phrase. But there are subtle differences between the two. 

Acronyms use the first letter of each word in the phrase that we pronounce as one word. For example, we often shorten President of the United States to POTUS. 

Initialisms also use the first letter of each word, but each letter is pronounced individually. For example, we pronounce R-S-P-C-A for the acronym for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 

The table below gives some examples of both.

How to Introduce Acronyms and Initialisms

You should always introduce an abbreviation, whether an acronym or initialism, in full the first time you use it, unless it is ubiquitous or certain to be familiar to the reader. For example, few people are likely to know what MICR stands for, so the first time you use it, you should write it in full, with the acronym or initialism in brackets: 

Magnetic-ink character recognition (MICR) 

After introducing the term, you can just use the acronym or initialism. 

However, it’s likely that most people will know what TV stands for, so you don’t have to spell it out, unless the style guide you are using specifies that all acronyms and initialisms must be spelled out. 

As a proofreader, you can either fix this in the text (if you know for sure what term the client has abbreviated) or leave a note for them to introduce the term in full, with the abbreviation in brackets.

Do Acronyms and Initialisms Need Articles?

As a general rule, when an acronym is a proper noun, no articles (i.e., the, a/an) are needed:

She works for NASA.

But this is, however, only true when the acronym is used as a noun. When you use an acronym to qualify another word or term, articles are used where appropriate:

She is a NASA employee.

The NASA mission was a success.

In the first example, NASA is qualifying employee. Without the acronym, we would not know where this person works, just that she is an employee. 

In the second example, NASA is qualifying mission. But, in this sentence, we are talking about a specific mission that NASA conducted, hence the use of the definite article the. 

If an acronym is not a proper noun, you will generally add an article in front of it:

He reacted with a GIF of a keyboard-playing cat.

I can’t use my card because I’ve forgotten the PIN.

Initialisms work a little differently. An initialism that is a proper noun will typically require a definite article:

She works for the FBI.

But you should not use articles with initialisms that refer to substances, diseases, or conditions:

DDT is banned in some countries.

He suffers from RSI.

Again, though, this is only the case where you are using an initialism as a noun. Where you are using an initialism to qualify another word or term, use an article:

The DDT ban exists to counter its adverse effects on the environment.

Here, DDT is modifying ban to specify the type of ban the person is referring to. 

Which Article Should I Use?

In English, we typically use a before words beginning with a consonant sound and an before words beginning with a vowel sound. This is also true of acronyms and initialisms. However, the names of some consonants (e.g., F, M) begin with vowel sounds, while the vowel U starts with a consonant sound. It’s important to remember here that it is the sound rather than the letter that determines which indefinite article you should use:

An FBI agent saw a UFO.

A GIF of an ABBA album cover.

How to Punctuate Acronyms and Initialisms

As a rule of thumb, acronyms and initialisms do not have periods between the letters in UK English. Over time, this style of punctuation (e.g., C.E.O.) has also largely fallen out of vogue in US English, where it used to be much more common. The major exception to this is with the terms US and USA.

In US English, the general rule is to use periods when you use U.S. or U.S.A. as a noun: 

U.S. and U.S.A. 

I am visiting the U.S. next week. 

But, when you use US or USA as an adjective or a modifier, periods are unnecessary: 

US and USA

The US company, Amazon, is one of the highest grossing companies in history. 

Of course, this very much depends on the style guide you are using. If you are uncertain about whether a particular acronym or initialism should have periods between the letters, it is always advisable to check the client’s style guide and adapt the style accordingly.

How to Capitalize Acronyms and Initialisms

Use all caps to write most acronyms and initialisms. There are, however, a few exceptions.

You almost always capitalize initialisms, regardless of dialect. US English treats acronyms the same way. However, some British and Australian English style guides suggest only capitalizing the initial letter of acronyms.

A few specific acronyms and initialisms are lowercase except where they appear at the beginning of a sentence (in which case we capitalize the first letter). Most common among these are e.g. and i.e.

Additionally, some acronyms have become so well known that we consider them words. For many of these words, it’s no longer common knowledge that they were acronyms to begin with. 

The table below gives some examples.

Capitalization can also be a matter of stylistic preference. For example, while PIN is common, the Guardian recommends pin number and the BBC recommends Pin number. Although number is redundant here, it is commonly used, so many news sites still include it in their style guides.

As there is room for variation here, it’s always best to check your client’s style guide.

How to Make Acronyms and Initialisms Plural

You can pluralize acronyms and initialisms in the same way as any other noun, but failing to do so is a common error: 

Portable Document Format > PDF 

Then:

Portable Document Formats > PDF ❌

You should treat acronyms and initialisms the same way as other nouns when making them plural, so:

Portable Document Formats > PDFs  ✅

Note that you should not capitalize the s, as it does not represent a word.

