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Simple deletion is an excision made currently before inscribing the next word, or in some cases it is deletion of an excess word made at a later time, or the alteration of one form of a word to another by deletion. Sometimes the difference in time may be established by the use of another medium, like pencil in an ink text; but if the ink is like that of the text, often no positive evidence can exist unless the nature of the alteration reveals that it must have been performed currently.

simple] deleted
is&c.rat;] comma deleted
be] preceded by del. 'pr'
may] followed by del. 'pr'
in] foll. by del. 'ha'
natural] final 'ly' del.[13]
natural] initial 'un' del.
a hurry] prec. by del. 'ha'

The terms followed by and preceded by (with their abbreviations) are perhaps the most precise one can employ. The simpler follows or precedes in their full form are equally precise but could be ambiguous if abbreviated, especially since in a description it may be necessary to write phrases like following comma deleted. Thus the best alternatives to preceded by and followed by are the words before and after, which could be further reduced to bef. and aft. These may well be adopted as the preferred forms.

in] before deleted 'ha'
in] before del. 'ha'
in] bef. del. 'ha'
a hurry] after deleted 'ha'
a hurry] after del. 'ha'
a hurry] aft. del. 'ha'

An editor is advised to select one set of terms capable of serving all purposes and to use them exclusively (except in cases of real ambiguity); random variation has no intrinsic value and could be confusing to a reader who might suspect a different meaning when none exists.

Deleted false starts are as important to record as complete words, especially when a change of intention is shown.

000.00 great] aft. del. 've'
000.00 end] aft. del. 'concl'
000.00 very] aft. del. 'gr'
000.00 usual] aft. del. 'cust'

Unless there is contrary specification, two adjacent deletions are to be assumed as made at the same time, since independent deletion at different times shows a change of intention:

000.00 decision] aft. del. 'very great' (but) 000.00 decision] aft. indep. del.
'very great' (or) aft. indep. del. 'very' and 'great'

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However, reference to another formula in the section on descriptive transcription will illustrate what may be the better method in cases of ambiguity bearing on the order of deletion. Although there is none here, one could write:

000.00 decision] aft. del. '['very' del.] great'

If great had been excised earlier than very, the formula would be:

000.00 decision] aft. del. 'very ['great' del.]'

Either by reason of a change in the medium or of a different system of deleting strokes, the fact that separate deletion has occurred at different times can sometimes be determined. If the case is ambiguous, no indication need be given, or the queried statement can be made: decision] aft. 'very great' indep. (?) del. Sometimes a false start will be deleted but its substitute also deleted. That the odds so strongly favor each to have been independently excised makes it needless to state the fact: 000.00 decision] aft. del. 've great'.

When a reading is quoted in the description to the right of the bracket, absolute clarity is gained only by enclosing the reading in single quotation marks, the standard bibliographical means for denoting exact quotation. (Double quotes are less exact in their common usage.) The device of italicizing all descriptive words also serves to bring the quoted reading into relief. If it were not for punctuation concluding or beginning a quoted reading, the roman type without quotes might serve as a sufficient distinction from this italic description; but the more complicated descriptions of alterations in which the description must use its own punctuation become thoroughly ambiguous as to whether the punctuation is part of the reading or of the description. Hence experience dictates, unfortunately, the invariable enclosure of all quoted readings within single quotation marks. Single quotation marks in the text within the quoting marks are kept as single since the quotation must be exact.