Carpenter Document Consulting

As I was running on the elliptical machine at my gym this morning, I noticed a sign listing the “Cardio Area Rules.” The rules were fairly standard, but I was surprised by the number of obvious grammatical errors in what was probably no more than 50 words of text. I spotted missing commas, unnecessary apostrophes, inconsistent capitalization, and a comma splice.

As an editor, it’s my job to catch these things. Would the average member notice these errors on the sign? Probably not. However, the gym paid for these signs to be produced, so wouldn’t they want them to be grammatically correct? Do organizations lose credibility and professionalism when they produce marketing materials that are rife with grammatical errors? In my opinion, they do.

If you keep your eyes open, you will find grammatical errors everywhere. Some can be comical, and some can be downright annoying. Clearly, an editor’s work is never done.

Editors must be proficient in a number of style guides. Standards vary among industries and academic departments. Even if an industry universally adheres to Chicago style, corporations often also follow an internal style guide. Thus, reading style guides and learning style standards is all in a day’s work for an editor.

However, students and professionals also have to adapt to changing style. Your professor may require you to follow MLA, while your friend who is majoring in Psychology follows APA. If you switch majors, you may also switch style guides. A career shift brings countless changes, one of which may be embracing new style guidelines. For example, a journalist entering corporate America suddenly might be using that dreaded serial comma, which is frowned upon by AP style but required in most other style guides.

Here, we’ll highlight a few common style guides and what industries and disciplines use them.

American Psychological Association (APA) Style

The social sciences use APA style. The dissertations we edit, in disciplines ranging from nursing to engineering, almost always follow APA style, but these standards are often dictated by the university.

Associated Press (AP) Style

AP style is the book of choice for communications professionals. Journalists and PR pros exclusively follow AP style.

Chicago Manual of Style

Many publishers expect manuscripts to follow Chicago style. Publishers often have their own style standards as well but refer writers to Chicago for general style issues.

Modern Language Association (MLA) Style

If you’re a student that is not following APA, chances are you’re using MLA. MLA is another style guide used frequently in academia.

Microsoft Manual of Style

Technical communicators often refer to Microsoft’s relatively new style guide. Although technical writers and editors often work with project-level standards, Microsoft’s manual is another resource for technical documentation.

So, embrace change because you’ll probably use more than one style guide in your academic and professional career, just like we do!

It’s the time of the year when students are filling out graduate school applications, which often require a one- or two-page personal statement. Writing about yourself—and tactfully boasting about yourself, no less—can be a daunting task.

Carpenter Doc has been busy working with students on their personal statements, and we’ve identified some common miscues in these documents. Here are three ways to improve your personal statements so that your application falls in that highly sought after “yes” pile.

1) Qualify your success.

Your personal statement will inevitably include your accomplishments as an undergraduate student. In order to make these accomplishments stand out, provide as much detail as you can. For example, rather than saying “I got good grades,” you could say “I have a record of academic success, graduating with a 3.85 grade point average and dean’s list honors.” Remember, the more details, the better.

2) Show what you can do for the school.

You’re applying to the school—and the program—for a reason. Do your research interests align with the program’s current research? Can your undergraduate background offer a unique perspective for the graduate program? Your personal statement can illustrate your knowledge of the graduate program while explaining why you are a good fit.

3) Look beyond the books.

Academics are key, and you will certainly touch on your academic success in your personal statement. However, you should consider other experiences that show who you are and why you’re right for the program. Did you hold any leadership positions during your undergraduate years? Did a summer job generate your interest in the program? Do you have any relevant volunteer experience?

If you’re struggling with your personal statement or simply want another set of eyes to read it over, we can help. We’re running a special rate right now: A comprehensive edit of your personal statement for just $20. Contact us today!

Whether we are editing dissertations, novels, or business documents, there is one error that we consistently find – misuse of the semicolon. This underused punctuation mark is often easier to use than the comma or colon because it is most frequently used in one of three ways.

1) To connect independent clauses not joined by a conjunction

If your sentence includes two independent clauses, meaning each clause can stand alone as a complete sentence, and they are not joined by a conjunction, then separate these clauses using a semicolon. (Check out our previous post about independent clauses joined by a conjunction.)

Example: Some people will call in their order; others will order online.

2) To connect independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb.

When your sentence includes two independent clauses joined by a conjunctive adverb like “however,” “therefore,” or “thus,” use a semicolon before the adverb.

Example: Rain is predicted for Saturday; however, the picnic remains scheduled.

3) To separate items in a series when those items include commas

If your sentence includes items in a series with multiple commas, use a semicolon to distinguish these items.

Example: The menu choices include beef, chicken, or steak; potatoes, rice, or cole slaw; and broccoli, corn, or green beans.

Generally, if your sentence requires a semicolon, it is in one of these three circumstances.

It’s hard to believe that the fall semester is winding down! The holidays are just around the corner, and students are furiously writing their final papers and preparing for finals.

Carpenter Doc is ready to help! Until the end of the year, we are offering discounted rates for students. Let us help you with your final papers for the semester — make the last paper your best! Here are a few of the specials we’re running right now:

• Comprehensive edit of any paper under 25 pages for just $20
• Comprehensive edit of resume and cover letter for $25
• 20% off hourly rates for thesis and dissertation edits

Contact us today for these special rates! Remember, if you write it, we can edit it!

An executive at a company I worked for several years ago was surprised when I changed “which” to “that” and “that” to “which” in many instances in a company proposal that I edited. He explained that someone once told him that he used “that” too often, so he started alternating the use of “that” and “which” for variety.

Unfortunately, the interchangeability of “that” and “which” is a common misperception. It is rare that I edit a document that doesn’t have at least a few “that/which” errors.

Luckily, the guidelines for using “that” and “which” are simple. Here is how you determine whether you should use “that” or “which:”

That is used with restrictive clauses. A restrictive clause limits the subject in some way. That is not preceded by a comma.

Example: The group that wins the award receives a $100 gift certificate.

The restrictive clause “that wins the award” qualifies or limits the subject (the group). By using a restrictive clause, we understand that only the group that wins will receive the prize. Removing this clause would change the meaning of the sentence.

Which is used with nonrestrictive clauses. A nonrestrictive clause provides additional information that does not limit the subject. Nonrestrictive clauses are enclosed in commas.

Example: Carpenter Document Consulting, which increased its client base last quarter, is now hiring.

This nonrestrictive clause provides additional information about the company, but it does not limit the subject (Carpenter Document Consulting) in any way. It can be removed without impacting the meaning of the sentence.

A common problem we come across in the documents we edit is unnecessarily wordy sentences. Often, writers use verbose phrases to convey a point, not realizing that such wordiness often muddies the clarity of the sentence. The key in writing concisely is to make each word count. If a word in a sentence has no meaningful impact, then it doesn’t need to be there.

Here are a few tips that will help you write concisely:

1) Eliminate unnecessary adjectives.

Adjectives are effective when they offer a vivid description and, as a result, improve reader understanding. However, adjectives can confuse readers when they are used indiscriminately. Here are some examples:

• It was a dark night.
• The small infant would not stop crying.
• The tornado was a serious disaster.

2) Be succinct.

Some wordy phrases can be stated more succinctly. Here are some examples:

• in regard to = about
• prior to = before
• in the event that = if

3) Avoid redundancy.

Redundant words can also impact reader comprehension. Here are some examples:

• the final outcome = outcome
• first and foremost = first
• yellow in color = yellow