Proofreading Tutor

Introduction

Let's begin by recalling Mark Twain's famous words: "To err is human, to forgive devine."

Trouble is, Twain never wrote those words. Alexander Pope wrote these words: "To err is human, to forgive divine."

Oops! The writer made two mistakes in a single sentence. It happens. The world doesn't come to an end when it happens, a very good thing.

Regardless, "catching" this kind of mistake is an important business-proofreading skill. Credit was given where credit wasn't due -- to Twain instead of Pope. Meanwhile, the quote itself was wrong, having used "devine" instead of "divine." Check quotations closely for mistakes in attribution and wording. It's common business courtesy.

It is vital that you check carefully for mistakes involving names and quotations.

When Is A 'Mistake' Not A Mistake?

Knowing when to let a "mistake" fall through the cracks is another important skill. It's possible that, in the eyes of the intended audience, a "mistake" is not a mistake at all.

Proofreading and editing errors are virtually inevitable. I've been an editor for more than 20 years and have witnessed thousands and thousands of errors. No editor gets it write -- I mean, right -- all of the time. There are simply too many things about which an editor needs to be right. One of them, reportedly, is never to end a sentence with a preposition.

This often leads to formal, semi-awkward constructions such as this: "There are simply too many things about which an editor needs to be right," instead of "There are simply too many things an editor needs to be right about."

Lots and lots of spoken sentences and written sentences end with prepositions. Plenty of highly skilled business editors would let the preposition "mistake" stand, instead of rewriting the sentence to make it more formal. In many, many writing contexts, rigid adherence to a formal style becomes a deal-breaker for members of the audience. Comprehension is a key. So is knowing the reader.

If you're a business person -- and if your target audience is auto mechanics who know the language of the trade and drink four tavern beers nightly after work to cool off -- do you want your ad or web copy to sound as though it's targeted to martini-sipping members of country clubs?

It is possible to love language and not be offended by informality, an outcome many purists would have you believe impossible. They would have been pleased had Capt. James T. Kirk of the starship "Enterprise" said "to go boldly where no man has gone before," as opposed to "to boldly go where no man has gone before."

"To boldy go" is a split infinitive, an alleged no-no. Hollywood let Kirk get away with it, a good call.

Below you'll find three proofreading tests. They are not designed to be "tricky." The purpose of the tests simply is to raise awareness and help web authors improve their skill sets. More and more business people are taking advantage of online publishing opportunities. At the same time, web authors with no publishing experience are creating eBooks and information products.

Use this Proofreading Knol to expand your knowledge base. Whether the tests below are "too hard" or "too easy" is your call. In any event, they are designed to help improve business communications.

Take Proofreading Test No. 1

Here is a simple test I created when I was a Moderator at the Warrior Forum, an online business community, to help members improve their proofreading skills. Assume each italicized sentence below is for a general audience, is punctuated properly and is factually correct -- but has at least one mistake. Answers are at the bottom of this Knol.

So, what's wrong with this sentence?

Editors strive to acommodate other editors.

And what's wrong with this sentence?

Your in for a rough ride if you call yourself a writer but don't take the trade seriously.

What's wrong with this sentence?

Rising gasoline prices have a huge affect on disposable income.

How about this one?

Click hear right now and start making money right away. You can't loose!

And this one?

Mickey Mantle hit one of the the longest homers ever, a 565-foot blast.