Sunday, August 06, 2006

A Stylish SPOGG Salute

Dear SPOGG:

What are the standards still in use? I'm currently using "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White, the Oxford English Dictionary (unabridged) and a couple different quick references online. Just wondering.
-- Eric

Dear Eric,

To give June Allyson's answer to happiness: Depends.

Grammar and style aren't quite the same thing. Let's define grammar as the parameters for putting together good sentences -- word order and all that. Style, meanwhile, refers to matters of punctuation and spelling.

Your question largely refers to style. Strunk & White remains a good choice. For spelling, OED is solid, though spelling can vary depending on who's publishing your writing. AP Style says "adviser," for example. Other stylebooks prefer "advisor."

Here's a list of several style guides.

Style can also depend on location. British punctuation rules differ from American ones.

SPOGG encourages you to pick the style that best fits your situation. Furthermore, SPOGG salutes you for being aware that different styles exist.


No comments: