My editor notes:
LYRICS
The double music note ♫ should be added at the beginning and ending of the lyrics of a segment. Add this by holding down Ctrl J on the keypad or copy and paste the music note. Lyrics need to be in italics.
If a character is singing live during the scene, do not put the lyrics in italics and use the single music note ♪
ELLIPSES …
… may be used to indicate a pause in the sentence or a sentence that is incomplete.
. . . is generally used for big, dramatic pauses
… can be used when someone is interrupted
Leave a space after the ellipse pause if it’s in the middle of a sentence.
INTERRUPTED SPEAKER
Copy and paste the long dash —
STUTTER
D-D-Don’t. Blend sounds ph, wh, th.
STAMMER
Talk…talk…talk about this. Capitalize only first word. No spaces for stammering.
USE PROPER ENGLISH
Avoid using slang English or shortened forms of words. For example: avoid using LOL, yup, wanna, or gonna.
Avoid subbing any words that contain no meaning such as “Haha” or “Um.”
STRUCTURE BREAK
A break may be added to separate speakers or to add a note or explanation in round brackets ( ) below the translated sentence.
TWO SPEAKERS IN ONE SEGMENT
This should be displayed on Team Notes as it doesn’t load here.
CHANGES
Do not edit the subtitle only to add a break unless a break is necessary.
If the original sentence is correct in terms of grammar and punctuation, then please do not change the sentence. Only make a change if the original subtitle has awkward or improper wording.
Do not edit the subtitle if… was not originally used to indicate a pause, unless the sentence is incomplete. (Speaker didn’t finish a sentence.)
ITALICS
Italics should be used for flashback scenes, texts on screen, lyrics, previews, thoughts (anything that comes from the mind including daydreams) and voice-overs.
When a person talking is out of the room, or unseen and it would confuse the hearing impaired.
TEXTS MUST HAVE BRACKETS [ ] as well as italics.
PARENTHESES ( )
If only part of the sentence is in parentheses, then you put the final punctuation outside of the final parenthesis: I enjoy breakfast (sometimes). If the entire sentence is parenthetical, then you put the punctuation inside the final parenthesis.
COMMA AFTER PLEASE
Use a comma after ‘please’ only to emphasize the request.
Please at the end of a sentence must always have a comma preceding.
I love you, but please, leave me alone. (Here a comma after please is optional.)
NOW used as both an adverb (first example) or a discourse marker (second example). Adverb needs no comma, only the discourse marker.
Now I need to pull my pie out of the oven.
Now, I know it’s a bad idea, but I’m going to do it anyway.
SOMEHOW needs a comma only if it explains the way it’s done. Somehow, the writing was finished. Meaning in some way.
Not if it is an adverb. Somehow you’ll know.
COMMA WITH SO
In proper English, there is no comma after “So” when used at the beginning of a sentence. When used as a subordinating conjunction, no comma is used either. The exception is “Even so” which means in spite of that, nevertheless and is followed by a comma.
COMMA WITH THAT OR WHICH
Only if the phrase is non-restrictive, meaning it can be taken out without changing the meaning.
COMMA WITH BEFORE
“Before” may, but need not necessarily, be preceded by a comma, only when used in an appositive phrase.
COMMA WITH AND
The comma preceding and, or, nor is not obligatory, but it is recommended because it sometimes disambiguates the sentence.
COMMA WITH BECAUSE
Do not use a comma before because when it connects two clauses in a sentence. Because is a subordinating conjunction, which means that it connects a subordinate clause to an independent clause; there should be no comma between these two clauses.
COMMA WITH IF
If the dependent clause follows the independent one, no comma is needed before if, whether, because, although, since, when, while, unless, etc.
COMMA WITH TOO
Use a comma with “too” only to show change of thought, or to clarify, and with “Also” at the beginning of a sentence. I love you, too. Without a comma, it can mean that I love her and you too.
REQUIRED COMMAS
Listen, it’s dangerous.
Oh, right.
But, Mom.
Well, then.
The more, the merrier.
The bigger, the better.
Excuse me, I’m leaving.
I’m sorry, I’ve left already.
Use commas with words that interrupt the flow:
However
Moreover
Finally
Therefore
Of course
By the way
On the other hand
Otherwise
I am sure
I think
Someone’s name.
