Style Stuff

Where can I get a dead T-shirt?

2009-06-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

We have some repeat flubs and some new flubs in this batch of sentences. See if you can find that flubs that were caught before they made it into The Forum.

1. The School Board is confident they've got their message out.

2. The floodplain would go up three feet at the Wilkin County border.

3. Activities will include face painting, T-shirt dying and a free picnic.

4. Cass County has begun spraying for noxious weeds in road right-of-ways.

5. The school board and school district are considering hiring a Texas-based company.

1. The School Board is confident it got its message out.
School Board is singular. It's one entity. The sentence would be correct if it stated: School Board members are confident they got their message out.

2. The flood plain would go up 3 feet at the Wilkin County border.

3. Activities will include face painting, tie-dyeing and a free picnic.

4. Cass County has begun spraying for noxious weeds in road rights of way.
AP Stylebook states: right of way, rights of way

5. The School Board and School District are considering hiring a Texas-based company.
The following rules also apply to School Boards and School Districts. AP Stylebook states:
governmental bodies Follow these guidelines:
FULL NAME: Capitalize the full proper names of governmental agencies, departments, and offices: The U.S. Department of State, the Georgia Department of Human Resources, the Boston City Council, the Chicago Fire Department.
WITHOUT JURISDICTION: Retain capitalization in referring to a specific body if the dateline or context makes the name of the nation, state, county, city, etc. unnecessary: The Department of State (in a story from Washington), the Department of Human Resources or the state Department of Human Resources (in a story from Georgia), the City Council (in a story from Boston), the Fire Department or the city Fire Department (in a story from Chicago).
Lowercase further condensations of the name: the department, the council, etc.
FLIP-FLOPPED NAMES: Retain capital names for the name of a governmental body if its formal name is flopped to delete the word of: the State Department, the Human Resources Department.
city council Capitalize when part of a proper name: the Boston City Council.
Retain capitalization if the reference is to a specific council but the context does not require the city name:
BOSTON (AP) – The City Council ...
Lowercase in other uses: the council, the Boston and New York city councils, a city council.
Use the proper name if the body is not known as a city council: the Miami City Commission, the City Commission, the commission; the Louisville Board of Aldermen, the Board of Aldermen, the board.
Use city council in a generic sense for plural references: the Boston, Louisville and Miami city councils.

Another batch of flubs

2009-05-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

Have fun with these five sentences. See if you can find the flubs that were caught before they made it into The Forum.

1. Moorhead police responded to 1015 36th Street South at 10:13 p.m. Thursday night.

2. Everyone who attended the press conference wore buttons promoting the referendum.

3. Commission Chair Jerry Waller said Overbo was up front about his arrest.

4. The Jensens bought out Prairie Public in the late 1980's.

5. Precipitation totals were at the top five percent of historical averages.

1. Moorhead police responded to 1015 36th St. S. at 10:13 p.m. Thursday.
AP Stylebook states: Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd. and St. only with a numbered address: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Spell them out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a number: Pennsylvania Avenue. Lowercase and spell out when used alone or with more than one street name: Massachusetts and Pennsylvania avenues.
All similar words (alley, drive, road, terrace, etc.) always are spelled out. Capitalize them when part of a formal name without a number; lowercase when used alone or with two or more names.
Abbreviate compass points used to indicate directional ends of a street or quadrants of a city in a numbered address: 222 E. 42nd St., 562 W. 43rd St., 600 K St. NW. Do not abbreviate if the number is omitted: East 42nd Street, West 43rd Street, K Street Northwest. No periods in quadrant abbreviations – NW, SE – unless customary locally.
It's redundant to write 10:13 p.m. Thursday night.

2. Everyone who attended the news conference wore buttons promoting the referendum.
AP Stylebook states: press conference News conference is preferred.

3. Commission Chairman Jerry Waller said Overbo was upfront about his arrest.

4. The Jensens bought out Prairie Public in the late 1980s.
AP Stylebook states: years Use figures, without commas: 1975. When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, set off the year with a comma: Feb. 14, 1987, is the target date. Use an s without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or centuries: the 1890s, the 1800s.

5. Precipitation totals were at the top 5 percent of historical averages.
AP Stylebook states: percent One word. It takes a singular verb when standing alone or when a singular word follows an of construction: The teacher said 60 percent was a failing grade. He said 50 percent of the membership was there.
It takes a plural verb when a plural word follows an of construction: He said 50 percent of the members were there.
Use figures for percent and percentages: 1 percent, 2.5 percent (use decimals, not fractions), 10 percent, 4 percentage points.
For a range, 12 to 15 percent, or between 12 and 15 percent.
For amounts less than 1 percent, precede the decimal with a zero: The cost of living rose 0.6 percent.

If you've got the time, I've got the flubs

2009-05-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

See if you can find the flubs in these five sentences that were caught before they appeared in The Forum.

1. The committee is seeking public comment at 7 p.m. tonight.

2. He suggested the city consider moving the Second Ward polling site.

3. Five people work at the company full-time.

4. City Commissioners voted 5-0 Monday to waive the fees.

5. Back yards are lakes; front yards are ponds.

1. The committee is seeking public comment at 7 tonight.
AP Stylebook states: times Use figures except for noon and midnight. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m.
Avoid such redundancies as 10 a.m. this morning, 10 p.m. tonight or 10 p.m. Monday night. Use 10 a.m. or 10 p.m. Monday, etc., as required by the norms in time element.

2. He suggested the city consider moving the 2nd Ward polling site.
AP Stylebook states: political divisions Use Arabic figures and capitalize the accompanying word when used with the figures: 1st Ward, 10th Ward, 3rd Precinct, 22nd Precinct, the ward, the precinct.

3. Five people work at the company full time.
AP Stylebook states:full time, full-time Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: He works full time. She has a full-time job.

4. City commissioners voted 5-0 Monday to waive the fees.

5. Back yards are lakes; front yards are ponds.
AP Stylebook states: backyard One word in all uses.
The same goes for frontyard.

A stunning development

2009-05-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one week? You're lucky!

These five sentences have flubs that were caught before they made it into The Forum. See if you can find them.

1. The West Fargo School Board held their first open forum Wednesday night.

2. Falcon Research Group is a non-profit organization in Bow., Wash.

3. Lambeth is a long-time birder and retired University of North Dakota professor.

4. Alien broke ground on its 50,000 square-foot plant in October, 2005.

5. Paul Young's basement is ruined, victimized by six feet of water that poured in when Red River flood waters inundated Oakport Township.

1. The West Fargo School Board held its first open forum Wednesday night.

2. Falcon Research Group is a nonprofit organization in Bow., Wash.
AP Stylebook states: non- The rules of prefixes apply, but in general no hyphen when forming a compound 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.

3. Lambeth is a longtime birder and retired University of North Dakota professor.
AP Stylebook states: long time, longtime They have known each other a long time. They are longtime partners.

4. Alien broke ground on its 50,000-square-foot plant in October 2005.

5. Paul Young's basement is ruined, victimized by 6 feet of water that poured in when Red River floodwaters inundated Oakport Township.
AP Stylebook states: dimensions Use figures and spell out inches, feet, yards, etc., to indicate depth, height, length and width. Hyphenate adjectival forms before nouns.
EXAMPLES: He is 5 feet 6 inches tall, the 5-foot-6-inch man, the 5-foot man, the basketball team signed a 7-footer.
The car is 17 feet long, 6 feet wide and 5 feet high. The rug is 9 feet by 12 feet, the 9-by-12 rug.
The storm left 5 inches of snow.
The building has 6,000 square feet of floor space.
Floodwaters is one word in the AP Stylebook.

