Style

In these posts, we look at how proofreaders and editors should approach different writing styles and document types. Let us know if there are any style issues you'd like us to cover on the blog.

  • What Are Trigger Words? (And How to Use Them in Writing)

    How to Write a Style Sheet for Proofreading or Copy Editing

    How to Write a Style Sheet for Proofreading or Copy Editing

    Mar 22, 2020

    • Editing Tips
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Style

    Style guides are a vital resource for any proofreader or editor. But not every client will have one. And in some cases, you may need to create a custom style sheet when editing a document. But when do you need to create a style sheet? And what should it include? When Do I Need to […]

    Read more
  • Proofreading Resources: Style Guides

    Proofreading Resources: Style Guides

    Feb 10, 2020

    • Editing Tips
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Style

    Style guides are crucial for proofreading and editing. As a freelancer, you may come to depend on them quite heavily! After all, a good style guide will tell you everything you need to know to edit a document, from spelling preferences to citation styles. But which style guides do you need? And where can you […]

    Read more
  • Everybody Loves Referencing

    Dec 13, 2018

    • Academic Editing
    • Referencing and Citations
    • Style

    You’ve checked the spelling, grammar, and punctuation. You’ve made sure the language is appropriate and flows smoothly. Now comes your favourite bit of academic proofreading. Perhaps you’d like to dress up and pour yourself a glass of wine (alcohol-free, of course: don’t drink and proofread!) before you settle down to the positive treat that is […]

    Read more
  • The Ideal Date

    The Ideal Date

    Dec 11, 2018

    • Common Errors
    • Dialects
    • Other Errors
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Style

    Hello, reader. You look lovely today. We at Knowadays know this may seem a little forward, but… what would your dream date be? Our dates aren’t terribly romantic, but they’re always formatted impeccably. Yes, today we’re talking about the finer points of formatting dates in writing. Regional Differences The main issue that determines date format […]

    Read more
  • Proofreading and Editing Tips: Proofreading Creative Writing

    Proofreading Creative Writing

    Jul 30, 2018

    • Creative Writing
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Style

    Truth hurts. That’s why everyday life is full of little white lies, and why most of the human race avoids telling anyone that their baby isn’t all that pretty. But proofreaders aren’t so lucky. Our career is a world of uncomfortable truths. And this is especially true when working with authors and other creative writers. […]

    Read more
  • MHRA Referencing

    Jun 15, 2018

    • Academic Editing
    • Referencing and Citations
    • Style

    Remember when you used to get ‘Too Hot for TV’ videos of your favourite TV shows? Remember how exciting they were? Well, prepare to feel that kind of excitement again in this introduction to MHRA [PDF] referencing: a system considered Too Hot for the Proofreading Academy Course. Actually, it wasn’t so much ‘too hot’ as […]

    Read more
  • Proofreading and Editing Tips: Formatting Titles in Academic Documents

    Formatting Titles in Academic Documents

    May 18, 2018

    • Academic Editing
    • Formatting
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Style

    Although proofreading and formatting are different, they overlap in some respects. For instance, when an essay names a source in the text, it is standard for the proofreader to ensure its title is appropriately formatted. Let’s take a look at how formatting titles works. Italics and Quote Marks Formatting titles in the text of a […]

    Read more
  • Poetic Licence

    May 04, 2018

    • Common Errors
    • Creative Writing
    • Other Errors
    • Spelling
    • Style

    We took a little census of the people on our team, And the general consensus was things are not as they seem. Some words use a simple ‘s’ to settle spelling strains, While certain others celebrate soft ‘c’’s fancy refrains.   Moreover, you may realise that Britain’s hallowed ground Prioritises ‘s’ when words utilise a […]

    Read more
  • Proofreading and Editing Tips: Proofreading for Websites

    Proofreading for Websites

    Proofreading for Websites

    Apr 26, 2018

    • Business Editing
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Style

    You can’t always apply the same proofreading guidelines to different kinds of documents. Academic proofreading, for instance, is very different to proofreading web copy. This is one reason why proofreaders haven’t yet been replaced by robots. Importantly, reading on screen is different to reading a printed page. And this may mean you need to approach […]

    Read more
  • Citing Edited Books in Chicago Style

    Citing Edited Books in Chicago Style

    Apr 13, 2018

    • Academic Editing
    • Proofreading Tips
    • Referencing and Citations
    • Style

    Sound the celebratory trombone and strike the ritual tambourine. It’s referencing time again! And today we’re looking at how to cite edited books again. In this post, we’re going to look at Chicago referencing. There are two versions of this system: Author–date citations and a reference list (more common in the sciences) Footnotes and a […]

    Read more