I'm happy to be getting some good training and experience as a proofreader lately. I've been obsessed with spelling and grammar since I was little, but now, as a pro, I'm proofreading my way through everyday life, even off the clock. Does the world really need another word nerd? Yes.In the examination room at my doctor's office today, a poster I transcribed exactly:
ADVANCED DIRECTIVE'S
A Document that makes your wishes known before it's too late to Speak for Your Self.
Because your Health Care Professional wants your direction.
They're Prepared to Listen
Talk To Your Doctor Today
A Document that makes your wishes known before it's too late to Speak for Your Self.
Because your Health Care Professional wants your direction.
They're Prepared to Listen
Talk To Your Doctor Today
11 comments:
But... it's- no you can't... buh- guh- dead.
What's wrong with that :)
Why can't poster makers ever actually write?
Telfer - I know! I know.
Freelance Cynic - Oh come now, you're English. It's your language. I know you know better. :)
Kind of makes you want to, um, you know, use your advance directive.
Nora - Sort of makes me a little nervous to put my, you know, life, or whatever, in the hands of people who don't, I dunno, double check grammar rules and stuff. Eh.
That's alarming and funny.
I dare not comment on your blog anymore, for fear of being proofread!
Dr. Z, I am so not judgmental about that stuff. I make mistakes myself, and am always learnign. (See?)
Actually, the woman who is training me as a proofreader had me do a few tests, and I was being super thorough and obsessive, and she still caught about six things that I missed (in only two pages!).
On very helpful technique she taught me is to do one last run-through totally backwards - right to left and down to up. It's astonishing what you catch when you check backwards.
Misused apostrophe! Random capitalization! Wacky construction! That poster has it all ....
I recently decided to stop having an aneurism every time I spy shoddy grammar and instead consider it a cheerful reminder that we grammarians have a purpose in this world. WaHOO!
Manda - that's a very reasonable decision, and I totally agree. To me it simply signifies that indeed, there is room for me in the working world of words.
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