Finding flubs is a full-time job

2009-05-12T21:15:00.000-07:00

We're back with another batch of sentences with flubs that were caught before they made it into The Forum. See if you can find them.

1. The 4.3-acre parcel is at the corner of 7th Avenue and 15th Street North.

2. FEMA [first reference] will cover 75 percent of flood damages.

3. The popular 401k retirement plan is becoming less attractive for many American workers.

4. "We get emails quite often with suggestions."

5. Five people work at the business full-time.

1. The 4.3-acre parcel is at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 15th Street North.

2. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover 75 percent of flood damage.
AP Stylebook states: Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA is acceptable on second reference.
AP Stylebook states: damage, damages Damage is destruction: Authorities said damage from the storm would total more than $1 billion.
Damages are awarded by a court as compensation for injury, loss, etc.: The woman received $25,000 in damages.

3. The popular 401(k) retirement plan is becoming less attractive for many American workers.

4. "We get e-mails quite often with suggestions."
AP Stylebook states: e-mail Acceptable in all references for electronic mail. Many e-mail or Internet addresses use symbols such as the at symbol (@), or the tilde (~) that cannot be transmitted correctly by some computers. When needed, spell them out and provide an explanatory editor's note.
(Also e-book, e-commerce, e-business.)

5. Five people work at the business full time.
AP Stylebook states: full time, full-time Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: He works full time. She has a full-time job.

On to West Nile virus

2009-05-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

After a bit of an absence, I hope to start posting more regularly now that the flood season has ended.

See if you can find the flubs that were caught before they made it into The Forum:

1. The new tax credit is an incredible deal for first-time home buyers.

2. R.D. Offutt Company took first place out of 15 teams.

3. It started out small and has grown into a week-long event.

4. The 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals determined prosecutors failed to prove Bala had committed any crimes.

5. The species of mosquito responsible for West Nile Virus favors warmer weather.

1. The new tax credit is an incredible deal for first-time homebuyers.

2. R.D. Offutt Co. took first place out of 15 teams.
AP Stylebook states: company, companies Use Co. or Cos. when a business uses either word at the end of its proper name: Ford Motor Co., American Broadcasting Cos.
If company or companies appears alone in second reference, spell the word out.
The forms for possessives: Ford Motor Co.'s profits, American Broadcasting Cos.' profits.

3. It started out small and has grown into a weeklong event.
AP Stylebook states: daylong, weeklong, yearlong, hourlong, monthlong, and on and on.

4. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined prosecutors failed to prove Bala had committed any crimes.
AP Stylebook states: U.S. Court of Appeals On first reference to the full name, use U.S. Court of Appeals or a full name: 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals or the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals without a circuit number is a misnomer and should not be used.

5. The species of mosquito responsible for West Nile virus favors warmer weather.

Let's get jump-started by midafternoon

2009-03-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

I know if you're one of the Forum reporters reading this blog, you're anxious to find out if you made the spotlight. See if you can find the flubs in these sentences that were caught before they made it into The Forum.

1. He served in the army more than 40 years ago.

2. A spokesperson for the committee said experienced musicians were involved in the show.

3. About 20 vehicles were jumpstarted by mid-afternoon.

4. Pacific Sound installs home theatres and stereos.

5. "This is really a multi-purpose facility."

1. He served in the Army more than 40 years ago.
AP Stylebook states: army Capitalize when referring to U.S. forces: the U.S. Army, the Army, Army regulations. Do not use the abbreviation USA. Use lowercase for the forces of other nations: the French army. This approach has been adopted for consistency, because many foreign nations do not use army as the proper name.

2. A spokesman/spokeswoman for the committee said experienced musicians were involved in the show.
AP Stylebook states: spokesman, spokeswoman But not spokesperson. Use a representative if you do not know the sex of the individual.

3. About 20 vehicles were jump-started by midafternoon.
AP Stylebook states: mid- No hyphen unless a capitalized word follows: mid-America, midsemester, mid-Atlantic, midterm. But use a hyphen when mid- precedes a figure: mid-30s.

4. Pacific Sound installs home theaters and stereos.
AP Stylebook states: theater Use this spelling unless the proper name is Theatre: Shubert Theatre.

5. "This is really a multipurpose facility."
AP Stylebook states: multi- The rules in prefixes apply, but in general, no hyphen. Some examples: multicolored, multimillion, multilateral, multimillionaire.

From breast-feeding to halfway houses

2009-03-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

Fine the flubs in these sentences that were caught before they made their way into The Forum.

1. She won the award for her tireless efforts promoting breastfeeding.

2. The new headquarters will use 17,000-square-feet in an existing building.

3. Engineering fees are estimated to run about $423,000.

4. He has spent 6-plus months in a half-way house.

5. She was surprised nobody had launched a coop locally.

1. She won the award for her tireless efforts promoting breast-feeding.
AP Stylebook states: breast-feed, breast-feeding, breast-fed

2. The new headquarters will use 17,000 square feet in an existing building.

3. Engineering fees are estimated to be $423,000.
"Estimated" and "to run about" are redundant.

4. He has spent six-plus months in a halfway house.

5. She was surprised nobody had launched a co-op locally.

Millions and billions...and other flubs

2009-02-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

See if you can find the flubs in these five sentences that were found by copy editors before they appeared in the Forum.

1. Americans should watch for disagreements between Congressional Democrats and the Obama Administration.

2. The intent is to honor the contributions of long-time local leaders in shaping and serving the Chamber, community and region.

3. Another multi-million dollar sports facility appears to be on the horizon for southwest Fargo.

4. A Fargo financial advisor faces new charges after the execution of a search warrant at his business.

5. The United States has the potential to create more than four million jobs in coming decades.

1. Americans should watch for disagreements between congressional Democrats and the Obama administration.

2. The intent is to honor the contributions of longtime local leaders in shaping and serving the chamber, community and region.

3. Another multimillion-dollar sports facility appears to be on the horizon for southwest Fargo.

4. A Fargo financial adviser faces new charges after the execution of a search warrant at his business.
AP Stylebook says: adviser Not advisor.

5. The United States has the potential to create more than 4 million jobs in coming decades.

AP Stylebook says: millions, billions Use figures with million or billion in all except casual uses: I’d like to make a billion dollars. But: The nation has 1 million citizens. I need $7 billion.
Do not go beyond two decimal places. 7.51 million people, $256 billion, 7,542,500 people, $2,565,750,000. Decimals are preferred where practical: 1.5 million. Not: 1 1/2 million.
Do not mix millions and billions in the same figure: 2.6 billion. Not: 2 billion 600 million.
Do not drop the word million or billion in the first figure of a range: He is worth from $2 million to $4 million. Not: $2 to $4 million, unless you really mean $2.
Note that a hyphen is not used to join the figures and the word million or billion, even in this type of phrase: The president submitted a $300 billion budget.

From home schooling to geothermal

2009-02-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

Here are five more examples of flubs that were caught by copy editors before they made it into The Forum. See if you can find them.

1. North Dakota home schoolers deal with some of the tougher regulations.

2. Jury selection is underway.

3. The Republican's goal is to become the U.S. Senator from North Dakota.

4. She was a communications supervisor for the Minnesota State Patrol in Rochester, Minn.

5. Geo-thermal is a huge issue now.

1. North Dakota home-schoolers deal with some of the tougher regulations.
AP style is: home schooling, home-schooled, home-schooler.

