More than Writers

Words and grammar have always fascinated me. I remember when I was doing my A levels, we studied a new module called ‘Varieties of English’, which looked at different types and genres of writing, how accents and cultures were represented, and so on. I think I was the only one in the class who looked forward to these lessons! So perhaps it was inevitable that I’d end up working with words and grammar. Being a writer, editor and proofreader allows me to see language from all angles – whether to convey my own message or to help others put across their message in the clearest possible way. So it’s my copy editor’s hat that I wear today (the one who works on the nitty gritty of the text). In my work, I come across the same issues on a regular basis. So I thought it might be helpful to explore some of these. I hope it will be both interesting (there must be someone else out there…?) and helpful. I or me? We all grew up being taught, ‘It’s not John and me; it’s John and I.’ Well, often ...