If the authorities still do not know the identity of a culprit, or a
corpse, etc., do not state that “an unknown man” is in question. The
proper expression is “an unidentified man.”
Similarly, do not state that a person has died “of heart failure,”--for
after all, that is what everybody eventually does. What is meant is
“heart trouble” or “heart disease.”
In the matter of capital letters, newspapers can be grouped under two
great heads, those that incline to fewer capitals, and those leaning
toward more capitals. They are then known respectively as “down” or
“up” sheets, and a moment’s inspection of a paper will generally
suffice to show in which group it belongs. Some papers even print
White House with lower case initials. When writing for a paper, the
reporter should immediately find out whether it is “up” or “down.” The
tendency today seems to be toward fewer capitals. Many papers do not
capitalize “Street” or “Avenue.” Often such titles as “President” or
“Secretary” are capitalized if they stand before a name, and not, if
they stand after it. In the same way, many papers do not capitalize
“College” or “University” if they stand last. Thus, such papers would
say “University of Wisconsin,” but “Oberlin college.”
Such matters are generally established in a newspaper office by
what is known as the “style-sheet,” and the reporter should quickly
familiarize himself with the style-sheet of his paper. Newspapers
vary, for instance, in their printing of numbers. In some sheets, all
numerals under one hundred are written out, and all above it are given
in figures. In other offices the rule is that all numbers above ten
are given in numerals. Also there are on nearly every paper certain
expressions or words which must not under any circumstances be used.
One editor will not permit “over” in the sense of “more than,” whereas
another editor will not tolerate the word “admirable” in his columns.
These matters are entirely a question of the personal opinion of those
in authority, and must therefore simply in each case be memorized and
complied with.
General rules of grammar must also, of course, be followed, and need
not be dwelt upon here. Attention may perhaps be drawn to the danger
of the “hanging participle,” however, as it is sometimes met with
in otherwise carefully written sheets. “Throwing on his brakes too
quickly, the car skidded before Jones could dodge the child, etc.,”
shows the error referred to. “Throwing” is the participle, and inasmuch
as it refers to Jones, his name should then have been made the subject
of the sentence. Another error frequently met with consists in joining
a plural subject and a singular verb or contrariwise. “Each of the
culverts are to be investigated” announced one of this morning’s
metropolitan papers. Of course “each” is a singular pronoun and should
have been followed by “is.” Any good handbook of rhetoric, such as
Wooley’s, will point out a host of such stumbling blocks.
In the matter of titles, it may be remarked that “Mr. and Mrs. Thomas
D. Jones” is considered better than “Mr. Thomas D. Jones and his wife.”
The abbreviation “Rev.” must not be used unless the given names are
used. Thus “The Rev. Thompson” is incorrect. Either “The Reverend Mr.
Thompson” or “The Rev. Henry B. Thompson” must be used. So also, “Mr.”
is generally omitted before a name if the given name is used. “Walter
F. Brown” and “Mr. Brown” are the proper forms.
Fight shy of trite expressions. Keep on the constant look-out in your
writing for any tendency to slip into hackneyed phrases whose edges
have become blunted. “Elegant,” “charming,” “well-known” ought in
general to be left as much alone as “the conventional black” or “doing
as well as could be expected.” A real interest in your work, a true
realization of the infinite variety and richness of the life going on
about you, and a desire to state in as vivid a form as possible all the
things you have to say will go far in saving you from this trouble.
Don’t fall into the way of doing “rubber-stamp” writing.
And now, as the very last hint of all comes perhaps the most important
statement: