Definition and Examples of Copyediting in English

Definition and Examples of Copyediting in English Copyediting is the process of correcting errors in a text and making it conform to an editorial style (also called house style), which includes spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. A person who prepares a text for publication by performing these tasks is called a copy editor (or in Britain, a sub editor). Alternate Spellings:  copy editing, copy-editing Aims and Kinds of Copyediting The main aims of copy-editing are to remove any obstacles between the reader and what the author wants to convey and to find and solve any problems before the book goes to the typesetter, so that production can go ahead without interruption or unnecessary expense. . . . There are various kinds of editing.   Substantive editing  aims to improve the overall coverage and presentation of a piece of writing, its content, scope,  level  and organization. . . .Detailed editing for sense  is concerned with whether each section expresses the authors meaning clearly, without gaps and contradictions.Checking for consistency  is a mechanical but important task. . . . It involves checking such things as spelling and the use of single or double quotes, either according to a house style or according to the authors own style. . . .Copy-editing usually consists of 2 and 3, plus 4 below.Clear presentation of the material for the typesetter  involves making sure that it is complete and that all the parts are clearly identified. (Judith Butcher, Caroline Drake, and Maureen Leach, Butchers Copy-editing: The Cambridge Handbook for Editors, Copy-editors and Proofreaders. Cambridge University Press, 2006) How Its Spelled Copyeditor and copyediting have a curious history. Random House is my authority for using the one-word form. But Websters agrees with Oxford on copy editor, although Websters favors copyedit as a verb. They both sanction copyreader and copywriter, with verbs to match. (Elsie Myers Stainton, The Fine Art of Copyediting. Columbia University Press, 2002) The Work of Copy Editors Copy editors are the final gatekeepers before an article reaches you, the reader. To start with, they want to be sure that the spelling and grammar are correct, following our [New York Times] stylebook, of course. . . . They have great instincts for sniffing out suspicious or incorrect facts or things that just dont make sense in context. They are also our final line of protection against libel, unfairness and imbalance in an article. If they stumble over anything, theyre going to work with the writer or the assigning editor (we call them backfield editors) to make adjustments so you dont stumble. That often involves intensive substantive work on an article. In addition, copy editors write the headlines, captions and other display elements for the articles, edit the article for the space available to it (that usually means trims, for the printed paper) and read the proofs of the printed pages in case something slipped by. (Merrill Perlman, Talk to the Newsroom. The New York Times, Ma r. 6, 2007) Julian Barnes on the Style Police For five years in the 1990s, British novelist and essayist  Julian Barnes  served as the London correspondent for  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹The New Yorker magazine. In the preface to  Letters From London, Barnes describes how his essays were meticulously clipped and styled by editors and fact-checkers at the magazine. Here he reports on the activities of the anonymous  copy editors, whom he calls  the style police. Writing for  The New Yorker  means, famously, being edited by  The New Yorker: an immensely civilized, attentive and beneficial process which tends to drive you crazy. It begins with the department known, not always affectionately, as the style police. These are the stern puritans who look at one of your sentences and instead of seeing, as you do, a joyful fusion of truth, beauty, rhythm, and wit, discover only a doltish wreckage of capsized grammar. Silently, they do their best to protect you from yourself. You emit muted gargles of protest and attempt to restore your original text. A new set of proofs arrives, and occasionally you will have been graciously permitted a single laxity; but if so, you will also find that a further grammatical delinquency has been corrected. The fact that you never get to talk to the style police, while they retain the power of intervention in your text at any time, makes them seem the more menacing. I used to imagine them sitting in their office with nightsticks and manacles dangling from the walls, swapping satirical and unforgiving opinions of  New Yorker  writers. Guess how many infinitives that Limeys split  this  time? Actually, they are less unbending than I make them sound, and even acknowledge how useful it may be to occasionally split an infinitive. My own particular weakness is a refusal to learn the difference between  which  and  that. I know theres some rule, to do with individuality versus category or something, but I have my ow n rule, which goes like this (or should it be that goes like this?dont ask me): if youve already got a  that  doing business in the vicinity, use  which  instead. I dont think I ever converted the style police to this working principle. (Julian Barnes, Letters From London. Vintage, 1995)   The Decline of Copyediting The brutal fact is that American newspapers, coping with drastically shrinking revenue, have drastically reduced the levels of editing, with a concomitant increase in errors, slipshod writing, and other defects. Copy editing, in particular, was seen at the corporate level as a cost center, an expensive frill, money wasted on people obsessing with commas. Copy desk staffs have been decimated, more than once, or eliminated outright with the work transferred to distant hubs, where, unlike Cheers, nobody knows your name. (John McIntyre, Gag Me With a Copy Editor. The Baltimore Sun, January 9, 2012)

