Not What I Do
Not much content today; just a reminder that unlike this guy, I never correct anyone’s writing unless they ask.
I notice that the imprint on the field doesn’t quite match the guy’s comment…
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Illogical, I Think
At least it’s illogical for me a tech writer:
The best way to learn about wild mushrooms is to go out with an expert or, better yet, a group of experts.
May-June Montana Outdoors, page 27
So is going out with an expert the best way or not? Maybe the writer is just being a bit (for me) too informal. Maybe it’s stream of consciousness.
How would you re-write the sentence?
Here’s a picture, from Google, of a type of mushroom pictured in the article.
Sometimes We Don’t Need “Those”
Saying “those” when “the” will do is a pretentiousism. Here’s an example:
“As we continue to implement the Great American Outdoors Act across the Forest, our highest priorities will be those projects that reduce deferred maintenance, are ready to implement and provide the greatest immediate benefit to the public,” stated [Caribou-Targhee National Forest Branch Chief Wes] Stumbo.
https://www.eastidahonews.com/2021/04/caribou-targhee-national-forest-to-revitalize-the-east-mink-creek-corridor/
Saying “will be the projects that…” is more straightforward than what’s in the quote. In fact, he could have said “…will be projects that…” because, after all, the proper emphasis is on projects, not on their decision-making process (or whatever it is that the word “those” emphasizes).
A Word we usually Don’t Need
In bold:
The Abandoned Prison Complex on Isle St Joseph, French Guiana located 10km off the northeastern tip of the South American Continent, the Iles du Salut are a trio of idyllic islands which used to house a fearsome French penal colony from the mid 19th century until 1955.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2048706495253813/
(That link probably doesn’t work. I got the sentence from a post in the Facebook group Glory of the Abandoned.)
Since I started thinking about writing, I can’t recall a single sentence that contains “located,” in which deleting the word would change the meaning or make the sentence less understandable. Can you find or think of one? Share in the comments.
Here’s the picture that is located below the sentence:
Not Only Headlines Can Be Misleading
The photographs can be, too. Here’s the lead photo from an article about “an extremely well-preserved wooly rhino” found in Siberia:
…and here’s a photo farther down in the article.
It’s an interesting article, by the way.
PS—Another common misleading picture is those “photos” of the coronavirus. The virus has fewer than 30 spikes, and most of the pictures you see show about twice that many.
