CPW Editing & Proofreading 4

Question 1

Which of the following best describes 'copyediting' as distinct from 'proofreading'?

Accepted Answer

Copyediting addresses grammar, style, consistency, and usage before layout

Answer

Copyediting occurs before layout and addresses grammar, punctuation, style consistency, and usage, while proofreading is the final check of typeset pages.

Question 2

A sentence reads: 'Neither the manager nor the employees was informed.' What is wrong?

Accepted Answer

'Neither...nor' requires plural verb when the closer subject is plural

Answer

With 'neither...nor,' the verb agrees with the subject closest to it; 'employees' is plural, so the verb should be 'were.'

Question 3

What is the purpose of a style sheet maintained by a copyeditor?

Accepted Answer

To record author-specific or project-specific usage decisions for consistency

Answer

A copyeditor's style sheet logs decisions about spelling, hyphenation, capitalization, and usage to ensure consistency throughout the document.

Question 4

The phrase 'more importantly' at the start of a sentence is sometimes flagged. Why?

Accepted Answer

Some editors prefer 'more important' as an absolute adjective in this construction

Answer

Traditional grammarians prefer 'more important' as an elliptical construction ('what is more important'), though both forms are widely accepted.

Question 5

An editor finds an em dash used where a hyphen should be in a compound modifier. What is the correct fix?

Accepted Answer

Replace the em dash with a hyphen

Answer

Compound modifiers before a noun use a hyphen (e.g., 'up-to-date report'), not an em dash or en dash.

(CPW) Certified Professional Writer Practice Test

(CPW) Certified Professional Writer Practice Test

CPW Editing & Proofreading 4