Procrastination and how to overcome it Research Paper

Procrastination and how to overcome it - Research Paper Example In this regard, the objective of this essay is to proffer relevant issues pertaining to procrastination, as the problem that needs to be resolved. The discourse would initially describe procrastination; what information should be gathered to help one solve it and where the information may be obtained. A description of the process to be used to evaluate the needed information and issues that will be considered in the evaluation (such as perspective and validity) would be determined. Finally, how the information will be used to resolve the problem and alternative areas of consideration would be evaluated prior to arriving at an appropriate solution. Different studies present varying models of a typical decision-making process depending on their perspectives. Some models follow eight steps, others five. For purposes of making intuitive choices, one structurally follows six steps in decision making. The six steps of this natural, intuitive decision-making process, according to Ethics Resource Center (2009) are: â€Å"Step 1: Define the problem; Step 2: Identify available alternative solutions to the problem; Step 3: Evaluate the identified alternatives; Step 4: Make the decision; Step 5: Implement the Decision; and Step 6: Evaluate the decision†. According to Procrastination Pro (2010), par. 12), a more comprehensive definition of procrastination is â€Å"a chronic habit  (caused primarily by fear or discomfort) of illegitimately justifying to oneself that a task does not, should not, or cannot be started now†. Procrastination would tend to cause stress, depression, lack of motivation, among others (Procrastination Pro, 2010). Knowing that it is a chronic habit, Carter, Bishop & Kravits (2007) averred that once the area of dilemma has been defined, the next step would be to gather relevant information to assist in addressing the problem. There are vast sources of information where solving procrastination can be

Word of God (The attributes and the perfections of God) Essay

Word of God (The attributes and the perfections of God) - Essay Example However certain Scriptures do make reference to physical features, this is called anthropomorphisms, and should not be taken literally (Swindoll p.180). In addition to God being spirit, he is described as "living and true God" (1 Thessalonians 1:19). God is life itself. Therefore, knowing God is life. He is also eternal. Isaiah referred to God as the "everlasting God" (Isaiah 40:28). God is not bound by space or time, He is endless; God has always existed and always will.Knowing God is eternal, it brings us peace to know the power of God, God manifests His power through one of His perfections known as omniscience, and this means 'God knows all'. God sees everything in present tense without effort. He knows the past and future as present (Swindoll p181). God is all powerful or omnipotent as has been rightly stated, "The voice of the LORD is powerful" (Psalms 29:4). The whole universe was created upon the spoken Word of God. One of the greatest displays of omnipotence is salvation (Rom ans 1:16). "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God."Understanding God's power in creation is important, but we must recognize that 'God is active in His creation, but is not to be identified with it' (Swindoll p.183). Failing to understand this distinction could lead to Pantheism. God is omnipresent, He is everywhere at once but not diffused throughout the universe as pantheism teaches. Another attribute that gives believers security is the fact that God never changes. Believers can always stand on the promises of God. God is completely self-existing, He is free and independent; there is nothing he needs that we might offer. God's attributes are impossible to list, therefore we know God is inscrutable; there will always remain aspects of God that are a mystery beyond our comprehension (Swindoll p.185). God is always faithful. This gives us peace to know. Man will disappoint us but God's faithfulness will never fail. In addition to God's faithfulness, He is truth; God can never break a promise or lie, this goes against who he is, 'truth'. God is a Holy God, because Holiness is who He is. Therefore, he is completely separate from all that is unholy. God has shown love for man by sending His son as the ultimate perfect sacrifice so we may be seen righteous before a Holy God. John declared, "Jesus Christ, the Righteous one" (1 John 2:1) without the blood of the Righteous one, man would be hopeless. God's faithfulness means that He is completely dependable and will never let us down. There is a promise in the Word of God that speaks of God's faithfulness (1 Corinthians 10:13). "And God is faithful; He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." Many times when God wants to build our faith he has to break us down. This breaking down of oneself is how we continually understand that we must depend on Christ for all things. Mercy is another wonderful moral attribute of God. God's mercy is not achieved by human efforts,