Proofreading Acronyms and Initialisms

Your main goal as a proofreader should always be to ensure clarity and consistency. As such, there may be exceptions to the rules set out in this post. If you are unsure about anything, your first port of call should always be to check the client’s style guide. If no guidance is available, concentrate on clarity and consistency, and leave a comment for the client if necessary.

Becoming A Proofreader

And if proofreading looks like a good fit for you, our Becoming A Proofreader course is the perfect way to start. It teaches you everything you need to know about the English language and the discipline of proofreading, and if you pass both Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor with a score of 80% or more, you are guaranteed work opportunities with our partner company, Proofed. Start your free trial today to see how the Becoming A Proofreader course could help you!

The post What Is the Difference Between an Acronym and an Initialism? appeared first on Knowadays.

What Is a Style Guide?

While proofreading and editing, you will often need to use a style guide. A style guide is a set of standardized guidelines for writing, formatting, and editing documents (or other types of contents). Style guides can include:

• Guidelines for grammar and punctuation usage
• Preferred spellings and word choices
• Descriptions of the desired voice and tone
• Instructions for formatting and design layout
• Expectations on adherence to (or divergence from) official style guides (e.g., APA, Chicago)

Style guides are important because they ensure consistency. If an individual or organization is producing multiple documents or pieces of content, they typically want them to be consistent and coherent.

What Is a Style Sheet?

Style sheets include much of the same information that style guides do and are also made to ensure consistency. However, they are much more concise.

Style guides can be many pages long and cover any issue that might come up when writing or editing a wide range of documents.

A style sheet is often created for a specific document or set of documents. The longer the work becomes, the more important it is that it has its own style sheet. 

A style sheet can be created by the original author, but it is often made by the first editor that works on the document to outline choices they made that need to be adhered to.

When Do I Need to Create a Style Sheet?

If a client specifies using a style guide (e.g., the AP Stylebook or CMoS), you can check it when proofreading should you come across any contentious stylistic issues. In other cases, a client may provide an in-house style sheet covering the same information.

However, if a client does not provide a style sheet, you may need to create one.

This isn’t necessary for shorter, one-off documents, as you should be able to identify stylistic preferences and inconsistencies by eye (and you can resolve any ambiguities with a comment or email). But you should create your own style sheet when:

1. Proofreading a very long document (e.g., a novel manuscript or PhD dissertation) where you may need to ensure consistency across dozens or hundreds of pages
2. Working regularly for one client who wants to ensure consistency across documents.

But what should you include in a proofreading style sheet? Let’s take a look.

What to Include in a Proofreading Style Sheet

The idea of a style sheet is to ensure consistency within a document or set of documents by noting down any stylistic preferences. And while the exact content of a style sheet will depend on the client and/or document in question, it will usually cover things such as the following.

Linguistic Preferences

• English dialect (e.g., British English, American English)
• General writing style (e.g., academic, formal, informal)
• Spelling preferences (e.g., ebook or e-book)
• Preferred terminology or vocabulary choices
• Favored abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms
• Whether to write numbers as words or numerals
• Time and date formats

Punctuation and Capitalization

• Comma usage, including whether to use the Oxford comma
• Use of hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes
• Use of ‘single’ or “double” quotation marks
• Spacing of ellipses (i.e., spaced or unspaced)
• Capitalization preferences (e.g., sentence case or title case)

Formatting and Layout Issues

• Preferred font size and typeface
• Use of bold, italics, and underlining
• Heading and subheading styles
• Indentation and line breaks
• How to begin new chapters and sections
• Page numbering style and consistency
• Use of page footers and headers
• Margins and page orientation
• Presentation of images and other non-textual elements

Not all these will be relevant to every document, so keep your style sheet streamlined by only including necessary information. Likewise, don’t worry about basic rules of grammar or punctuation (e.g., capitalizing proper nouns); focus on what makes your client’s style unique.

How to Structure a Style Sheet

When you know what your style sheet will include, break it down into sections for easy reference. Each section should have a clear heading and cover one aspect of the document’s style: one section for linguistic preferences, one for punctuation, one for formatting, etc.

This will make the style sheet easier to use for yourself, the client, and any other editors who are working on the same project (e.g., if a company hires several editors to work on different documents but needs to ensure consistency across all written content).

Specialist Style Sheets: Academic and Creative Writing

The list above covers general issues that any style sheet might include. However, there are other things that you may need to cover, especially with academic or creative writing.

For academic writing, for instance, you might also need to include:

• Information on your client’s chosen referencing style
• Technical terminology where precision is important
• Labeling and presentation of figures, tables, and charts
• How to format the title page, list of contents, appendices, etc.

For fiction or narrative non-fiction, meanwhile, you may need to cover:

• Character names and key details
• Locations, including details about geography and buildings
• Major plot points and a timeline of events
• Non-standard spellings or slang, especially in dialogue
• How to present characters’ speech and thoughts

As with any style sheet, though, the key is tailoring its content to your client’s requirements.

