Notes in the newsroom on grammar, usage and elegance.
Many topics show up frequently in readers comments and e-mail messages to After Deadline. Regrettably I’m unable to provide a direct reaction to each comment (honestly, After Deadline is really a sideline for me personally). Only one thoughtful readers recommended which i compile solutions for probably the most common questions.
Here’s a begin in that effort. I’ll add other topics because they show up, and I’ll connect to this item from each week’s column so readers will find it easily.
[UPDATED on November. 14, 2011 newest item on the top.]
So Why Do Plural Abbreviations Come with an Apostrophe?
Numerous readers have complained having seen plural abbreviations like M.D.’s and M.R.I.’s within the Occasions. They are saying the apostrophe is wrong — it signifies a possessive and cannot be utilized inside a plural such as this.
Actually, style rules in the Occasions (and a few other publications, such as the Chicago Manual of fashion) do demand utilizing an apostrophe within the plural of abbreviations which include periods. The concept is the fact that a mix of uppercase letters, periods along with a lowercase “s” is confusing initially glance, which the apostrophe helps a readers observe that the “s” continues to be added to create a plural.
Here’s the appropriate area of the Occasions’s stylebook entry:
Use apostrophes for plurals of abbreviations which have capital letters and periods: M.D.’s, C.P.A.’s. Also employ apostrophes for plurals created from single letters: He received A’s and B’s on his report card. Mind your p’s and q’s .
But don’t use apostrophes for plurals of abbreviations without periods, or plurals created from figures: TVs, Computers, DVDs 1990s, 747s, size 7s .
‘None’: Singular or Plural?
Should “none” be utilized having a singular or perhaps a plural verb?
Some readers from the Occasions after Deadline insist that “none” should always have a singular verb. They reason that “none” means “not one,” and thus is inherently singular.
But because I’ve stated before, most government bodies, such as the Times’s stylebook, disagree. Here’s our entry:
none. Despite a prevalent assumption it means not just one. the term continues to be construed like a plural (no ) in many contexts for hundreds of years. H. W. Fowler’s Dictionary of contemporary British Usage (1926) endorsed the plural use. Make none plural except when emphasizing the thought of not just one or nobody — after which think about using individuals phrases rather.
‘Like’ or ‘Such As’?
Following a discussion about using “like” like a conjunction, several commenters required problem with another utilization of “like,” including instances in the Occasions’s stylebook.
These readers resist using “like” like a preposition to mean “including” or “as for instance”: Other people by having an earned doctoral, just like a Ph.D. degree. may request the title …
The objectors contend that “like” within this construction should mean “similar to” — to ensure that this situation, as it happens, could be talking about doctorates much like a Ph.D. although not together with a Ph.D. They’d change this phrase to “for example a Ph.D.
degree.”
Editors have lengthy been divided about this point. But “like” is broadly used, and recognized in most dictionaries, meaning of “as for instance.” Many authors think it is natural and fewer stilted than “such as,” a minimum of in certain contexts.
Both versions appear acceptable in my experience The Occasions’s stylebook has a tendency to favor “like.”
Are Split Infinitives Acceptable?
The aversion to splitting infinitives is strongly locked in some quarters, but weakly supported. Here’s exactly what the Occasions’s stylebook states:
split infinitives are recognized by grammarians but irritate many readers. Whenever a elegant alternative exists, steer clear of the construction: to exhibit the main difference clearly is preferable to to obviously show the main difference. (Don’t use the substitute clearly to exhibit the main difference .) Once the split is inevitable, accept it: He was obliged to greater than double the amount cost. Note, however, that compound verbs are an unrelated issue: they ought to usually be separated (because this one was) when combined with an adverb.
Should a Sentence Ever Begin With ‘And’?
When I’ve noted before, another pet peeve of some After Deadline commenters is using “but” or “and” to start a sentence. I don’t use whatever grounds for their objections.
It shouldn’t be overdone, but using coordinating conjunctions by doing this can offer an opportune and incredibly efficient transition. “But” is unquestionably more suitable oftentimes towards the stilted “however,” and “and” now is easier than “in addition” or similar phrases.
