| Comment
Key |
| |
|
| R |
Violates
something on the Format Rules (not for listserv posts; formal assignments only) |
| C |
Violates something
on the Conventions for Writing in the
Humanities |
| E |
Violates something
on The List of Incredibly Annoying Errors |
| W |
Violates something
on the Advice on Cutting Words |
| Q |
Violates something on the Quotations
and Citations Guidelines |
| pr |
Paragraph (if no
other explanation, break paragraph here) |
| fr |
Sentence fragment |
| Z |
Break sentence here
(usually because of a comma splice or run-on sentence) |
| syn |
Confusing
or awkward syntax (the arrangement of the parts of a sentence) |
| sv |
Subject-verb
conflict |
| vf |
Verb
form error |
| a/a |
Adjective/adverb confusion |
| ps |
Other part of speech
confusion |
| ts |
Inappropriate or unnecessary
verb tense shift |
| ns |
Number shift, meaning
an inappropriate change from singular to plural or the reverse |
| ant |
No (or unclear or
mismatched) antecedent for a pronoun |
| pr |
Incorrect pronoun
use |
| pp |
Plural/possessive
confusion, or other apostrophe error |
| dp |
Dangling participle |
| prp |
Poor choice of preposition |
| G |
Other grammatical
error |
| pv |
Unnecessary passive
voice |
| wdy |
Other wordy construction
(not on the Advice on Cutting Words) |
| tr |
Incorrect or no transition |
| wc |
Poor word choice or
imprecise vocabulary |
| ? |
Question mark needed |
| ?? |
Confusing point,
such as an apparent non sequitur |
| rpt |
Repetitious, meaning
that you have made this point already |
| rdt |
Redundant, meaning
that this particular phrasing or word choice is repetitive |
| sp |
Misspelled word (but
not on The List of Incredibly Annoying Errors) |
| cp |
Capitalization problem
(should be capitalized if it’s not, shouldn’t be if it is) |
| cite |
Failure to cite source |
| √ |
Good or interesting
point |
| SoA |
Scale
of Abstraction problem (too quick a change from broad point to specific point, or vice versa) |
| argh! |
General
comment meaning “I can’t believe you did this again!”
The length of the word and number of exclamation points indicates my level
of frustration: “argh!” is bad, “aarrgghhhh!”
is worse, and if you see “aaaarrrrgggghhhhhhhh!!!!” go ahead
and picture me having a stroke. |