Template Style Sheets

If you’re not sure how to create a style sheet, have no fear! We have template style sheets available to download for: 

• Fiction
• Non-fiction
• Business writing
• Academic writing

Become a Proofreader with Knowadays

If you’d like to learn more about proofreading, try our Becoming A Proofreader course. It covers everything you need to know to start a career as a freelance proofreader! Our Becoming An Editor course can take your skills to the next level, teaching you all about copy editing, line editing, and comprehensive editing on a wide range of document types.

And if you pass both the Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor courses with scores of 80% or more, you can benefit from our work guarantee with our partner company, Proofed. Get in touch today to find out more!

The post How to Write a Style Sheet for Proofreading or Copy Editing appeared first on Knowadays.

• What is a proofreading mark?
• How to use proofreading marks
• Are proofreading marks still important?

We also provide a free proofreading marks chart that you can use to get familiar with some of the most common marks.

Let’s take a look.

What Is a Proofreading Mark?

Proofreading marks (also known as “proofreader’s marks”) are used by proofreaders and editors when working on a hard-copy (i.e., printed) document. When proofreading on paper, you cannot edit a text directly – all you can do is annotate the document to show the author where they need to make corrections. The proofreader or editor will use proofreading marks to highlight spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors (and sometimes formatting errors too).

How to Use Proofreading Marks

Proofreading marks usually appear in the margins of the document (beside the line containing the error) or inline (on top of the relevant text). Some involve a combination of the two.

Proofreading marks consist of a range of abbreviations and symbols. These marks can vary slightly between editors, but there are standardized systems available, and most use similar markup styles. If you are using proofreading marks, it’s important to either:

1. Ask your client whether they have a specific system they want you to use.
2. Let your client know what the symbols you use mean.

Are Proofreading Marks Still Important?

To some extent, it is useful to know proofreading marks as a freelance proofreader and editor. You may, for example, need to work with a client who prefers feedback on hard copy or a typeset text.

However, this is much rarer than it used to be. And most of the time, you’ll be working with a computer file rather than printed text, so you can track the changes electronically instead.

Proofreading marks consist of a range of abbreviations and symbols, which an editor will use to mark up a printed document. These marks can vary slightly between editors, but there are standardized systems available, and most use similar markup styles.

Proofreading Marks Chart

In the table below, we’ve listed some of the most common proofreading marks, plus examples of how to use them in a manuscript.

Becoming a Proofreader and Editor

To find out more about how modern freelance proofreading and editing works, why not check out the courses Knowadays has available? We’ll provide all the information you need to proofread documents in Microsoft Word, as well as in other digital formats.

The post What Are Proofreading Marks? A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on Knowadays.

To save yourself some time, it pays to bookmark a few online dictionaries. But which are the best online dictionaries for proofreaders? Keep reading to find out! In this blog post, we’ll share our top recommendations.

Why Are Online Dictionaries Useful for Proofreaders?

Before we dive into our favorites, let’s take a look at the reasons why proofreaders should never be without one (or two, or three, or four). Aside from the obvious – they help you catch potential spelling and grammar errors – online dictionaries:

• Are accessible from anywhere in the world with an internet connection (so you can look up words quickly and efficiently without needing to lug around a physical dictionary)
• Typically include a wider range of words than physical dictionaries (including newer and more technical or industry-specific terms)
• Usually provide information about a word’s etymology and historical usage (helping to clarify meaning)
• Frequently include example sentences (to provide context)
• Often offer synonyms and antonyms (allowing you to find alternative words that might better suit the situation)
• Cover spelling and usage variations by dialect (for example, British, American, and Australian English)

What Is the Best Free Online Dictionary?

Of the major print dictionaries available online, Cambridge and Merriam-Webster stand out:

• The online Cambridge Dictionary covers British and American English, with definitions, examples, pronunciations, idioms, synonyms, and grammar advice all present.
• Merriam-Webster, meanwhile, is the leading American English dictionary. In addition, it features medical and legal dictionaries for all your jargon needs.

As for dedicated online dictionaries, top choices include the Dictionary.com and the Free Dictionary:

• Dictionary.com – as well as having an enviable domain name – is easy to use and offers an excellent thesaurus.
• The Free Dictionary, a standard English dictionary and thesaurus, also features medical, legal, and financial dictionaries.

One other online dictionary of note is the Collins Dictionary, which also includes a thesaurus and grammar guides.

What Is the Best Subscription Dictionary?

You may have noticed the absence of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) among our top online resources. That’s because the OED is only available online with a subscription. However, it remains the foremost English historical dictionary, so it’s worth the price for dedicated logophiles!

For those working with Australian English, the Macquarie Dictionary is a great (subscription-based) resource. Again, though, it requires a subscription to use.

