Grammar: All about (N)

Grammar: Which word to use (N)

https://www.theguardian.com/guardian- observer-style-guide-n

 

1.CORRECT USAGE

1.1. Similar words mean different things…

naught or nought?

naught nothing; nought the figure 0

negligent or negligible?

negligent careless; negligible slight

1.2 Use the right word in context…

narrowboat

the popular type of British canal boat, 7ft wide and up to 70ft long – do not call it a barge.

nearby

one word, whether adjective or adverb: “the nearby pub; the pub nearby”.

Nissan

Nissan cars; Nissen hut.

noisome

nothing to do with noise, it means offensive or evil-smelling.

2.SPELLINGS

2.1 To hyphenate (or not)?

YES

nerve-racking

new-build

not-for-profit

EXCEPTIONS

night-time BUT nightcap, nightdress, nightfall, nightgown, nightshirt

no-brainer, no-fly zone BUT no man’s land

2.2 One word or two?

One word

nailbomb

nationwide

noticeboard

nonetheless

nonstop / commissioned / conformist

nearsighted

nevertheless

newfound

newsagent / print / reel

Two words

next door (adverb) “she lives next door” BUT nextdoor (adj) “nextdoor neighbour”

no one NOT no-one

2.3 Frequently misspelt

naysayer NOT a neighsayer (relating to a horse!)

nosy NOT nosey

2.4 Change with form or plural

no; the plural is noes

2.5 Take note of capitals

[ic = initial capitals | lc = lowercase]

ic

NICs (national insurance)

National Theatre

New Wave (French film movement) BUT new wave (70s music genre)

New Year’s Day / Eve BUT new year

New Year honours list / resolutions

New York City BUT New York state (neighbourhoods take ic; Lower East Side)

North York Moors (national park)

ic & lc

national parks lc, eg Peak District national park, Yellowstone national park

newspaper titles; the Guardian, the Observer, the New York Times, etc [do not write “the Sun newspaper”]

north north London, north Wales, north-west England, the north-west, etc

lc

national anthem / curriculum / lottery / service

northern hemisphere / lights

north pole

3.EXPRESSIONS

no doubt that, no question that

are opposites, and the two are routinely confused:

“There was no doubt that he was lying” means he was lying;

“There was no question that he was lying” means he wasn’t.

in or on

People live in (not “on”) the South Island or in the North Island; note definite article.

none

It is a (very persistent) myth that “none” has to take a singular verb: plural is acceptable and often sounds more natural, eg “none of the current squad are good enough to play in the Premier League”, “none of the issues have been resolved”.

4. PUNCTUATION & STYLE

numbers

Hyphenate when used alongside an adjective: “a 20-yard shot”, ”a nine-goal thriller”,“a 22-year-old boy”.

• Spell out from one to nine; numerals from 10 to 999,999 BUT “No 1 in the charts”, “the world tennis No 1”, “No 10 Downing Street” etc BUT junction 4 of the M4, etc.
• Spell out million or billion for people or animals, eg “1 million people”, “the world population is 7 billion”, etc BUT use m, bn, or tn for sums of money, quantities, or inanimate objects; eg “5m tonnes of coal, 30bn doses of vaccine, £50tn”.
• In headlines always use m, bn or tn.

names

• Full name upon the first mention, thereafter surname only.
• Where it is thought necessary to explain who someone is, write “Chris Wilder, the Sheffield United manager, said” or “the Sheffield United manager, Chris Wilder, said”, etc. In such cases the commas around the name indicate there is only one person in the position, so write “the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, said” (only one person in the job), but “the former Labour leader Neil Kinnock said” (there have been many).
• Prominent figures can just be named in stories, with their function at second mention: “George Osborne said last night …” (first mention); “the chancellor added … “ (subsequent mentions).

5.GRAMMAR

nouns