Combined with the split-infinitive complaint, this objection grouped into the group of “Miss Thistlebottom’s hobgoblins .” That’s Theodore M. Bernstein’s term for that excessively fastidious rules and usage myths a grade-school British teacher might invoke to help keep her pupils’ prose on the very narrow path.
Can an individual Be considered a ‘They’?
No. Miss Thistlebottom was right relating to this one. In careful writing, we continue using “they” like a plural pronoun which should possess a plural antecedent.
Frequently authors turn to “they” following a singular noun to prevent utilizing a gender-specific pronoun inside a general situation. Here’s a good example I reported in After Deadline recently:
When an individual enters search phrases for a service or product, the internet search engine may display links where they could possibly get a price reduction coupon from the store or coupon aggregator.
Oftentimes, the issue may be easily prevented by beginning having a plural noun: “When customers enter search phrases …”
Is Data Singular or Plural?
The Times’s stylebook enables “data” with whether plural or perhaps a singular verb. Here’s the entry:
data is suitable like a singular term for information: The information was persuasive. In the traditional sense, meaning an accumulation of details and figures, the noun can nonetheless be plural: They tabulate the information, which arrive from bookstores nationwide. (Within this sense, the singular is datum. a thing both stilted and deservedly obscure.)
And here’s an early on After Deadline discussion of the point, with some other disputed points of usage.
Many readers complain by what they view like a missing comma inside a sentence such as this: He bought apples, pears and bananas .
Style guides for book and academic publishing generally would insist upon another comma after “pears,” the so-known as serial comma. But news writing has typically overlooked the serial comma — possibly seeking a far more rapid perspective of prose, or possibly in order to save effort and time several years ago of manual typesetting.
We all do make use of the additional comma in instances where a sentence could be awkward or confusing without them: Selections for breakfast incorporated oatmeal, muffins, and bacon and eggs .
Why Dale earnhardt jr ., Not Dale earnhardt jr .?
Auto racing fans chafe at our rules on acronyms. These are, from your stylebook:
acronyms. An acronym is really a word created in the first letter (or letters) of every word inside a series: NATO from N orth A tlantic T reaty O rganization radar from ra dio d etection a nd r anging. (Unless of course pronounced like a word, an abbreviation isn’t an acronym.) When an acronym works as a proper name and exceeds four letters, capitalize just the first letter: Unesco Unicef .
We limit the uppercasing to four letters because longer strings of capitals are distracting and have a tendency to leap from the page.
Certainly one of Individuals Things
As it turned out, many readers insist that I’m wrong to require a plural verb in sentences such as this: He is among individuals teachers who refuse to permit laptops at school .
I don’t always be prepared to make an impression on the doubters, but I’m not budging. Here’s a far more detailed explanation from the previous publish.
Our ongoing utilization of courtesy titles — more and more rare in news reports media — prompts many questions. Rules on using “Dr.” particularly can result in confusion, for readers and regrettably sometimes for the authors. Here’s our stylebook entry:
Dr. ought to be utilized in all references for physicians and dentists whose practice is the primary current occupation, or who operate in a carefully related field, like medical writing, research or pharmaceutical manufacturing: Dr. Alex E. Baranek Dr. Baranek the physician. (Individuals who practice only incidentally, or by no means, ought to be known as Mr. Ms. Miss or Mrs .)
Other people by having an earned doctoral, just like a Ph.D. degree, may request the title, as long as it’s germane towards the holder’s primary current occupation (academic, for instance, or laboratory research). For any Ph.D. the title should appear only in second and then references. The holder of the Ph.D. or equivalent degree might also not make use of the title.
Don’t use the title for somebody whose doctoral is honorary.
Stodgy Traditionalist or Permissive Panderer?
I take no sides within the philosophical arguements for and against descriptivists and prescriptivists on usage questions. When I described within this publish this past year. I’m only a newspaper editor. Transpire is lucid prose that’s polished and literate without having to be stuffy.
‘After Deadline’ Correspondence
I just read your comments ought to which are published every week, which regularly produce ideas or fodder for future installments. You may also send e-mail messages to nytnews@nytimes.com please put “After Deadline” within the subject line therefore the message is going to be given to me.
Can One Obtain The Occasions’s Stylebook?