What Other Types of Dictionary Are There?

Legal Dictionaries

Legalese can be difficult to penetrate. If you proofread legal writing, the following dictionaries will help:

• Law.com (one of the leading online legal dictionaries)
• Nolo’s Free Dictionary of Law Terms and Legal Definitions
• Wex (hosted by the Legal Information Institute at the Cornell Law School)
• Legal Dictionary of Law Terminology (a free glossary of legal terms)

Scientific and Medical Dictionaries

For proofreading scientific and medical writing, you may find the following sites useful:

• The New Oxford Dictionary for Scientific Writers and Editors
• The Science Dictionary (a search engine for scientific terms)
• Concise Medical Dictionary (contains over 12,000 entries)
• Medical Dictionary Online (includes a glossary and search function)

Other Dictionaries

Other online dictionaries you may want to use include:

• Computer Dictionary of Information Technology (great for tech jargon)
• Online Etymology Dictionary (useful for understanding word origins)
• Acronym Finder (good for looking up unfamiliar abbreviations)
• The Phrase Finder (phrases and idioms defined and explained)
• Urban Dictionary (an extensive repository of slang, from the innocent to the adult)

Are there any online dictionaries you think we should include in this list? If so, leave a comment below to let us know. 

Becoming a Proofreader

If you’d like to brush up on your proofreading skills, our Becoming A Proofreader course is a great place to start! Sign up today or take a look at our free trial.

The post Proofreading Resources: Online Dictionaries appeared first on Knowadays.

• The traditional definition of a “widow” and “orphan” in typography.
• How these words are now often used to describe a typographical “runt.”
• How you should approach widows and orphans as a proofreader.

Read on below to find out what to look for when proofreading typeset texts.

What Is a Widow in Typography?

A widow is a final line that appears on a separate page from the rest of its paragraph. This leaves it by itself at the top of a page, with the rest of the paragraph on the previous page:

Most publishers try to avoid this, since it breaks the flow of the writing.

What Is an Orphan in Typography?

An orphan is a first line that appears on a separate page from the rest of its paragraph. You may spot one at the bottom of a page somewhere:

As with widows, orphans interrupt the flow of writing, so publishers prefer to avoid them.

What Is a Runt in Typography?

So far, so simple. But we’re not done yet! These days, a lot of people use “widow” or “orphan” to refer to a single word or short phrase on a line by itself at the end of a paragraph:

These lonely words and phrases are also known as runts in some cases. What constitutes a runt also varies, though it can include anything less than half the width of a paragraph.

Runts like these aren’t necessarily problems, but they can look untidy and leave a lot of extra white space on a page. Thus, some designers and publishers prefer to avoid them.

Due to the variation in terminology, moreover, it is always worth checking exactly what your client means if they mention widows, orphans, or runts in the brief for a proofreading job.

How to Fix Widows and Orphans

When proofreading a typeset text, such as the page proofs for a book, you’ll want to point out widows, orphans, and runts for your client. You may even want to leave a comment with a suggestion for fixing it (e.g., cutting a word or two from a preceding line).

However, you will not need to change them directly. That’s a job for a typographer! When copy editing a document in a word processor, meanwhile, widows, orphans, and runts aren’t usually an issue since the text isn’t set in place. And many word processors even come with in-built features to prevent widows and orphans occurring.

But, if you know your client will be skipping the typesetting process and printing from the draft, you can note any issues with the layout you spot in the document. If they want you to then tweak the text to remove widows and/or orphans, you can do so.

Becoming A Proofreader

If you’d like to learn more about how to proofread texts of various kinds, our Becoming A Proofreader course was made for you! Sign up for a free trial today to find out more.

The post Editing Tips: Widows and Orphans Explained appeared first on Knowadays.

In this blog post we’re going to explain:

• The difference between a resume and a CV
• The three most common types of resumes (chronological, functional, and combination) 
• How to proofread resumes and CVs

What Is the Difference Between a Resume and a CV?

In the USA, many people distinguish between a resume and a CV as follows:

• A resume is a short (1–2 pages) summary of a person’s work experience, skills, and qualifications, ideally curated to fit the job for which they are applying.
• A CV (or curriculum vitae) presents a detailed account of a person’s professional and academic achievements, which may run to several pages.

However, this is not a universal distinction. People in the UK and other parts of Europe tend to prefer CV for both types of documents. In Australia and South Africa, the terms resume and CV are often used interchangeably.

Different fields may also have their own requirements for resumes and CVs. An academic CV, for instance, is typically longer and more detailed than a standard resume or CV.

As such, it is worth checking what your client is hoping to achieve with their resume or CV before you start proofreading it. You can then tailor your edits to match their requirements.

What Are the Different Types of Resumes?

