An example of a student’s marked work.

1. An example of a student’s marked work.
Paul_Davidson_Proofreading_and_editing_module_2_style
Assignment
Go through the following Copy for correction and correct all style inconsistencies
using the Guardian style guide
This link takes you to a page where you will see an A-Z search tool.
Find the rule you are looking for. For instance, if you want to check how you use
capital letters, choose C and scroll down to the Capitals section where you will find
the information you need.
It is worth spending a while familiarising yourself with the way the guide is presented
and what is listed where.
Underline the errors and then write the correct version in italics afterwards. For
example:
The show starts at 9PM. [9pm.]
[Corrected copy]
A mystery benefactor is helping to keep Finchten’s Musical festival [query – check
name of festival with organisers or on offical festival website]good query, but
a cco rding t o th e G ua rdian st yle g u ide , yo u sho u ld h a ve mad e ‘m u
sica l’ lo we r cas e –
only government agencies, public bodies, quangos, artisitic institutions get caps
from closing.
The Festival (festival) made a loss for the fourth consecutive year in 2008 [query –
check this is true] very good and faces the axe next Summer (summer)
unless more cash can be found.
The grim news came from Society Chairman (society chairman), chair
councillor (Councillor - the style guide mentions to cap up titles eg ‘The
Duke of Westminster’, the duke at second mention) Fred Egerton, aged sixty,
(don’t need

2. age as speaking in an offical capacitygood, also delete comma after ‘sixty’ no –
ke e p th e co mma s, a s th e ph rase ‘a g ed sixty ’ i s n o t e ssen tia l to t
he sentence meaning it could have been removed without affecting the sentence.
Also, ‘a g e d sixty’ d o e sn ’t e a sily f low in to th e n e xt clau se , so sh ou ld
be iso late d see: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/comma.) and sixty
should have been 60 if it
was to be used who says the festival’s successes on Stage (stage – use onstage if
referring to the festival’s onstage success) have not been matched by figures on
the balance sheet.
Coun (Councillor)Mr Egerton, also chairman chair of the Finchten Environmental
Services Committee (check title and offical name of committee) also, according to
the style guide – see capitals – this (highlighted) should have been lower case ,
said, (:) ‘ (“good)The situation is serious. However (,) we are indebted to an
anonymous donor who wrote out a cheque for £100.00 (£100)for the 3rd (third)
year running.” (no quotation marks to end)Good
“And my four year old (four-year-old) grandson comma Mike comma (see:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/comma) is planning to raise fifty pounds
(£50) in a sponsored walk.”
The society President
(president),
Finchten’s Dean dean the Rev (as per style
guide at first mention, thereafter use courtesy title: eg the Rev Joan Smith,
subsequently Ms Smith if honorific is needed – I really wasn’t sure whether to add
‘the’ before Rev ye s, yo u do ad d ‘th e ’) Adrian White, said:” (“)GoodThe
situation is
a nightmare.”
The Rev (Mr White) intends to launch a cash drive next Summer (summer)
(,)which will be supported by leading fireman firefighter (Leading Fireman
Firefighter – title again) Roger Graham and Finchten Bowls bowls club(Club club).
It is hoped there will be a good turnout at the society’s next annual meeting, which is
(will be) good at St Charles’s Church Hall (church hall), Arlington Cres
(Crescent), Finchten, at 7.30P.M (7:30pm).
The chair wants a good turnout to discuss other ways of increasing income.

3. [End of Copy for correction]
Paul, this was very good work. You have an eye for detail as well as being consistent
in your application of the style guide. This will give you a head start in this course
and as a proofreader and editor. Well done!
Grade: A
Jennie Harbourth
15 November 2013
Extracts from the Guardian style guide:
jobs FIRST REFERENCE all lc, eg prime minister, US secretary of state, chief rabbi,
editor of the Guardian. Then: Mr, Mrs, Ms
the Rev
at first mention, thereafter use courtesy title: eg the Rev Joan Smith, subsequently Ms
Smith if honorific is needed; never say "Reverend Smith", "the Reverend Smith" or "Rev
Smith"
firefighter not fireman
Chairman – chair
chair
acceptable in place of chairman or chairwoman, being nowadays widely used in the
public sector and by organisations such as the Labour party and trade unions (though not
the Conservative party, which had a "chairman" in kitten heels); if it seems inappropriate
for a particular body, use a different construction ("the meeting was chaired by Ian" or
"Kath was in the chair.