Don't use citizens when you mean simply persons.

Don't write a large per cent of when speaking of persons when you mean a large proportion.

When nouns are attended by participles, two constructions are possible. One may say either I know of John's being there, or I know of John being there; The fact of the battle's having been lost, or The fact of the battle having been lost. The possessive is to be preferred with proper names and in most simple constructions; it is altogether to be preferred with pronouns when the principal idea is in the participle. One says: I saw him going, I heard them singing; but I heard of his going; I urged his going; I advised their attending; I objected to his staying; I opposed their going; the fact of his being there made a difference; On his saying this the people shouted; With their consenting the thing was settled; He spoke of my setting out as already agreed to; He found fault with our accepting the place, etc.

Collective nouns are usually singular, as, The club has increased its membership. However, a collective noun, when it is used to refer more particularly to individuals than to the mass, is plural, as The crowd was orderly, but, The crowd threw up their hats. In using collective nouns beware of mixing the number. Do not write, The audience was in their seats, but The audience was seated, or The audience were in their seats.

THE JOURNALIST'S CREED

By WALTER WILLIAMS

I believe in the profession of journalism.

I believe that the public journal is a public trust; that all connected with it are, to the full measure of their responsibility, trustees for the public; that acceptance of lesser service than the public service is betrayal of this trust.