Resumes and CVs come in three main types:

• Chronological
• Functional
• Combination

Each of these presents information in a slightly different way, so let’s look at how they work.

What Is a Chronological Resume?

A chronological resume presents a person’s work experience and qualifications in reverse chronological order (i.e., starting with the most recent and working back). It will usually include:

• The person’s name and contact details, plus a short personal statement or profile
• Their professional roles and achievements so far, including dates of employment
• Educational achievements and other qualifications
• Other interests or skills relevant to the role
• If required, references and their contact details

The focus here is on continuity and progress. This makes a chronological resume ideal for people who are applying for a new role in the industry they already work in.

Here are some examples of a chronological resume.

What Is a Functional Resume?

A functional resume focuses on skills and expertise. It would usually include:

• The person’s name, contact details, and personal statement
• A list of key skills, starting with the most important, plus examples of how they have been implemented in a professional context
• Basic details of previous job roles and employers
• Educational achievements and other qualifications
• Relevant interests and hobbies
• If required, references and their contact details

Functional resumes focus on skills more than experience. This makes them useful for people who are seeking a career change or who have a gap in their work history.

Here are some examples of a functional resume.

What Is a Combination Resume?

Finally, a combination resume or CV combines elements of both the above. Typically, this takes the form of a list of skills plus a detailed work history. But the layout and content of a combination resume can vary a lot depending on what its author wants to emphasize.

Here are some examples of a combination resume.

How to Proofread Resumes and CVs

A few factors to keep in mind when proofreading resumes and CVs include:

• Length – A good resume is typically around one or two pages long (recruiters are busy, so they often ignore longer resumes). Unless your client is preparing a full curriculum vitae, you may need to make minor edits or suggest cuts to keep their resume concise.
• Clarity – As well as making sure the text itself is clear, you may need to offer advice on presentation to ensure that your client’s resume is easy to navigate. Key factors include using headings effectively and making sure text isn’t too small or cramped to read.
• Tone – The tone and vocabulary of a resume or CV should be professional throughout. As such, you may need to make minor changes to ensure this.
• Consistency with cover letter – If you are proofreading a resume and a cover letter for the same client, check that the information is consistent. You may also want to advise moving details from the resume to the cover letter if the former is too long.

Most importantly, of course, you will need to make sure your client’s resume is error free. Mistakes at this point won’t make a great first impression on potential employers.

Becoming A Proofreader

Did you know that we offer a free trial of our Becoming A Proofreader course? Sign up today to find out how it works and start your journey toward a career in freelance proofreading!

The post How to Proofread Resumes and CVs appeared first on Knowadays.

In today’s blog post, we’ll explain:

• How to identify the ideal sentence length
• How to proofread long sentences
• How to make a sentence shorter

So, how long should a sentence be? Let’s explore this in more detail.

What Should Be Your Average Sentence Length?

Regarding the average sentence length, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. However, it’s possible to overwrite and use more words than necessary. Likewise, you can have sentences that are too short and choppy. In either case, such sentences become hard to read. The ideal sentence length can vary depending on the context, audience, and the specific message you want to convey. Here are some general guidelines to consider:

1. Clarity and Readability

A good rule of thumb is to aim for sentences that are clear and easy to read. On average, sentences ranging from 15 to 20 words strike a balance between providing enough information and maintaining readability. This length is particularly effective for blog posts and other web content.

2. Vary Your Sentence Length

While shorter sentences are often preferred, mixing in longer ones for variation is essential. When used sparingly, long sentences, up to 30 words or more, can add depth and complexity to your writing. As a result, they’re great for conveying intricate ideas or storytelling.

3. Tailor to Your Audience

Consider the demographics of your target audience. Longer sentences are better for a more academic or technical audience, while a general audience might favor shorter ones.

4. Adapt to Your Content Type

The content of your writing will determine sentence lengths. Social media posts benefit from short, punchy sentences, while whitepapers may accommodate longer, in-depth ones.

How to Proofread Long Sentences

As proofreaders, we must make sentences clear and concise while preserving the author’s meaning. Proofreading long sentences can be challenging, especially if you’re a newbie proofreader. While longer sentences are sometimes necessary, they risk becoming convoluted or unclear. Here’s how to ensure lengthy sentences are well-structured and error-free:

1. Break It Down

Divide lengthy sentences into shorter, more manageable ones. Not only can this can help avoid reader fatigue, it can also enhance comprehension. Make sure each sentence conveys a single, clear point.

2. Punctuation Matters

Use punctuation effectively. Commas, semicolons, and dashes can help create natural pauses within long sentences, thus making them easier to read. But be mindful not to overuse these, as they can lead to cluttered sentences.

3. Check for Parallelism

Long sentences can become confusing if they lack parallel structure. Ensure that all parts of the sentence follow a consistent pattern.