College Pressures and International Students Essay

College Pressures and International Students - Essay Example William Zinsser, in his the article â€Å"College Pressures†, offers a very convincing explanation of the various types of pressures brought on by a number of factors. Significantly, the various types of pressures of college life, as discussed by Zinsser, influence the personality development of international students and these pressures include economic pressures, parental pressures, peer pressures, and self-induced pressures. â€Å"I see four kinds of pressure working on college students today: economic pressure, parental pressure, peer pressure, and self-induced pressure. It is easy to look around for villains -- to blame the colleges for charging too much money, the professors for assigning too much work, the parents for pushing their children too far, the students for driving themselves too hard. But there are no villains, only victims.† (Zinsser) Due to any of these four types of pressures of college life, the personality of an international student is affected an d changed. Therefore, it is essential to realize that college pressures change international student personality, and this paper makes a reflective analysis of economic pressures, peer pressures, and self-induced pressures which influence international student personality. One of the fundamental college pressures influencing the personalities of international students in the US is, of course, economic pressure which makes life highly tensed for these students. In the current scenario, international students have to pay higher tuition than American student, which greatly add to the financial burden of these students. In comparison with their country, international students realize that the tuition in America is much more expensive. Similarly, it is greatly difficult international students to find job after college, due to the kind of economy in the US. The

