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Grammar for Journalists
This document provides a quick guide to common grammar issues for journalists, including singular/plural agreement, antecedents, essential/nonessential clauses, ambiguous modifiers, passive voice, apostrophes, dangling modifiers, personification, and subject/object errors. Examples are given of incorrect and correct usages. The document also lists reference materials for journalists, including the AP Stylebook.
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Grammar for Journalists
- 1. Grammar for journalists Aquick and dirty guide to a writer’s most common problems
- 2. What’s wrong? • ThePeabody School Committee decided last night that they would hire a new superintendent by Nov. 12.
- 3. Singular/plural agreement • ThePeabody School Committee decided last night that they would hire a new superintendent by Nov. 12. • The Peabody School Committee decided last night that it would hire a new superintendent by Nov. 12.
- 4. What’s wrong? • TheWinchester Board of Selectmen will hold their annual retreat this coming weekend.
- 5. Watch your antecedents •The Winchester Board of Selectmen will hold their annual retreat this coming weekend. • The Winchester Board of Selectmen will hold its annual retreat this coming weekend.
- 6. Special considerations • Fromthe AP Stylebook: “They/them/there is acceptable in limited cases as a singular and/or gender-neutral pronoun, when alternative wording is overly awkward and clumsy. However, rewording usually is possible and always is preferable.”
- 7. What’s wrong? • Thefirst team which crosses the finish line will be rewarded with free ice cream.
- 8. Essential/nonessential • The firstteam which crosses the finish line will be rewarded with free ice cream. • The first team that crosses the finish line will be rewarded with free ice cream.
- 9. What’s wrong? • ThomasR. Smith and his wife Bertha Gilooley appeared in court on a charge of disturbing the peace.
- 10. Essential/nonessential • Thomas R.Smith and his wife Bertha Gilooley appeared in court on a charge of disturbing the peace. • Thomas R. Smith and his wife, Bertha Gilooley, appeared in court on a charge of disturbing the peace.
- 11. What’s wrong? • Theball which rolled across the street ended up on a neighbor’s lawn.
- 12. Ambiguous • The ballwhich rolled across the street ended up on a neighbor’s lawn. • The ball, which rolled across the street, ended up on a neighbor’s lawn. • The ball that rolled across the street ended up on a neighbor’s lawn.
- 13. What’s wrong? • Theruns were scored by the Red Sox in the top of the seventh inning.
- 14. Passive voice • Theruns were scored by the Red Sox in the top of the seventh inning. • The Red Sox scored the runs in the top of the seventh inning.
- 15. What’s wrong • Thechoir will perform it’s encore, a Gershwin medley, after a brief intermission.
- 16. Dave Barry Ruleof Apostrophes • The choir will perform it’s encore, a Gershwin medley, after a brief intermission. • The choir will perform its encore, a Gershwin medley, after a brief intermission.
- 17. What’s wrong? • Athrowback album in the manner of classic ’70s gospel and soul, Mavis Staples, at the age of 80, is in the midst of a career revival with “We Get By.”
- 18. Dangling modifier • Athrowback album in the manner of classic ’70s gospel and soul, Mavis Staples, at the age of 80, is in the midst of a full-fledged career revival with “We Get By.” • A throwback album in the manner of classic ’70s gospel and soul, “We Get By” shows Mavis Staples, at the age of 80, in the midst of a full-fledged career revival.
- 19. What’s wrong? • Thecompany said yesterday that it would soon unveil a new line of products.
- 20. Personification • The companysaid yesterday that it would soon unveil a new line of products. • Angela Sanchez, a company spokeswoman, said yesterday that the company would soon unveil a new line of products.
- 21. What’s wrong? • Thepolitical figure to who the threat was delivered quickly fled the country.
- 22. Subject/object • The politicalfigure to who the threat was delivered quickly fled the country. • The political figure to whom the threat was delivered quickly fled the country.
- 23. Reference materials • “Reportingfor the Media,” Appendix B – Photocopy it and put it in your AP Stylebook
- 24. Reference materials • “Reportingfor the Media,” Appendix B – Photocopy it and put it in your AP Stylebook • AP Stylebook – Why is “Reporting for the Media” in quotation marks and AP Stylebook is not?
- 25. Reference materials • “Reportingfor the Media,” Appendix B – Photocopy it and put it in your AP Stylebook • AP Stylebook – capitalization … datelines … possessives … essential/nonessential phrases and clauses … “A Guide to Punctuation”