Tag Archive for: mistake monday

MISTAKE MONDAY for March 19: Can YOU spot what’s wrong?

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Can you spot what’s wrong in the image below? There’s more than one problem this week. Please post your answer as a comment. dd-on's add-ons effect affect

 

 

 

 

Here’s a clue to one of the mistakes. Some words are commonly confused with other words that sound similar, but have different meanings.

If you can’t find the confusing word in this week’s Mistake Monday example, check out “Top 30 Commonly Confused Words in English.” If this word appears frequently in writing that you proofread, consider adding it to a checklist of words that you review more carefully than others.

I post these challenges to raise awareness of the importance of proofreading.

MISTAKE MONDAY for March 12: Can YOU spot what’s wrong?

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Can you spot what’s wrong in the image below? Please post your answer as a comment.

added added to

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once again, here’s an error in a major newspaper. I suspect that text, such as headlines and captions, that isn’t written by the reporter may be particularly prone to becoming fodder for Mistake Monday. Do YOU have a theory explaining these errors?

I post these challenges to raise awareness of the importance of proofreading. I still struggle with proofreading my own work.

MISTAKE MONDAY for March 5: Can YOU spot what’s wrong?

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Can you spot what’s wrong in the Mistake Monday image below? Please post your answer as a comment.

absorb vs. absorbed

 

 

 

 

 

 

I post these challenges to raise awareness of the importance of proofreading.

There’s more than one way to rewrite this week’s example. What’s your suggestion?

MISTAKE MONDAY for Feb. 26: Can YOU spot what’s wrong

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Can you spot what’s wrong in the image below? Please post your answer as a comment.

I post these challenges to raise awareness of the importance of proofreading.

Mistake Monday explote

This mistake in The Wall Street Journal reminds me that everyone makes mistakes—even companies with professional proofreaders on staff.

Don’t beat yourself up when mistakes slip through. However, please do resolve to do better. That’s what I do.

If you enjoyed testing your skills on this example, visit my blog next week for another Mistake Monday item.

MISTAKE MONDAY for Feb. 19: Can YOU spot what’s wrong?

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Can you spot what’s wrong in the image below? Please post your answer as a comment. I post these challenges to raise awareness of the importance of proofreading.

Mistake Monday Recession recession

 

Believe it or not, this mistake appeared on the AP Stylebook website. I imagined that website would have a rigorous proofreading process. The moral of the story is that everyone makes mistakes. (I know I make plenty of them.)

I tweeted to @APStylebook about the problem. Although no one responded to me, I see that the mistake has been corrected.

MISTAKE MONDAY for Feb. 12: Can YOU spot what’s wrong?

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Can you spot what’s wrong in the image below? Please post your answer as a comment. (Sorry the type is so small. If you’re on a PC, try pressing CTRL + to enlarge the image. If you’re on a phone, perhaps you can rotate your screen.)

it's vs. its for Mistake Monday

I post these challenges to raise awareness of the importance of proofreading.

The image contains a classic mistake that you’ve probably seen many times. It’s not detected by any spell-checking or proofreading software that I’ve used. In addition to using Microsoft Word’s spell-checking feature, I use AP StyleGuard.

Aside from the blurb’s Mistake Monday problem, I like how it uses conversational language to discuss an economic term.

MISTAKE MONDAY for Jan. 29: Can YOU spot what’s wrong?

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Can you spot what’s wrong in the image below? Please post your answer as a comment.

If you follow the Investment Writing Facebook page, you know what I’ve been testing everyone’s proofreading skills since I introduced the concept on my blog in November 2011. I post an image, then challenge people to respond by identifying the mistake(s) in it. I do this to raise awareness of the importance of proofreading. I also do it to remind myself to take proofreading more carefully. After all, some of the Mistake Monday items have been written by me. This week’s Mistake Monday comes from a major newspaper that must use professional proofreaders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting this week, I am experimenting with moving Mistake Monday from Facebook to my blog. Why am I doing this? First, it’s easier to schedule posts in advance using WordPress than through Facebook. Second, my blog gets more traffic than my Facebook page. I’m scaling back my attention to Facebook.

Meanwhile, I’d like to thank the Mistake Monday loyalists who’ve commented, liked, and sent outrageous Mistake Monday examples to me. I appreciate you.