2. Jury selection is under way.

3. The Republican's goal is to become the U.S. senator from North Dakota.

4. She was a communications supervisor for the Minnesota State Patrol in Rochester.

5. Geothermal is a huge issue now.

Five sentences for you to dissect

2009-02-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

Writing tight is always a good thing, so I'm going to list five instead of 10 examples of style flubs with each post. Don't worry about me doing this because I'm running out of examples. I've got plenty. It means it won't take you as long to go through the examples and I'll be posting more frequently.

See if you can find the flubs in these sentences that were caught before they got into The Forum.

1. The former taxi driver was convicted of strangling two young women to death in 1968.

2. Kraft and his wife Sari are partners in the business with Sari's parents.

3. The human brain is not fully developed until people are between the ages of 18 to 23.

4. She is the new owner of the business at 702 University Drive North.

5. Voters are asked for their Zip Code, and the tool takes them to a list where they'll find their address.

1. The former taxi driver was convicted of strangling two young women in 1968.
The definition of strangle in Webster's New World Dictionary: to kill by squeezing the throat as with the hands, a noose, etc., so as to shut off the breath. It would be redundant to write "strangle to death."

2. Kraft and his wife, Sari, are partners in the business with Sari's parents.
Setting the wife's name off with commas lets reader know for sure that Sari is Kraft's only wife.

3. The human brain is not fully developed until people are between the ages of 18 and 23.

4. She is the new owner of the business at 702 N. University Drive.

5. Voters are asked for their ZIP code, and the tool takes them to a list where they'll find their address.
AP Stylebook says: ZIP code Use all-caps ZIP for Zoning Improvement Plan, but always lowercase the word code. Run the five digits together without a comma, and do not put a comma between the state name and the ZIP code: New York, NY 10020.

See if you can find the style mistakes

2009-01-27T10:25:00.000-08:00

Find the flubs in these sentences that were corrected by copy editors before they made their way into The Forum.

1. The 14-year-old wants to help other New Americans in the area.

2. The Chamber's board of directors made the decision late last week.

3. The student to computer ratio in Weset Fargo is 3:1.

4. When Palin takes the stage tonight, it will be a welcome site for Dueker.

5. Crews will fill the piles with six to nine feet of geofoam.

6. He argued the case should be dismissed because his client's Constitutional rights were violated.

7. More than 400 sixth- through twelfth-graders took their violins, violas and cellos.

8. She abruptly closed her daycare in north Fargo last month.

9. The transmission line will be between 9.5 to 11.5 miles long.

10. It will extend from the wind park to the existing Otter Tail Power Company transmission line southeast of Glyndon, Minn.

1. The 14-year-old wants to help other new Americans in the area.

2. The chamber's board of directors made the decision late last week.

3. The student to computer ratio in Weset Fargo is 3-to-1.
AP Stylebook says: ratios Use figures and hyphens: the ratio was 2-to-1, a ratio of 2-to-1, a 2-1 ratio. As illustrated, the word to should be omitted when the numbers precede the word ratio.

4. When Palin takes the stage tonight, it will be a welcome sight for Dueker.

5. Crews will fill the piles with 6 to 9 feet of geofoam.

6. He argued the case should be dismissed because his client's constitutional rights were violated.
AP Stylebook says: Lowercase constitutional in all uses.

7. More than 400 sixth- through 12th-graders took their violins, violas and cellos.

8. She abruptly closed her day care in north Fargo last month.

9. The transmission line will be between 9.5 and 11.5 milies long.

10. It will extend from the wind park to the existing Otter Tail Power Co. transmission line southeast of Glyndon, Minn.

Electing to take a quiz

2008-11-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

It's Election Day, so I hope you elect to take this short quiz to see if you can find the flubs in these sentences that were caught by copy editors before they made it into The Forum.

1. There is the anxiety over money and questions of self worth.

2. DuWayne Engness lives at the corner of Sheyenne Street and 40th Ave. S. in West Fargo.

3. Authorities placed vehicles at strategic spots in case the animal decided to move further into town.

4. "I think childcare is part of the infrastructure of our state and our communities."

5. The 14-year-old wants to help other New Americans in the area.

1. There is the anxiety over money and questions of self-worth.
AP Stylebook states: self- Always hyphenate: self-assured, self-government, self-defense.

2. DuWayne Engness lives at the corner of Sheyenne Street and 40th Avenue South in West Fargo.

3. Authorities placed vehicles at strategic spots in case the animal decided to move farther into town.
AP Stylebook states: farther, further Farther refers to physical distance: He walked farther into the woods. Further refers to an extension of time or degree: She will look further into the mystery.

4. "I think child care is part of the infrastructure of our state and our communities."

5. The 14-year-old wants to help other new Americans in the area.

For your reading enjoyment

2008-10-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

We have 10 more flubs for your reading enjoyment. There are mistakes in these sentences that were found before they made it into The Forum. Do you know what they are?

1. Services include a dental lab, x-rays and a pharmacy.

2. The blast sent a loose piece of sheetrock falling to the ground.

3. The free hotline provides immediate response to voters.

4. "At some point, our kids got left on the backburner."

5. He started sexually abusing her when she was seven years old.

6. That's what he's doing, even if it seems farfetched.

7. Their German Sheppard cross had a gaping gash on her back.

8. The West Fargo show highlights student art work.

9. NDSU is hosting the thirteenth annual Sonia Kovalesky High School Day on Sept. 26.

10. Some older boys kept calling the fourth grader "bucktooth."

1. Services include a dental lab, X-rays and a pharmacy.

2. The blast sent a loose piece of Sheetrock falling to the ground.
AP Stylebook: Sheetrock A trademark for a brand of gypsum wallboard.

3. The free hot line provides immediate response to voters.
AP Stylebook: hot line A direct telephone line between government leaders, especially the circuit linking the United States and Russia, for use in crisis situations. Lowercase. Webster's New World Dictionary: telephone line to a social service agency, as a suicide prevention center. two words

4. "At some point, our kids got left on the back burner."

5. He started sexually abusing her when she was 7 years old.
AP Stylebook: ages Always use figures for people and animals (but not for inanimates).

6. That's what he's doing, even if it seems far-fetched.

7. Their German shepherd cross had a gaping gash on her back.

8. The West Fargo show highlights student artwork.

9. NDSU is hosting the 13th annual Sonia Kovalesky High School Day on Sept. 26.

10. Some older boys kept calling the fourth-grader "bucktooth."
AP Stylebook: grade, grader Hyphenate both the noun forms (first-grader, second-grader, 10th-grader, etc.) and the adjectival forms (a fourth-grade pupil, a 12th-grade pupil).

And you thought I'd disappeared!

2008-10-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of posts recently, but I'm back! See if you you can find the flubs in these sentences that were found by copy editors before they appeared in The Forum.

1. He is accused of molesting four girls who were between the ages of 6 to 8 at the time.

2. But five-year-old Ellen is excited that she gets to be like her big brother.

3. The flood study will review various alternatives, including levies.

4. It's holdings include lumber yards in Fargo, Mayville, Pelican Rapids and Perham.

5. He wants to see action on alternative energy in the next Administration.

6. Guan is a medium-sized city of about six million near Beijing.

7. She supports Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama.

8. Charlie embodies the spirit of productive aging as a contributing member to today's workforce.

9. The school district will pay $44,700 a year to lease space for their high school teams.

10. Russia and some other countries in eastern Europe grow many of the same crops as North Dakota farmers.

1. He is accused of molesting four girls who were between the ages of 6 and 8 at the time.

2. But 5-year-old Ellen is excited that she gets to be like her big brother.
AP Stylebook says: ages Always use figures for people and animals (but not for inanimates): The girl is 15 years old; the law is eight years old. When the context does not require years or years old, the figure is presumed to be years. Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun.

