Writing Mistakes To Avoid : Part 1

In keeping with our ultimate mission of helping others to grow as writers, we will be dedicating one blog post a week to common mistakes we see involving grammar, spelling, meaning, pronunciation and writing.

A large portion of our customers come to us with work related to the academics. Whether it be essays, theses, dissertations, or any other scholarly work, there are a variety of mistakes that we encounter over and over again, across all disciplines. Today's post will cover two of the most common mistakes we see.

1.) I couldn't care less vs. I could care less

In regard to wording, perhaps the most common mistake that can be found is connected to the statement "I could care less." Spoken often by undergraduates, fed-up spouses and misunderstood teenagers, the phrase is used to communicate the idea that the speaker is physically impossible of caring less about something. In essence, the speaker is communicating the exact opposite of what they intend. Instead, simply use "I could not care less."
       

2.) Intents and purposes vs. intensive purposes

The second most common mistake we encounter is a mix-up of an oft-quoted saying. In many papers, we see the phrase "for all intensive purposes." Despite sounding correct, it is actually a garbled form of the correct words: "For all intents and purposes." A phrase such as this, which is most often encountered in verbal and social situations, has slipped past the part of our brain that processes word-by-word meaning, becoming a nearly universal writing mistake.


Are there any other mistakes you encounter in your own studies that you'd like to tell us about? Join the discussion below!

Be sure to check back for more common mistakes to avoid and let us help you grow as a writer!

For more information, please visit our website at www.universityproofreading.com and follow us on Twitter!

The Dash vs The Hyphen

What on earth is the difference between the dash "—" and the hyphen "-"?

Let's begin with the dash. It is important to note that there are two types of dashes. First, we will look at the em dash. Then, we will look at the en dash.

The em dash "—" is used to signify a change in thought, or to highlight a purposeful pause.

Example: The family will be going to Timothy's graduation—if he doesn't fail his physics class. 

Example: Stockholm—the capital city of Sweden—is about a six hour drive from Denmark.

The em dash is also used as a substitute for commas when a particular part of a sentence is important and needs to be stressed.

Example: Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology—the most difficult college courses—have to be completed by sophomore year.

Example: The most important items on my grocery list—sugar, milk and flour—must be bought this week so that I can make the cake.

The en dash "–" is used in place of the word to when referring to a span of time or measure of distance. It also used to form compound words.

Example: John played professionally from the years 1990–2000. 

Example: The London–New York flight is scheduled for eight hours.

Example: Janet attended the monthly Parent–Teacher conference.

The hyphen is used to join two or more words. Hyphens distinguish individual words in a compound verb, adjective or adverb. Hyphens are also use for some numbers.

Example: His store only sold high-quality suits.

Example: The English-based course was given in Berlin. 

Example: Paulette's mother is forty-nine years old.

Never use the hyphen, em dash and en dash interchangeably! They each have their specific purpose. Do you have any good examples of correct (or incorrect) usages of dashes and hyphens? Join the conversation by posting a comment!

If you have any questions, visit us on the web at www.universityproofreading.com

Editing Takes On the 21st Century

From the imagination of the author to the hands of the reader, the process of creating a published work involves a multitude of people all fulfilling diverse but necessary functions. Despite the resources of such a large group of people, sometimes mistakes do make it through to the final process. The increasingly technological world we live in makes these errors more costly than ever.

From its humble beginnings in a train station cafe to its eventual place at the top of contemporary youth fiction, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series spans 3,407 pages over seven books. Featuring over 100 unique characters, a multitude of locales and a bevy of spells, Rowling herself had trouble keeping track of everything. So like any top grossing children's author does, she employed rigorous fact checkers alongside her usual editors. Despite this team approach to covering the full Harry Potter lexicon, many minor inaccuracies and false continuities made it to the publishing stage. Fans began to take to message boards to post every mistake they could. The practice became something of a sport. Eventually, whole websites were dedicated to finding inaccuracies and reporting them.

The case of Harry Potter highlights the effect that the spread of social media and personal communications have had on the visibility of proofreading. Any person with an internet connection can remark upon any number of errors a piece of published writing may have. As such, proper proofreading is more relevant than ever. Glaring errors in one’s writing is the grammatical version of showing up late for an appointment. How would you want your first impression to look?

Be sure to visit us at www.universityproofreading.com and happy writing!