[Hong Kong - June 27, 2017] For us, a lot of the editing and proofreading we do is second-nature, but sometimes we encounter interesting unwritten rules that usually we don’t even think about. For example, why is it written tick-tock, ding-dong, or tip-toe, and not tock-tick, dong-ding, and toe-tip? Well, it’s because of one of these unwritten rules that native English speakers instinctively know.
The rule is actually very simple: If there are three words then the order must always be I, A, O - as in tick-tack-toe. If there are two words then the first must always be I and the second either A or O - as in tip-toe, chit-chat, or hip-hop.
There is also another unwritten rule that goes under the radar while we are editing but which we follow all the same. In English, adjectives absolutely must go in this order: opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose, noun. For example you can have a charming little old square red English wooden writing desk. However, if you swap any of those words around none of it will sound right.
It might not sound wrong to non-native English speakers, but a native English speaker will spot it immediately. But that’s where we come in. It’s our job to pick up on the details that you might miss, or not even notice. So don’t worry, editing and proofreading is second-nature for us.