----------------------------------------------------------------- THE BETTER WRITING SKILLS NEWSLETTER, August 2009 By Tim North of Scribe Consulting www.scribe.com.au ----------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to the August 2009 Better Writing Skills newsletter. IN THIS ISSUE 1. One word or two? Is there a general rule? 2. "Online" or "on-line"? 3. Do job titles need a capital letter? 4. Just for fun Your comments and questions are always welcome. Just send e-mail to: info@scribe.com.au Cheers, Tim North (Perth, Western Australia) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 1. One word or two? Is there a general rule? ----------------------------------------------------------------- My first correspondent this month, Chris, asked about writing a word as one word or two: In reading reports about trends in the stock market I am amazed by the variety [and] inconsistency in which 'trends' and 'trendlines' are presented in the written form. ... Is it 'trend line' or 'trendline'? Chris's question can be broadened to a more general one: How do I know if a word (such as "trendline") should be written as one word or two? Unfortunately, there's no simple rule of thumb to help us. * Some such words are spelled as two words; for example, diving board or fax machine. * Others are hyphenated; for example, dry-cleaning or check-in. * Others are written as a single word; for example, toothpaste or haircut. The simplest advice I can offer is to follow the recommendations of your preferred dictionary. That is, look the word up in your dictionary. If there is an entry for the one-word or hyphenated form then write it that way. If not, write it as two words. So, let's turn to Chris's specific example. My preferred dictionary has the following advice. (Of course, your dictionary may differ.) 1. Is it 'trend line' or 'trendline'? As there's no entry in my dictionary for "trendline" as one word, I conclude that it should be written as two words: "trend line". Chris also asked: 2. Is it 'up trend' or 'uptrend'? There is an entry for "uptrend", so this should be written as one word. 3. Is it 'up trendline' or 'uptrend line'? For reasons of greater clarity, my suggestion would be avoid both of these. Instead, I'd write "upwards trend line". 4. Is it 'counter trend' or 'countertrend'? As there's no entry in my dictionary for "countertrend" as one word, it should be written as two words: "counter trend". Hope this helps. -- (c) 2009 Tim North: http://www.scribe.com.au ----------------------------------------------------------------- 2. "Online" or "on-line"? ----------------------------------------------------------------- My next correspondent this month, Sandra, asked when should the word "online" be given a hyphen? I understand that when the use of the word "online" as an adjective, it should be on-line (example: on-line registration); but when used as a noun, it should be online (example: register online). Please clarify. Let's start by looking at the two examples Sandra's provided: In "online registration" the word "online" is indeed an adjective. (It describes the type of registration.) In "register online" the word "online" is actually an adverb. (It tells us how or where to register.) Now back to the subject of hyphens. My preferred dictionary has "online" (without a hyphen) as its principal entry. It lists the hyphenated form only as an alternative spelling. It does not suggest using the two forms differently. My suggestion is thus to use the unhyphenated spelling ("online") in all cases. Hope this helps. -- (c) 2009 Tim North: http://www.scribe.com.au ----------------------------------------------------------------- Do you know someone who'd like this newsletter? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Do you have a friend or colleague who'd find the Better Writing Skills newsletter interesting? If so, please feel free to send a copy of this issue to them. Alternatively, please tell them they can browse back issues here: http://www.scribe.com.au/newsletter.html Thanks for helping to make this newsletter so successful! ----------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Do job titles need a capital letter? ----------------------------------------------------------------- My final correspondent this month, Farrah, asked if job titles need a capital letter: I was wondering if you might be able to help clarify for me the correct way to report a person's business title in a sentence. For example, when referring to a particular person with a particular title, is it correct to write: Mr John Citizen was appointed the Managing Director for X Company in 1995. And is this correct when referring to the position only? The position of managing director was filled in 1995. I'm confused as to when it's appropriate to capitalise position titles. I would write both of those examples just as Farrah has. Why? Well, the capitalisation of professions and job titles varies considerably, but here is a general strategy to follow. The name of a trade or profession is usually written in lower case. For example: Karen Smith is a plumber. Karen Smith is a doctor. When such words are used as a job title, though, initial capitals are generally used. For example: This is Senior Plumber Karen Smith. This is Doctor Karen Smith. A few job titles, like President of the United States, are always capitalised. Hope this helps. -- (c) 2009 Tim North: http://www.scribe.com.au ----------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Just for fun This month have a look at "110 best books: The perfect library" -- a list of great books compiled by the UK's Telegraph newspaper: http://tinyurl.com/92uo25 Perhaps your taste is for something a little more out of this world? If so, you may prefer the "Top 100 Sci-Fi Books" from Sci-Fi Lists: http://tinyurl.com/awncy Enjoy. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Would you like more help with your writing? ----------------------------------------------------------------- On my web site, you'll find my range of jargon-free, downloadable e-books that will help you to become a better writer. These e-books will help you with business proposals, report writing, term papers, technical writing, grant writing, creative writing and more: http://www.scribe.com.au/ebooks.html ----------------------------------------------------------------- REPRODUCING THIS MATERIAL You're welcome to reproduce the articles from this newsletter that are copyrighted by Tim North, but please don't modify or sell them. Also, please provide a clickable link back to: http://www.scribe.com.au FUTURE MAILINGS You can prevent (or receive) future mailings by visiting this page: http://www.scribe.com.au/newsletter.html This is a GENUINE service, and you will not receive any unsolicited e-mail as a result. You have my word on it. -----------------------------------------------------------------