Online discussion for Chapter 6 in 'The Art of Editing': Micro Editing for Precision in Language

In class Tuesday, I announced that we will hold discussions of the readings online here. Everyone is welcome to contribute, but every week there will be some students who will be assigned to offer some observations about the material. I will give those students advance notice. I also will pose questions to help start the discussion and participate throughout.

Regarding this chapter, it contains several important rules and practices for better writing. Still, the grammar jargon, such as idiom, antecedent and dangling participle, can be a little intimidating, but I would encourage you to breathe in the knowledge these lessons offer deeply. Mastering them not only will help you be able to successfully copy edit, but empower you to communicate more effectively. To risk a mixed metaphor, learning grammar rules is like eating your fruits and vegetables -- it will keep your writer and editor skills healthy.

One tip that I constantly employ as a copy editor at The Flint Journal is a simple one. It's called time-date-place, and it is explained on Page 171. It's not a rule, but simply a practice that often can make a sentence shorter and easier to understand.

With so many detailed in this chapter, are there any you think are obsolete? Which ones, and why? Also, which one or two do find the most useful, and why?