Proofreading

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Emily Doolin Aulicino on July 18, 2009 at 12:50am

Boring Verbs

After writing, go through your paper (print a copy if you use the computer) with either a pencil (if you write in ink) or a different color pen to circle any boring verbs (forms of the verb "to be" and other verbs that are used constantly. EX: was, had, got, went, run, sit, etc.

Find more exciting verbs to replace these worn out ones.

Boring sentence:
Marion ran all the way home from school so he could see his favorite afternoon cartoon.

Boring verbs: ran, see

Improved sentence:
Marion raced home from school just in time to view his favorite afternoon cartoon.

Make your sentences have more life...more excitment.

Permalink Reply by Karen Rhodes on August 18, 2009 at 11:41am

Ah, here comes the discussion of "passive voice" versus "active voice." One of my history professors is keen on that.

Active verbs and sentences are more engaging to the reader than passive ones.

Let me say that again:

Active verbs and sentences engage the reader more than passive ones. (wink)

Part of my professor's thing about passive voice is that it absolves the actor of responsibility. Historians can be keen about an individual's or group's responsibility for an event or situation.

The Fugitive Slave Law was passed by Congress to aid slaveowners in recovering property.

Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Law to aid slaveowners in recovering property.

The second one places responsibility more squarely on the shoulders of Congress.

Likewise, we are concerned as family historians with responsibility.

Sarah McKee and her daughter and two sons were abandoned by Nelson Reed McKee in 1879.

Nelson Reed McKee abandoned his wife Sarah and their daughter and two sons in 1879.

The second sentence is more active and puts responsibility for abandoning his family squarely on my great-great grandfather.

And with more complex sentences, one can add detail:

Nelson Reed McKee, jeweler and watchmaker of Monticello, White County, Indiana, abandoned his wife Sarah and their daughter and two sons in 1879, when he disappeared on a Saturday night in June.

Permalink Reply by Emily Doolin Aulicino on July 18, 2009 at 12:54am

Redundant Words

Read your paper as you circle words you see repeated. We tend to use the same vocabulary, and redundancy is boring! Grab that Thesaurus and make it your friend. Be sure to check the meaning of the word you use to replace your overused words as each of your words in English has a slightly different meaning.

Permalink Reply by Emily Doolin Aulicino on July 18, 2009 at 1:05am

Punctuation and Grammar Manuals

The Chicago Manual of Style costs about $50. A new one is to be published in 2010. It is not an easy source for the newbie either. There are many other style manuals available as every section of the publishing world tends to have their own. You can get them if you write scientific papers, newspapers, business and technical papers, etc. Major publishing companies have their own requirements which differ from company to company. However, you should always strive to correct whatever you can even if you tend to publish with a major company. No sense in paying them to get your commas correct!

For this reason a friend and I wrote a style manual for anyone who writes a personal history. It does not cover everything. It costs $10 plus shipping and handling. Contact me if you are interested at: aulicino@hevanet.com

You can use some online resources, but I STRONGLY caution you NOT to use any writer's blogs. I have found many errors in these. Use sites operated by universities. OWL (Online Writers Lab) by Purdue University is good. The Blue Book of Punctuation and Grammar is another reliable source.

Remember that our language is changing and not all the experts agree.

Permalink Reply by Karen Rhodes on August 18, 2009 at 11:45am

I call Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Theses, Term Papers, and Dissertations "Chicago Manual, Jr." because it is based on the Chicago Manual of Style. It takes the parts most relevant to writers of college papers from the Chicago Manual. It is a LOT thicker now than I remember it when I first went to college in the 1960s! Then I considered it practically useless. Now, in its expanded version, it is much more useful.

Permalink Reply by Karen Rhodes on August 18, 2009 at 11:31am

Have you ever seen the suggestion that you proofread backwards? Start at the last page and read right to left, instead of left to right. You aren't hypnotized by the rhythm of prose or the expectation of certain words (like conjunctions and prepositions) in certain places, and you can catch typos better. Use a ruler to isolate each line, too. It works!

I don't recommend proofreading on the computer screen. Things that whiz right by me on the screen jump out at me from a printed page.