mispunctuating
Botching the semicolons
Mispunctuating is using punctuation incorrectly—missing commas, misplacing apostrophes, or scattering semicolons where they don't belong.
The editor spent hours fixing the mispunctuated manuscript.
The error can change meaning entirely: "Let's eat, Grandma" versus "Let's eat Grandma."
Punctuation marking pauses
- semicolonPunctuation joining related clauses
- colonLarge intestine section
- apostropheMark showing ownership
- quotationCited passage or price
hyphen · dash · ellipsis · parentheses · brackets · period · exclamation · question
Printing mistake
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- slipMinor error or misstep
- omissionFailure to include
- misplacementPutting in wrong place
comma splice · run-on · dangling modifier · split infinitive
Checking text for mistakes
- editingRefining content for clarity
- revisionAltering to improve
- copyeditingCorrecting written material
- style guidePublication formatting rules
grammar check · spellcheck · markup · redline · track changes · correction · amendment · strikethrough
Failure to grasp meaning
- ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
- confusionMental disorientation or bewilderment
- misinterpretationIncorrect understanding of meaning
- awkward phrasingInelegant language construction
comma
Punctuation marking pauses
- semicolonPunctuation joining related clauses
- colonLarge intestine section
- apostropheMark showing ownership
quotation · hyphen · dash · ellipsis · parentheses · brackets · period · exclamation · question · spacing
typo
Printing mistake
misplacement · comma splice · run-on · dangling modifier · split infinitive
proofreading
Checking text for mistakes
- editingRefining content for clarity
- revisionAltering to improve
- copyeditingCorrecting written material
style guide · grammar check · spellcheck · markup · redline · track changes · correction · amendment · strikethrough · stet
misunderstanding
Failure to grasp meaning
- ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
- confusionMental disorientation or bewilderment
- misinterpretationIncorrect understanding of meaning