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Is Spell-Check Good Enough?

Unscripted, LLC 5 Comments

ABC Check

So you ran your manuscript through spell-check and meticulously corrected every error. Thus, it has officially been edited…right? Sorry.

There is nothing more important than a human-eye review.

I repeat: Nothing is more important than having a human review your work.

What’s wrong with spell-check?

Using the spell-checking feature on your computer is absolutely the first step you should take before finalizing a manuscript (or email or newsletter or anything else). However, there are plenty of major errors that a computer just won’t catch.

Homonyms

Humans have a hard enough time noticing homonyms. (Homonyms=words that are pronounced the same but spelled differently or contain different meanings.) We can’t expect a computer to catch these for us.

Homonyms

Numbers

If you misspell a number, spell-check will correct it because it is a word. However, if you mistype a number then spell-check won’t know that it is incorrect.

Numbers

Missing Words

It is easy to get carried away when you’re typing out your thoughts. Most spell-checkers won’t catch the little word you missed in your eagerness.

Missing Words

Wrong Words

If a word is spelled correctly, most non-human grammar and spell-checkers will skim right past it. You need a real person to tell you that the wrong word was used.

Wrong Words

Verb Tense

I know this is getting a little technical, but it is important that you keep the same tense throughout any document.

Verb Tense

So I can skip spell-check?

Computer-generated spell-checkers should not be discounted. They will catch a wide variety of errors from typos to passive voice. However, they absolutely cannot replace the human eye.

Recommended Process of Review:

  • Spell Check
  • Author Review
  • Peer Review
  • Author Review (regarding the peer review comments)
  • Professional Review (Proofread/Edit)
  • Author Review (regarding the professional’s recommendations)
  • Professional Review (Proofread/Edit)
  • Author Review

You can repeat the last two as many times as you deem necessary until you are happy with the final product. You can also involve a professional at any stage in the writing and reviewing process.

Contact Unscripted at any time for a professional set of eyes to review your work.

Quick Guide to Understanding Prepositions

Unscripted, LLC 2 Comments

Prepositions

You have probably heard someone say, “Never end a sentence with a preposition.” But do you know what that means or why it is a grammatical no-no?

A simple Google search will give you a list of prepositions or prepositional phrases (a partial list is located at the end of this blog). Prepositions show the relationship between two words: the object of the preposition and another word in the sentence.

Example

The preposition in the above example is “in.” To find the object of the preposition, ask “what?” The couple was dancing in what? Rain. The object of the preposition is the rain.

So what makes “in” the preposition? It explains the relationship between the dancing couple and the rain. Without the word “in,” we would not know if the couple was dancing while watching the rain, dancing for the rain or dancing after the rain. We need the preposition to explain the relationship.

How to Spot a Preposition

Consider a chair. Any action that you can take regarding that chair is likely a preposition. You can sit on, walk around, step over, crawl under, stare at, walk between, place something in, reach across, set something on or walk to the chair. These are all prepositions.

Prepositional Phrases

A preposition by itself will often get you into trouble (grammatical trouble anyway). Therefore, understanding prepositional phrases can help you avoid inadvertently ending a sentence with a preposition.

Prepositional phrases typically answer the questions, Where, When, How, How Many, Which One and What Kind?

The first word in a prepositional phrase is the preposition.

Story

People often end sentences with prepositions in common speech. (Example: What’s up?) However, written English is expected to adhere more closely to proper grammar rules.

Now we understand why Winston S. Churchill once said, “This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put.” He was referring to the confusing rule that one should not end a sentence with a preposition, even when using slang.

 Before sending an email or submitting your manuscript, do a quick check for sentences ending in prepositions. Here is an easy reference guide to help.

List of Common Prepositions

If you’re still not sure whether or not you’re using prepositions correctly, contact Unscripted for assistance.

Five Common Grammar Mistakes

Unscripted, LLC 2 Comments

Charlie Brown

Even grammar Nazis make the occasional error. Here are a few of the most common grammar mistakes so you can avoid making them.

Its or It’s?

This is one of those exceptions that grammar Nazis are always discussing. In most cases, ‘s makes a word possessive. However, with “it” the ‘s makes it a contraction for “it is.” The possessive form is just its.

Its or It's.

There, Their or They’re?

Many people know the difference in these three words but they find themselves accidentally messing them up anyway. Be sure to double-check your usage when you proofread because, like many homonyms, this can be a tricky one for the untrained eye to catch.

There, Their, They're

Personal Pronouns for Entities

Personal pronouns such as “who/whom” or “they” are reserved for humans. Everything else is “it” or “that.”

Personal Pronouns for Entities

In the first sentence, the narrator is looking for a person, referred to as a “whom.” In the second sentence, the pronoun is referring to a company so “it” is the correct term.

Then or Than?

Then is used to reference time. Than is always (and only) used in comparisons.

Then or Than

“Of” Instead of “Have”

This is an error that many people don’t even know they’re making. It pertains to sentences that contain the words should, could or would. You may not think twice before saying something like “I should of gone to bed earlier last night.” However, the correct phrase is “I should have gone to bed earlier last night.”

Of Instead of Have

Think always have, never of.

These are only a few of the most common errors people make in everyday communication.
If you would like a professional to review something you have written for these and other common errors, visit the Contact page at http://www.unscriptedllc.com.