4. Edit for Redundancy

Redundancy can creep in unnoticed in long sentences. Trim down any repetitiveness or unnecessary phrases to make the sentence more concise.

5. Simplify Vocabulary

An essay normally requires academic language and specific terminology. However, complex words might not be needed for a general audience. Consider replacing them with simpler alternatives. This shortens sentences and makes the content more accessible to a broader audience.

How to Make a Sentence Shorter

Sometimes, you’ll need to shorten a sentence without losing its essence. Here are some tips for making sentences more concise:

1. Identify Filler Words

Look out for words such as that, very, really, and just. They add little to sentences, so eliminate them to tighten writing.

2. Remove Redundancies

As previously mentioned, removing redundancies makes writing more concise. Pay attention to a word or phrase that conveys the same meaning as another. Choose one and then delete the other. For example:

I withdrew some money from the ATM machine. ✘

I withdrew some money from the ATM. ✔

In this example, we have removed machine from the sentence because it’s redundant. ATM stands for Automated Teller Machine. Why should we have machine twice in the same sentence?

3. Focus on Strong Verbs

Replace weak verbs with stronger, more specific ones, which convey the same idea in fewer words. For example:

Marcus’s passion for travel motivated him toward accomplishing the goal of becoming a travel vlogger. ✘

This example is a bit wordy and uses a weak verb. To rephrase it, let’s try this:

Marcus’s passion for travel inspired him to become a travel vlogger. ✔

4. Use Active Voice

Choose active voice over passive voice, especially if you’re working on an academic document for a client. Active voice sentences tend to be shorter and more direct, and as a result are often easier to understand. For example:

Joe was bitten by a spider (passive). ✘

A spider bit Joe (active). ✔

5. Focus on the Main Point

Ensure each sentence revolves around a single central idea. If you find a sentence with multiple concepts, then consider breaking them into distinct sentences.

6. Consider the Number of Clauses

Check the number of clauses in a sentence. Every sentence should have at least one independent clause. You should watch out for multiple independent clauses that aren’t connected or punctuated correctly in a single sentence, resulting in run-on sentences or comma splices. For instance:

I am really tired today, I was out late last night.

You can either replace the comma with a period or a semicolon. Here’s how the sentence would look in either case:

I am really tired today. I was out late last night.

 I am really tired today; I was out late last night.

You can also combine clauses using coordinating conjunctions.

Becoming a Proofreader

Do you dream of working remotely as a freelance proofreader or editor? Our comprehensive courses, Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor, can help you launch your new freelance career. Try them for free today!

The post How Long Should a Sentence Be? appeared first on Knowadays.

If you’re not sure how to cite a play by Shakespeare accurately, don’t worry! In this blog post, we’ll set out the key rules for citing Shakespeare’s plays in some of the major referencing systems:

• MLA 
• APA 
• Chicago 
• MHRA 

Keep reading to learn more.

How to Cite Shakespeare in MLA Style

MLA style recommends citing Shakespeare’s plays using act, scene, and line numbers rather than standard page numbers. For example:

A Midsummer Night’s Dream addresses love early on (Shakespeare 1.1.234–235).

However, if your client has cited more than one of Shakespeare’s plays, they will need to replace the author’s name with the source title. This is because MLA referencing doesn’t use a date of publication in citations, so the title helps readers distinguish between sources by the same author.

In addition, for Shakespeare’s plays, MLA style suggests a series of standard abbreviations for use in citations. Your client should use these rather than shortening titles themselves:

Shakespeare touched on this theme many times (e.g., MND 1.1.234–235; TN 1.1.1; Rom. 1.1.181), suggesting the nature of love was a point of fascination for him.

The passage above, for example, cites A Midsummer Night’s Dream (MND), Twelfth Night (TN), and Romeo and Juliet (Rom.), with the abbreviations keeping the citations succinct.

Meanwhile, the format for Shakespeare’s plays in an MLA “Works Cited” list will depend on how your client accessed the source (e.g., online or a print anthology). However, entries should always include full publication details for the version cited in the document.

How to Cite Shakespeare in APA Style

APA referencing uses its author–date citations when citing Shakespeare. The main issue to look out for is the date, which should include two dates separated by a forward slash:

Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare, 1597/2021) is the most famous love story ever written.

The first year here (1597) refers to the year the play was originally published. The second (2021) is the year of publication for the specific edition referenced. In this respect, Shakespeare plays follow the standard rules for reprinted works in APA referencing.

The other key point relates to quotations and paraphrases from Shakespeare plays, which should be cited with act, scene, and line numbers rather than page numbers:

It is at this point we encounter the famous line from the balcony scene: “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” (Shakespeare, 1597/2021, 2.2.35).

This shows that the quote comes from act 2, scene 2, line 35 of Romeo and Juliet.

