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Q
Isn't
the English language changing all the time? If so how can standards exist?
A
It
is certainly true that English, like all languages, is subject to a metamorphosis
similar to evolution in that it is constantly improving and becoming more
efficient at expession. Primarily it is a means of communication and it
is vital that the person doing the reading and the one doing the writing
both speak the same language. I speak the same language as William Shakespeare
and George Washington, but we all have different ways of expressing it
and they make up parts of who we are. However, for all the differences
of age and culture, there is a backbone of syntax that is immutable and
logical, and herein lies the art of the editor.
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Q
What
are the standard proofreading symbols?
A
So
that the typesetter, copy editor and proofreader can be sure that they
are working to the same brief, a number of standard symbols are available.
They are not too hard to learn, being about twenty in number, but it means
that a job can be written in Orkney, copy edited in Penzance and proofread
(if you know what's good for you) in Manchester, with not a phone call
for clarification. The symbols can be found by clicking here.
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