The difficulties international students sometimes face with grammar when writing documents in the English language.
Astronomy: An additional specialist proofreading subject
I have recently added a specialist proofreading subject to those I handle: astronomy. Since I was a teenager I have had a deep interest in astronomy and space exploration. This was triggered by the Apollo 11 Moon landing placing the […]
Share this:
What is the difference between copyediting and proofreading?
The difference between copyediting and proofreading: in many instances people will seek out proofreaders, while expecting copyediting skills. Often, people are not aware of the differences between the two disciplines. Some even assume they are the same thing. However, they […]
Share this:
Students: How a proofreader can help you with your essay
Not all students are blessed with a command of perfect or exceptional English. Many international students, for whom English is a second (or perhaps even third) language find it difficult to express themselves in writing when compiling essays or other […]
Share this:
Words that once meant something different
Words are constantly changing meaning, usually over long periods of time. We all learn to cope with it as words change meaning as long as words have existed. Some words that used to mean something very different are discussed below. Awful: […]
Share this:
How NOT to write a novel – from an established author
Many months ago (in 2019) I read an interesting article by Fay Weldon in a Sunday magazine. She is the author of Life and Loves of a She-Devil that was also turned into an excellent TV series some years ago. […]
Share this:
Is the double negative a definite no-no?
The Oxford Dictionary of English says a double negative “is a negative statement containing two negative elements (for example he didn’t say nothing)” and “a positive statement in which two negative elements are used to produce the positive force, usually […]
Share this:
Doublespeak
Doublespeak is language that disguises or distorts the meaning of words deliberately and can often involve a degree of ambiguity. Doublespeak may use euphemisms (that is, indirect expressions used in place of words judged too harsh or blunt when referring […]
Share this:
Developing a house style
Why you need a “house” style By “house” style I mean a writing or editorial style that a company or organization will aim to apply to all the documents and communications it produces. The same can perhaps apply to an […]
Share this:
The decline of the apostrophe
John Richards, a former journalist, started the Apostrophe Protection Society in 2001 after his retirement, with the aim of preserving the correct use of this much-abused punctuation mark in written English. However, he announced in November 2019 that he would […]
You must be logged in to post a comment.