In an APA reference list, meanwhile, Shakespeare plays are typically cited as reprinted books (i.e., with an original date of publication at the end of the reference). Make sure to check your client includes the edition cited, as line numbers can vary between versions.

How to Cite Shakespeare in Chicago Style

Chicago style varies depending on the version of this system used (i.e., footnote citations or parenthetical author–date citations). However, there are two things that always apply:

• The Chicago Manual of Style suggests using act, scene, and line numbers when citing classic English plays, including Shakespeare plays.
• Writers should include the edition of the text used for clarity on line numbers.

In the footnote version of Chicago referencing, then, the first footnote might look like this:

1. William Shakespeare, The Tempest, ed. Alden T. Vaughan and Virginia Mason Vaughan (London: Bloomsbury, 2011), 1.1.20–26. References are to act, scene, and line.

Here, for example, the citation is for lines 20 to 26 in act 1, scene 1 of The Tempest. The full publication information and the sentence “References are to act, scene, and line” would be only required on the first reference, though: subsequent citations can typically be shortened.

A Chicago author–date citation of the same passage, meanwhile, would look like this:

We see this early on in The Tempest (Shakespeare 2011, 1.1.20–26).

Both versions of Chicago style also require the full publication details for the version cited in the bibliography/reference list, so make sure to check if this information is present.

How to Cite Shakespeare in MHRA Style

In the MHRA referencing system, Shakespeare’s plays should be cited using the guidelines for citing plays and other long works (i.e., classic works with established subdivisions such as scenes, books, cantos, and similar). In practice, this means:

• The edition used should be included in the first footnote citation.
• Citations should include act, scene, and line numbers (not page numbers).
• Act numbers should be given in Roman numbers (small capitals).
• Scenes and line numbers should be given in Arabic numerals.

In practice, then, the first citation of a Shakespeare play would look like this:

1. William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, ed. by Peter Holland (London: Penguin Classics, 2015), ɪɪ. 3. 15.

For subsequent citations of the same play, MHRA suggests shortening the footnote to just the author’s name and the pinpoint citation (still given with act, scene, and line numbers):

2. Shakespeare, ᴠ. 1. 18–25.

However, if there could be doubt about the play in question (e.g., if your client is citing more than one Shakespeare play in a single document), footnotes should give the play name instead:

1. William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, ed. by Peter Holland (London: Penguin Classics, 2015), ɪɪ. 3. 15.

2. William Shakespeare, The Tempest, ed. by Alden T. Vaughan and Virginia Mason Vaughan (London: Bloomsbury, 2011), ɪ. 1. 20–26.

3. The Merchant of Venice, ᴠ. 1. 18–25.

In the bibliography entry, meanwhile, your client should include the full publication details.

Reference Variations

We’ve offered some brief guidelines on how to present Shakespeare plays in reference lists for the systems above, but this can depend on how your client has accessed the source.

For example, a student using APA referencing might access a Shakespeare play online and reference it as a website. As long as all the relevant source information is given, this is usually fine. Your role will be to check references for clarity and consistency.

Nevertheless, if you’re not sure about the reference format for a Shakespeare play in a specific system, make sure to look it up (either online or in the relevant style guide).

Becoming A Proofreader

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The post A Guide to Citing Shakespeare in Academic Writing appeared first on Knowadays.

So, how does the Ngram Viewer work? And how can you use it while proofreading and editing?

What Is an N-gram?

An n-gram, in basic terms, is a statistical analysis of how frequently something, such as a word or phrase, appears in writing or speech. N-grams help you understand patterns and connections between words. By looking at them, you can learn about popular phrases, find mistakes, and make sure your writing is consistent.

What Is the Google Ngram Viewer?

Google Ngram Viewer is a tool that allows you to see how frequently certain words or phrases have appeared over a specified period. When you input a word or phrase, Google Ngram Viewer will generate a graph. If you input more than one word or phrase, each one will be represented by a color-coded line, allowing you to compare them side-by-side.

The tool provides a quick and easy way to see how the usage and popularity of a word or phrase have changed over time. This makes it useful for linguistic research, language analysis, and cultural studies. And of course, proofreaders and editors.

How Does Google Ngram Viewer Work?

Google Ngram Viewer works by analyzing the Google Books database. For instance, if you search for usable and useable you can see that the former is much more common in the archived texts. It also shows you how the use of these spellings has changed over the years.

Google’s Ngram Viewer (Usable vs. Useable)

By creating an n-gram you can:

• See which spelling is considered standard between two variants
• Check whether a variant spelling is still used in modern English
• Compare the use of words and spellings in British and American English
• Check whether a term is typically capitalized (e.g., Brownian motion vs. brownian motion)

In other words, the Ngram Viewer is a handy reference tool for editors and proofreaders.

