San Jose City College

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  The CARET [^] and the STRIKETHROUGH

A caret indicates that a writer has omitted an essential word. Often writers fail to edit carefully for missed articles, connecting words, verb particles, auxiliary verbs, prepositions, infinitive (to), filler subjects, indirect objects, relative pronouns, etc.
The strikethrough is used to cross out unnecessary, awkward-sounding, or poorly chosen words that do not belong in a paragraph or essay.

PRACTICE EDITING FOR OMITTED WORDS: In the table below, read and click between words where a writer omitted a necessary word. Guess the word that belongs where the caret appears. Click the hidden text at the end of the sentence [...] to see if you guessed the correct missing element.

1. Also, he has learned many languages, especially ancient languages such as Latin, ^Greek.   [...]and
2. Besides ^increase ^his intelligence, his relationship to his family changed after the operation.   [...]the    [...]in
3. There were two situations ^were threatening my health.   [...]that
4. If we do not care ^ourselves, no one else will.   [...]for or about
5. I started ^drive drunk and lost control.   [...]to
6. The day after the party, I woke ^in a hospital.   [...]up
7. One day, I asked my dad to give ^the car, but he refused.   [...]me
8. What drove ^crazier was ^he didn't know who put the dent in his car.   [...] him   [...]that
9. For me ^was a terrible shock. [...]it
10. We would feel much ^comfortable if we did something for others.   [...]more
11. My brother got into trouble and had to go into a correctional  ^.   [...]facility
12. In his early years, he joined a gang of teenaged boys and ^probably using drugs.   [...] was
13. My son went through so many changes leaving ^native country, learning a second language, and dealing with ^different culture.   [...]his   [...]a
14. I believe my son will ^proud of me someday.   [...]be
15. After 30 years in the United States, the Vietnamese understand that the success of their community  ^mostly based on what they taught their children at home and how they assimilated into the mainstream of American  ^.   [...]is   [...]society

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