Frequently Asked Questions
Usage
When you are quoting a phrase that is incorrect, do you follow that phrase or the incorrect word with (sic)?
|
|
There is a helpful article on the use of sic in A Dictionary of Modern American Usage by Bryan A. Garner (OUP 1998). sic Sic (=thus, so), invariably bracketed and usually set in italics, is used to indicate that a preceding word or phrase in a quoted passage is reproduced as it appeared in the original passage. Sic at its best is intended to aid readers who might be confused about whether the quoter or the quoted writer is responsible for the spelling or grammatical anomaly. You should therefore position [sic] straight after the error to which it refers: if a misspelling, after the word concerned; otherwise after the phrase.
Other questions in this section:Assume or presume
Do the seasons (summer, autumn etc.) require a capital letter?
How should the term 'website' be written in official documents and on the web?
Is 'snuck', as the past tense of 'sneak', a real word?
Is it acceptable to use 'backwards' instead of 'backward'?
Pros and cons
Should one say unorganized or disorganized?
What is the correct or more usual written form when writing the time - a.m., am, or A.M.?
What is the difference between these and those?
What is the distinction between enquire and inquire?
When is it appropriate to capitalize 'university'?
Where to place (sic)?
If, after browsing the FAQs, you still can't find the answer to your question then submit your query to the AskOxford Language Query team.
|
Printer Friendly Version
