Wednesday, January 21, 2009

AP Stylebook Ontological Tip

I'm reading the Associated Press Stylebook to try to get a job as a part-time copy editor. I think Robert Anton Wilson would approve of this tip about creating good sentences:

Avoid Unnecessary Nominalizations:

When you create a noun from some other kind of word, the result is a nominalization. A verb like complete can become a noun like completion; an adjective like happy turns into a noun like happiness. Some nominalizations play important roles in effective sentences; others act as stumbling blocks for readers... Used inappropriately, nominalizations may obscure important information from your readers or cause you to omit it entirely.

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