grammar

When You Need an Editor

October 6, 2020 by Judy

At first glance, the similarities between doctors and editors may be difficult to imagine. While editing may not have quite the number of specialties as the medical profession, it is no more a one size fits all profession than doctoring is. You may have a general practitioner for annual checkups, but when you break a bone, you’ll be referred to an orthopedic doctor. Sustain a heart attack and you’ll see a cardiologist. Likewise, it’s important to know that editor is an umbrella term that encompasses as many as five to seven “specialties.” Before we delve into them, however, I want …

Grammar Arcana–Part 2

June 25, 2020 by Judy

Hortatory Subjunctive If you’ve never heard the term and, therefore, think you have no idea what hortatory subjunctive refers to, you’re not alone. If, however, you’re of the generation that took Latin in high school (I’m of the generation, but not the course), you may at least recognize hortatory as Latin. And though the grammatical term may not be familiar, you’ll recognize its application. Hortatory is one of three Latin words that means encourage or incite. Subjunctive refers to the mood, which is not unique to Latin grammar. In addition to tense, verbs also indicate mood — “the manner …

Book Challenge

October 7, 2019 by jhagey

If you spend any time on Facebook, you've likely seen the Book Challenge. For seven days, participants are invited to post the image of a book they've loved -- one each day without comment -- and then challenge someone else to do the same. The premise behind the challenge is to promote literacy and build a book list. For me the challenge was not commenting because how can you not comment on books you've loved? So, permit me to share those seven books here with comments.

Editing vs. Changing

February 4, 2019 by jhagey

You know you need an editor to make sure your manuscript is as clean as it can be before you submit to a publisher or agent. But you’re concerned that an editor won’t respect your voice. Will he hold you to a rigid set of rules that you may not be totally familiar with? Will your manuscript be returned bathed in red ink?

7 Tips on Writing Well

December 20, 2018 by jhagey

Source: www.grammarcheck.net

3 Things You’d Be Surprised to Learn about Your Editor

May 10, 2018 by jhagey

Last weekend I attended my second PENCON - Proofreaders and Editors Network Conference. Billed as the only such conference for editors in Christian publishing, the conference is an opportunity to network and hone our editing skills. By our own admission, many editors are introverts, so you may be surprised that we’re into networking. Despite my own preference for anonymity, connecting with others who share my interest in accurate punctuation, grammar, and usage energizes me. It’s always reassuring to know that other editors struggle with the same insecurities and uncertainties that I do.

No There, There?

May 24, 2013 by Judy

The English language has more than its share of homophones — words that sound alike, but have different spellings and meanings. It’s not a problem in oral language, but using the wrong word in written communication can be annoying, if not misleading. One set of homophones that is often misused is there, their, and they’re. Let’s review. they’re They’re is a contraction, the joining of two words into one. In this case: they and are. Instead of saying (or writing),”They are going to buy this house,” we combine two words into one and indicate the missing letters with an apostrophe. …