Download communication - Hofstra University

communication
message
transitions content
credibility
associated press
revision
language
organization
inspire credibility
style
rules quality
transitions
language
A Helpful Guide to Grammar
and the Hofstra Writing
Style
associated
press
message style rules
Information provided by the
Editorial Services Department
Office of University Relations
quality
communication
Fall 2015
organization
revision
INTRODUCTION
The words we select have power: they can praise,
delight, inspire – and also hurt, offend, or even
destroy. Words that offend prevent others from
identifying with you and thus damage your credibility.
Few absolute guidelines exist for using words that
respect differences and build common ground.
Two rules, however, can help: consider carefully the
sensitivities and preferences of others, and watch for
words that betray your assumptions, even when you
have not directly stated them.
– Andrea A. Lunsford, The Everyday Writer
Learning to write well requires using good grammar
and choosing our words carefully, and Hofstra’s Editorial
Services Department is here to help. This year’s Grammar
Guide focuses on organizational rules and procedures that
help to ensure the highest-quality publication (in the most
efficient and timely manner), some of the most common
writing errors, and how to convey a smooth and unified
message by using transitions and appropriate language,
as well as some new and interesting entries in the 2015
Associated Press Stylebook. Where useful and relevant, I
have included examples and sample sentences.
I hope you find this guide helpful. If you have any questions
or if any concept is unclear, please let me know. Contact
information can be found on the back cover. Also, if you
would like copies of the previous two guides, I would be
glad to send them to you through interoffice mail.
Note: Much of the information contained in this year’s guide is taken
from The Everyday Writer, by Andrea A. Lunsford (Boston: Bedford/St.
Martin’s, 2013).
communication
message
transitions content
credibility
associated press
revision
INSIDE THIS GUIDE
language
organization
Ensuring the best publication …
while improving your writing!....................................... 2
20 most common writing errors.................................... 3
inspire credibility
The Associated Press Stylebook (2015)........................ 6
Transitions..................................................................... 9
style
rules quality
Appropriate language ................................................. 9
language transitions
associated press
message style rules
quality communication
organization
revision
ENSURING THE BEST PUBLICATION …
while improving your writing!
When planning a new publication or updating a previously designed job
with new or revised text, it is important to contemplate your message, the
target audience, the desired format, and the time that will be required from
WebCRD submission to print and distribution.
Be sure to …
• A
llow adequate time for the entire production process (i.e., editing of
draft text, design, review by client, revision by artist, editing of design,
review by client, revision by artist, final approvals, printing, and mailing).
• F
inalize the text prior to WebCRD submission (i.e., draft text has
been reviewed and approved by those in your area responsible for
later print approval).
• R
eview all edits and comments carefully (i.e., don’t simply highlight all the
text and click “Accept”).
• C
all or email the editor directly if edits are unclear. A dialogue serves two
purposes: (1) It allows us to explain the suggested edits, and (2) it allows
the client to explain the intended meaning of his or her words. Each is
equally important in creating a publication that reads well and serves the
client’s needs.
• M
ake mental notes of your writing errors. It is common for writers to
repeat the same types of errors (content issues, organization issues, surface
errors); careful review of edits is one way to learn from mistakes, strengthen
your skills, and improve your writing.
– Content issues: attention to purpose and audience; overall impression
– O
rganization issues: overall and paragraph-level organization;
sentence structure and style; formatting
– S
urface errors: problems with spelling, grammar, punctuation and
mechanics
Note: Every publication offers numerous opportunities to learn from the
process and to grow as a writer and communicator.
2
20 MOST COMMON WRITING ERRORS
(Text or punctuation in red corrects the error(s) in the incorrect sentence.)
1.
Wrong word: Wrong-word errors involve using a word with the wrong
shade of meaning, using a word with a completely wrong meaning, or
using a wrong preposition or another wrong word in an idiom. Selecting
a word from a thesaurus without knowing its meaning, or allowing a spell
checker to correct spelling automatically, can lead to wrong-word errors.
Incorrect: The child suffered from a severe allegory to peanuts.
Correct: The child suffered from a severe allergy to peanuts.
