User:RedRabbit1983/Copyediting

Below is only a draft of my guide to copyediting. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Crash course in copyediting

The following is intended to provide a quick reference and guide to copyediting. I have limited its scope to what can be readily understood and used. For a more thorough guide and reference, I suggest professional publications.

• Remove needless words, which are simply words that add nothing to the text.

Example:

The man continues on. Bad

The man continues. Good

Needless words occur in the form of tautologies and pleonasms. Be ever vigilant.

• Avoid hackneyed words and expressions.

Example:

World War II had a massive impact on Europe. Bad

World War II had a major effect on Europe. Good

• Use a parallel structure whenever possible.

Example:

Although it was not liked by her, she used it at every opportunity. Bad

Although she didn't like it, she used it at every opportunity. Good

• Avoid run-on sentences and comma splices.

The show was bad, however the crowd applauded. Bad

The show was bad, but the crowd applauded. Good (Note that the second clause begins with a conjunction).

Punctuation can be learned through a study of grammar. If in doubt, read your sentence aloud first to see if the punctuation fits.

• Always aim at clear and concise expression.

• Use pronouns instead of renaming the subject.

Carl Lewis was a successful Olympian. The sprinter won a gold medal at the Olympics. Bad

Carl Lewis was a successful Olympian. He won a gold medal at the Olympics. Good

For more information, see elegant variation.

• Favour simple, familiar words to dry, less familiar ones.

He cognitized the matter meticulously. Bad

He considered it carefully. Good

Always make sure that your words mean precisely what you intend. Avoid pseudo-academic words that give your prose an air of erudition.

• Use active voice if it leads to clearer expression.

Note that there are reasons for using passive voice, too; but there is more often a problem with overuse of passive voice.

• Remove cluttering clauses and phrases, and set out your ideas in the most natural sequence.

• Read your sentences aloud to see if they observe the correct idiom and make sense.

• Do not become too fond of abstract nouns. More often, verbs give the text strength.

• Use transitional phrases like "moreover" and "in addition" with care. Often they attempt to connect ideas that do not actually connect, and to give the text air of scholarship. It is often thought, incorrectly, that conjunctions should never be used at the beginning of a sentence. "Moreover" and "in addition" are simply heavier forms of "and", and "however" a heavier form of "but".

• Avoid adding clauses subordinated by "with" to your sentence.