Here is language advice and tips for writers and editors.
A[]
- affordable
- Almost everything is affordable to someone. Replace with low-cost or lower-cost if that is what you mean.
- accused, alleged
- Potentially libelous in a construction such as alleged killer. One option is who is accused of killing ...
- arrested for
- Potentially libelous. One option is who was charged with ...
- attitude
- Some attitudes are positive and some are negative. But the only people who don’t have an attitude are comatose.
C[]
See separate page.
- comma
- Use to indicate a pause.
- Use commas or other appropriate punctuation on both sides of nonessential clauses and appositives. Examples:
- The Sept. 11, 2001, attacks killed about 3,000 people.
- Acapulco, Guerrero, is a city and major sea port.
- Charles, Prince of Wales, weds Camilla Parker Bowles, who is now known as the Duchess of Cornwall.
- condo
- Slang. Spell out as condominium.
- could care less
- Incorrect.
- Correct: couldn't care less
- could of
- Incorrect.
- Correct: could've or could have.
- crisis proportions
- Redundant.
- crisis situation
- Redundant.
E[]
- early-morning hours
- Redundant
- elementary
- This is an adjective. A child may go to an elementary school, but not an elementary, or even Joe Schmuckattelli Memorial Elementary.
- emergency situation
- Redundant.
- entities
- Limp word. Agencies or organizations is better.
- epidemic proportions
Redundant.
- exclamation point
- Rarely appropriate in newswriting.
- expected
- If something is expected, indicate who expects it.
F[]
- facility, structure
- Limp words. Better: building, campus, or center.
- fatality, fatalities
- Death or deaths is more concise.
- false range
- A range can be indicated by from ... to ... If the items listed do not form a continuum, it is a false range, and should be rewritten.
- Examples: A to Z is a true range. Diapers to tools is a false range; there is nothing that would obviously come between them.
- first
- See "superlatives."
- forces
- See troops.
- from ... to
- See false range.
G-N[]
- general consensus
- Redundant.
- gonna
- This is not a word! It should only rarely be used in print. The argument "We don’t change quotes" is a misapplication of a basic principle. The key is that it’s not a matter of meaning, but enunciation. Do we record all instances of nonstandard enunciation? "I dunno."
- hours
- Often redundant, as in "early-morning hours."
- in color
- As in "The suspect fled in a car that was blue in color." What else would it be, blue in weight? Just say "a blue car."
- kick off, kicked off, kicking off
- Trite when used figuratively.
- launch, launched, launching
- Trite when used figuratively.
- last
- See "superlatives."
- months
- See "(season) months."
- most
- See "superlatives."
- newest
- See "superlatives."
O-R[]
- (season) months
- Why not just say "winter" or whatever?
- old adage
- Redundant.
- oldest
- See "superlatives."
- on the ground
- Often adds little or no meaning.
- only
- See "superlatives."
- Beware of improper placement.
- parent
- In the singular, this is nonconversational. People refer to a group of parents in general or an individual's parents, but no one ever says, "Meet my parent."
- quotes
- Do not clean up grammar in quotes. Paraphrase if needed.
- rain showers
- Redundant.
- relationship
- A hermit could be "in a relationship," although he would likely relate to the forest instead of a romantic partner. In other words, probably everyone is "in a relationship."
- relocate
- Limp word. Move is shorter and usually better.
- rolled out, rolling out, roll out
- Trite. Introduce, release or start are often better.
S[]
- said
Most neutral form of attribution.
- slang
- Usually not appropriate in formal writing.
- slash (/)
- OK as part of a proper name, Web address or other appropriate computer context. Otherwise, replace it. Try and, or or at least a hyphen. Replace and/or with xxx, yyy or both" or "xxx, yyy, zzz or a combination."
- so-called
- Use only to show doubt.
- solutions
- Business buzzword. Tells readers little or nothing.
- strangled to death
- Redundant.
- structure
- See facility.
- substance
- If drugs or alcohol is meant, that should be specified. (If I abused mayonnaise, would you send me to a "substance abuse" counselor?)
- sued for
- Potentially libelous. One option is "sued and charged with ..."
- superlatives
- Beware of superlatives and absolutes. It is often difficult to know or verify whether something is the only, first, last, newest, oldest, or most put-any-adjective-here.
- suspected
- Potentially libelous in a construction such as "suspected killer." One option is "who is suspected of killing ..."
- sworn affidavit
- Redundant.
T-Z[]
- titles
- Capitalize formal titles when used before a name. Formal titles are those that a person could be addressed with, either before the name or instead of the name.
- troops
- As a noun, this means "units of people." In Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, it’s specific. In a military context, "40,000 troops" does not mean "40,000 soldiers."
- Even if used correctly in a military story, it’s usually too broad to be meaningful. A troop or unit might range in size from a fire team (four people) to a division in the U.S. Marine Corps (one-third of the Marines’ active-duty infantry, plus I don’t know what else).
- tux
- Slang. Spell out tuxedo.
- veggies
- Slang. Spell out vegetables.
- wait on
- This means serve. It is not the same as wait for.
Sources and other external links[]
- Grammar Wikia
- Overused and Misused, compiled by Neil Holdway with help from editors and reporters at the Daily Herald of suburban Chicago; via ACES Midwest Chapter.
- Wikipedia category
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