Questions tagged [style-manuals]
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148
questions
0
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11 views
Does joining two independent explanatory clauses with only a comma necessarily produce a comma splice?
Recently, I wrote a sentence of the following form:
Yes, you can do that, you just need to press that red button.
A reader took issue with this sentence, as he believed it was an ungrammatical comma ...
0
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0answers
22 views
Is “Each person should do their own work” really not logical to say? [duplicate]
I am taking English Language Studies as my bachelor's. It happened when one of our subjects' professor, Advanced English Grammar professor, said that the sentence "each person should do their own ...
1
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0answers
13 views
Is repeating the section title in the first sentence good writing style? [closed]
In a number of structure formats I am very tempted to re-state the title of sections in the first section, i.e. if the given section is “Expected Results”, I tend to want to start by saying “The ...
0
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0answers
11 views
Neither (conjuntion): before the first of two or more coordinates or clauses linked by 'nor'
When either is used as a conjunction, no paraphrase with any is
available, and so either is unexceptionable even when it applies
to more than two clauses: Either the union will make a
counteroffer or ...
0
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0answers
40 views
How is this couplet to be interpreted grammatically?
What follows are two couplets from the final stanza of the poem 'And thou art dead as young and fair' by Lord Byron. I wish to ask how the word 'thus' is being used here.
Yet how much less it were to ...
0
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1answer
50 views
Is “equals to,” as in “one plus one equals to two,” ungrammatical?
I study mathematics alongside many Chinese students. They will often use the phrase "equals to," as in "one plus one equals to two." Is this usage incorrect?
-2
votes
1answer
40 views
Is there a standard way of referring to electronic files?
If I'm writing about a specific computer file - let's say a file which looks, in some view, to be named ExampleFile.pdf (which is already problematic, since what you see might depend on the details of ...
3
votes
3answers
201 views
Is it possible to have an interrogative after an imperative connected with coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence?
I know rephrasing, using semicolon, or just splitting it into two sentences are probably the possible options here (the best choice, however, is my side question). Consider the following as examples:
...
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0answers
25 views
How can I correctly reference a source directly in an article under Harvard-style rules for publications?
I am trying to reference a source directly in an article that I am writing using “Harvard-style” referencing. The source I am using is an article published on a radio station’s “news articles” page. ...
0
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1answer
57 views
Role of “that” in the beginning of a sentence?
IN EARLY 2020, with the coronavirus pandemic tearing across the world, most people thought it unlikely that a vaccine would arrive any time soon. And as work to develop vaccines began, there were dire ...
0
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1answer
82 views
Which is the proper way to use (and mark) nested parentheses?
I found some posts on whether it is acceptable to nest parentheses (e.g. here) but there is no discussion yet about which parentheses should be used when nesting, and how.
These are some alternative ...
10
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2answers
1k views
Is “Black” correct, incorrect, or could it be used as either “Black” or “black”? [duplicate]
I was reading an article that I was assigned by my professor, and I came across the following:
“We’re the ones getting killed,” Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers, who is Black, said in an ...
0
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1answer
110 views
“People” was not to be preceded by a number, as in “Fewer than 30 people showed up”
At one time, some usage guides maintained that people could not be
preceded by a number, as in Fewer than 30 people showed up.
https://www.wordreference.com/definition/people
However, I cannot find ...
2
votes
1answer
41 views
It has been used correctly this phrase in this paragraph?
I am wondering whether the following paragraph is clear. I am particularly concerned about the last phrase (emphasized).
Joined work with local authorities to find alternatives to confront
climatic ...
0
votes
1answer
33 views
What's the reason for using quotations with titles of works?
I have seen that in some styles for documenting sources quotations marks are used for the titles of short works.
What's the reason for setting this as the convention? This seems like a use-mention ...
1
vote
2answers
175 views
“Two Fewer Items” or “Two Items Fewer”?
If I have 10 items in my bag and my friend has 12, which of the following do I say?
I have two fewer items than they do.
or
I have two items fewer than they do.
In this page from CMOS, they say:
...
