Download Writing Program Proofreading Guide

Writing Program Proofreading Guide
All essays in 101 should be proofread and edited to repair basic errors in grammar and
punctuation. This is a checklist of the most common sources of error in 101 essays at Rutgers. It
is not a comprehensive guide but a working guide for the final stage of the revision process—
editing for basic errors. 101 teachers should use this and the following citation guide in
conjunction with The Prentice Hall Reference Guide, the handbook.
Sentence Grammar
Subject-Verb Agreement
Singular subjects take singular verbs. Plural subjects take plural verbs.
The Problem:
The thoughts that a reader is thinking is only considered
"great" when others know those thoughts.
The Fix:
The thoughts that a reader is thinking are only considered
"great" when others know those thoughts.
Verb Tense Shift
Avoid unnecessary shifts from present to past, or past to present tense.
The Problem:
A shift from past tense to present tense.
When Drucker wrote about the rise and fall of blue-collar
workers in the twentieth century, he describes the transition
from agricultural to industrial work as generally peaceful.
The Fix:
There are two options.
Change the present tense “describes” to the past tense:
When Drucker wrote about the rise and fall of blue-collar
workers in the twentieth century, he described the transition
from agricultural to industrial work as generally peaceful.
Change the past tense “wrote” to the present tense:
When Drucker writes about the rise and fall of blue-collar
workers in the twentieth century, he describes the transition
from agricultural to industrial work as generally peaceful.
Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Pronouns often refer to something the writer has already named—an
antecedent. The pronoun and its antecedent should agree in number and
person.
Agreement in Number (Singular or Plural)
The Problem:
Disagreement in number between the singular “reader” and the
plural “they” in the following example.
The word "valid" must be defined by the reader.
determine what an acceptable meaning is.
The Fix:
They
Alter the plural “they” with the singular “he or she” to agree
with the singular “reader” in the first sentence below.
The word "valid" must be defined by the reader. He or she
determines what an acceptable meaning is.
Agreement in Person (First, Second, or Third)
The Problem:
Disagreement in person between
third person (“his”) and
second person (“your”) in the following example.
His theory was to avoid their rules by living your life under
your own set of rules.
The Fix:
Change the second person (“your”) to the third person
throughout the sentence.
His theory was to avoid their rules by living his life under his
own set of rules.
Vague Pronoun Reference
Often found in sentences beginning with this, these, they, it, she, or he.
The Problem:
The pronoun “this” in the second sentence of following
example refers to something in the first sentence The problem
is that “this” is vague.
We feel we must own the latest car, the latest clothes, the latest
technology. This is created by the media.
The Fix:
The writer has to decide what the vague pronoun (“this”) refers
to and rewrite the sentence to make the reference clear.
We feel we must own the latest car, the latest clothes, and the
latest technology. This feeling is created by the media.
Sentence Inegrity
Make sure that your thoughts do not fall into fragments or slide together into run-on sentences
and comma splices.
Sentence Fragments
A fragment is an unattached phrase or dependent clause.
fragments belong to the sentence that precedes or follows.
Most
The Problem:
We can read Drucker’s ideas about the challenges in the
knowledge society from de Waal’s point of view. A point of
view that identifies problems with the idea that organisms are
selfish by nature.
The Fix:
Simply change the first period to a comma.
We can read Drucker’s ideas about the challenges in the
knowledge society from de Waal’s point of view, a point of
view that identifies problems with the idea that organisms are
selfish by nature.
Run-on or Fused Sentences
Run-on sentences contain two sentences brought together without
punctuation.
The Problem:
There is no separation between the private and the public in
American culture violation of privacy is always present.
The Fix:
The writer must decide how he or she will revise the run-on,
using a period or a conjunction:
Fix with a Period:
There is no separation between the private and the public in
American culture. Violation of privacy is always present.
Fix with a Conjunction:
There is no separation between the private and the public
because, in American culture, violation of privacy is always
present.
Comma Splices
A comma splice is formed when you join two complete sentences with
nothing but a comma.
The Problem:
The writer uses a comma instead of a period.
Kaldor writes about warfare in the twenty-first century, she
sees the rise of a “new war” that does not occur between states
(385).
The Fix:
To revise, substitute a period for the comma or use a
coordinating conjunction after the comma (and, or, nor, but,
for, yet).
Fix with a Period:
Kaldor writes about warfare in the twenty-first century. She
sees the rise of a “new war” that does not occur between states
(385).
Fix with a Coordinating Conjunction:
Kaldor writes about warfare in the twenty-first century, and she
sees the rise of a “new war” that does not occur between states
(385).
Punctuation
Comma
Between the items in a series of words, phrases, or clauses:
We all know that we are important no matter what we drive,
but we also know that the automobile still causes jealousy,
anxiety, and competition.
Between two independent clauses:
We judge people by their economic status, and in doing so we
build a scale called the "social hierarchy."
On either side of a non-restrictive clause (the clause often begins with who,
whose, which, when, or where):
Gladwell writes about the trial of a man, whose name is
Bernard Goetz, in order to illustrate his point about the
importance of context.
After an introductory phrase or dependent clause:
After reading Drucker’s description of the knowledge society,
one is uncertain just how the non-knowledge workers will fit in.
Apostrophe to Show Possession
Add an 's to singular and to collective nouns to show ownership:
Singular nouns: Faulkner's experiences, the city's budget.
Collective nouns: a society's codes, the group's work.
When the singular noun ends in an s, add the 's and then say the word
aloud.
boss's, Krakauer's, Stephens's
If it sounds too awkward, drop the final s, but keep the
apostrophe:
Davies' story
To form the possessive of plural nouns ending in s, add only an apostrophe:
consumers' desires, students' rooms
Don't confuse personal pronouns (no apostrophe) with contractions
(apostrophe):
its = possessive pronoun, no apostrophe.
Its leaves have fallen.
it's = a contraction (of it is), apostrophe.
It's a confusing idea.
your = possessive pronoun, no apostrophe
your pen, your paper, your words.
you're = a contraction (of you are), apostrophe
You're right.