3. The flood study will review various alternatives, including levees.

4. Its holdings include lumber yards in Fargo, Mayville, Pelican Rapids and Perham.

5. He wants to see action on alternative energy in the next administration.

6. Guan is a medium-sized city of about 6 million near Beijing.
AP Stylebook says: millions, billions Use figures with million or billion in all except casual uses: I'd like to make a billion dollars. But: The nation has 1 million citizens. I need $7 billion.

7. She supports Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

8. Charlie embodies the spirit of productive aging as a contributing member to today's work force.

9. The School District will pay $44,700 a year to lease space for its high school teams.

10. Russia and some other countries in Eastern Europe grow many of the same crops as North Dakota farmers.

Plethora of flubs

2008-09-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

This week's post offers a variety of flubs, including style mistakes, misspellings and sentences that can be streamlined. Can you figure out how we improved sentences before they made it into The Forum?

1. Detroit Lakes math teacher Lisa Larson recently paid a visit to the White House.

2. Justin Flaten knows his company has sales opportunities in Columbia.

3. The trade agreement apparently became entangled in the Presidential campaign.

4. The installations include home theatre systems with wall-size screens.

5. He started out as a management consultant doing coding in the late 1990's.

6. "We're going to put a Band-aid on it and we're going to move forward."

7. Members of the State Historical Society of North Dakota will soon say good-bye to a long-time archivist.

8. No arrests have been made, according to spokesperson Mark Jamieson.

9. The seminar is scheduled from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the North Dakota State University Memorial Union.

10. They can require more right-of-way than a conventional intersection.

1. Detroit Lakes math teacher Lisa Larson recently visited the White House.

2. Justin Flaten knows his company has sales opportunities in Colombia.

3. The trade agreement apparently became entangled in the presidential campaign.

4. The installations include home theater systems with wall-size screens. I've mentioned this style rule before, but it doesn't hurt to repeat. AP Stylebook says: theater Use this spelling unless the proper name is Theatre: Shubert Theatre; or, in a local example, Fargo Theatre.

5. He started out as a management consultant doing coding in the late 1990s.
Again, I've mentioned this style rule before, but it doesn't hurt to repeat. AP Stylebook says: Use an s without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or centuries.

6. "We're going to put a Band-Aid on it and we're going to move forward." AP Stylebook says: Band-Aid A trademark for a type of adhesive bandage.

7. The State Historical Society of North Dakota will soon say goodbye to a longtime archivist. Both are in the AP Stylebook.

8. No arrests have been made, according to spokesman Mark Jamieson. AP Stylebook says: spokesman, spokeswoman But not spokesperson. Use a representative if you do not know the sex of the individual.

9. The seminar is scheduled from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the North Dakota State University Memorial Union. AP Stylebook says: noon Do not put a 12 in front of it. midnight Do not put a 12 in front of it. times Use figures except for noon and midnight.

10. They can require more right of way than a conventional intersection. Find this in the AP Stylebook.

10 little gems

2008-09-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

See if you can figure out who wrote these little gems that never made it into The Forum.

1. Fifteen piglets were found in the North Dakota badlands.

2. The group is putting the money towards charitable work.

3. The victim showed a blood-alcohol level of .22 percent.

4. The new business has 5 employees.

5. Inappropriately denied claims involve just one percent of all claims.

6. He isn't protecting the administration from flack.

7. The district's long-time building administrator will return part-time through August.

8. Construction costs are estimated at $9.8 to $15.3 million for segment one, $8.4 to $12.5 million for segment two and $11.5 to $14.4 million for segment three.

9. The city owns land south of 1st Avenue and to the west and east of 11th Street.

10. The West Fargo Park District is hosting a "Garden Extravaganza" from 6:30 p.m. to 8;30 p.m. tonight.

1. Fifteen piglets were found in the North Dakota Badlands.

2. The group is putting the money toward charitable work.

3. The victim showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.22 percent.

4. The new business has five employees.

5. Inappropriately denied claims involve just 1 percent of all claims.

6. He isn't protecting the administration from flak.

7. The district's longtime building administrator will return part time through August.

8. Construction costs are estimated at $9.8 million to $15.3 million for segment one, $8.4 million to $12.5 million for segment two and $11.5 million to $14.4 million for segment three.

9. The city owns land south of First Avenue and to the west and east of 11th Street.

10. The West Fargo Park District is hosting a "Garden Extravaganza" from 6:30 to 8;30 tonight.

10 examples to test your style

2008-09-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

Various odds and ends are included in this week's post. See if you can find the flubs that were caught before they made it into The Forum.

1. Lightening either symbolizes inspiration or hints that God is ticked off.

2. His first wish was a stage, a big screen TV and a home theatre.

3. Emotions are rising nationally as leaders debate the question about whether biofuels such as ethanol are driving up food prices.

4. Passersby are urged to drop a poker chip down a board covered with pegs.

5. Her four-year-old son twirled his new blue Elmo backpack.

6. "There's no reason to think that someone looking at a place couldn't consider Glyndon as they consider places in South Fargo.

7. Hennen kicks off his new station with some help from presumptive Republican Presidential nominee John McCain.

8. The new south side fire station opens in about two years.

9. The cafe serves homemade soups, fresh salads and sandwiches to compliment Vintner's Cellar wine selections.

10. Camp staff members follow preventative measures to avoid accidents.

1. Lightning either symbolizes inspiration or hints that God is ticked off.

2. His first wish was a stage, a big-screen TV and a home theater.

3. Emotions are rising nationally as leaders debate whether biofuels such as ethanol are driving up food prices.
The original sentence was too wordy.

4. Passers-by are urged to drop a poker chip down a board covered with pegs.

5. Her 4-year-old son twirled his new blue Elmo backpack.

6. "There's no reason to think that someone looking at a place couldn't consider Glyndon as they consider places in south Fargo.

7. Hennen kicks off his new station with some help from presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

8. The new southside fire station opens in about two years.

9. The cafe serves homemade soups, fresh salads and sandwiches to complement Vintner's Cellar wine selections.

10. Camp staff members follow preventive measures to avoid accidents.

We all need learnin'

2008-08-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

Everyone could use a little education. That includes reporters and copy editors. With this post, we'll offer a quiz based on recent education-themed sentences that were edited before getting into The Forum.

See if you can pick out the flubs.

1. About 40 percent of Minnesota students in grades 5 and 8 are proficient in science.

2. Seven members of her cabinet joined her on stage.

3. Many of the south side schools will be full because of the south side's growth.

4. The district anticipates an enrollment of 860 kindergarteners.

5. It's the first year both districts are offering all-day kindergarten district-wide.

6. Thirty-two percent of the state's 12th graders smoke.

7. But five-year-old Ellen is excited she gets to be like her big brother.

1. About 40 percent of Minnesota students in grades five and eight are proficient in science.

2. Seven members of her Cabinet joined her on stage.
AP Stylebook says: cabinet Capitalize references to a specific body of advisers heading executive departments for a president, king, govvernor, etc. The capital letter distinguishes the word from the common noun meaning cupboard, which is lowercase.
The example refers to Minnesota State University Moorhead President Edna Szymanski's Cabinet of advisers.

3. Many of the southside schools will be full because of the southside's growth.

4. The district anticipates an enrollment of 860 kindergartners.

5. It's the first year both districts are offering all-day kindergarten districtwide.
AP Stylebook says: -wide No hyphen. Some examples: Citywide, nationwide, continentwide, statewide, countrywide, worldwide, industrywide.

6. Thirty-two percent of the state's 12th-graders smoke.

7. But 5-year-old Ellen is excited she gets to be like her big brother.

Can you guess who wrote these sentences?