Morality and Religion Essay Example for Free

Morality and Religion Essay There is a close relationship between morality and ethics but they do not mean the same thing. On the other hand, anti-morality and anti-nature are aspects, which negate vital instincts. Friedrich Nietzsche is a renowned philosopher who criticized social laws, religion, and honorable in a radical manner. Nietzsche argues that, â€Å"anti-nature refers to the idea of allowing human beings to coerce others into adopting their beliefs and morals† (Friedrich 404). Friedrich Nietzsche had a personal belief that morality is anti-nature. In fact, Nietzsche states that, â€Å"Every naturalism in morality-that is every health morality-is dominated by an instinct of life† (349). Indeed, Nietzsche helps us to define the idea of anti-nature by asserting that a human being is seemingly refuting the reality by denying their personal passion. In fact, according to Nietzsche and his moral philosophy, the healthiest moralities accommodate natural aspects while the unhealthy moralities negate nature. Nature derives human desires, which consequently define individual personality and how human beings behave. Nietzsche observes that human beings should have the free will to choose what they want without coercion from any external forces. He further quotes that, â€Å"Anti-natural molarity-that is almost every morality which has so far been taught, revered, and preached-turns conversely against the instincts of life: it is condemnation of these instincts† (349). He also disputes the common notion that religions like Christianity drive human life and consequently asserts that religion and dominance of morality inhibits human nature. In this context, Nietzsche argues that ardent followers of a certain religion ignore the nature of humanity since religion forces individuals to behave in a manner that will please the supreme ruler of the reference religion. Friedrich Nietzsche holds that religion especially Christianity opposes human nature because it gives a leeway to individuals to adopt religious doctrines about human life hence limiting individuals from celebrating nature. Indeed, Nietzsche states that the most general foundation of every religion and morality is, â€Å"Do this and that, refrain from this and that,-then you will be happy† (352)! He uses this explanation to support the concept of anti-nature in morality. Notably, Nietzsche refers to morality as anti-nature by asserting that human desires control what individuals do, do not do, and confirms that morality draws away the course of nature. Nevertheless, various philosophers identify with the fact that nature generates human desires that consequently define human personality and morality. However, I strongly oppose Nietzsche’s notion that human nature is prone to alternation by both morality and religion. Most specifically, I note that Nietzsche depicts religious people like Christians as hypocrites who can do anything to please God at the expense of altering their human nature. Ideally, Christians are rational beings who do not have such morality. Indeed, very few Christians would identify with Nietzsche’s argument since his ideas discourage Christians from following their religion. Notably, Nietzsche’s argument that religion alters human nature by allowing Christians to adopt different aspects of life that prevent them from celebrating life is misguided. This is because Christians have morals that allow them to enjoy their lives just like any other person. In fact, his argument is not universal since it only addresses Christians thus leaving a significant population out. Assuredly, Nietzsche discourages people from adopting religion’s doctrines that alter human passions but encourages people to follow their human desires (Jacobus 67). I also oppose Nietzsche’s argument since it does not support religion and thus discourages many Christians from adopting his views. In fact, I will compare Nietzsche’s moral philosophy with Iris Murdoch’s philosophy with a view of disregarding the assertions of Nietzsche’s reference to morality as anti-nature. Notably, Iris Murdoch addresses the concept of morality where she incorporates religion in addressing morality. In fact, her argument does not discourage the adoption of religious doctrines in morality thus attracting the attention of Christians and other religious people. Unlike, Nietzsche who blames religion for altering human nature and passions, Murdoch believes that religion affects morality in a positive manner. Nietzsche uses the naturalistic perspective to support his argument where the naturalistic perspective on religion contradicts with the idea of human beings by taking the responsibility of controlling their given passions and nature. More so, Nietzsche’s criticism on the effects of religion on human morality does not correlate with any religious, philosophical, social, or historical example and hence its irrationality. As such, Nietzsche’s argument lacks logic to me. On the other hand, Nietzsche does not incorporate the idea of human responsibility, which every human being should adopt. In fact, the act of satisfying individual responsibility is a moral behavior that resides outside the premises of religion. Actually, some philosophers like Murdoch claims that religion improves right morals by instilling a conviction and belief of doing the right things while out of control. Indeed, religion plays a noble role of encouraging humans to abide by the code of ethics set by the government or any relevant institution. In fact, Murdoch asserts that religion plays a huge role in generating someone’s morals by instilling the urge to remain focused on individual objectives. She further confirms that human nature accommodates the aspect of fulfilling one’s responsibility. With this argument, we can derive that religion does not alter human nature and that responsibilities propel human beings to decide and behave in a certain manner. Again, this assertion is stronger than that of Nietzsche, which claims that religion inhibits human nature. Michael Gazzaniga seemingly opposes Nietzsche ideologies in some way. According to Gazzaniga, people who believe in religion would only be classified under Nietzsche ideology of anti-nature if they allowed religion to take over their life (Jacobus 415-420). It is agreeable that some religion fanatics have taken religion to control everything in their life. Therefore, such people would simply be anti-nature as argued by Nietzsche. However, the majorities of religious people have not gone to the extremities of religion and therefore, according to Gazzaniga, they are living normal lives naturally. Nietzsche limits discussions and contributions of other philosophers and commands the audience to believe in his beliefs. Indeed, Nietzsche is an anti-realist about morality. This is because he does not abhor his positive views on morality and equally refutes all criticism against his views. In fact, he disregards any opinion that contradicts his own and thus his rhetoric character on morality. Indeed, he denies the objective of morality by believing that human beings have the responsibility of determining their morality, a fact Gazzaniga negates when he says that those who have control of religion have control of nature and morality as well (Jacobus 415-420). At the same time, Nietzsche’s argument lacks the support of any political philosophy since his views lack a systematic approach about the society. On the other hand, Murdoch does not speak with finality, encourages the participation of other philosophers, and accords the audiences’ free will to accept his argument. Such a leeway only allows individuals to buy Murdoch’s argument with a view of improving it and rejecting Nietzsche’s argument since it is discouraging to Christians and is seemingly irrational. Moreover, Nietzsche’s argument only presents what is wrong but does not present what is right while Murdoch helps us to derive the difference between right and wrong morals. Notably, Nietzsche argues that human beings cannot redeem themselves after neglecting their nature desires. This assertion is wrong since human beings always have a desire to fix their wrongs with a view of becoming better people in the society. Moreover, contrary to Nietzsche’s argument, it is factual that individuals can only achieve their goals by following their convictions and beliefs and denying their human desires, which mostly lead to immorality. Notably, religion derives this conviction, which encourages followers to adopt good morals and avoid sin as it leads to punishment. This negates Nietzsche’s claim that religion alters human nature and that human desires define morality. As such, I dispute Nietzsche’s views, which discourage religion from instilling the right morals and consequently identify with the idea that humans have the capacity to define their morals naturally. I agree that our morals depend on our conviction and not our desires as Nietzsche claims. Additionally, I disagree with Nietzsche’s idea that nature plays no role in defining our morals since nature plays a significant role in determining our behaviors. As such, I reject Friedrich Nietzsche’s assumption that morality is anti-nature. Works Cited Friedrich, Nietzsche. The Selected Writings of Friedrich Nietzsche. Lanham: Start Publishing LLC, 2013. Internet resource. Jacobus, Lee. A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. Print. Nietzsche, Friedrich. â€Å"Morality as Anti-Nature. † 347-356. Murdoch, Iris, â€Å"Morality and religion. † Jacobus 363-371 Gazzaniga, Michael. â€Å"Toward a Universal Ethics. † Jacobus 419-431.

