by Pernickety Kate | Apr 25, 2019 | Proofreading, Punctuation
It doesn’t matter how many novels you read – unless you’ve made a point of analysing it, speech punctuation can seem like a great mystery. And you don’t have to be a novelist to need to write speech. You might want to include a real conversation in a blog, or memoirs,... 
by Pernickety Kate | Jan 26, 2018 | Punctuation, Spelling, Words
Some words behave weirdly – and not just the fancy ones that few people understand. Here’s a collection of the first few that sprang to mind (as seen originally on my Facebook page). Weird Word of the Week #1: COMPLIMENT (and related words). Weird... 
by Pernickety Kate | Jan 5, 2018 | Proofreading, Punctuation, Spelling
Plenty of people take chances with their business writing. They write it and publish it without too much thought because they just want to get the job done. But what about you? Would you be prepared to have a professional proofreading check? Your answer could be a... 
by Pernickety Kate | Dec 1, 2017 | Editing, Grammar, Punctuation, Writing skills
Hello. We may not have been formally introduced but I’m going to start by making some assumptions. Pigeon-holing you, as it were. If you’ve clicked on this article, it’s a fair bet that you have at least a passing interest in language use. That already sets you apart... 
by Pernickety Kate | Nov 15, 2017 | Proofreading, Punctuation, Spelling
It’s a proofreader’s job to know the how the nitty-gritty bits of language work. But no-one’s perfect, and some words can cause more head-scratching than others. Compounds, for example. A compound word is made up of other words (usually two) that exist in their own... 
by Pernickety Kate | Sep 21, 2017 | Proofreading, Punctuation
Think of a world where the punctuation goes on strike. What if question marks quit questioning? Can you imagine? Perhaps the commas complain of overwork, and take a break from breaking up lists, clauses, interjections and so on. “Don’t forget us,” say the speech... 