2008-08-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

See if you can find the flubs in this week's sentences that were edited before they appeared in The Forum.

1. "Everyday I get a customer from the old store and everyday we get new customers."

2. A career soldier had his life spared on two different occasions because of a decision made by two different individuals.

3. City Commissioners voted Monday to approve a rate increase.

4. The Kennedy's met while attending Marin Bible College.

5. "This is Democracy at its best."

6. The City of Moorhead will reveal an update to a feasability study.

7. The commercial features elementary school children.

8. "There's a lot going on under those grey hairs."

1. "Every day I get a customer from the old store and every day we get new customers."

2. A career soldier had his life spared on two occasions because of a decision made by two individuals.

3. City commissioners voted Monday to approve a rate increase.

4. The Kennedys met while attending Marin Bible College.

5. "This is democracy at its best."

6. The city of Moorhead will reveal an update to a feasability study.

7. The commercial features elementary schoolchildren.

8. "There's a lot going on under those gray hairs."

Never a bankruptcy of flubs

2008-08-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

See how many flubs you can find in this week's quiz. These are all sentences that appeared in stories edited by copy editors before they appeared in The Forum.

1. A chapter 7 bankruptcy case does not involve filing a repayment plan.

2. Graduation ceremonies are at 7 p.m. tonight.

3. It's one of the lynchpins.

4. "1st Avenue needs to have a spark of improvement on it," Lee said.

5. Controversy surrounds the long-time comedian.

6. Judges on the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals have been reluctant to equate illegality with unconstitutionality.

7. Fargo received 0.04 inches of rain Thursday evening.

1. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy case does not involve filing a repayment plan.

2. Graduation ceremonies are at 7 tonight.

3. It's one of the linchpins.

4. "First Avenue needs to have a spark of improvement on it," Lee said.

5. Controversy surrounds the longtime comedian.

6. Judges on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have been reluctant to equate illegality with unconstitutionality.

7. Fargo received 0.04 inch of rain Thursday evening.

I'm back

2008-07-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

I'm finally back to a relatively normal schedule after attending a couple of weddings and taking a vacation.

I'm sure all of you have been anxiously waiting for a new post, so let's get right to it.

After an intense consultation with copy editors Stephanie Selensky and Mark Merck - actually, a couple of e-mails - we've decided to change the Forum style on day care and health care to conform with AP style. Day care and health care will be two words, no hyphen, in all cases. Until now, Forum style has been to hyphenate when they modify.

See if you can find the flubs in the following sentences. These sentences were in stories that came to the copy desk before the stories were edited.

1. It's a more than six-fold increase.

2. Fargo City Commissioners voted 5-0 Monday to approve two flood-control plans.

3. Work is underway on the interchange.

4. The project carries a price tag of $25 to $30 million.

5. Dirks served in the army from 1983 to 1987.

6. The media often gladly covers these staged events.

1. It's a more than sixfold increase.
AP Stylebook says: -fold No hyphen: twofold, fourfold

2. Fargo city commissioners voted 5-0 Monday to approve two flood-control plans.

3. Work is under way on the interchange.

4. The project carries a price tag of $25 million to $30 million.

5. Dirks served in the Army from 1983 to 1987.
AP Stylebook says: army Capitalize when referring to U.S. forces: the U.S. Army, the Army, Army regulations. Do not use the abbreviation USA. Use lowercase for the forces of other nations.

6. The media often gladly cover these staged events.
AP Stylebook says: In the sense of mass communication, such as magazines, newspapers, the news services, radio and television, the word is plural: The news media area resisiting attempts to limit their freedom.

More juicy morsels

2008-06-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

I have more juicy morsels for you to digest in this week's post. See if you can find the flub in each sentence.

1. Other events will include a barbeque dinner, beer garden, camping, treasure hunts and more.

2. Rob Beer is opening a south-side store.

3. Rob Beer was arrested for violating anti-trust laws.

4. Rob Beer will take care of the company's Web cast and on-line auctions.

5. Board Chair Rob Beer called the vote ridiculous.

6. Rob Beer says plans are underway for a labotomy.

7. The semi-finalists are Rob Beer, Neil Mulka, Lonna Whiting, Stephanie Selensky and Heidi
Tetzman.

8. Youth can create their own kites or bring their own to fly.

1. Other events will include a barbecue dinner, beer garden, camping, treasure hunts and more.

2. Rob Beer is opening a southside store.

3. Rob Beer was arrested for violating antitrust laws.

4. Rob Beer will take care of the company's webcast and online auctions.

5. Board Chairman Rob Beer called the vote ridiculous.

6. Rob Beer says plans are under way for a lobotomy.

7. The semifinalists are Rob Beer, Neil Mulka, Lonna Whiting, Stephanie Selensky and Heidi
Tetzman.

8. Youths can create their own kites or bring their own to fly.

Quizzically speaking

2008-05-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

See if you can find the flubs in these sentences that recently appeared in stories edited by Forum copy editors:

1. The annual payroll will be between $2.5 and $3 million.

2. It cost between $3,000 to $5,000.

3. Monday's West Fargo school board meeting will probably have the atmospherics of an orderly divorce proceeding.

4. After graduating high school, Larson worked in low-paying jobs around Fargo-Moorhead.

5. His soft taps with a rawhide mallet reshape an injured brass saxophone.

6. "I think we got some really good applicants out of it," said Chair Chad Holland.

1. The annual payroll will be between $2.5 million and $3 million.

2. It cost between $3,000 and $5,000.

3. Monday's West Fargo School Board meeting will probably have the atmospherics of an orderly divorce proceeding.

4. After graduating from high school, Larson worked in low-paying jobs around Fargo-Moorhead.

5. His soft taps with a rawhide mallet reshape a damaged brass saxophone.

6. "I think we got some really good applicants out of it," said Chairman Chad Holland.

That's it for this week.

Quiz time

2008-05-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

Go ahead! See if you can find the flubs in each sentence.

1. Rob Beer developed a spreadsheet comparing various budget proposals.

2. The state of Minnesota currently faces a nearly $1 billion deficit.

3. Langseth owns a dairy farm in Glyndon, Minn.

4. Seventy to 89 percent felt they had an additional eight of the abilities.

5. Erdle's body was sent to the North Dakota Medical Examiner's Office in Bismarck for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

6. He was recently released from the state penitentiary in Bismarck.

7. That includes the pulpit and alter, which were created from trees.

1. Rob Beer developed a spreadsheet comparing budget proposals.
"Various" is unnecessary.

2. The state of Minnesota faces a nearly $1 billion deficit.
"Currently" is unnecessary.

3. Langseth owns a dairy farm in Glyndon.
"Minn." is unnecessary because the story is about Minnesota state Rep. Keith Langseth of Glyndon.

4. Seventy percent to 89 percent felt they had an additional eight of the abilities.

5. Erdle's body was sent to the North Dakota Medical Examiner's Office in Bismarck for an autopsy.
"... to determine the cause of death" is redundant because "that's what autopsies always do," says Forum copy desk honcho Stephanie Selensky. The definition of autopsy: An examination and dissection of a dead body to discover the cause of death, damage done by diease, etc.

6. He was recently released from the State Penitentiary in Bismarck.
Forum style is to capitalize State Penitentiary, State Bank, State Hospital and State Mill.

7. That includes the pulpit and altar, which were created from trees.

More flubs

2008-05-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

We have another quiz this week for your enjoyment. See if you can find the flubs.

1. "I never knew Rob Beer was such a know-it-all when it came to using a cell phone," said Johanna Hoff, Qwest media spokesperson.

