Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation

Reports must be free of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. There is little more distracting than reading a report with spelling mistakes. They seem to leap off the page, derailing the reader's train of thought. This is another major reason why word processors should be used. Use the spell checker available with your word processor set to Canadian English to eliminate spelling mistakes. It will help you improve your own spelling. Check a dictionary if you are in doubt. It is worth the thirty seconds. Use a grammar checker if available.

Be careful though; many grammar checkers are not very useful for analyzing technical writing. Use them to spot mistakes, but scrutinize carefully any suggestions that appear. Although these tools are useful they are not infallible. A spell and grammar check will approve of the following sentence; Never heed dust under the rug. As a final caution, read the following poem taken from [8] or [9] .

Candidate for a Pullet Surprise

I have a spelling checker,
It came with my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.

Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh.
My checker tolled me sew.

A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when eye rime.

Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.

Bee fore a veiling checker's
Hour spelling mite decline,
And if we're lacks oar have a laps,
We wood bee maid too wine.

Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know fault's with in my cite,
Of nun eye am a wear.

Now spelling does knot phase me,
It does knot bring a tier.
My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped word's fare as hear.

To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should bee proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaw's are knot aloud.

Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays
Such soft wear four pea seas,
And why eye brake in two averse
Buy righting want too pleas.

Jerrold H. Zar
The Graduate School
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115-2864

It is essential that a report be proofread several times. This includes an independent party reading the report and suggesting editorial changes. It has been shown very effective to leave a draft for a day or so and then proofread it again. This helps to get a fresh perspective on what has been written.