Style Sheet (from Edit Yourself)

In Edit Yourself, Bruce Ross-Larson suggests that every writer create a style sheet to aide consistency. If you’re crunched for time after you’ve finished your paper, checking your style sheet can be the easiest, quickest way to proofread. The following paragraph and example are taken from chapter 11 of Ross-Larson’s book.

To be consistent in spelling, punctuation, hyphenation, capitalization, and writing numbers in words or numerals, keep a style sheet. Indispensable for writing by one person, and imperative for writing by more than one person, a style sheet is a simple tool that can save time and avoid confusion (see the example…). It is made by drawing a few lines on a sheet of paper and writing groups of initials in each box. Each time you write or see a word that has more than one acceptable style, write it in the appropriate box; for example, write decision making in the ABCD box, traveling in the QRST box. When you run into these words elsewhere, you can check the style against the style sheet (rather than having to flip through all the pages to see how you spelled them the first time). For long pieces it often helps to keep a style sheet for each of the common areas of inconsistency: one for spelling (especially that of names and terms), one for hyphens, one for capitals, one for numbers, and one for initials.

Example:

ABCD

• antismoking
• busing
• benefited
• channeling
• cooperate
• cost-effectiveness
• decision making

EFGH

• (the) executive director
• formulas (plural)
• figure 1

IJKL

MNOP

• midproject
• multidisciplinary
• nonviolent
• percent
• (the) project

QRST

• sizable
• short-term (adj.)
• table 1
• traveling
• tradable

UVWXYZ

NUMBERS

• 1980s
• mid-1970s
• 1980-81
• $400
• two cars
• 2 percent
• 2 percentage points
• 2 million
• 1,215
• first
• eleven o’clock
• three-quarters

INITIALS, NAMES, AND IMPORTANT TERMS

• EU = European Union
• GDP = gross domestic product

If this article has helped you, or if you have other questions about this topic, please let me know. Thanks!

Check list example from Edit Yourself

This self-proof checklist is taken from chapter 11 of Bruce Ross-Larsen’s Edit Yourself.

You should check the use and usefulness of each word, phrase, sentence, paragraph, and section. If you do not have time for such a test, at least check a few basic things.

• Check all spelling, hyphens, capitals, numbers, and important names and terms against your style sheet.
• Make a contents page to identify problems of organization and to help your readers. [graphoniac's note: not always necessary, but a brief outline can help the writer make even the smallest paper flow better.]
• Underline and try to rectify long sentences, awkward sentences, passive verbs, and constructions that should be parallel but are not.
• Check that subjects and verbs agree in number.
• Check that all who and which clauses are correctly punctuated.
• Check that all introductory clauses beginning with an -ing word relate to what immediately follows
• Check that pairs, series, and compound subjects and predicates are arranged from short to long, from simple to compound.
• Cut what is of little use.
• Proofread everything you send out. A list of proofreader’s marks is under proofreader in Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. [graphoniac's note: also found here.]

If this article has helped you, or if you have other questions about this topic, please let me know. Thanks!

A FREE Error Catcher

You’ve just finished your paper. You’re by the printer waiting to grab your masterpiece and run to class.

STOP!

Do not ever just grab your paper and run! This is important, so I’ll repeat it: do not ever just grab your paper and run! Every teacher who has ever graded a grab-and-run paper can testify that these are often the most error-riddled papers. What makes a paper NOT a grab-and-run paper? Proofreading.

Proofreading is simply scanning the paper for obvious errors. If you can find a friend to proofread your paper, you will save your grade unnecessary docking. If you cannot find a friend, don’t just scan your own paper: you’re too familiar with it. Instead, read it out loud, slowly. When you read your paper out loud, you’ll be forced to pay attention to what is actually on the page. You’ll be surprised how often you missed something on the computer screen.

One more thing: make certain you check the peripherals–overall formatting, your name, your teacher’s name, the title, the date, etc. Unfortunately, good papers have lost entire letter grades for misspelling the teacher’s name. Don’t let it happen to you. Take a moment to borrow or be an error catcher.

If you’d rather have a professional proofreader catch the errors, contact your friendly M.W.H. editor today!

Self-Proof Checklist

Every writer ought to have his own self-proof checklist. To make your own, write down all common requirements. For example, if you are in a writing class, include the teacher’s preferred formatting, the assignment guidelines, and your personal commonly made mistakes. I had a list that included my own commonly misspelled words. (I can never remember how to spell tomorrow, exercise or embarrassed. How embarrassing.)