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Copy editing and proofreading: Words matter

I have a thing for words. You probably do too if you’re here looking at this page.

I’d like to think I’m not too anal about them. (I can hear a mate of mine guffawing at that.) I understand that language adapts over time. It has its own Paris Fashion Week moments that usher in new ways of punctuating, spelling and – quite literally – speaking. Though I’ll contemplate suicide-by-pen-stabbing if ‘GR8’ ever makes it into the Oxford English Dictionary! (Notice how I italicise the book title – proof of my good editorial practice.)

I’m driven mental by people misusing ‘then’ and ‘than.’ I can’t handle companies that haven’t completed copy editing or proofreading on their advertising material. (As if I’d trust a company to sell me life insurance when they tell me I can ‘clame’ without fuss.) I’m bored stiff by repetitious, tedious copy. (How many times can you be told ‘we won service provider of the year’ without wanting to throttle someone?)

And ugh – my all-time worst has to be incorrect use of the apostrophe ‘s’. That same mate guffawing just a moment ago has his own rule about them. Just give every seventh word one and you’re bound to get it right some of the time. God help us all.