2. A passerby witnessed the lightning strike.

3. The south side elementary campus will get gymnasium and kitchen improvements.

4. She discovered her three-wheel cycle was stolen from her yard at 1345 Fourth Ave. S.

5. Financial advisors often suggest rebalancing your 401k quarterly.

6. Only nine percent of the 186 respondents said the playing field is equal for men and women.

7. It would normally have been 70 or 72 percent.

1. "I never knew Rob Beer was such a know-it-all when it came to using a cell phone," said Johanna Hoff, Qwest media spokeswoman.

2. A passer-by witnessed the lightning strike.

3. The southside elementary campus will get gymnasium and kitchen improvements.

4. She discovered her three-wheel cycle was stolen from her yard at 1345 4th Ave. S.

5. Financial advisers often suggest rebalancing your 401k quarterly.

6. Only 9 percent of the 186 respondents said the playing field is equal for men and women.

7. It would normally have been 70 percent or 72 percent.

Find the flubs

2008-04-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

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.

Trying something new

2008-04-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who responded to the question I asked in last week's post.

One of the suggestions was posting a weekly quiz, so that's what I'm going to start this week. It won't be much different from what I have been doing, but anything to shake things up, right?

Here's how it works. I'll be offering a sentence based on stories Forum copy editors have read. You're "job" is to figure out how it can be improved. Besides the original sentence, I'll also show how to fix the problem.

So let's get started.

Here are the sentences that need to be fixed:

1. The North Dakota State Fire Marshall was unable to say what started the fire.

2. At a meeting frought with references to race.

3. She turned to the internet to help her overcome grief.

4. It was the last Blimpie's in Fargo-Moorhead to remain open.

5. The company employed six full and part-time workers.

6. A resolution was approved authorizing street improvements on 8th Avenue from Highway 75 to 28th Street.

7. The council decided to purchase several right-of-ways.

Here's how the problems should be fixed:

1. The North Dakota State Fire Marshal was unable to say what started the fire.
Marshal as in fire marshal, field marshal, U.S. marshal and marshaling forces has one l. AP Stylebook: Marshal is the spelling for both the verb and the noun. Marshall is used in proper names: George C. Marshall, John Marshall, Marshall Islands.

2. At a meeting fraught with references to race.
Fraught is spelled with an a, and not an o.

3. She turned to the Internet to help her overcome grief.
Internet should be capitalized.

4. It was the last Blimpie's in Fargo-Moorhead.
Because the story is about the Blimpie's in Moorhead closing and mentioned it was the last Blimpie's in Fargo-Moorhead, it's redundant to write, "last Blimpie's in Fargo-Moorhead to remain open."

5. The company employed six full- and part-time workers.
Full-time and part-time should both be hyphenated as modifiers.

6. A resolution was approved authorizing street improvements on Eighth Avenue from Highway 75 to 28th Street.
Spell out streets and avenues under 10 when they aren't part of an address.

7. The council decided to purchase several rights of way.
AP Stylebook: right of way, rights of way.

Repeating myself

2008-04-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

All of the examples of style errors in this week's post were made in the last seven days. And these are errors I've written about several times before, in e-mails and in this blog.

I have an important question for writers at The Forum. What can I do to get you to read these posts regularly? Obviously, because of the number of repeat errors, that isn't being done now. One suggestion is to name names. But I don't think that would go over well.

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"nearly hour-long hearing"
It should be--"nearly hourlong hearing"
AP Stylebook also says it's daylong, monthlong, weeklong.

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"coworkers of convicted"
It should be--"co-workers of convicted"

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"work part-time after school"
It should be--"work part time after school"

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--"there are more than 800 Edible Arrangements franchises world-wide"
It should be--"there are more than 800 Edible Arrangements franchises worldwide"

Example five:
Raw copy, wrong--"an email and telephone scam"
It should be--"an e-mail and telephone scam"

Example six:
Raw copy, wrong--"the school board accepted the resignation"
It should be--"the School Board accepted the resignation"

Example seven:
Raw copy, wrong--"says fifth grade teacher Rob Beer"
It should be--"says fifth-grade teacher Rob Beer"

In with the old, in with the new

2008-04-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

We have a mix of old and new style mistakes in this week's post.

First the new ones:

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"listed Fargo as number 24"
It should be--"listed Fargo as No. 24"

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"time spent playing videogames"
It should be--"time spent playing video games"

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"sunset clauses for all Federal programs"
It should be--"sunset clauses for all federal programs"
AP Stylebook: federal Use a capital letter for the architectural style and for corporate or governmental bodies that use the word as part of their formal names: the Federal Trade Commission. Lowercase when used as an adjective to distinguish something from state, county, city, town or private entities: federal assistance, federal court, the federal government, a federal judge.

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--"message book and bible"
It should be--"message book and Bible"
AP Stylebook: Bible Capitalize, without quotation marks, when referring to the Scriptures in the Old Testament or the New Testament. Capitalize also related terms such as the Gospels, Gospel of St. Mark, the Scriptures, the Holy Scriptures. Lowercase biblical in all uses. Lowercase bible as a nonreligious term: My dictionary is my bible.

Here are some repeat mistakes:

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"since the mid 1990's"
It should be--"since the mid-1990s"
AP Stylebook: Use a hyphen when mid- precedes a figure: mid-30s.
AP Stylebook: Use an s without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or centuries: the 1890s, the 1800s.

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"fines for not wearing seatbelts"
It should be--"fines for not wearing seat belts"

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"requiring multi-national corporations to pay more Minnesota taxes"
It should be--"requiring multinational corporations to pay more Minnesota taxes"

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--did not return a voicemail"
It should be--did not return a voice mail"

A couple of style points to remember

2008-03-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

We have a couple of new style mistakes in this this week's post. And we were doing so well.

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"emerging as frontrunners"
It should be--"emerging as front-runners"
This isn't in the AP Stylebook; it's found in Webster's NewWorld Third.

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"donuts and coffee"
It should be--"doughnuts and coffee"

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"there are a couple changes," "We have a couple things to talk about," "there are a couple immediate things" and "the next couple days."
It should be--"there are a couple of changes," We have a couple of things to talk about," "there are a couple of immediate things" and "the next couple of days."
AP Stylebook says: couple of The of is necessary. Never use a couple tomatoes or a similar phrase. The phrase takes a plural verb in constructions such as: A couple of tomatoes were stolen.

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--"on his 11-member cabinet"
It should be--"on his 11-member Cabinet"
AP Stylebook: Capitalize references to a specific body of advisers heading executive departments for a president, king, governor, etc. The capital letter distinguishes the word from the common noun meaning cupboard, which is lowercase.

Example five:
Raw copy, wrong--"a great and well-respected Senator"
It should be--"a great and well-respected senator"

Example six:
Raw copy, wrong--"a Bush Administration budget"
It should be--"a Bush administration budget"

Another week of repeats

2008-03-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

It seems I'll always have repeat style mistakes to write about, so here goes.

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"well-represented at the capitol"
It should be--"well-represented at the Capitol"
AP Stylebook: Capitalize U.S. Capitol and the Capitol when referring to the building in Washington. Follow the same practice when referring to state capitols. Capital is the city where a seat of government is located. Do not capitalize.

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"Fargo-based financial advisor"
It should be--"Fargo-based financial adviser"

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"county-wide economic development sales tax"
It should be--"countywide economic development sales tax"
AP Stylebook: -wide No hyphen. Some examples: citywide, nationwide, continentwide, statewide, worldwide, industrywide, countrywide.