Paper edition of “The New You are able to Occasions Manual of fashion and Usage ,” compiled by two esteemed former colleagues, Allan M. Siegal and William G. Connolly, can nonetheless be bought on the internet and in certain bookstores.
I oversee a web-based version which includes many changes and updates because the book’s publication in 1999. Regrettably that version isn’t available to the general public, though we’ve discussed the potential of which makes it obtainable in some form.
Could It Be Daylight Not Waste Time Again?
Some readers complain the After Deadline emblem looks too similar to the clock we publish to help remind people of times change.
I didn’t devise the emblem, obviously. We really use another for that in-house version — a thick red pencil line circling the title, as an editor’s mark. It had been considered a little too old-fashioned for that online edition, In my opinion. In almost any situation, if it’s not March or November, think that the time means After Deadline.
This week’s grab bag of grammar, style along with other missteps, compiled with the aid of colleagues and readers.
DETROIT — The Transportation Department stated Monday it might seek a $16.4 million fine against Toyota, the biggest permitted, because the organization had unsuccessful to quickly inform the federal government about potential issues with accelerator pedals.
Don’t omit “that” following a time aspect in a building such as this.
Rescuers [in China] knocked on and yelled in to the pipe, plus they sent lower glucose, a telephone, pen, paper and letters of encouragement in the plastic bottle.
“Dear acquaintances, the Party Central Committee, the Condition Council and also the whole nation happen to be concerned for the safety,” one started. It ended: “Hold onto the final.”
This really is presumably a translation it ought to be grammatically correct. Allow it to be “Hold to the last” — “on” is definitely an adverb which goes with “hold.”
[Online caption] A harp seal pup lays around the ice in 2008 near Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
“Lies,” obviously. Or maybe we would like past tense, allow it to be “lay.”
The figures, such as the inevitably valiant players who aide Perseus throughout his computer-aided adventures, are as foreseeable because the action scenes, that is what some companies want once they manufacture global products of the type.
Allow it to be “aid,” not “aide.”
But it doesn’t appear the foundation has addressed how Ms. Harris, moving forward, would keep her roles from overlapping.
A friend notes this phrase is generally redundant. We ought to cure it, moving forward, later on. (Also, I see pointless for “would” allow it to be “will keep.”)
Sheila Stainback, a town housing authority spokeswoman, stated Morrisania Air Legal rights was thusly named since it was built above Metro-North train tracks, but she wasn’t immediately sure concerning the “why.”
“Thus” is definitely an adverb thus, there’s no call to include “ly.” In almost any situation, “so named” would most likely be much better here.
Weak Rules on Toxins and Safety
Nobody can be certain, though. The science isn’t far enough along, partially because our regulating toxins is really limp.
Once we noted here not lengthy ago, “toxin,” correctly used, describes a plant or animal poison. Within this column, we meant “toxic chemicals” as well.
M. Sunil Kumar would be a 25-year-old reporter in a local newspaper within the provincial capital of scotland- Warangal. His older brother Anil had dropped from senior high school to operate the family’s mutton shop when their father died to ensure that Sunil may go to school .
Watch in which you put that clause. The daddy, obviously, didn’t die to ensure that Sunil may go to school.
Yesterday, Decoder discovered an uncommon site within the wilds of Manhattan: A contented publishing executive.
For your blog publish, it was a tad too Web-oriented allow it to be “sight.”
While talking with television authors in The month of january, Mr. Sutherland stated from the torture sequences: “It’s a tv show. We’re not suggesting to do this in your own home.”
Also, he refuted claims of the political slant to 󈬈.” “One of what I had been always so unbelievably happy with our show is that you may get it being discussed by former President Bill Clinton and Hurry Limbaugh simultaneously, both utilizing it and citing it to warrant their perspectives,” he stated. “That, in my experience, was incredibly balanced.”
In careful usage, “refute” way to prove something false, not just to provide a counterargument. Here, we wanted something similar to “rebut,” “reject” or “deny.”
After Deadline examines questions of grammar, usage and elegance experienced by authors and editors from the Occasions. It’s adapted from the weekly newsroom critique supervised by Philip B. Corbett. the affiliate managing editor for standards, who’s also responsible for The Occasions’s style manual.
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