2.
Missing comma after an introductory element: Readers need a small
pause between an introductory word, phrase or clause and the main part
of the sentence. Even if the introductory element is short, it is never wrong
to include the comma.
Incorrect: Determined to get the job done we worked all weekend.
Correct: Determined to get the job done, we worked all weekend.
3.Incomplete or missing documentation: When publishing statistics
or stating research findings, it is important to include sources or
documentation.
Incorrect: Hofstra is consistently named among “Great Colleges to
Work For.”
Correct: Hofstra is consistently named among “Great Colleges to Work
For” (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2009-2014).
4.
Vague pronoun reference: A pronoun should clearly refer to the word or
words it replaces elsewhere in the sentence or in a previous sentence.
Incorrect: After Ben took the radio out of the car, he sold it.
[Notice that it could refer to the radio or the car.]
Correct: Ben sold the car after he took the radio out of it.
5.Spelling: The most common misspellings are those that spell checkers
cannot identify, i.e., homonyms, compound words incorrectly spelled as
separate words, and proper nouns (particularly names).
Incorrect: The director maybe on time.
Correct: The director may be on time.
6.Mechanical error with a quotation: The comma should always be placed
inside the quotation marks.
Incorrect: “Give me liberty, or give me death”, declared Patrick Henry.
Correct: “Give me liberty, or give me death,” declared Patrick Henry.
3
7.
Unnecessary comma: Do not use a comma before a coordinating
conjunction (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet) when the conjunction does not join
parts of a compound sentence. Do not use a comma before the first or after
the last item in a series, between a subject and a verb, between a verb and
its object or complement, or between a preposition and its object.
Incorrect: James was born rich, and used his money to make
more money.
Correct: James was born rich and used his money to make more
money. [The comma after rich has been deleted; see #13 for
appropriate use of a comma in a compound sentence.]
8.Unnecessary or missing capitalization: Capitalize proper nouns and
proper adjectives, the first words of sentences, and important words
in titles. Do not capitalize most other words. When in doubt, check a
dictionary.
Incorrect: To reach Hofstra, exit the Meadowbrook Parkway and travel
West on Hempstead Turnpike.
Correct: To reach Hofstra, exit the Meadowbrook Parkway and travel
west on Hempstead Turnpike.
9.Missing word: Proofread carefully, and be particularly careful not to omit
words from quotations.
Incorrect: It is better to loved and lost than to never have loved at all.
Correct: It is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.
10.Faulty sentence structure: Make sure that each sentence contains a
subject and a verb, that subjects and predicates make sense together,
and that comparisons have clear meanings. When you join elements
with a coordinating conjunction, make sure that the elements have
parallel structures.
Incorrect: We’ll move to a town in the Southwest or Mexico.
Correct: We’ll move to a town in the Southwest or in Mexico.
11.Missing comma with a nonrestrictive element: A nonrestrictive element
gives information not essential to the basic meaning of the sentence. Use
commas to set off a nonrestrictive element.
Incorrect: Maria who was the president of the club was first to speak.
Correct: Maria, who was the president of the club, was first to speak.
4
12.Unnecessary shift in verb tense: Verbs that shift from one tense to
another with no clear reason can confuse readers.
Incorrect: Hamlet is a play about a young man who is the prince of
Denmark. When he finds out that his father is a murder victim, he vows to
get revenge. He pretended to be mad so as to fool the court about his
intentions.
Correct: Hamlet is a play about a young man who is the prince of Denmark.
When he finds out that his father is a murder victim, he vows to get revenge.
He pretends to be mad so as to fool the court about his intentions.
13.Missing comma in a compound sentence: A compound sentence consists
of two or more parts that could each stand alone as a sentence. When the
parts are joined by a coordinating conjunction, use a comma before the
conjunction to indicate a pause between the two thoughts.
Incorrect: The show started at last and the crowd grew quiet.
Correct: The show started at last, and the crowd grew quiet.
14.Unnecessary or missing apostrophe: To make a noun possessive, add
either an apostrophe and an –s or an apostrophe alone. Do not use an
apostrophe in the possessive pronouns ours, yours, and hers. Use its to
mean belonging to it; use it’s only when you mean it is or it has.
