Proofreader, Karen Miller, often reads a book and spots proofreading errors that niggle at her. She's kindly submitted a guest article to Page Turner Awards to help our writers from making the same errors.
When Karen proofreads a document, the main grammar errors she keeps coming across are listed below, along with some solution options to the slip-ups!
Careful with that Comma!
Some are comma happy, others comma shy. We use commas:
- After an introductory phrase/words
- To set apart non-essential information in a sentence
- Between adjectives that change the same noun they are referring to
Incorrect subject-verb agreement
How to modify the verb in a sentence containing a compound subject:
- The dog and the cat are digging up the garden (is simple enough)
- When two singular words are connected by ‘or’ or ‘nor’, however, a singular verb should be used:
Either the dog or the cat is digging up the garden.
Neither the dog nor the cat is digging up the garden.
Comma Splices (see, that word ‘comma’ again! it’s everywhere …)
Comma splices are easy to miss, many writers use them every day.
Aha – did you spot the comma splice above?
Above, the clauses on both sides of the comma expressed a complete thought. Therefore, they need more than a comma to separate them. Here are some options:
- Use a full stop: Comma splices are easy to miss. Many writers use them every day.
- Use a semi colon: Comma splices are easy to miss; many writers use them every day.
Ellipses (singular, ellipsis)
More contention caused! Should there be a space between the periods (. . .) or not (…)? This depends on the Style Guide you’re following. The most common guides: MLA, APA, and Chicago say have spaces; whereas, journalism may not!
- Whichever one you choose, ensure you keep the original punctuation around your ellipsis in place!
Redundant Expressions
We all know that redundant means unnecessary. In writing, therefore, a ‘redundant’ word is when a word repeats the meaning of another word already there. Here are a couple of examples:
- Don’t tell him your PIN number!
- You must have this done by twelve midnight.
Dangling Modifier!
A funny expression, but a nightmare in the writing world! Your word positioning is EVERYTHING. A wrong word in the wrong place can change the entire meaning of your sentence.
- These ‘modifiers’ are words/phrases that affect the meaning of another part of a sentence.
Here’s a common example:
- Stepping off the boat, New York looked great.
We assume that (in the above sentence), stepping off the boat applies to a character or narrator who then expresses their opinion of New York.
To correct a dangling modifier, just identify the thing or person modified:
- Stepping off the boat, ‘person’s name’ thought that New York looked great.
Misplaced Modifier!
Again, word positioning is imperative. And yes, a modifier has been misplaced. So, what’s being modified in a sentence? A good example I’ve seen used:
- Oliver picked up the rubber clown’s nose.
Yes, it’s a rubber nose, but the sentence makes this ambiguous. It could imply that Oliver is picking up the nose of a rubber clown (I’m just saying …). So, to be clear, let’s avoid any confusion by rewriting:
- Oliver picked up the clown’s rubber nose.
There are more examples of each and many more mistakes/overlooks, but I’ve listed the main, general ones rather than go into too much detail. And remember, like everything: there are always exceptions to the rule!
