Notes

Outline

Oregon State Bar Proofreading, Editing and Revising Customized & Workplace Training Portland Community College Facilitated by George Knox

Overview of Workshop Modules Week 1 - Proofreading Week 2 - Business Grammar Week 3 – Punctuation & Spelling Week 4 – Organization & Style Week 5 – Revising & Editing

Diction (Word Choice and Order) Diction affects: Meaning Tone Emphasis

Diction: Barriers to Meaning Misused words See Commonly Confused Words Nonspecific nouns Area, factor, issue, problem, thing Slang, regional expressions, figures of speech, inappropriate jargon Euphemisms, pretentious language Adult language, collateral damage, disadvantaged, economic downturn, pre-owned, rightsizing Sexist language

Diction: Barriers to Tone Inappropriate level of formality Contractions and acronyms Slang, jargon, figures of speech Proper or strict language I’d like to get that info you’ve got posted on your web page.  VS.  I would like a copy of the information posted on your web site. Improper connotation Images and emotions associated with a word or phrase The details he gave were fictional. VS. The details he gave were not factual. VS. The details he gave were incorrect. Figures of speech, clichés

Diction: Barriers to Emphasis Multiple terms for same subject First term has emphasis and sets tone My client is innocent.  I am confident that the jury will find him not guilty due to insufficient evidence. Active vs. passive voice Focus on actor or result The company laid off 300 workers. VS. Three hundred workers were laid off by the company. Front load vs. back load

Diction: Editing and Revising Consider PAT Proof for meaning, tone and emphasis Default to direct meaning and formal tone (unless writing personal narratives and correspondence) Generally avoid jargon and slang Check a dictionary and/or thesaurus

Diction: Editing and Revising Consider the following statements: Your client is responsible for the accident. Your client caused the accident. Your client is liable for the accident. What is the meaning of each sentence? What is the connotation for each sentence? Where is the emphasis in each sentence?

Paragraph Structure Topic sentence with support sentences (details and examples) Usually topic sentence comes first Start a paragraph when you introduce a new topic sentence Front load vs. back load Tip: When proofing, mark all topic sentences to check paragraphing

Document Design: Format Informative Intro of problem Main point Details Summary (restating main point)

Document Design: Focus “The Rule of Ones” One idea per sentence One topic sentence per paragraph One thesis/main point per document

Document Design: Flow Front load vs. back load Roadmap Statement of purpose Overview of content Signposts (Text) Transitional phrases and words Cues (Visual) Visual elements guiding reader Headings, highlighted text, dividers, white space Chunking (Grouping related elements) Parallel form

Document Design: Graphics Integrate graphics into text See Tips for Using Visuals Maintain a graphic theme Generally do not use clip art or extraneous graphics for formal documents Follow corporate/publication guidelines Adhere to copyright law

Document Design: Other Issues Headings, spacing, pagination, type Titles, length, submission Documentation of sources All of these are dependent upon the publisher and style guide

Style: Proper Citation When to Cite: Quotes Paraphrases Summaries Ideas not commonly known or referenced Borrowed materials that appear original How to Cite: In text Integrated into text May include list of sources Footnotes for additional content, not citation In notes Footnotes/endnotes Full citation in 1st note, partial citation after Usually no list of sources

Style: Proper Citation Use the correct style (Academic/industry standard, in-house guide, editor/reader preference) Document your sources in progress Take notes with source info Place citations/short-cuts in drafts Proofread for citations Citations matched with sources? Correct style and punctuation?