Editing

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COMMON WRITING ERRORS

The Writing and Editing Committee of the Associated Press Managing Editors Association prepared a list of common newswriting errors, arranged alphabetically. The list has been edited and condensed for this book.

Affect, effect. Generally, affect is the verb; effect is the noun. „The letter did not affect the outcome.‰ „The letter had significant effect.‰ But effect is also a verb meaning to bring about. Thus: „It is almost impossible to effect change.‰

Afterward, afterwards. Use afterward. The same rule applies to toward and towards, backward and backwards, and forward and forwards. Use toward, backward and forward.

All right. ThatÊs the way to spell it. Allude, elude. Allude means to mention; elude means to escape. Annual. Do not use „first‰ with it. If itÊs the first time, it cannot be annual. Averse, adverse. Averse means to oppose; adverse means unfavorable. Block, bloc. A bloc is a coalition of people or states; block has some 40 dictionary definitions. Compose, comprise. The parts compose the whole; the whole comprises (or contains) the parts. Cop. It is often a derogatory term for police officer. Demolish, destroy. They both mean to do away with completely. Totally destroyed is redundant. Drown. Do not say someone was drowned unless an assailant held the victimÊs head under water. Just

say the victim drowned. Either. It means one or the other, not both.

WRONG: There are goal posts at either end of a football field. RIGHT: There are goal posts at each end of a football field.

Entitled, titled. Entitled means to have a right to do something; titled means to have a title. Funeral service. A redundancy. A funeral is a service. Imply, infer. The speaker implies; the hearer infers. In advance of, prior to. Use before; it sounds more natural. Irregardless. A double negative; use regardless. It’s, its. Its is the possessive; itÊs is the contraction of it is. Kids. Avoid using it as a synonym for children unless the story dictates a less formal usage. Lady, ladies. Do not use as synonyms for woman or women; they have patronizing connotations. Lay, lie. Lay is a transitive verb meaning to put or to place; lie is an intransitive verb meaning to be

in a reclining position. WRONG: The body will lay in state until Wednesday. RIGHT: The body will lie in state until Wednesday. RIGHT: The prosecutor tried to lay the blame on him.

Less, fewer. If you can separate items in the quantities being compared, use fewer. If not, use less. Like, as. Do not use like for as or as if. In general, use like to compare with nouns or pronouns; use

as when comparing with phrases or clauses that contain a verb. WRONG: Jim blocks the linebacker like he should. RIGHT: Jim blocks the linebacker as he should.

Marshall, marshal. Generally, the first is a proper name; the second is a title or a verb. Mean, average, median. Mean and average both refer to the sum of all components divided by the

number of components. The median is the number that has as many components above it as below it. Nouns. There is a trend toward using nouns as verbs. Resist it. Host, headquarters and author, for

instance, are nouns, even though a dictionary might say they can be used as verbs. Over, more than. Over refers to spatial relationships: The plane flew over the city. More than is used

with figures: More than 1,000 fans were in the crowd. Peddle, pedal. When selling something, you peddle it. Pedal is something you do to a bicycle. Principle, principal. A guiding rule or basic truth is a principle. The first, dominant or leading thing

is principal. Refute. The word connotes success in argument and almost always implies editorial judgment. Reluctant, reticent. If someone does not want to act, that person is reluctant. If someone does not

want to speak, that person is reticent. Temperatures. They may get higher or lower, but they do not get warmer or colder. Under way, not underway. But do not say something got under way. Say it started or began. Unique. Something that is unique is the only one of its kind. It cannot be very unique or quite unique or

somewhat unique or rather unique. Do not use it unless you really mean unique. Up. Do not use up as a verb.

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