How to Use Google Ngrams Viewer in Google Books

To generate an n-gram in the Google Ngram viewer:

• Go to the Ngram Viewer webpage
• Enter the terms you want to compare, separated by a comma (if you’re not concerned about capitalization, make sure to select the case-insensitive checkbox)
• If required, select the dates you want to check between (the default is 1800‒2008) and the corpus you want to check (e.g., English, British English, American English)
• Hit search lots of books to produce a graph featuring your selected terms

You can also adjust the smoothing option before searching, but this only affects the presentation of the graph. The default setting is fine for most searches.

Are N-grams Good for Proofreaders and Editors?

N-grams are a very useful tool for proofreaders and editors. Google Ngram Viewer creates a clear, visual representation of how particular words and phrases are typically used, making it easier to spot any unusual word combinations, outdated language, grammatical errors, or spelling errors. 

Is Google’s Ngram Viewer Accurate?

Before we leave you, we should raise a note of caution: Google’s Ngram Viewer is a useful tool, but it isn’t perfect! It only looks at published books, with an emphasis on scientific literature, so its results won’t perfectly reflect how people use words in the real world.

Also, clients may choose to use a non-standard spelling sometimes. And unless that causes any problems with clarity in a document, the variant spelling may be fine as it is.

Most of the time, if you feel that an author is using an unusual spelling, it is better to leave a comment noting the potential problem. You can even use a link to the relevant n-gram to show your client why they may want to use the standard spelling. 

Ngram Viewer is not definitive. So, remember to use your judgement when checking spelling.

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The post How to Use Google Ngram Viewer While Proofreading appeared first on Knowadays.

In today’s blog post, you’ll learn:

• What active and passive voice are
• Examples of them in context
• When you should opt for passive voice
• How to change passive voice to active voice when proofreading documents

What Is Active Voice?

Active voice is a sentence construction where the subject performs the action. In active voice, the subject is the doer, and the action is directed toward an object.

This form of expression is straightforward, direct, and often more engaging for readers. As a result, writers are encouraged to use active voice.

Active Voice Examples

Sentences that use active voice follow this formula:

Subject + Verb (action) + Object.

For example:

The chef prepared a delicious meal.

The team won the championship.

Mark threw the ball.

We use active voice when we want the reader to focus on the subject and action of the sentence.

You might notice that fiction writers often use active voice in their stories. It works particularly well in character-driven narratives, where the focus is on the character’s emotions and decisions. Active voice can help writers “speed up” the narrative by making the action more direct and immediate. Similarly, because active voice places emphasis on the subject performing the action, it can help readers place themselves in or envision a scene more vividly.

What Is Passive Voice?

On the other hand, passive voice is a construction where the subject receives the action. In passive voice, the object becomes the sentence’s subject, and the doer is placed at the end or omitted.

Passive Voice Examples

Sentences that use passive voice follow this formula:

Object + A “Be” Verb (e.g., is or were) + Past Participle of Main Verb + By + Agent.

For example:

A delicious meal was prepared by the chef.

The championship was won by the team.

The ball was thrown by Mark.

When Should You Use Passive Voice?

Readers tend to favor active voice due to its direct and clear tone. However, there are times when it’s appropriate to use passive voice:

1. When you want to emphasize the action: Passive voice can be useful when the action itself is more critical than the doer. For instance, “The documents were stolen” emphasizes the theft over who committed it.
2. When there is an unknown or unimportant doer: If the doer is unknown or unimportant in a sentence, passive voice is a handy choice. For example, “Mistakes were made” doesn’t specify who made the mistakes.
3. To create object-centric focus: When you want to emphasize the object or the recipient of the action, passive voice is apt. “A new product was launched” places emphasis on the product, not the entity that launched it.

How to Change Passive Voice to Active Voice

Proofreaders often encounter passive sentences that can be improved for clarity and readability. Making such changes isn’t difficult. The key is identifying the subject performing the action and restructuring the sentence accordingly. Let’s look at some examples of passive-to-active transformations:

Passive: The presentation was given by Tom.

Active: Tom gave the presentation.

Here, we’ve shifted the focus from the passive “was given” to the active “gave.”

Passive: The report has been reviewed by the manager.

Active: The manager has reviewed the report.

In this example, we’ve restructured the sentence to highlight the manager as the doer of the action.

Passive: The project will be completed by the team next week.

Active: The team will complete the project next week.

A client might prefer using passive voice, so it’s best to verify that they are happy with your changes. You can simply do this by leaving a comment in the document.

Summary: Active vs. Passive Voice

Understanding the difference between active and passive voice is vital for effective communication. Active voice is direct and engaging, while passive voice can be useful when focusing on the action or when the doer isn’t important.

Changing from passive to active voice involves identifying the subject or doer and reordering the sentence accordingly.

By mastering both voices, you can help your clients tailor their writing to their audience and purpose as well as improve clarity and readability.

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The post What’s the Difference between Active and Passive Voice? appeared first on Knowadays.