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0answers
49 views
When a noun followed by a restrictive clause is preceded by “whichever” or “whatever”, it is incorrect to introduce the clause with *that*
When a noun followed by a restrictive clause is preceded by whichever
or whatever, it is incorrect to introduce the clause with that in
formal writing: Whatever book you want to look at will be sent ...
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0answers
19 views
How to highlight model or category names in scientific text (if they are ordinary words)?
For example, there are two sentences
The government is considering that the crisis will follow a soft scenario ...
Dr. Jones has calculated soft and hard crisis scenarios. The input data was ...
In ...
0
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2answers
50 views
Is there an implied be verb in the sentence “American workers facing or are facing”?
American workers facing a less prosperous future than their parents’ generation have gotten the message—or at least a version of it.
Can anyone please explain the structure? Is there any implied be ...
0
votes
1answer
66 views
All (*of) the students/contracts [duplicate]
According to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English
Although some object to the inclusion of of in such phrases as all of the students and all of the contracts and prefer to omit ...
0
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0answers
31 views
Can we use quotation marks to refer to a specific term on a website?
Here's the paragraph:
My first inclination is to find the search bar and type the word “Graphic design”. But, there is no search bar. On the top left panel, there are 3 tabs : “Courses”, “Programs”, ...
0
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1answer
42 views
Do you write “AT 123.com”, or “ON 123.com”? US English
US English
I have read other answers on this very question, and no one seems to be able to come up with a clear cut grammatically correct solution.
For a website/platform is it:
A) At 123.com, you ...
0
votes
2answers
2k views
“Enact Change” - Is it correct?
"How to enact change in..."
"We enacted change by..."
I've seen this used in quite a few contexts, but it doesn't seem to make much sense when I look at the word "enact" in the dictionary.
From ...
1
vote
2answers
47 views
Recommended way to format copyright?
I'm working on a website and want to have a short mention of the copyright of said website in its footer. What is the recommended formatting for such a thing?
I've seen "© YYYY Company", "© Company, ...
4
votes
3answers
290 views
What can I call a longer passage in an academic work (text equivalent to “Figure”)?
I want to number blocks of texts in my work (parts of a movie script or something the creators said) so that I can refer to them throughout the essay. Is there an equivalent to 'Figure' to label these ...
0
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0answers
52 views
Should the asterisk of a postscript correspond in size to the first asterisk, or be the same font size as the postscript's lettering?
The former makes sense in terms of its intent--which is to take off where it leaves off, the reason why an asterisk is used on both ends--but perhaps this is trumped by the importance of font size?
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0answers
26 views
Has “which were” been omitted before “ noted” in this text?
Has "which were" been omitted before " noted" in this text?
But there is no other evidence that the Persians of this period were the slaves of any such superstitions as that noted by Ammianus.
2
votes
0answers
53 views
Is “replace it by x” actually correct?
I've always been under the impression that, in standard English, "replace" is only paired with "by" in the passive voice, and that "replace with" is the correct active ...
2
votes
1answer
159 views
When did the UK stop using full stops in abbreviations and acronyms?
I have noticed that in older (usually over 30 or 40 years old) British books and newspapers, abbreviations are without exception typeset with in full stops, as is still the practice in the United ...
0
votes
2answers
52 views
Reference request: interesting writing on the topic of descriptivism and prescriptivism?
It seems to me that descriptivism versus prescriptivism is a false dichotomy. On another stackexchange site, I was recently moved to interject, in a hot and heavy dispute over split infinitives: --
...
0
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3answers
128 views
Where and when did the practice of using two spaces in the beginning of each sentence start, and is it still recommended?
For many years (decades at this point), I've noticed that, at least in plaintext environments, "serious" and/or "old-timer" people seem to always type like this:
This is a sentence. And here comes ...
4
votes
1answer
312 views
Distinguishing lowercase proper nouns in paragraphs
I'm writing a case study about a client whose name is completely lowercase. How do I differentiate the client's name from the rest of the text, making it clear to the reader that it's a proper noun? ...
0
votes
1answer
311 views
Can I use “innovate” as a transitive verb? [closed]
For example, is it OK to say: "We're innovating our device"?
Or would I have to say something like "We're innovating in order to change our device"?
