CPP Proofreading Marks & Symbols 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A proofreader draws a wavy line (called a 'stet') under deleted text and writes 'stet' in the margin. What does this restore?
- It removes the text permanently
- It restores the text to its original form (Correct answer)
- It moves the text to a sidebar
- It converts the text to a comment
Correct answer: It restores the text to its original form
'Stet' is Latin for 'let it stand' and instructs the compositor to ignore a previously marked correction.
Question 2: What does a single horizontal line struck through text indicate in standard proofreading notation?
- Emphasize this word
- Delete this text (Correct answer)
- Insert a hyphen here
- Convert to italic
Correct answer: Delete this text
A strikethrough line marks text for deletion; it is often paired with a delete symbol in the margin.
Question 3: Which symbol is used to mark that a hyphen should be inserted between two words?
- A caret (^) with an equals sign (=) (Correct answer)
- A circle around the space
- A vertical bar between the words
- The letter H in a box
Correct answer: A caret (^) with an equals sign (=)
A caret with an equals sign (or sometimes just an equals sign) indicates a hyphen should be added at that point.
Question 4: When a proofreader marks 'eq #' in the margin, what are they requesting?
- Equal number of pages
- Equalize word spacing (Correct answer)
- Insert a hashtag
- Replace with an em dash
Correct answer: Equalize word spacing
'eq #' instructs the typesetter to equalize the spacing between words so it appears uniform throughout the line.
Question 5: A circle drawn around a period at the end of a sentence during proofreading means:
- Delete the period
- The period is correct — take no action (Correct answer)
- Replace the period with an ellipsis
- Insert a period here
Correct answer: The period is correct — take no action
Circling existing punctuation (rather than inserting a caret) confirms the mark is correct and should remain as is.
Question 6: Which of the following marks indicates that letterspacing should be reduced (text set too loosely)?
- 'ls' in a circle
- Parentheses around the letters
- Curved close-up marks above and below the letters (Correct answer)
- The abbreviation 'tk'
Correct answer: Curved close-up marks above and below the letters
Close-up marks placed both above and below a sequence of letters indicate that letterspacing should be tightened.
Question 7: What does writing 'w.f.' in the margin alert the compositor to?
- Wrong font — a character is set in the wrong typeface or size (Correct answer)
- Word fragment at line end
- Widen footer
- Wrap to next frame
Correct answer: Wrong font — a character is set in the wrong typeface or size
'w.f.' stands for wrong font and signals that a character or word appears in an incorrect typeface or point size.
CPP Proofreading Marks & Symbols 3
A proofreader draws a wavy line (called a 'stet') under deleted text and writes 'stet' in the margin.
What does this restore?