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--"take care of our Guardsmen"
It should be--"take care of our guardsmen"
AP Stylebook: Capitalize when referring to U.S or state-level forces, or foreign forces when that is the formal name: the National Guard, the Guard, the Iowa National Guard, Iowa's National Guard, National Guard troops. When referring to an individual in a National Guard unit, use national Guardsman: He is a National Guardsman. Lowercase guardsman when it stands alone.

Example five:
Raw copy, wrong--"a group of Fargo and Cass County citizens"
It should be--"a group of Fargo and Cass County residents"
AP Stylebook: A citizen is a person who has acquired the full civil rights of a nation either by birth or naturalization. Cities and states do not confer citizenship. To avoid confusion, use resident, not citizen, in referring to inhabitants of states and cities.

Example six:
Raw copy, wrong--"colony north of Hawley, Minn.," referring to action taken by the Clay County Board.
It should be--"colony north of Hawley"
We don't use Minnesota with Clay County. Therefore, we shouldn't use Hawley, Minn., because it's understood that the Clay County board would only take action affecting entities in Clay County.

Signs of progress

2008-03-17T18:44:00.000-07:00

It seems as though writers have just about run out of new style mistakes, but there are still plenty of repeat style mistakes. Those are what we'll again be focusing on in this post.

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"Dutch Elm Disease"
It should be--"Dutch elm disease"

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"helping develop a separate speech and theatre department"
It should be--"helping develop a separate speech and theater department.
Use of the words theater and theatre is an issue Mark Merck wanted me to bring up a few weeks ago. It came up again last week. AP Stylebook says: theater Use this spelling unless the proper name is Theatre: Shubert Theatre. In this area, it's the Fargo Theatre.

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"both hotels have large multi-purpose conference rooms"
It should be--"both hotels have large multipurpose conference rooms"
I've already written in several e-mails about the AP style for multi. It doesn't hurt to have a reminder in this post: multi- The rules in prefixes apply, but in general, no hyphen. Some examples: multicolored, multimillion, multilateral, multimillionaire.

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--"such as text, voicemail and e-mail messages"
It should be--"such as text, voice mail and e-mail messages"

Example five:
Raw copy, wrong--"bought his American coworkers"
It should be--"bought his American co-workers"
AP Stylebook: co- Retain the hyphen when forming nouns, adjectives and verbs that indicate occupation or status: co-author, co-chairman, co-defendent, co-host, co-owner, co-partner, co-pilot, co-signer, co-sponsor, co-star, co-worker.

Example six:
Raw copy, wrong--"employs 68 fulltime and 21 part-time"
It should be--"employs 68 full time and 21 part time"
AP Stylebook: part time, part-time Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: She works part time. She has a part-time job.

Example seven:
Raw copy, wrong--"recent data suggests"
It should be--"recent data suggest"

No end in sight

2008-03-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

I think this blog will be around for quite a while. Why? Because the reporters keep repeating style mistakes.

Today's post will deal with past style mistakes, so let's not waste any time.

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"members of the Baby-Boomer generation"
It should be--"members of the baby boomer generation"
AP Stylebook: Lowercase, no hyphen.

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"exceed 50 percent of the U.S. workforce"
It should be--"exceed 50 percent of the U.S. work force"
AP Stylebook: Two words.

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"said Don Frye of Ottertail Power Company"
It should be--"said Don Frye of Otter Tail Power Co."
OK. I slipped in a new one here. For Otter Tail, it's two words for the power company, the Minnesota county and the river. The Minnesota town of Ottertail is one word. As for Otter Tail Power Co., AP Stylebook says: Use Co. or Cos. when a business uses either word at the end of its proper name: Ford Motor Co., American Broadcasting Cos. Theatrical: Spell out company in names of theatrical organizations: the Martha Graham Dance Company.

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--"what Congressional leaders propose"
It should be--"what congressional leaders propose"
AP Stylebook: congressional Lowercase unless part of a proper name: congressional salaries, The Congressional Quarterly, the Congressional Record.

Example five:
Raw copy, wrong--"a day-long seminar"
It should be--"a daylong seminar"
These are also one word: monthlong, weeklong, yearlong, etc.

Example six:
Raw copy, wrong--"collections were down 15 to 20 percent" and "parents of 10 to 15 percent"
It should be--"collections were down 15 percent to 20 percent" and "parents of 10 percent to 15 percent"

Example seven:
Raw copy, wrong--"analysis is underway"
It should be--"analysis is under way"

A word here and a word there, and we're writing tighter

2008-03-03T19:33:00.000-08:00

Everyone can tighten up their writing; even me - as Rob Beer of robbeer.com fame pointed out months ago in responding to one of my e-mails about writing tighter.

Today's post highlights some examples where reporters could have streamlined their writing by eliminating a word or two. The redundancies aren't calamitous, but everything counts when you're trying to grab and retain readers.

Example one:
Raw copy: "In addition to charging for the cost of cleaning a walk, Moorhead also imposes ... "
Changed to: "In addition to charging for the cost of cleaning a walk, Moorhead imposes ... "
I think we can agree that in addition and also mean the same thing in this sentence, so also is unnecessary.

Example two:
Raw copy: "added 55 new jobs in 2007"
Changed to: "added 55 jobs in 2007"
It stands to reason that if 55 jobs are added, they're new, so the new is unnecessary.

Example three:
Raw copy: "The rest of the addition will be used for more manufacturing space."
Changed to: "The rest of the addition will be used for manufacturing space."
More is unnecessary because the sentence already states that the rest of the addition will be used for manufacturing.

Example four:
Raw copy: "that's currently under construction"
Changed to: "that's under construction"
If it's under construction, it's current.

Example five:
Raw copy: "can take anywhere from two weeks to six months"
Changed to: "can take from two weeks to six months"
Anywhere is unnecessary.

Let's rein in the number of style mistakes

2008-02-25T17:29:00.000-08:00

Here are a few style mistakes that recently crossed copy editors' desks at The Forum:

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"remodeling project underway"
It should be--"remodeling project under way"
I've already written about his mistake several times. One of these days it should sink in. Under way is two words.
AP Stylebook says it's one word only when used as a adjective before a noun in a nautical sense: an underway flotilla.

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"free WiFi access"
It should be--"Wi-Fi"
AP Stylebook says: Wi-Fi For the wireless networking standards.

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"fight against West Nile Virus"
It should be--"fight against West Nile virus"
This is another style mistake I've written about before.

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--"take steps to reign in costs"
It should be--"take steps to rein in costs"
Reign is the period a ruler is on the throne: The king began his reign. Rein is a means of guiding, controlling, checking or restraining: the reins of government.

Example five:
Raw copy, wrong--"second phase of its capitol campaign"
It should be--"second phase of its capital campaign"
Capitol is the building in which the U.S. Congress meets in Washington, D.C., or the building in which a state legislature meets. Capital: any assets, tangible or intangible, that are held for long-term investment.

Smothering you with style

2008-02-18T19:35:00.000-08:00

These are new style mistakes that were recently caught by copy editors.

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"approve a plan to boost by ten-fold"
It should be--"approve a plan to boost by tenfold"
AP Stylebook says: No hyphen.

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"potentially cutting air fares"
It should be--"potentially cutting airfares"
AP Stylebook says: One word.

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"investigator who posed on-line"
It should be--"investigator who posed online"

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--"to pay for damages to the school"
It should be--"to pay for damage to the school"
AP Stylebook says: Damage is destruction: Authorities said damage from the storm would total more than $1 billion. Damages are awarded by a court as compensation for injury, loss, etc.: The Woman received $25,000 in damages.

