The client, a business, called to ask how much it would cost to proofread their client magazine. We asked for a word count and a possible sample of the text. Seeing a sample gives us an idea of how much work is involved. Poorly written material can take two or three times longer to proofread than good writing, as much of the time is spent figuring out what the author really means and how it should be amended or whether it needs more advanced editing.

Having agreed the price, dates are set for when the draft magazine will be available and when the annotated text needs to be returned to the client.

The text arrives as a PDF on the agreed date and we proofread it, checking spelling, grammar and punctuation, seeing that it makes sense, marking up inconsistencies and generally making sure it is all fine. We mark up the PDF with electronic notes in Adobe Acrobat.

When completed, we email back the PDF so that the client can read the annotations on the PDF using Adobe Acrobat Reader.

The client is very pleased. It’s all gone smoothly and the magazine will go to print free from error.

That’s how proofreading works – more details at www.proofreadingresources.co.uk

Their or there or they’re?

They sound and look similar, but their meanings are different, so how do you know which one to use?

Their (adjective) means belonging to them.

There (adverb) means in or at a place.

They’re (verb) is a shortened version of “they are”.

So you could say, “They’re putting their things over there.”

For spelling, grammar and punctuation tips and advice on copywriting, editing and proofreading, please visit our www.z2zine.co.uk blog regularly.

When writing a press release, article or other material, it’s a good idea to decide how you want to refer to your business or organisation.

Do you say “the company is a leader in its field” or “the company are leaders in their field”?

The first one is preferable and grammatically correct, because a company is a single entity and can only be a leader, not many leaders. It requires the singular form of the verb (is) rather than the plural form (are) used in the second version.

So when referring to the company, write about “it” operating throughout the UK.

If a number of people work for the company, you may want to write about them collectively, eg “we work together.” In this case, the plural form is correct, because you are talking about the people in the company, not the organisation itself.

If you stick to these guidelines, you should be able to write consistenly about your organisation and your colleagues.

For more business copywriting and proofreading tips, please visit www.z2zine.co.uk regularly.