The following article appeared in the Santa Barbara News-Press, Noah Benshea's column, 1999.04.18, and is a collection attributed to John Lynch.

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  Sum Rules For Writing:

Verbs has to agree with their subjects.

Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.

And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.

Avoid cliches like the plague.

Also always avoid annoying alliteration.

Be more or less specific.

Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessasy.

No sentence fragments.

Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.

Do not be redundant: do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superiluous.

One should never generalize.

Don't use no double negatives.

Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.

Use words corectly, irregardless of how others use them.

Puns are for conversation and children, not groan readers.

Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.

Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

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This site opened:  April 19, 1999.   Last Update: April 19, 1999