Proofreading & Editing Blog For Students, Researchers, Business Professionals and Writers

28Aug/080

Blogs! Can they form a career option?

Today internet writing is a reality. Even a few years ago, internet writers, especially bloggers were not deemed as writers who could make a difference, but today, with the explosion of information that the internet has created, online writing has finally come of age. Bloggers today can make a living out of writing and blogging. Although this concept is still very new to the people in many countries, I believe that everything takes a while to start off, and after a certain point in time when people see that it is effective, it becomes popular.

If individuals concentrate on what they intend to do with their lives and the difference they can make if they think a little differently, then they have a certain urge to work harder. Blogging is this volatile domain that is getting ready to erupt. Although the eruption has started, until and unless more people see the difference it can have on the lives of bloggers, they will not give it a try. Today, people who are into blogging can see a future in writing, and there are cases where people have already started to make a living out of blogging and online writing. As I would put it, “blogs don’t just know or imagine the future, they make it happen”.

24Aug/081

The Five Most Common Errors

Grammatical errors can show you up to be disinterested in your writing. They can detract your credibility and make your work look immature. In cases of blog writing or creating web copy, the case is pretty much the same. People will not read your blog, or subscribe/link to your blog if you make silly mistakes when you write. I believe that copywriting and blogging should be conversational and engaging, and breaking some in the formal convention of spelling and grammar can often be a good thing. Though, I also believe that you have to know the rules in order to break them. Here are some errors that you’ll never convince anyone that you wrote intentionally in the name of style, and even then, there will be people who will doubt your credibility.
So, let us look at some common errors that could diminish the credibility of your writing.

  • Improper Use of the Apostrophe – It is used generally in two cases. One for contractions (don’t for ‘do not’), and secondly for showing that something belongs to someone (Bobby’s pen would mean this pen belongs to Bobby). If you are ever in doubt, leave the apostrophe out. It generally causes more confusion if you introduce an apostrophe where it does not belong than it does to omit one.
20Aug/080

Wanna Study in the UK?

The UK is actually made up of four separate countries – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. When you arrive in the UK, you're assured of warm welcome and high levels of personal and academic support. If you are not sure whether you want to head to the UK for higher education, these are the reasons why you should go ahead.

An educational system that speaks for itself

UK education is respected throughout the world for its quality and consistently high standards. UK Universities and colleges provide a research-active environment, with the opportunity to learn from their academic mentors. It allows you to think for yourself and become independent (that’s important). It encourages skills which are in demand, and this is what attracts organizations from all over the globe (that’s important too). The unique quality assurance system that education in the UK gives you ensures accountability in all areas.

A home away from home

The added attraction of the UK is that outside the lecture hall it offers a very varied cultural and social life. It is also a safe and welcoming place for international visitors. Studying here allows you to meet students from all over the world and each student makes a unique contribution to the life of the institution, both academically and culturally.

Value for money

International education is a long-term investment. Considering the quality and international recognition of British qualifications, studying in the UK is excellent value for money. Tuition fees and living expenses are the two important factors to consider when selecting a college/University. These vary from one part of the UK to another. Students are attracted to the south, especially London, although the costs of living in the north are much lower than in the South of England. There are scholarships available for students as well, and it is also worth mentioning that there are many benefits available to international students that can make life in the UK more affordable:

18Aug/081

Student Writing Advice: What You Need to do to Write Better

It is essential for student writers to maintain a schedule when they are enrolled in a college/university course that involves writing. You should set aside time to research and write everyday, I know it sounds strange but it'll help, otherwise what generally happens is commotion and drastic things happend when you're about to submit your paper (it gets worse when it's your dissertation/thesis!). Far too many students (and I was always one of them) to finish their work the night before submission, making a mess in the presentation of the document and causing numerous 'slip-ups' in their written material.

Did you ever wonder why your lecturer/professor gives you assignments three months in advance? Its to give you time to pace out your research and writing, make a plan for the particular essay or report and then execute it. Successful writers always plan their schedule before starting to write; most writers do not believe in an outline before the actual writing, but an outline in the form of a list of points to cover, or in fact, a mental image of a finished paper.

