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Subject:RE: Question on direct quotes From:"Paula Puffer" <pap -at- binkleybarfield -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 24 Jan 2002 09:57:49 -0600
Jason Asks:
I am currently working on a proposal where I am quoting specific
questions outlined in the RFP. These questions often (and I am being
nice) contain grammatical mistakes. Do I correct these mistakes in my
quotations or leave them as is? Initially, my knee-jerk grammar fingers
fixed the problems, but then I thought, that's really not a quote then
is it?
Jason:
If you are quoting them and you change the text of the question, you may
end up alienating your potential client by pointing out the grammatical
mistakes.
One solution to your problem may be to weave the text of the question
into the response without quoting it. It shows that you understand the
question and allows you to change text without getting in the position
of potentially irritating the funder by being a grammar copy. It may
also help the overall flow of the document and, if requirements say that
you can't go over X pages, cut out some extra spacing that can be used
for words.
When I have written grant proposals, as part of my edit, I take the text
and make sure that it addresses issues that are stated in the questions.
However, I don't include the questions in the text since many times I am
extremely limited to the number of pages I can submit for the actual
proposal.
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