SEVEN: IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT GRAMMAR

Question 1

What are the creative input tasks that are involved with copy editing?

Answer 1

1. Retaining the author’s voice
2. Comprehending/commenting on the material
3. keeping an eye out for consistency.

Question 2

While trying to maintain the author’s voice, the copy editor must do what?

Answer 2

The copy editor must also make any & all corrections - even if those corrections require rewriting.

Question 3

Corrections that involve the author needing to make a re-write usually involve what three kinds of corrections?

Answer 3

The 1st kind involves recasting a passive sentence to make it active.

The 2nd kind involves splitting up a run-on.

The 3rd kind involves moving or removing dangling participle.

The 4th kind involves clarifying unclear wording.

Question 4

What does consistency pertain to?

Answer 4

It is the uniform treatment of a piece of writing.

Question 5

When it comes to the treatment of the copy & consistency involving introductory phrases that include a comma, what should happen throughout the rest of the piece (one-word introductory phrases only).

Answer 5

If an author has decided to go with introductory phrases which feature one-word introductory phrases, he should do so throughout the piece:
“Furthermore, the writing should be…” and “Instead, she will go…”

Question 6

What is the rule regarding one-word introductory phrases?

Answer 6

Using a comma after a one-word introductory phrase is correct, and not using a comma is also correct. Though, the rule of consistency requires a writer to either use a comma for a one-word introductory phrase or decide to not use a comma for introductory phrases throughout a piece.

Question 7

What else to a small extent is the copy editor’s responsibility as well?

Answer 7

The consistency of the layout’s design features.

Question 8

Concerning layout, what else should be checked?

Answer 8

The treatment of captions.

Question 9

What can be a problem when it comes to the treatment of captions?

Answer 9

Some captions may appear in full sentence form but some of them are simply descriptive phrases.

Question 10

Active voice construction possesses what?

Answer 10

Active voice sentence construction possesses a subject and a verb.

Question 11

An active voice/ active sentence entails what that is occurring?

Answer 11

It entails the subject of the sentence (someone) doing something (the action).

Question 12

What is the key tip off of passive voice being used?

Answer 12

Be on the lookout for any sentence that contains the word “by.”

Question 13

Why does active voice matter?

Answer 13

Writing that predominantly uses active voice comes alive with interesting verbs, whereas the passive voice lies flat.

Question 14

In what way is this sentence considered to be written in active voice?

Answer 14

The subject, “I,” has done something, “put the Spooner board in the display window.”

Question 15

The following sentence is an example of what?

Answer 15

This is an example of active voice.

Question 16

The following is an example of what?

The Spooner board was put in the display window for all to see.

Answer 16

This is an example of passive voice.

Question 17

In what way is this sentence passive?

The Spooner board was put in the display window for all to see.

Answer 17

The subject is being implied.

Question 18

If the subject was not being implied here, how would the sentence be written?

The Spooner board was put in the display window for all to see.

Answer 18

It would say:

The Spooner board was put in the display window by me.

Question 19

The following is an example of what?

The copilot and his stories intrigued the pilot.

Answer 19

This is active voice.

Question 20

The following is an example of what?

The pilot was intrigued by the copilot and his stories.

Answer 20

This is an example of passive voice.

Question 21

A written redundancy occurs when what happens?

Answer 21

When a writer uses two or more words that mean basically the same thing to describe an object or situation.

Question 22

What is this sentence an example of?

The case was murky, dark, and gloomy.

Answer 22

This sentence is an example of redundancy.

Question 23

Where is the redundancy in this sentence & why is it a redundancy?

The case was murky, dark, and gloomy.

Answer 23

By definition, “murky” is the redundancy because murky means “dark” & “gloomy,” therefore, the “murky” alone covers it.

Question 24

What is this sentence an example of?

The butterfly’s spectrum of bright and various hues mesmerized.

Answer 24

This is an example of redundancy.

Question 25

Where is the redundancy in this sentence and why is it a redundancy?

The butterfly’s spectrum of bright and various hues mesmerized.

Answer 25

By definition, a “spectrum” is a rainbow of color, therefore “various” is redundant.

Question 26

For CMS, how are italics used?

Answer 26

Italics are used to indicate the titles of books, newspapers, magazines; movies and television series (individual titles of shows are put in quotes and not italicized); and pieces of artwork, musical works, etc.

Question 27

The following is an example of what?

Answer 27

This is an example of a newspaper being italicized (CMS). (Note: For periodicals, the initial “the” is not formatted.)

Question 28

The following is an example of what?

Answer 28

This is an example of a book being italicized. (CMS)

Question 29

This is an example of what?

The second season of Grey’s Anatomy (italics) ends with a finale titled, “Losing my Religion.”

Answer 29

This is an example of a TV show being italicized with quotes being used: CMS

Question 30

For AP, how do you indicate book titles?

Answer 30

Quotation marks are used to indicate book titles (no italics).

Question 31

The following is an example of what?

Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History” is one of my favorite books.

Answer 31

It is an example of quotation marks being used to indicate book titles (AP) style.

Question 32

For AP, what do you do when it comes to magazine and newspaper titles?

Answer 32

Simply use initial capitals. Do not use quotation marks or italics.

Question 33

This is an example of what?

She was a subscriber to Time magazine and read The New York Times religiously.

Answer 33

This is an example of using AP in which magazine & newspaper titles involve the use of initial capitals & not quotation marks or italics.

Question 34

What should be noted about “magazine” & “the” in the following:

She was a subscriber to Time magazine and read The New York Times religiously.

Answer 34

Note: “magazine” is is not an official part of the magazine’s name, so it is lower cased. Also, for newspaper titles, the initial “the” is capitalized only when it’s an official part of the newspaper’s name).

Question 35

When it comes to indicated words and letters - how are italics used in accordance with CMS?

Answer 35

For CMS, italics are used to indicate words used as words and letters used as letters.

Question 36

The following is an example of what?

The word sweetheart (italics) was engraved upon the locket.

Answer 36

This is an example of CMS in which italics are used to indicate words used as words.

Question 37

The following is an example of what?

She means to use an L (italics) but it looked like an I (italics).

Answer 37

In accordance with CMS, italics are being used to indicate letters.

Question 38

Regarding CMS and italics - what might italics be used for in a sentence with regular words?

Answer 38

Italics may be used to emphasize words.

Question 39

The following is an example of what?

Why do I (italics) have to do it? Why don’t you (italics) do it?

Answer 39

An example of using CMS style italics to emphasize a certain word.

Question 40

With news stories, AP does not use what?

Answer 40

The AP does not use italics.