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Copyedit. Translate please…. If you as an editor are continually repairing the same “error” committed by multiple writers, then perhaps it is not an error at all. Perhaps it is a conflict between organic and prescriptive grammar. Restrictive clause.
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Translate please… • If you as an editor are continually repairing the same “error” committed by multiple writers, then perhaps it is not an error at all. Perhaps it is a conflict between organic and prescriptive grammar.
Restrictive clause • Provides essential information about the subject of a sentence • It restricts the meaning of a sentence by identifying the specific qualities of the noun or pronoun. • Does NOT use a comma • Without the clause, the meaning of the sentence changes
Restrictive clause examples • The book that is on the bureau is mine. • The girl who is picking flowers was crying. • All students who do their work should pass easily. • The car that I want is out of my price range. • The gas company will discontinue our service unless we pay our bills by Friday.
Non-restrictive clause • Provide descriptive information that isn't essential to the meaning of the sentence • Uses a comma • The meaning of the sentence would not change if the clause was omitted
Non-restrictive clause examples • The detective, who was short, fat, and grubby, took down my statement. • The getaway vehicle, which was pock-marked with rust, was parked in my driveway. • Edgar Allan Poe, who wrote "The Raven," is a great American poet. • Puerto Rico was a Spanish colony until 1898, when it was ceded to the United States.
Use of that and which • Hard core correctness requires “that” for restrictive clauses and “which” for non-restrictive clauses • Current usage is changing to use either in either situation • Note the first bullet and expect some people to be hard-core about what they learned in high school English
Case study • You are editing an anthology of ten articles written by various subject matter experts. Part of your punctuation style is to use a comma before the final item in a series. When you return the edited copy to one writer who has omitted commas before the final item, he protests aggressively, challenges your knowledge, and threatens to withdraw the article from the collection unless you remove the commas you have inserted. What is your response? Before you decide finally how you will respond, think about your goals for the anthology.
Case study • You are a recent college graduate editing a research proposal for a senior staff member with a Ph.D. The proposal is full of academic jargon that you think may invite the proposal reviewers to smirk at the researcher rather than to respect her. You simplify some of the sentences and vocabulary. You return the proposal to the writer, who, in turn, delivers it to the typist. Later you learn from the typist that the writer has written on the copy, “Ignore the editorial comments. Type as originally written.” You’re furious at the put-down and the waste of your time; furthermore, you are convinced that the pretentious style will jeopardize funding. What do you do?
Case study • The writer whose work you are editing is a very nice person, but his writing is terrible. You can’t understand many of the sentences, not because the subject matter is unfamiliar but because the construction is so bad. Frankly, you’re appalled at the lack of writing skill, and you know your attitude is getting in the way of your work. What can you do?