16Aug/080

The Internet: The Biggest Resource on the Planet?

The Internet today, stands as the single most useful place for resources. If you are in front of the computer and logged onto the internet, then you have access to the biggest library, providing you with information about everything. This is the reason why online dictionaries have marched ahead of traditional paper-based ones. Online libraries are predominantly taking the place of libraries in town and city centers, simply because they are easily accessible. Online books and articles are at par with books and printed texts; in a few years time, these will be more accessible than any paper-based material. Daily newspapers and articles are being produced and published online every day. You can pick up grammar and editing techniques, and can even read your favorite books online - everything is just one click away.

10Aug/080

At the Bar of Writing Opinion

I came across a quote attributed to Daniel Boorstin who was Chief Librarian of the US Library of Congress. He used to start writing at 5am. He wrote a couple of books that did reasonably well, The Discoverers and The Creators, what they are about I have no idea.

When asked why he wrote and at such an ungodly hour he replied

"I write to discover what I think, after all, the bars aren't open that early."

That struck me for the bar quip but then I started to think about his opening statement - "I write to discover what I think" - and I believe that is very apt.

Even as a non-fiction writer who is producing commercial content designed to help sell and promote clients products and their websites, writing comes from inside and my thought patterns determine very precisely what I produce. Increasingly I find that writing is a journey into the unknown that becomes clearer each time I sit at the keyboard. I'm not trying to be high brow about this so I apologise for the cliche, but it's true.

Some topics are very interesting and command the attention and your brain, while othes simply pass you by. This is not my point. My point is that my journey into writing has been an unknown from the very beginning and there is so much more to explore. As I write this now, I'm consciously thinking about making each sentence capable of standing on its own feet, the need for punctuation and how to convey my idea without using "this" and "that" and still be clear.

5Aug/080

Writers Block

I first encountered writers block when I had to deliver a set of twenty 300 word reviews on 2007 model cars sold in America. The word count was not large though I'm no car buff so a little research was in order.

It struck me just how similar car reviews were and it made no difference if the reviews were of different makes and models. There is not a lot you can write about changes from the Aston Martin DB7 to the Cherokee Jeep to the Smart car! Don't take my word for it, take a look yourself at car reviews and you will see that they are all extremely similar.

Unless you are actually going to take a car out for a spin, you are well and truly stuck with using reviews and writings that already exists for the model. Embellishment is superfluous as you'll only be embellishing someone else's embellishment in turn.

My principal asked me how the work was going and I responded "It's like eating cardboard!" - I really had a problem getting 300 words out for each of the twenty models that I'd been given. I'm a fairly self-disciplined kind of chap and stayed stuck to the keyboard trying to concentrate and get the work bashed out. Honestly, it drove me to distraction and took an age to complete.

2Aug/081

Seven Business Writing Mistakes You Should Avoid

While indulging in business writing, you have to take care of some dos and don’ts. You should take special care that your writing is effective in persuading your clientele, rather than driving your client to reject your business proposal. You should also ensure that the tone in which you are writing your business proposal is on a similar level to its proposed reader. You should neither be too formal, nor become too patronizing with the reader. Most importantly, you should avoid common stylistic and grammatical mistakes such as those illustrated in memos, letters and reports. You should avoid the following seven major mistakes while indulging in business writing.

1) Do not use long sentences and paragraphs

An Italian proverb puts across this fact very well: "Think much, speak little, and write less." Shorter sentences are easier to comprehend, and the chances of your business proposal being read are more in this case. In addition, try keeping short paragraphs, restraining one idea to one paragraph, as long paragraphs bore people, in case you didn’t know already.

2) Don’t use unnecessary words

More words do not mean more knowledge. Use necessary business jargon, but do not overload your writing with adjectives. You need not always add ‘successful’ before the word business to emphasize the fact.