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Common Mistakes
- Jul 24, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 26, 2021
It’s Skilful Saturday! Let’s Talk… about common mistakes to look out for when editing and proofreading.
Punctuation
mistakes with direct speech and quotations
apostrophe misuse (e.g. its vs. it‘s)
missing bullet points or numbers in a sequenced list
Grammar / Syntax:
unintentionally repeated words (e.g. and and)
phrases used inappropriately (e.g. should of instead of should have / compare to instead of compare with)
words with similar spelling or pronunciation but that have different meanings and therefore are used incorrectly (e.g. their, they’re and there / effect and affect)
mixed use of tenses (e.g. Nana was a fierce drill sergeant and is always nagging me about punctuality – is Nana dead or alive (‘was’), is she an active (‘is’) or retired (‘was’) drill sergeant? If Nana is alive but is no longer a sergeant, you would refer to her as a ‘retired’: Nana is a retired drill sergeant and is always nagging me about punctuality. If you prefer to write in the past tense, whether dear old Nana is alive or not: Nana was a fierce drill sergeant and always nagged me about punctuality – just make sure you provide context about whether Nana is alive or not)
use of plural verbs with single subjects or vice versa (e.g. one in five children are… instead of one in five children is… / the company has 100 employees and provide free childcare instead of the company has 100 employees and provides free childcare or ‘have’ and ‘provide’)
abbreviations/acronyms that have been used inconsistently or that have not bee defined in full at least once
typing errors (e.g. 3 instead of £)
incorrect or no use of trademarks (e.g. blackberry instead of BlackBerry™)
obvious factual errors (e.g. the Battle of Hastings in 1766)
Layout / Format
inconsistent layout of names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email/web addresses
references in text that do not correspond to footnotes
inaccurate cross-referencing
index listings that cannot be found
text that has been unintentionally reordered or cut out during the typesetting process
headings that are wrongly formatted as body text
running heads (at the top of pages) do not correspond to the chapter headings
fonts and sizes used incorrectly or inconsistently (or do not follow the relevant style guide)
format inconsistencies (e.g. poorly aligned margins or uneven columns)
headings and captions that are omitted from illustrations, photographs or diagrams
illustrations, photographs or diagrams that do no have the appropriate copyright refrences
widows and orphans (i.e. text which runs over page breaks and leaves a word or a line stranded)
These are the common mistakes an editor (or even a self-editing writer) will see almost daily. By learning what they are and being aware of them when reading a manuscript, you will be ensuring these mistakes will not be missed. I know that the biggest one I am guilty of in my own work is mixing tenses. I am aware of this, therefore I can identify this error more effectively when editing or proofreading.
Let me know which mistakes you are guilty of, or if there are any that I have missed. Find us on Instagram and tell us in the comments, or submit them using the recommendations form on the Contacts Page – and don’t forget to submit your recommendations for Watch Wednesdays! Keep using those keen eyes and stay tuned for next week’s Skilful Saturday. Let’s talk then!
Book recommendations for further learning:
The Elements of Style – William Strunk Jr. & E.B. White
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers – Renni Browne & Dave King
Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook – published annually by Bloomsbury, Writers & Artists offers advice, competitions, information about publishing companies, and knowledge that is vital for surviving the industry.
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