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The nature of our work at Prompt Proofing, both in writing and editing, necessitates paying close attention to the appropriate use of punctuation marks. I have close friends who, while undeniably accomplished, knowledgeable and highly intelligent,  are nonetheless frequently dismissive of my supposedly obsessive concern with correct punctuation. They argue that worrying about commas and hyphens is petty and will detract from the creative flow of their writing. My consistent response – that punctuation is needed for clarity and understanding – often falls on deaf ears.   Examples abound of imaginary scenarios where punctuation changes the entire meaning of the written word, see examples below: 1. (In a telegram supposedly sent within Russia in the early 20th century with re ...

It may be time to take another look at these frequently confused words. Working on editing and proofreading, we naturally spot many of these on a daily basis; this is by no means an exhaustive list but it does cover those that occur most frequently. Below are the first five – check back next week for another five! You’re/your I blame social media for this one – there’s the temptation to throw spelling and grammar out of the window in the pursuit of haste! You’re  is the contracted form of ‘you are’. Your is a possessive pronoun meaning something that belongs to you. If you don’t bother with correct grammar in your formal writing you’re not going to make a good impression.   2.  They’re/their/there As above – they’ ...

Wishing all of our Canadian clients a very happy Thanksgiving – hoping you get to enjoy a long weekend with friends and family!