Monday, April 28, 2008

Find the flubs

We'll be continuing with the quiz format this week.

See if you can find the flubs in these sentences. The way we think they should be written follows.
1. Please keep Jay and I posted on your progress.

2. The program serves nearly 14,000 students from 65 different countries.

3. Hannah Kampf is a salesperson for AEG Live.

4. They needed a place for the band to workout.

5. Outback is donating the food for the event.

6. Centers of Excellence is a state-wide initiative.

7. He has a reputation for being non-partisan.

1. Please keep Jay and me posted on your progress.
An easy way to remember. You wouldn't write, "Please keep I posted on your progress." You'd write, "Please keep me posted on your progress."

2. The program serves nearly 14,000 students from 65 countries.
Isn't it understood that the 65 countries are different? Different is unnecessary.

3. Hannah Kampf is a saleswoman for AEG Live.
AP style for saleswoman is the same as style for spokeswoman. Make it saleswoman or salesman, but not salesperson. Use a representative if you do not know the sex of the individual.
4. They needed a place for the band to work out.

5. Outback is donating the food.
The story was about a fundraiser at the Outback restaurant. If Outback is donating the food, it's understood that it's for the event. That means "for the event" is unnecessary.

6. Centers of Excellence is a statewide initiative.
AP Stylebook: -wide No hyphen. Some examples: citywide, nationwide, statewide, worldwide, continentwide, countrywide, industrywide.

7. He has a reputation for being nonpartisan.
AP Stylebook: non- The rules of prefixes apply, but in general no hyphen when forming a coompound that does not have special meaning and can be understood if not is used before the base word. Use a hyphen, however, before proper nouns or in awkward combinations, such as non-nuclear.

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