Incorrect: Is that water bottle your’s?
Correct: Is that water bottle yours?
15.Fused (run-on) sentence: A fused (run-on) sentence joins clauses that
could each stand alone as a sentence with no punctuation or words to link
them. Fused sentences must either be divided into separate sentences or
joined by adding words or punctuation.
Incorrect: The artist’s paintings seem simple they are very sophisticated.
Correct: The artist’s paintings seem simple, but they are very
sophisticated.
16.Comma splice: A comma splice occurs when only a comma separates
clauses that could each stand alone as a sentence. To correct a comma
splice, you can insert a semicolon or period, connect the clauses with a
word such as and or because, or restructure the sentence.
Incorrect: I woke up with a headache, I feel even worse now.
Correct: I woke up with a headache, and I feel even worse now.
5
17.Lack of pronoun-antecedent agreement: Pronouns must agree with
their antecedents in gender (male or female) and in number (singular and
plural). Many indefinite pronouns, such as everyone and each, are always
singular. When antecedents are joined by or or nor, the pronoun must
agree with the closer antecedent.
Incorrect: Each of the puppies thrived in their new home.
Correct: Each of the puppies thrived in its new home.
18.Poorly integrated quotation: Quotations should be linked clearly to the
writing around them rather than dropped abruptly into the writing.
Example: Chung-Tzu describes a sage as “one who insists on morality in
all things, and who places love of truth above all other values” (58).
19.Unnecessary or missing hyphen: A compound adjective modifying a noun
that follows it requires a hyphen.
Incorrect: This paper looks at fictional and real life examples.
Correct: This paper looks at fictional and real-life examples.
20.Sentence fragment: A sentence fragment is a sentence that is written as
if it were a complete sentence. Reading your draft out loud can help you
spot sentence fragments.
Incorrect: An old aluminum boat sitting on its trailer.
Correct: An old aluminum boat was sitting on its trailer.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STYLEBOOK
With a few exceptions, Hofstra’s Editorial Services Department follows the
guidelines of The Associated Press Stylebook, an unparalleled source of
information for writers and editors. It is part grammar book, part dictionary
and part encyclopedia, and it is an essential tool for clear, precise writing.
Updated annually, the book contains entries on the arts, business, the
environment, health, people, places and sports. It also includes information
on usage, grammar, capitalization and computer terminology, as well as
chapters on social media, sports, food, fashion and religion.
The Associated Press Stylebook is available in a Web-based version (for
desktop, laptop, smartphone and tablet) and as a spiral-bound book. Please
visit apstylebook.com for details.
6
Below are some interesting entries and some that are
NEW for 2015.
afterward: Not afterwards.
all right: Never alright.
anniversary: Avoid first-year anniversary, the redundant one-year anniversary
and terms such as six-month anniversary (or other time spans less than a year).
another: Another is not a synonym for additional; it refers to an element that
somehow duplicates a previously stated quantity.
Right: Ten people took the test; another 10 refused.
Wrong: Ten people took the test; another 20 refused.
anybody, any body, anyone, any one: One word for an indefinite reference:
Anyone can do that. Two words when the emphasis is on singling out one
element of a group: Any one of them may speak up.
assistant: Do not abbreviate.
associate: Do not abbreviate.
association: Do not abbreviate.
author: A noun used for both men and women. Do not use it as a verb.
benefit, benefited, benefiting: Do not double the final t before adding
–ed or –ing to the infinitive.
century: Lowercase, spelling out numbers less than 10: the first century, the
21st century.
continual, continuous: Continual means a steady repetition, over and over
again: The merger has been the source of continual litigation. Continuous
means uninterrupted, steady, unbroken: All she saw ahead of her was a
continuous stretch of desert.
dissociate: Not disassociate.
face to face: When a story says two people meet for discussions, talks or
debate, it is unnecessary to say they met face to face.
follow-up (n. and adj.): Use two words (no hyphen) in verb form.
home page: Two words. The “front” page of a particular website.
in spite of: Despite means the same thing and is shorter.
kosher: Always lowercase.
