What's the problem with contractions???
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@BirdyC wrote:
@MA Smith wrote:
I remember it was 6th grade when they started teaching 'new' math and English. My grades for English dropped from low A's and high B's to barely holding a C average. I have continually had problems with my writing skills since then and it's been a solid 40 years.
I have learned to take advice from some excellent editors and my schedulers, to learn the writing style preferred by the companies I evaluate. Keeping that straight is difficult.
As a general rule, I try not to use contractions and avoid commas. Sometimes it can't be done.
My advice is don't sweat it. There is only one shop I refuse to do under any circumstances, because no matter how I write the narrative; I cannot get past the editor. It is a shame because it's only fifty feet from another shop I do twice a month. It is a low pay shop. I would rather get back on my route for a higher paying gig.
I'm curious, MA Smith. Why would you try to avoid commas? When commas are needed and left out, clarity is compromised. As a professional editor and proofreader myself (not for MSCs), I've done some jobs lately that have frustrated the hell out of me because there were so many commas missing. I had to keep putting them back in to make the sentences clear. Have you had editors mark you down on commas, or comment on them? It would be interesting to know if some companies' editors dislike them!
I avoid them because I overuse them. My favorite English professor of all time made me set an appointment with her, so we could discuss my horrible sentence construction. My overuse of commas was first on her list.
I will say I agree commas are necessary for clarity. I write horribly clunky sentences by not using commas or contractions. I cringe when I send in some of my reports. Unfortunately, sometimes that's what the editors and/or the companies want.
Go with the flow.
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning; the devil shudders...And yells OH #%*+! SHE'S AWAKE!
Oh, OK, I get it; thanks! Yes, some people tend to stick them in places they don't belong, and others tend to leave them out when they're needed. Personally, I'd rather see more of them than fewer, because I can still understand what's meant. It's harder for me to understand a sentence that should have them and don't. For me, it's easier to take out ones that don't belong than to guess what someone meant and put them in. But each editor has his or her own preference....
I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
@BirdyC wrote:
Maybe the thing to do, then, is when quoting someone verbatim and there's a contraction within the quote, use [sic] after it to alert the editor. Not exactly how I'd use [sic], but it calls out that you know it's not acceptable in a report, but that you're using it because you're quoting someone. (Although based on some of the editorial comments I've seen in reports, some editors might not know what the notation means....)
That would be my concern as well.
As for one space after the period, I cannot get used to it. I type and then have to go back and delete spaces.
@christinereed wrote:
@BirdyC wrote:
Maybe the thing to do, then, is when quoting someone verbatim and there's a contraction within the quote, use [sic] after it to alert the editor. Not exactly how I'd use [sic], but it calls out that you know it's not acceptable in a report, but that you're using it because you're quoting someone. (Although based on some of the editorial comments I've seen in reports, some editors might not know what the notation means....)
That would be my concern as well.
As for one space after the period, I cannot get used to it. I type and then have to go back and delete spaces.
I always use the two space rule for periods, a semi colon and if I have to use a colon. My dings generally come from the fact I don't write paragraphs. I have a very hard time joining two or more different subjects into one paragraph that flows. I have tried to combine related points of one section in one paragraph. Then cover the others separately. DING, DING, DING!
I repeat go with the flow!
Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning; the devil shudders...And yells OH #%*+! SHE'S AWAKE!
@MA Smith wrote:
@BirdyC wrote:
@MA Smith wrote:
I remember it was 6th grade when they started teaching 'new' math and English. My grades for English dropped from low A's and high B's to barely holding a C average. I have continually had problems with my writing skills since then and it's been a solid 40 years.
I have learned to take advice from some excellent editors and my schedulers, to learn the writing style preferred by the companies I evaluate. Keeping that straight is difficult.
As a general rule, I try not to use contractions and avoid commas. Sometimes it can't be done.
My advice is don't sweat it. There is only one shop I refuse to do under any circumstances, because no matter how I write the narrative; I cannot get past the editor. It is a shame because it's only fifty feet from another shop I do twice a month. It is a low pay shop. I would rather get back on my route for a higher paying gig.
I'm curious, MA Smith. Why would you try to avoid commas? When commas are needed and left out, clarity is compromised. As a professional editor and proofreader myself (not for MSCs), I've done some jobs lately that have frustrated the hell out of me because there were so many commas missing. I had to keep putting them back in to make the sentences clear. Have you had editors mark you down on commas, or comment on them? It would be interesting to know if some companies' editors dislike them!
I avoid them because I overuse them. My favorite English professor of all time made me set an appointment with her, so we could discuss my horrible sentence construction. My overuse of commas was first on her list.
I will say I agree commas are necessary for clarity. I write horribly clunky sentences by not using commas or contractions. I cringe when I send in some of my reports. Unfortunately, sometimes that's what the editors and/or the companies want.
Go with the flow.
I feel your pain. My teachers were always after me about using too many commas, and my writing style definitely leans towards complex sentences. The problem with this in academic and a large percentage of professional writing (at least in the U.S.) is that they want you to write reports which can be read and understood as quickly as possible, so they push certain writing standards. This gets the reports graded more quickly but occasionally stresses or penalizes excellent writers. It's frustrating, but I can understand why some MSCs would implement similar policies.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/2015 05:32PM by OceanGirl.
As a professional editor, I cannot understand why each company does not have a style manual that they send out to new shoppers.
@StormKatt wrote:
As a professional editor, I cannot understand why each company does not have a style manual that they send out to new shoppers.
There are some companies that will provide complete example reports and have a whole web page dedicated to writing style.
One particular company wants you to refer to yourself as ‘the analyst’ and keep the shopper gender neutral and write in the third person. This was very unnatural for me and I flipped back to the first person in two narratives doing my first report. Writing quotes in the third person is not natural sounding at all.
I use contractions with limited space (with low max characters allowed) and I do not use them on purpose, if there is a high minimum character count. I also abbreviate with low max. I figure, they don't really care there or they'd give more space. Problems with commas are common with me... no matter how well I speak your language, my head always wants the commas where they belong, in my native language. That gets me dinged a lot.
@Kundry wrote:
...
Problems with commas are common with me... no matter how well I speak your language, my head always wants the commas where they belong, in my native language. That gets me dinged a lot.
Interesting! I never even considered the fact that other languages may have different punctuation styles and re-learning those styles even after you've mastered the new language's vocabulary and grammar would be incredibly difficult. I have trouble with commas too (mostly the overuse of them), and don't even have being a non-native English speaker as the reason.
Shopper in California's Bay Area
The problem with "contractions" is they hurt like heck during labor! 
@StormKatt wrote:
As a professional editor, I cannot understand why each company does not have a style manual that they send out to new shoppers.
I suspect that most MSC's are incapable of writing their own in-house style manuals. But, why not just refer shoppers to the style manual they want us to use? There is no shortage of widely accepted style manuals. I use "Chicago," but there are AP, APA, Strunk & White, and more.
I shop for one company that has a detailed sample report, including substantial narratives, but it contains many grammar and usage errors. I think the sample is primarily to give shoppers an idea of what they want observed and how they want the observations presented. Proper language is low priority! (Apparently.)
I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
No wonder that I made my only D in high school in typing. I only put two spaces between the state and zip code when writing an address. This is frustrating on my phone and tablet as they automatically add a period.
Commas can be indispensable. Compare:
Let's go eat, Grandma
to
Let's go eat Grandma.
I'll stick with commas.
Let's go eat, Grandma
to
Let's go eat Grandma.
I'll stick with commas.
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