Punctuation
A collection of blog posts about punctuation. Brush up on your skills and find out how to create perfectly punctuated writing with Knowadays.
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What Is the Difference Between an Acronym and an Initialism?
What Is the Difference Between an Acronym and an Initialism?
Jul 13, 2022
Acronyms and initialisms are both types of abbreviations. For most people, there’s no pressing need to know the difference between the two. However, most people aren’t professional proofreaders. For this rare breed, understanding the difference between an acronym and an initialism is necessary. In this blog post, we look closely at acronyms and initialisms, focusing […]
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A Proofreader’s Guide to Exclamation Point Use
A Proofreader’s Guide to Exclamation Point Use
Jul 01, 2022
Exclamation points, also known as exclamation marks, are used to express excitement, enthusiasm, and other strong emotions. As a proofreader, though, you may need to help clients avoid overusing them or using exclamations in the wrong situation. So, when should exclamation points be used? And when should a proofreader step in to curb a client’s enthusiasm for […]
5 Tips on How to Write the Perfect Christmas Card
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Proofreading Tips: A Proofreader's Guide to E.g. and I.e.
Nov 28, 2021
The terms e.g. and i.e. are common, especially in academic writing. As a proofreader, it’s important to know what they mean and how to use them. In this blog post, we give a basic introduction to e.g. and i.e., as well as some common errors to look out for when proofreading. What Do E.g. and […]
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Proofreading Tips: Parentheses and Square Brackets in Chicago Style
Nov 07, 2021
Parentheses and square brackets are punctuation marks used to set off certain bits of information from the main text in a document. They’re not too tricky, but different style guides can have slightly different rules for their usage. And, as a proofreader, you’ll need to check your client’s writing against these rules. This post, then, […]
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Proofreading Tips: What to Do With Scare Quotes
Oct 31, 2021
As a proofreader, what scares you the most? If scare quotes are the spookiest things you can think of, don’t worry. It might be Halloween, but there’s no reason to fear them! As long as you know what they are and when it’s appropriate to use them, you’ll know exactly what to do when they […]
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A Proofreader’s Guide to Straight and Curly Quotes
Oct 28, 2021
Quotation marks may seem simple, but if you’ve got a keen eye as all good proofreaders should you might notice some variety in these little symbols. In fact, quotes come in two distinct styles: straight and curly (or ). In this post, then, we’ll cover the difference between straight and curly quotes, and how to […]
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Proofreading Tips: How to Proofread Quotations
Oct 23, 2021
Academic writing accounts for a significant portion of many freelance proofreaders’ work. And, along with some other non-fiction, academic writing often relies heavily on quotations. It is thus important to know how to proofread quotations. In this post, we give an overview of things to consider when proofreading quotations in academic or other non-fiction writing. […]
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Proofreading Tips: What to Do With Comma Splices
Sep 23, 2021
A good proofreader will know how to spot and correct common punctuation errors. One of the most common of these is the comma splice. But what exactly are comma splices, and how can you fix them? Read on to find out more. What Are Comma Splices? A comma splice is what happens when two independent […]
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Proofreading Tips: Punctuation in MHRA Style
Proofreading Tips: Punctuation in MHRA Style
Jul 01, 2021
The MHRA Style Guide is often used in the humanities, especially in the UK. But what does a proofreader need to know when working on a document that follows this style? In this post, we will look at the rules for punctuation in MHRA style, including: General guidelines about the overall punctuation conventions in MHRA […]
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5 Easy-to-Miss Apostrophe Errors
5 Easy-to-Miss Apostrophe Errors
Jun 10, 2021
A good proofreader will always check for apostrophe errors. And, as a proofreader, you should know the basics of how this punctuation mark works already. However, some apostrophe errors are easier to miss! Five easy-to-miss errors to look out for include: Exceptions to the rules about possessives and words that end in Certain proper nouns […]