47. Don’t write anything in violation of confidence.
48. Don’t say “an old man 80 years of age.” It’s sufficient to say that he is “80 years old.”
49. Don’t say “5 o’clock P. M. yesterday afternoon.” Say either “5 P. M. yesterday” or “5 o’clock yesterday afternoon,” according to the style of your paper.
50. Don’t write “at an early hour this morning” when “early this morning” will do as well.
51. Don’t say “completely destroyed.” “Destroyed” is sufficient.
52. Don’t say “he was presented with a gold cane.” “A gold cane was presented to him” is the correct form.
53. Don’t say “the money was divided between Smith, Jones and Brown.” It was divided among them. Use “between” in reference to two only.
54. Don’t overwork “that.” Some newspapers favor its omission in indirect discourse when the meaning is plain without it, as in the sentence: “He said (that) John was his friend.” Never omit, however, at the sacrifice of clearness.
55. Don’t call every girl pretty. If a girl is pretty, you are usually justified in telling something more about her.
56. Don’t say “less than fifty persons were there.” Use “fewer.” “Less” refers to quantity, “fewer” to numbers.
57. Don’t make a collective noun plural unless you mean to convey the idea of plurality. The word “audience” is singular when you mean the audience as a unit. It is plural when you have in mind the individuals that compose the audience, as “the audience waved their hats.”
58. Don’t call a policeman a “minion of the law.”
59. Don’t use “enthuse.” There is no such word.
60. Don’t waste your energy on trivialities.
61. Don’t use “illy” for “ill,” which may be either adjective or adverb. “Illy” does not exist in good usage.
62. Don’t overwork “very.” Through abuse the word has lost much, if not all, of its force. “He’s a very good man,” as spoken, usually gives the idea that he is only passably good. “He’s a good man” is stronger. Be sparing in the use of superlatives.
63. Don’t use dialect to the disparagement of any nationality. Don’t use it at all unless you are sure of your ground.
64. Don’t color your story with modifying words that imply approval or disapproval.
65. Don’t write 300 words when you are told to keep your story within 100.