What Does an Editor Know? A Quiz
To celebrate the end of another decade, we’ve put together eleven questions designed to test your knowledge of some random editorial facts.
“Had had”? Flashbacks and the Past Perfect
What exactly is the past perfect? And what’s wrong with using it?
How Strunk Lost His Comma
Chicago style doesn’t require commas when “Jr.” or “Sr.” follows a name. Until just a few decades ago, however, commas were the norm.
Chicago Style Workout 40: Grammar, Part 4
This workout focuses on paragraphs 5.42–55 of CMOS 18, which cover personal pronouns, including their possessive and reflexive forms. There’s also one question about demonstrative pronouns (CMOS 5.56).
Decades
This post was originally published in 2019, or just before the beginning of the 2020s, also known as the ’20s or the twenties. Every decade after this one will be referred to similarly: 2030s, ’30s, or thirties; 2040s, ’40s, or forties; and so on. Any of those forms would be considered correct as long as you maintain some consistency.
“That hat!”: Punctuating How You Feel
When it comes to punctuation, there’s a difference between formal prose and creative writing.
Dot Dot Dot: A Closer Look at the Ellipsis
If you follow Chicago style, it’s a safe bet you know that a Chicago-style ellipsis consists of three spaced periods. You probably also know . . .
Chicago Style Workout 38: Word Usage, Part 8
This workout returns to our “Glossary of Problematic Words and Phrases” in paragraph 5.254 of CMOS 18. This time we’re focusing on words beginning with the letters r as in “rack” through s as in “straight.”
Marilyn Schwartz and Erika Bűky talk about the new Copyeditor’s Handbook and Copyeditor’s Workbook
Since it was first published almost twenty years ago, The Copyeditor’s Handbook has served as both textbook and guide for copyeditors in book publishing and corporate communications. The revised fourth edition of the Handbook is now published alongside a companion, The Copyeditor’s Workbook, . . .
“Smart” Apostrophes
There are two different kinds of apostrophes: smart and straight. To use them correctly, it helps to know how they work.
