English Editing & Proofreading
“I have worked in communications in the development sector for the past ten years. In our field, it is very hard to find proofreaders with not only excellent language skills but also substantial relevant knowledge. Duncan has proved to have both these qualities. His highly professional and timely services can be warmly recommended.”
Max Holm
Communications Officer – Save the Children Finland
“Kiitos kielentarkastuksesta. Se oli todella huolellisesti ja ajatuksella tehty ja korjaukset oli tarvittaessa perustelut ja osoitettu
epäjohdonmukaisuudet referointityyleissä yms. Todella laadukasta työtä. Kiitos.”
“My paper was rather technical and I was worried about finding a suitable proofreader. I was very happy with the polished work that was returned to me which exceeded my expectations.”
Antti Iho
D.Sc
“Kiitos kielentarkastuksesta. Se oli todella huolellisesti ja ajatuksella tehty ja korjaukset oli tarvittaessa perusteltu ja osoitettu epäjohdonmukaisuudet referointityyleissä yms. Todella laadukasta työtä. Kiitos.”
SERVICES
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English Language Editing Service
01 / FAST
02 / HIGH QUALITY
03 / SIMPLE
Stops & Commas provides a fast, accurate language editing service at a competitive rate.
However, we value quality over speed and quality is never compromised.
The editor at Stops & Commas is Duncan, a native speaker (British English) and a qualified English teacher with over 15 years of experience as a language editor.
To ensure the highest quality, every text is double-checked (literally read through twice).
Contact us for a quick reply regarding availability and price.
The document will be returned with changes tracked and comments added in the margin – ready for you to accept or reject them at your discretion.
Note: all of the above extracts are reproduced with permission – Stops & Commas has a strict privacy policy
02 / Basic language check + tailored editing
[in Finnish: englannin kielen editointi]
This service provides the basic language check outlined above while also editing the text according to your additional requirements (for instance, the text may need to be edited to reduce the word count).
Other points of interest
Time estimate
We can provide you with an estimate of how long the job will take, normally a matter of days. The speed of the basic language check naturally varies but commonly needs an hour for every 1000–1500 words (please note: at Stops & Commas this always includes a double check – we value quality over speed).
After proofreading
If you have any questions about the work, please get in touch!
Privacy
Stops & Commas ensures the privacy of your document; it will not be shared with anyone.
01 / Basic language check
[in Finnish: englannin kielen oikoluku]
Language editing will improve your document by removing errors and highlighting any deeper problems. The editing looks to ensure that a text follows the ‘Five Cs’ – it should be:
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clear
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correct
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concise
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comprehensible
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consistent
This involves correcting spelling, punctuation, grammar and terminology, and ensuring that the text adheres to any relevant style guides. The editor will use comments in the margin of the document to flag any inconsistencies or vagueness and if a passage is unclear or if a passage does not seem to follow logically, the editor will make a comment to bring this to the writer’s attention.
What to expect:
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Removal of errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation
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Edits to ensure the correct use of phrases and idioms, capitalisation, articles etc. (e.g. providing links to an organisation’s website if usage has been altered to follows their usage/spelling)
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Vocabulary suggestions if required to ensure that the language is consistent, suitable and avoids undue word repetition
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The identification of unclear, ambiguous statements and providing suggested amendments for consideration (if possible)
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Edits or suggestions for continuity, logic, readability and clarity of expression
All changes will be made using ‘Track Changes’ and ‘Comments’ features (in e.g. Word, Open Office), making all alterations clear and reversible (this allows you to accept or reject them either individually or for the whole document)
Double checking
After the text has been checked once, it will be checked a second time with the insight gained from having read the full paper and to catch anything missed on the first sweep.
ABOUT STOPS & COMMAS
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OUR STORY
Duncan Butt Juvonen established Stops & Commas in 2011.
He is a native speaker (British English) and has over 15 years of experience as a language editor. He has a master's degree and is a qualified English teacher.
OUR VISION
We provide a fast, high quality reliable service that pays close attention to specialised vocabulary.
Texts will be checked to make sure they are clear, concise and consistent and will ensure that you are saying what to want to say.
OUR CUSTOMERS
Previous clients have included:
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the EU
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Finnish government offices (e.g. the Government Palace, Parliament House, Kela – the Local Register Office of Helsinki, the National Agency for Medicines)
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academics from Finnish universities (Aalto University, the University of Helsinki, the University of Tampere, the University of Turku)
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companies or organisations (e.g. Save the Children, Amcham Finland, Federation of Finnish Financial Services, Nordea, Varma)
GET A QUOTATION
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Our services are competitively priced for high-quality copy editing ('proofreading') by a native speaker.
For a basic language check, pricing is normally based on a word count, so please include that in your email.
Email duncan[at]stopsandcommas.com or use the contact form below for a quotation!