Synopses & Reviews
The tenth edition of this bestselling guide to style is based on the house style manual of
The Economist newspaper. It is an invaluable companion for everyone who wants to communicate with the clarity, style and precision for which
The Economist is famous. The first section, which has been revised and updated to reflect current usage (or misusage), gives general advice on writing, points out common errors and clichés, offers guidance on the proper use of punctuation and grammar, helps with spelling and hyphens, and much more.
The second section highlights the important differences between American and British English syntax and punctuation, spelling and usage and has been thoroughly revised and updated.
The third section contains a range of useful reference material, which has been checked and revised, covering everything from business ratios and stock market indices to chemical elements, US presidents and British prime ministers. Some new additions are the Greek alphabet, mathematical symbols, the winter Olympic games and the solar system.
An essential book for anyone who writes reports, articles, books, letters or memoranda or even shopping listsThe Economist Style Guide will enlighten, educate and amuse.
- Aggravate means make worse not irritate or annoy.
- Alibi An alibi is the fact of being elsewhere, not a false explanation.
- Anticipate does not mean expect. Jack and Jill expected to marry; if they anticipated marriage, only Jill might find herself expectant.
- Born, borne are both past participles of the verb bear. Born is used in the sense of giving birth: She was born in April. Borne is used for supporting or putting up with (The victims has borne enough pain) and for giving birth in active constructions (She had already borne six children).
- Compare A is compared with B when you draw attention to the difference. A is compared to B only when you want to stress their similarity, as in Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
- Continuous describes something uninterrupted. Continual admits of a break. If your neighbours play load music every night, it is a continual nuisance; it is not a continuous one unless the music is never turned off.
- Council, counsel A council is a body of people, elected or appointed, that advises, administers, organizes, legislates, etc. Counsel (noun) means advice or consultant, or lawyers who give legal advice and fight cases in court.
- Discreet, discrete Discreet means circumspect or prudent. Discrete means separate or distinct.
- Forgo, forego Forgo means do without; it forgoes the e. Forego means go before.
- Healthy If you think something is desirable or good, say so. Do not call it healthy.
- Jargon Avoid it.
- Journalese and slang Slang, like metaphors, should be used only occasionally of it is to have effect. Avoid expressions used only by journalists, such as giving people the thumbs up, the thumbs down or the green light.
- Political correctness Avoid, if you can, giving gratuitous offence: you risk losing your readers or at least their goodwill, and therefore your arguments. But pandering to every plea for politically correct terminology may make your prose unreadable, and therefore unread.
- Proactive Not a pretty word: try active or energetic.
- Ring, wring (verbs) bells are rung, hands are wrung. Both may be seen at weddings.
- Short words Use them.
Synopsis
Now in a revised 10th edition, this guide is based on the house style manual of "The Economist." It provides general advice on writing and offers guidance on vocabulary, the proper use of punctuation and grammar, and much more.
Synopsis
Witty, concise, and enlightening, The Economist Style Guide is an authoritative resource for all your written communications. Based on the style guide used by the writers for the renowned international business journal acclaimed for its crisp, clear writing, this practical guide offers unerring guidance on grammar, usage, and style in business communications. Providing sage advice on writing in general (Use the language of everyday speech; Long paragraphs, like long sentences, confuse the reader; Don't overdo the use of don't, isn't, can't, won't, etc.), the Guide clarifies such perpetual questions as: compare with (emphasizes differences) and compare to (similarities) different---used with from, not to or than affect (to have an influence on) and effect (to accomplish). There's also invaluable information on international business terms and abbreviations, political and geographical facts, units of measurement, currencies, trade classifications, differences between American and British English, and much more.
Synopsis
The first requirement of The Economist is that it should be readily understandable. Clear writing is the key to clear thinking. So think what you want to say, then say it as simply as possible.Readers are primarily interested in what you are saying. The way you say it may encourage them either to read on or to give up. If you want them to read on, then:
- Catch their attention Do not spend sentences setting the scene or sketching in the background. Hold the reader by the way you unfold the tale and by fresh and unpretentious use of language.
- Read through your writing several times Edit it ruthlessly. Cut out anything superfluous. Unadorned, unfancy prose is usually all you need.
- Do not be stuffy Use the language of everyday speech, not that of spokesmen, lawyers or bureaucrats.
- Do not be hectoring or arrogant Nobody needs to be described as silly: let your analysis prove that he is.
- Do not be pleased with yourself Don't boast of your own cleverness by telling readers that you correctly predicted something or that you have a scoop. You are more likely to bore or irritate than to impress them.
- Do not be too chatty Surprise, surprise is more irritating than informative.
- Do not be too didactic Avoid sentences that begin Compare, Consider, Expect, Imagine, Remember or Take.
- Do your best to be lucid Simple sentences help.
Synopsis
The first requirement of The Economist is that it should be readily understandable. Clear writing is the key to clear thinking. So think what you want to say, then say it as simply as possible.Readers are primarily interested in what you are saying. The way you say it may encourage them either to read on or to give up. If you want them to read on, then:
- Catch their attention Do not spend sentences setting the scene or sketching in the background. Hold the reader by the way you unfold the tale and by fresh and unpretentious use of language.
- Read through your writing several times Edit it ruthlessly. Cut out anything superfluous. Unadorned, unfancy prose is usually all you need.
- Do not be stuffy Use the language of everyday speech, not that of spokesmen, lawyers or bureaucrats.
- Do not be hectoring or arrogant Nobody needs to be described as silly: let your analysis prove that he is.
- Do not be pleased with yourself Don't boast of your own cleverness by telling readers that you correctly predicted something or that you have a scoop. You are more likely to bore or irritate than to impress them.
- Do not be too chatty Surprise, surprise is more irritating than informative.
- Do not be too didactic Avoid sentences that begin Compare, Consider, Expect, Imagine, Remember or Take.
- Do your best to be lucid Simple sentences help.
About the Author
The Economist is one of the world's most notable magazines. Circulation in the United States and Canada is now more than 700,000 weekly.
Table of Contents
Preface.
Introduction.
A note on editing.
PART 1 The essence of style.
PART 2 American and British English.
PART 3 Useful reference.
Index.