EXCEPTION
When a parenthetical element such as an interjection, adverbial modifier, or even an adverbial clause follows a coordinating conjunction used to connect two independent clauses, we do not put a comma in front of the parenthetical element. Examples:
They led the league at the end of May, but of course, they always do well in the spring. [no comma after “but”]
The Yankees didn’t do so well in the early going, but frankly, everyone expects them to win the season. [no comma after “but”]
They were at the bottom of the league, and even though they picked up several promising rookies, they expect to be there again next year. [no comma after “and”]
COMMA WITH QUOTATION
Commas and periods go inside quotation marks.
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many things.”
“I should like to buy an egg, please,” she said timidly. “How do you sell them?”
Do not to use commas to set off quoted elements introduced by the word “that” or quoted elements embedded in a larger structure. Paul writes that “the purpose and strength of money” is not quantifiable.
We often say “Sorry” when we don’t really mean it.
IF quoted words aren’t a question but the entire sentence is a question, put the question mark outside the quotation marks.
Did he say, “I can’t give you a bite of my sandwich because I ate it all”?
COMMA WITH PARENTHETICAL ELEMENTS
When both a city’s name and that city’s state or country’s name are mentioned together, the state or country’s name is treated as a parenthetical element.
Seoul, South Korea, is bustling with people.
When the country becomes a possessive form, it’s no longer parenthetical.
Seoul, South Korea’s investment in electronics is widespread.
An absolute phrase is always treated as a parenthetical element, as is an interjection. An addressed person’s name is also always parenthetical. Be sure, however, that the name is that of someone actually being addressed. I’m telling you, Juanita, I couldn’t be more surprised.
I told Juanita I couldn’t be more surprised. No commas.
Their years of training now forgotten, the soldiers broke ranks. Yes, it is always a matter, of course, of preparation and attitude.
If you can put an and or but between two adjectives, a comma is needed. For instance: He is a tall, distinguished guy. He is a tall and distinguished guy.
But you would not say, “She is a little and old lady,” or “I live in a little and purple house.” No commas needed between little and old or between little and purple.
Use commas to set off phrases that express CONTRAST.
Some say the world will end in ice, not fire.
It was her money, not her charm or personality, that first attracted him.
The puppies were cute but very messy. Comma optional here.
Use a comma to avoid confusion. For most, the year is already finished. Outside, the lawn was cluttered with hundreds of broken branches.
COMMA WITH DATES
March 1, 1950, South Korea designated a national holiday.
Without the day, however, the comma disappears.
April 1919 was one of the most eventful months in their history.
In international or military format, no commas are used.
The Republic of Korea was founded 15 August 1948.
COMMA WITH INTRODUCTORY ELEMENT
When an introductory adverbial element seems to modify the entire sentence, and not just the verb or some single element in the rest of the sentence, put a comma after it.
Fortunately, no one in the bridal party was in that car.
Sadly, the old church was completely destroyed.
On the other hand, someone obviously was badly injured.
It is permissible to omit a comma after most brief introductory elements such as a prepositional phrase, an adverb, or a noun phrase:
Yesterday afternoon we sat around waiting for her to arrive.
By evening we had become impatient.
Happily he walked into the hall.
COLONS:
Used in sentences to show that something is following, like a quotation, example, or a list.
I have one goal: to find her. Colon is correct.
I have one goal; to find her. Semicolon is incorrect.
SEMICOLONS;
Used to join two independent clauses, or two complete thoughts that could stand alone as complete sentences without a conjunction. A semicolon can replace a period if the editor wishes to narrow the gap between two closely linked sentences. Call me tomorrow; you can give me an answer then. I painted the house; I still need to do the floors. Use a semicolon before such words and terms as however, therefore, that is, for example, for instance, when they introduce a complete sentence.
Bring any two items; however, sleeping bags and tents are in short supply.
Use the semicolon when you already have commas within a sentence for smaller separations, and you need the semicolon to show bigger separations.
The conference has people who have come from Moscow, Russia; Paris, France; Seoul, South Korea; and other places as well. Note the final semicolon, rather than a comma, after Korea.
When I finish here, and I will soon, I’ll be glad to help you; and that is a promise I will keep.
When quoting someone after a colon, they open their speech or text with a capital letter. The rest of the time, it’s a lower case letter. It’s not a new sentence when you use a colon or semi-colon so you would only use capitals in places you ordinarily would.
I find I tend to leave out a period or type a period instead of a comma without realizing it. I always go over my work a second time to hopefully catch my human errors.
Sorry, but if somebody actually needs this extensive a list of your pedantic “reminders”, they need not be worried about editing anything, but more concerned first with true fluency in English.
joking aside, English is a funny old language . (With both equal emphasis on funny and old) tricky homonyms are just one example of the English language being a bit bizarre.