For those who are not familiar with the term ‘literature review’, writing one may be a major challenge. They can be complex documents, and they have to follow set guidelines regarding structure, content and writing style. See below a brief explanation to help you write a literature review in case…
The semicolon is a punctuation mark that concurrently separates and joins; it links two clauses that could stand alone as separate sentences, but whose link to one another calls for something softer than a full stop. Case in point: the previous sentence. If you’d prefer to learn how to use semicolons by…
In our previous article, ‘How to Use Quotation Marks Correctly—An Introduction’, we explained the basic uses of quotation marks. In this article, we will be building on that knowledge to discuss the rules for using quotation marks in conjunction with other punctuation marks. We will be discussing the Australian English…
What Is a Direct Quotation? A direct quotation is when you quote an academic source or reference word for word in your essay, using quotation marks and a reference (an in-text reference or footnote) to indicate that the words belong to another author and where you found them. When Should…
The ‘bossy’ colon is an important punctuation mark: it commands attention, offers more information and adds emphasis. It looks like this: : The main use of a colon is to signal that additional detail is to come. Straus, Kaufman and Stern (2014), writing in The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, suggest that…
In this article, I’ll explain how to properly use a style sheet to ensure absolute consistency in any document that you are editing. It is mainly aimed at professional editors, but the information is certainly also relevant to writers who want to learn how to achieve consistency in their writing,…
Do you want to know exactly how to launch a LUCRATIVE career as an editor? Do you love words and know you want to be an editor, but are too scared to give up your day job because you don’t know if you can support yourself as a freelancer? Have…
The English language is truly bizarre and full of inconsistencies, particularly when it comes to spelling. When ‘ph’ and ‘gh’ are meant to sound like ‘f’ and silent letters abound, such as the ‘k’ in ‘knee’ and the ‘b’ in ‘thumb’, it is no wonder that people get confused. However, mastering spelling…
Academic writing requires a particular skill set, which one does not acquire by osmosis. It takes time to develop the craft of writing and, like any other skill, it takes practice to hone. We’ve curated a list of excellent resources and online courses to help you improve your academic writing.…
Compound verbs (i.e. compound words functioning as a single verb) usually appear as two or more words (e.g. ‘was destroyed’, ‘was looking’ and ‘will be waiting’) and are thus not hyphenated. Compound adverbs (i.e. two words modifying verbs), on the other hand, usually appear as one word. In both instances,…