2
votes
2answers
3k views
Chicago Manual of Style Headline-Style Capitalization
In the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, §8.159, the following rules are given (among others) for headline-style capitalization:
Capitalize the first and last words in titles and subtitles ...
1
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1answer
78 views
Punctuating a question containing a quotation that itself contains a question, in MLA format
My literature teacher was explaining punctuation and its relation to quotations when writing a paper according to MLA guidelines and I thought of a question that he didn't have an answer to. I figured ...
-1
votes
1answer
121 views
Term for the error in the reason is because
A common error is to say the reason is because instead of the reason
is that. Is there an attested or unattested term for this kind of
error? (I'll leave it open exactly what kind of error it is.)
(...
1
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0answers
31 views
APA reference for uppercase word in title of book
I need to complete references for an assignment in APA format, but one of the books has an uppercase word in it and I'm not sure if it should remain uppercase or be changed to lowercase:
The SAGE ...
0
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1answer
67 views
What is the correct way to refer to someone during when they previously held a different rank/position/title?
Many public officials have accomplished much over the course of their careers, having served in various capacities over the years. For example, Leon Panetta represented CA's 17th district in the ...
3
votes
1answer
964 views
Is “the most amount of {countable things}” ever an acceptable replacement for “the greatest amount of {countable things}”?
A recent BBC article reads in part,
Yellowstone officials say bison can run up to 30mph (50km/h) and are the animal responsible for the most amount of injuries within the park.
The phrase “the ...
1
vote
1answer
68 views
Comma between proper noun and day name
In this recent CNN article, I found the following sentence:
It was one of two incidents involving South Korea, Tuesday.
It seems the comma is intentionally being used to separate the two proper ...
1
vote
1answer
98 views
When to use “And” at the start of sentence? [duplicate]
I know that and is used to join two sentences or phrases. There are some places I've read that have
And is used at the beginning of a sentence. What are the occasions when this is done?
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vote
0answers
42 views
Is it ok to have a semicolon after a colon or em dash? (or other variations)
I've looked all over but have not found this example.
Can one use a semicolon after a colon or em-dash (or similar doubling up combinations). Is it a matter of style or is there a fast rule?
e.g.:
...
1
vote
1answer
364 views
“Kind” or “Kinds”?
I understand the basic singular/plural agreement when using kind/kinds:
This kind of person
Those kinds of people
But what do you do if the subject is not the plural "those" but rather the ...
0
votes
1answer
33 views
Love Experiences? Like Bonuses? Are these question fragments correct grammatically? [closed]
Or are they a product of digitalization of writing, where we shorten everything?!
"Love Experiences?" "Like Bonuses? Get more Rewards and Discounts" ...can one use these statements in writing or ...
1
vote
1answer
131 views
How does one read aloud a birth year with no death year? Eg: John Smith (1994 – )
It is common to notate someone's lifespan using the syntax [year of birth] – [year of death]. When the subject is still living, you simply omit the death year, such as 1994 –.
When reading this aloud,...
-1
votes
1answer
88 views
HAVE (negation, contraction)
Why is (1) considered correct,
but not (2) ?
(1) This would have been such had it not been for...
(2) This would have been such hadn't it been for...
P.S.: Besides, should there be commas as ...
0
votes
1answer
30 views
Past Progressive vs Past Perfect Progressive in the sentence below [duplicate]
Do both sentences (below) have the same meaning?
He was doing landscape work before he was hired by the taxi company.
He had been doing landscape work before he was hired by the taxi company.
0
votes
1answer
85 views
In search of a Grammar text, of any vintage, that covers such as the below
I've searched websites, written to Mr. Barth and William Safire, scanned bookstore shelves, and buttonholed likely prospects in search of a grammar text that would address matters in the manner of the ...
1
vote
1answer
75 views
Capitalization of titles in an essay where the original work does not capitalize its title according to style (MLA)
In my essay (MLA), I talk about Kendrick Lamar's album titled good kid, m.A.A.d city (stylized like that). Which of the following ways would be the correct way to title my essay:
Kendrick Lamar's ...
1
vote
1answer
9k views
Two middle initials / data entry
When inputting names to a database (used by English and non-English language users) what would be the preferable way to tackle a name with two middle initials?
John George William Doe for example.
...