7
loan (n.), lend (v.). Note the preferred usage.
office: Capitalize office when it is part of a formal name: Office of University
Relations.
off-site: Hyphenated. Also: on-site.
planning: Avoid the redundant future planning.
prior to: Before is less stilted for most uses. Prior to is appropriate, however,
when a notion of requirement is involved: The fee must be paid prior to the
examination.
professor: Never abbreviate.
Rhodes scholar: Lowercase scholar and scholarship.
startup: One word (n. and adj.) to describe a new business venture. An
exception to some dictionaries.
workers’ compensation: Note the apostrophe.
OTHER HOFSTRA EDITORIAL STYLE NOTES:
first-come, first-served: Note the use of hyphens and the comma (an
exception to some dictionaries).
on Long Island: Note the use of on (not in).
Pilates, Zumba: Note that these words are capitalized.
upper-level students: Use this term (not upperclassmen or upper-class
students) to describe students in their third or fourth year of college.
NEW FOR FALL 2015!
When listing Hofstra buildings with room numbers, please list the
building name, followed by the word Room and the number, e.g.,
Hofstra Hall, Room 200.
8
TRANSITIONS
Transitions are words such as so, however and thus that signal relationships
between sentences and paragraphs. Transitions help guide the reader from one
idea to another.
Commonly Used Transitions
To signal sequence: again, also, and then, besides, finally, first … second …
third, furthermore, last, moreover, next, still, too
To signal time: after a few days, after a while, at that time, before, earlier, in the
past, meanwhile, since, so far, soon, then, thereafter, until, when
To signal comparison: again, also, in the same way, likewise, once more, similarly
To signal contrast: although, but, despite, even though, however, in contrast,
instead, nevertheless, nonetheless, on the contrary, regardless, though, yet
To signal examples: after all, for example, for instance, indeed, in fact, of course,
specifically, such as, the following example, to illustrate
To signal cause and effect: accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for
this purpose, hence, so, then, therefore, thus
To signal place: above, adjacent to, below, beyond, closer to, elsewhere, far,
here, near, nearby, there, to the left, to the right
To signal concession: although it is true that, it may appear that, naturally, of course
To signal summary, repetition or conclusion: as a result, as mentioned earlier,
in conclusion, in other words, in short, on the whole, therefore, to summarize
Note: If sentence after sentence begins with a subject, paragraphs may become
monotonous or hard to read. Transitions allow the writer to add variety to
sentence openings. APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE
Check to see that your language
reflects the appropriate level of
formality for your audience, purpose
and topic. Stuffy or pompous
language is unnecessarily formal
and often gives writing an insincere
or unintentionally humorous tone,
making a writer’s ideas seem
insignificant or even unbelievable.
Instead of …
Try using …
ascertain
commence
finalize
impact*
methodology
optimal
parameters
utilize
find out
begin
finish, complete
affect
method
best
boundaries
use
*It is best to avoid the use of “impact” to
mean “affect.” Many journalists disapprove
of the use of “impact” as a verb.
9
communication
message
transitions content
credibility
Editorial Services Department at Hofstra University
Hofstra’s Editorial Services Department is here to assist all
members of the Hofstra community who are responsible for
creating marketing and informational publications. When a client
submits text for a handbook, brochure, letter, postcard, poster,
flier, etc., through WebCRD (the online system that moves jobs
from editing to design to print), it is routed automatically to
Editorial Services. We work to polish existing text and offer editorial
and content suggestions to clients. Using The Associated Press
Stylebook as our main reference, we edit approximately 1,600 jobs
annually and pay special attention in reviewing Hofstra facts and
statistics to ensure that this information is up to date and accurate.
We welcome phone, email and in-person inquiries regarding
grammar, spelling and style.
associated press
revision
language
organization
Linda Merklin
inspire credibility
Manager
Butler Annex, Room 100A
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 516-463-6884
style
Alison Zorn
rules quality
Associate Editor
Butler Annex, Room 100
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 516-463-6054
language transitions
associated press
message style rules
quality communication
organization
revision
62634:8/15