87. Don’t say “one of the most unique.” “Unique” expresses an absolute condition; it has no degrees.
88. Don’t use an apostrophe before the “s” in “its” (possessive of “it”), “hers,” “ours,” “yours,” “theirs.” “It’s” means “it is.”
89. Don’t use “don’t” when you mean “doesn’t.” Be careful to place the apostrophe between the “n” and the “t.”
90. Don’t call every little flurry a panic.
91. Don’t write “capitol” when you mean the seat of government—the city. The building is the capitol; Washington is the capital of the United States.
92. Don’t say “he walked a distance of a mile.” Omit “a distance of.”
93. Don’t begin your story with a general statement such as “a terrible accident occurred last night.” Tell what really happened.
94. Don’t forget to use quotation marks at the end of quoted matter.
95. Don’t write it variously “street,” “Street” and “st.” Find out the style of your paper and stick to it if you would gain the good will of the copy reader.
96. Don’t try to save money for the office by crowding your copy on a sheet without margins. Leave plenty of white space at the top and the bottom so the sheets can be pasted together.