Punctuation

A collection of blog posts about punctuation. Brush up on your skills and find out how to create perfectly punctuated writing with Knowadays.

  • 5 Tips on How to Write the Perfect Christmas Card

    5 Tips on How to Write the Perfect Christmas Card

    Dec 18, 2021

    • Editing Tips
    • Grammar
    • Punctuation
    • Spelling

    It’s that time of year again! Christmas is just around the corner, and you’ve got a lot to do – wrapping presents, buying food, writing Christmas cards… the list goes on. It would be easy to let your proofreading standards slip! But to help you avoid this, we’ve come up with five tips on writing […]

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  • Proofreading Tips: A Proofreader's Guide to E.g. and I.e.

    Proofreading Tips: A Proofreader's Guide to E.g. and I.e.

    Proofreading Tips: A Proofreader's Guide to E.g. and I.e.

    Nov 28, 2021

    • Common Errors
    • Editing Tips
    • Other Errors
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Punctuation

    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

  • Proofreading Tips: What to Do With Scare Quotes

    Oct 31, 2021

    • Common Errors
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Punctuation

    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

    • Common Errors
    • Editing Tips
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Punctuation

    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 explain: The difference between straight and curly quotes. How to toggle […]

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  • Proofreading Tips: How to Proofread Quotations

    Oct 23, 2021

    • Academic Editing
    • Common Errors
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Punctuation
    • Style

    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

    • Common Errors
    • Editing Tips
    • Grammar
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Punctuation

    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

    Jul 01, 2021

    • Academic Editing
    • Common Errors
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Punctuation
    • Style

    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

    Jun 10, 2021

    • Common Errors
    • Editing Tips
    • Grammar
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Punctuation

    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 […]

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  • Hyphens and Dashes in AMA Style

    Hyphens and Dashes in AMA Style

    Jun 06, 2021

    • Academic Editing
    • Common Errors
    • Editing Tips
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Punctuation
    • Style

    The AMA Manual of Style (11th edition) is an academic style guide widely used in the medical sciences. As an academic proofreader, then, you may need to learn the basics of this style. And, having previously introduced the AMA referencing system, this post will focus on how to use hyphens and dashes in AMA style. […]

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  • Punctuation in Other Languages (And Why It Matters for Proofreaders)

    Punctuation in Other Languages (And Why It Matters for Proofreaders)

    May 20, 2021

    • Common Errors
    • Editing Tips
    • ESL Writing
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Punctuation

    Proofreaders are (or should be!) familiar with how common punctuation marks are used in English. But punctuation marks and conventions differ between languages. As a result, when working with ESL clients, you might spot some unusual punctuation in a document. If you do see non-English punctuation in a document, you will need to correct it […]

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