Ever wondered about the origin and history of the word “period”? Some research indicates that it is derived from the Latin word periodus, and that it was originally a grammatical term that referred to the entire sentence. Other research says it’s derived from the Latin word punctus, which means “point”. Did you know that a period is…
Did you know that ProofingQueen teaches a five-week corporate proofreading course? And did you know that registration for the first 2026 session (March 11‐April 14) of Proofreading for Businesses and Ad Agencies is now open? (No, you don’t have to bring your inkwell and sharpen your quill pen — it’s all online!) Use the code SM-4ZNUpA0sst to save US$10 on any purchase…
Think you got that historical date or geographical fact right? Do you have the correct line breaks in the poem that’s being placed on the inside cover of your brochure? Does crunching numbers have you feeling, erm, crunched?
Although ProofingQueen banishes typos (of course), we also scan for errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. In fact, in our realm, every single page of every report, brochure and website receives special attention ― which means we find more than just typos. In fact, when we review your materials…
Be sure to “March Forth on March 4th”! (Did you know that March 4th is National Grammar Day?)
I’m sure that “YUO CNA ESIALY RAED TIHS ETNRIE STENECNE”! Have you seen this? Apparently, as long as the first and last letters of each word are correct, even if the rest of the letters in each word are mixed up, you can still read the sentence!
ProofingQueen has developed a PDF markup system that makes it easy for you to understand exactly what changes we’re suggesting, and why. So why is that important for you to know?
Did you know that there’s a list of words and phrases that are Banished for Misuse, Overuse, and Uselessness? Lake Superior State University (LSSU) issues this tongue-in-cheek list at the end of each year. LSSU says it compiles the list to encourage “…avoidance of words and terms that are overworked, redundant, oxymoronic, clichéd, illogical, nonsensical…
Whether you love it or hate it, the serial comma, also known as the Oxford comma, does have its uses.
This is a clever play on words that has created countless errors. As we’re based in Vancouver, BC, we’ve seen this one often.