Example five:
Raw copy, wrong--"cause of the blaze that completely destroyed the structure"
It should be--"cause of the blaze that destroyed the structure"
AP Stylebook says: Demolish and destroy mean to do away with something completely. Something cannot be partially demolished or destroyed. It is redundant to say totally demolished or totally destroyed.
Or in this case, completely destroyed.

Example six:
Raw copy, wrong--"smothering her to death with a pillow"
It should be--"smothering her with a pillow"
It's redundant to write smother to death. The definition for smother in Webster's is: a) to keep from getting enough air to breathe; stifle. b) to kill in this way; suffocate.

Beating and kicking a man in the downtown area can hurt

2008-02-12T18:34:00.000-08:00

A Fargo woman was arrested on a felony aggravated assault charge early Tuesday morning after allegedly beating and kicking a man in the downtown area.

My first reaction when I read this brief today - before it got into the paper - was: "OUCHIE!"

Maybe a better way of writing this paragraph would have been:

A Fargo woman was arrested in downtown Fargo early Tuesday morning on a felony aggravated assault charge after allegedly beating and kicking a man.

Now that we've got that out of the way, lets get to some of the style mistakes that recently crossed copy editors' desks.

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"In addition to cakes, Julin also bakes"
It should be--"In addition to cakes, Julin bakes"
In addition and also are redundant, so we don't need also.

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"two multi-million dollar options"
It should be--"two multimillion-dollar options"
AP Stylebook says: multi- The rules in prefixes apply, but in general, no hyphen. Some examples: multicolored, multilateral, multimillion and multimillionaire.

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"the Moorhead School Board chair"
It should be--"the Moorhead School Board chairman" if it's a man and "chairwoman" if it's a woman.
I don't know about you, but I would prefer not to be called a chair. There is an exception. For some reason, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party officially refers to some of its top officers as "state party chair," "state party associate chair" and "state party finance chair." So don't use chair unless it is an organization's formal title for an office.
Another AP style point on chairman/chairwoman: Do not use chairperson unless it is an organization's formal title for an office.

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--"prospect of a Moorhead counter offer"
It should be--"prospect of a Moorhead counteroffer.
I don't think Moorhead planned to offer the other side a counter.

That's it for now.

15 minues (or more) of fame

2008-02-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

Some reporters at The Forum must be anxious to get into my blog because several style mistakes crossed my desk this week. I'm confident we -- by "we," I mean me and Forum universal desk copy editors -- caught most of them before they got into the newsprint and online versions of The Forum. Here are some examples:

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"led several Bismarck school children"
It should be--"led several Bismarck schoolchildren"

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"She offers 18 different types of cake flavors, with six different types of icing and 11 different kinds of filling."
It should be--"She offers 18 types of cake flavors, with six types of icing and 11 kinds of filling.
This mistake is becoming more frequent. There is no need to write different. It's understood that when you have 18 types of cake flavors, they're different.

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"the group's first annual state-by-state report card"
It should be--"the group's first state-by-state-report card"
AP Stylebook says: An event (or report card in this case) cannot be described as annual until it has been held (or released in this case) at least two successive years.

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--"The four included whole wheat, wheat bran, rye and flax seed meal."
It should be--"The four comprise whole wheat, wheat bran, rye and flax seed meal."
The AP Stylebook has a simple explanation for this style mistake: Use include to introduce a series when the items that follow are only part of the total. In this case, the four types comprise the full list, so include shouldn't be included in the sentence.

That's it for now. The next post will include more recent style mistakes.

Hammering home a point

2008-02-04T17:59:00.000-08:00

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."

Addressing style problems

2008-02-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

Here are four more style mistakes:

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"officials for the City of Fargo," "officials for the City of Moorhead," "officials for the City of West Fargo," "officials for the City of Dilworth" and "officials for the City of (fill in the blank)"
It should be--"city of Fargo," "city of Moorhead," etc.

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"seatbelts" and "seatbelt law"
It should be--"seat belts" and "seat-belt law"
Seat belt is two words.

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"mid 1990s"
It should be--"mid-1990s"
AP Stylebook says: Use a hyphen when mid- precedes a figure: mid-30s. No hyphen unless a capitalized word follows. For example: mid-America, mid-Atlantic, midsemester, midterm.

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--"raises between 4 and 9 percent"
It should be--"raises between 4 percent and 9 percent"
AP Stylebook says: Repeat percent with each individual figure.

Examples of repeat mistakes:

Example one:
Wrong--"on 40th Ave. west of 45th St." and "19th Ave. N. and 18th St. N."
Correct--"on 40th Avenue west of 45th Street" and "19th Avenue and 18th Street North"

Example two:
Wrong--"3636 25th Street South"
Correct--"3636 25th St. S."

Example three:
Wrong--"He arrives at 7:30 a.m. most mornings."
Correct--"He arrives at 7:30 most mornings."

Example four:
Wrong--"three buildings with 386,000-square-feet"
Correct--"three buildings with 386,000 square feet"
Hyphenate when it modifies.

Searching for the write stuff

2008-01-30T18:12:00.000-08:00

This blog is an extension of a series of e-mails I've been sending on a regular basis to the editorial staff of The Forum in Fargo-Moorhead since April 2007. The e-mails cite examples of style errors in stories I've edited as night editor and chief copy editor. Other copy editors at The Forum have occasionally passed on their style tips to include in the e-mails.

Theoretically, the e-mails would mean fewer style mistakes. But because not everyone reads my e-mails or some forget about the style reminders, it's necessary to provide examples of repeat mistakes. I only planned to include repeat mistakes every once in a while. That didn't work out. Repeat mistakes sometimes outnumber new mistakes, so I've included them with every e-mail.

This is the same format my blog will follow. I'll offer some examples of new style errors followed by repeat mistakes. I've been asked by the editor to come up with a scheme to make sure the newsroom reads my style tips because he's noticed the number of repeat mistakes. Maybe this blog will help.

One of the advantages of the blog for our writers is that it's searchable. Writers will be able to search for a specific style tip I've already written about. Reporters regulary come to me with a style question, saying: "I know you've written about this, but it takes a while to go through your e-mails." This blog will be an easily accessible way for reporters to have their questions answered. If if they aren't answered, I can write about it in another post.

So here are four examples of style mistakes caught before they made it into the paper:

Example one:
Raw copy, wrong--"37th Ave. S. near Fifth St."
It should be--"37th Avenue South near Fifth Street"
AP style rule: abbreviate with full address; 300 37th Ave. S. or 562 5th St.

Example two:
Raw copy, wrong--"Students in Grade 5"
It should be--"Students in grade five" or "fifth-grade students"

Example three:
Raw copy, wrong--"West Nile Virus"
It should be--"West Nile virus"

Example four:
Raw copy, wrong--"5,652 square foot building"
It should be--"5,652-square-foot building"

I hope you've made it this far. I'm going to offer four examples of repeat mistakes and keep hammering at them until you get it right.

Example one plus:
Wrong--"on-line," "website" and "email"
Correct--"online," "Web site" and "e-mail." Also, the correct AP style is webcam, webcast, webmaster and podcast.

Example two:
Wrong--"2:30 a.m. Monday morning"
Correct--"2:30 a.m. Monday" or "2:30 Monday morning"

Example three:
Wrong--"underway"
Correct--"under way"

Example four:
Wrong--"metro-wide"
Correct--"metrowide"
The AP Stylebook also notes it should be citywide, countrywide, industrywide, nationwide, worldwide, etc.

That's it for this post. I'll be posting at least once or twice a week.

Look at that hair!!!

2008-01-29T20:21:00.001-08:00

IMG_0062
Originally uploaded by jayulku

From my days as editor of the Glasgow (Mont.) Courier about 1980.