Andrina by George Mackay Brown Essay -- Critical Essay Short Story Eng

"Andrina" by George Mackay Brown A short story in which an element of mystery plays an important part is "Andrina" by George Mackay Brown, a celebrated author from Orkney. "Andrina" like many of his other works has a spiritual aspect with common themes such as the cycle of the seasons, betrayal, hope and regeneration. "Andrina" is set in Orkney, a perfect location for this tale because of its mystical atmosphere. The haunting, spiritual atmosphere created through the language Geroge Mackay Brown uses adds to the overall effect of the story. In the short story an old seaman receives regular visits from a young lady, Andrina. Then one day she does not come. The same day the narrator falls ill. He soon recovers and goes in search of Andrina whom he has missed during his illness. He can find no one in the village who knows anything about her. This increases the mystery surrounding her character. It is not until the end of the story that he discovers that Andrina is the ghost of his grand-daughter. This news come in a letter which had remained unopened since his illness. The short story has a very unusual narrative structure with an embedded narrative surrounded by an outer frame narrative. The embedded narrative takes us back in time and introduces us to the sea captains past. He narrates the main body of the story in past tense. But the exposition, narrative hook and resolution are all delivered in past tense. This is significant as it represents the cyclical nature of Mackay Browns work. This may also be significant as the reader could take it to mean that all throughout the story the old sea captain knows the ending as the tense change would suggest he does. The authors use of foreshadowing gives the read... ...he news which came in the letter allows the old sea captain to let go of his past and appreciated the physical elements of his life; "where she was dust, a new time was brightening earth and sea". This line demonstrates how the old sea captain is letting go of the troubles which haunt him and the relationship with Andrina. This is very effective in giving resolution both to the old seaman and the reader. The short story has a suitably ambiguous ending as we do not know if Andrina's presence was real or merely a figment of the lonely captains imagination. Nevertheless she certainly brightened up his winter. In conclusion, the development of the mystery surrounding Andrina in the narrative creates suspense and makes Mackay Brown's short story extremely satisfying. He successfully maintains a ghostly and mysterious atmosphere in this unnerving short story.

Monasticism And The Code Of Chivalry :: essays research papers

Monasticism and the Code of Chivalry In the Middle Ages, there were many factors contributing to the building of monasticism. One of the most important components of the fourth century came when the Christians believed that Jesus would return very soon. So they did not care what the world did to itself. Instead they waited for Jesus to fix things, but it did not happen. This caused the world to become a violent place to live. Christians were persecuted for their beliefs by the Roman Government. The Christians had enough and were ready to leave. Some Christians went to a place where they could have communion in peace without the fear of the Roman government, this place was Egypt. They were called hermit monks. But others, Christians, had their ideas of the way that a Christian life should be lived. They wanted to live in a community, so they could worship together as a group instead of being alone. Benedict of Nursia established a rule that was used by most of the monks as a way of life. In this there were three specific vows, they are used to make it easier for monks to be closer to God. They are poverty, chastity, and obedience. Poverty meant that the need for money and material possessions were not needed as a means of worship. The monasteries gave the monks the things that they needed, and this was only the bare essentials. The monasteries made their own money by owning land and selling surplus products. Thus, they became very wealthy. Chastity meant that the men and women would not have sex or get married. This was said to have saved the monks from the "devilish acts" that happen when sexual desires were exploited for selfish reasons. Obedience was essential, each monk had to be absolutely obedient to their abbot. The purpose of this obedience was to develop personal humility, and to become more holy by becoming humiliated or less proud of one's self. Only making them worship and become closer to God. The monasteries were a place to get away from evil and anything to deter them from God. The Code of Chivalry means, if you own a horse than you can have wealth or power in the Middle Ages. As there are more people with horses, the tension gets tighter and tempers are flared, this is how elite soldiers and knights are