Monday, February 4, 2008

Hammering home a point

Some style rules are consistently violated, no matter how many times I write about them. Today I'll offer some examples.

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"Great Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corporation"
It should be--"Greater Fargo-Moorhead Economic Development Corp."
AP Stylebook says: Abbreviate corporation as Corp. when a company or government agency uses the word at the end of its name.

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"4809 University Dr. S."
It should be--"4809 S. University Drive"
The style is: South University Drive, North University Drive, 1409 S. University Drive and 1409 N. University Drive.

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"helping at a daycare"
It should be--"helping at a day care"
Day care is two words. It's hyphenated as a modifier.
The same is true with health care. It's two words and hyphenated as a modifier.

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--"with a diferent workforce"
It should be--"with a different work force"
Work force is two words standing alone and hypenated when it modifies.
AP Style also says workplace is one word.

Example five:
Raw copy, wrong--"Tuesday press conference" and "according to a press release"
It should be--"Tuesday news conference" and "according to a news release"
AP Stylebook says: News conference is preferred. I carried that over to news release.

Example six:
Raw copy, wrong--"print-for-pay providers world-wide" and "ban going metro-wide"
It should be--"print-for-pay providers worldwide" and "ban going metrowide"
AP Stylebook says:
-wide No hyphen. Some exampes: citywide, nationwide, continentwide, statewide, worldwide, countrywide, industrywide.
Wide- is usually hypenated. Some examples: wide-angle, wide-awake, wide-brimmed, wide-eyed, wide-open. Exception: widespread.

Example seven:
Raw copy, wrong--"122 N. Broadway"
It should be--"122 Broadway"
There is no north or south Broadway, and there is no north or south Elm Street.

Example eight:
Raw copy, wrong--"A passerby pulled the boy out."
It should be--"A passer-by (or passers-by) pulled the boy out."




No comments: