COPY EDITING COPY EDITOR Copy editors check written

COPY EDITING COPY EDITOR

• Copy editors “check written material, usually as the final step before it is set into type, to correct errors in grammar, spelling, usage and style. ” http: //www. theslot. com/copyeditors. html

COPYEDITING: SOME EXAMPLES OF COMMON TASKS • Correcting errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage • Making sure the specified style and format are followed • Making wording clearer, more concise, and more graceful

REASONS TO COPYEDIT: • Clarity (defined in terms of the intended reader) • Correctness – Of grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage – Of facts

CAPITALIZATION Do I need a capital letter? Or should that letter remain lower case?

CAPITALIZE THE FIRST LETTER OF THE FIRST WORD OF A SENTENCE. he rotten pear sat in a puddle of goo • Tthe on onthe thekitchencounter.

CAPITALIZE THE PRONOUN I. If that Darlene claims spent If • that liar Darlene claims that sheshe spent thethe night studying, I will say that I saw her night studying, i will say that i saw her kissing Thomas at the movies.

CAPITALIZE PROPER NOUNS. On Tuesday, eptember 18, lizabeth • On tuesday, Sseptember 18, Eelizabeth cooked herher first potpot of of squid eyeball stew.

OTHER PROPER NOUNS • Titles before Names • Specific Places • Organizations • Companies • Product Names • Religions • Languages • • Nationalities Holidays Departments Historical Eras • Regions of the Country • Course Names • Titles of Works

TITLES BEFORE NAMES • Professor Stone • Uncle Jerry • President Obama Capitalize these! • the nursing professor • my uncle • the president of our stamp collecting club But use lower case for these!

SPECIFIC PLACES • Tito’s Taco Palace • New York City • Gatorland Capitalize these! • the taco stand outside • a city • a theme park But use lower case for these!

ORGANIZATIONS • World Wildlife Fund • American Red Cross • Doctors Without Borders Capitalize these! • an environmental group • an emergency response agency • a medical humanitarian organization But use lower case for these!

COMPANIES • Starbucks Corporation • The Coca-Cola Company • Apple Inc. Capitalize these! • a coffee house • a soda supplier • a computer manufacturer But use lower case for these!

ITEM 1 Byron likes spicy foods, so he chose the Asian A chicken wrap. Martha prefers bland dishes and ordered a large basket of of frenchfries. French fries. B C A. asian B. Large C. French D. No change is necessary.

Katelyn used her last dollar to buy m&m candies; M&M candies; A she would have enjoyed a Pepsi to to wash them B down but the cafeteriapricesweretoo tooexpensive. C A. M&M B. pepsi C. Cafeteria D. No change is necessary.

Niki is a practicing hindu, , so Hindu so soshe shewas wasoffended A when Sean pulled into a Mc. Donald’sdrive-thru B to order a Big Mac. C A. Hindu B. mcdonald’s C. big mac D. No change is necessary.

STANDARD PUNCTUATION Do I need a comma? Or do I need a semicolon?

END MARKS • Use the period [. ] to end statements. Jasmine ate a chocolate-broccoli muffin. • Use the question mark [ ? ] when asking a question. Did Jasmine eat a chocolate-broccoli muffin? • Use — not overuse — the exclamation mark [ ! ] to signify excitement or emphasis. Oh, no! Jasmine ate a chocolate-broccoli muffin!

COMMAS, PART 1 • Use commas to connect introductory, interrupting, and some concluding material. • Interrupting material will include a comma before and a comma after. • Without a doubt, Jasmine will pass the comma test. Jasmine will, without a doubt, pass the comma test. Jasmine will pass the comma test, without a doubt.

COMMAS, PART 2 • Use a comma with a conjunction to connect two sentences. • and, but, for, nor, yet, and so. Jasmine will pass the comma test, but Slacker • Jasmine will pass the comma test. Slacker Sam will not.

COMMAS, PART 3 • Use commas and an and to connect three or more items. • Jasmine a bag of potato chips Jasmine will buybuy a bag of potato chips , a and, and a hotdog a soda

APOSTROPHE • Use the apostrophe [ ’ ] with an s to show possession: Jasmine’s pen, the cat’s eyes, the professors’ frowns • Or use the apostrophe to indicate the letters/spaces removed in a contraction: she’ d, can’ t, should’ ve We cancant ’t cheat from Jasmine ’s punctuation • We cheat from Jasmines punctuation quiz because sheshes ’s absent today! quiz because absent today!

Before his calculus exam Scott exam, Scottrubbed his his lucky A B rabbit’s foot andfoundhis hisfavoritepencil. C A. exam, Scott B. rubbed, his C. foot, and D. No change is necessary.

Francine has five chair’sbut chairs butsix sixguestscoming but six A BB for Thanksgiving dinner; she hopes that old Uncle Ross rememberstotobringan anextra. C A. chairs B. guest’s C. remember’s D. No change is necessary.

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