SJC-style-and-production-guide-2012

(In these cases, the subjects are Sandra, the Tigers and Mr Smith).It is therefore incorrect to write: Regarded as hot favourites, the crowd roared at the arrivingTigers because the subject of the main clause is now the crowd. The sentence thus implies thatthe hot favourites are the crowd, not the Tigers.Similarly, be careful with adjective phrases, which qualify a noun or pronoun. The adjectivephrase must be linked clearly to the noun or pronoun it qualifies. For example: Tall, dark andattractive, she liked the look of the young man a cross the room. Who is tall, dark and attractive?She or the young man?The general rule is that the adjective phrase should be placed next to the related noun orpronoun: She liked the look of the tall, dark and attractive young man across the room.This advertisement is another famous example of the problem: Wanted: Easy chair bygentleman with sliding back and oak legs. Easily fixed by writing: Wanted: Gentleman requireseasy chair with sliding back and oak legs.SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENTThe rule is that plural nouns and pronouns take plural verbs; singular nouns and pronouns takesingular verbs. But there are traps.Collective nounsCollective nouns usually take singular verbs and pronouns. Words such as the Government,Cabinet, the Opposition, council, committee, all take singular verbs and pronouns. Words suchas family and congregation are also singular and take singular treatment – the congregation islarge; the family is admired – except where the sense is directed to the collective’s constituentparts as in: The family put down their knives and forks and wiped their mouths politely or Thecongregation took their seats.In these cases the singular pronoun would sound ridiculous, but often the departure from therule can be avoided by rephrasing the sentence: Members of the congregation…and so on.Sport stories demand a flexible approach on collective nouns. Generally, we would usesingular verbs and pronouns when the name of the team is singular, and plural verbs andpronouns when it is plural. Thus: Norths are, Parramatta is; Carlton is, the Sydney Swansare. Using this rule, countries take a singular verb: Australia collapses. But, for clarity, somepublications opt for all teams being plural – but they need to be consistent whatever theirapproach.Words such as none, no one, each, everyone, everybody should generally take a singular verb(Everyone is going; none of them is staying).And, withAnd, with – these are correct: The Prime Minister and the Treasurer are…The Prime Minister,with the Treasurer, is. This is because with is not a conjunction.There are/isThere are/ is – the verb agrees with the subject, which follows the introductory words there andhere. Thus: There is one reason to scrap the plan; There are two reasons to scrap the plan; Hereis a bunch of roses; Here are two bunches of roses.UQ SJC STYLEBOOK 2012 – PAGE 10