Category Archives: poll

Readers Respond

In the tradition of year-end roundups, I’m using the last post of 2009 to summarize the results of my recent poll asking readers which post topics are your favorites. With sixteen of the forty-nine total votes, “word usage” won out. I wasn’t too surprised, considering the most popular post written this year was about “a while” and “awhile.”

As The Chicago Manual of Style says, “the great mass of linguistic issues that writers and editors wrestle with don’t really concern grammar at all – they concern usage: the collective habits of a language’s native speakers.” (The Big Offenders series focuses on common – and controversial – usage issues, but there are more posts on this topic under the label “word usage.”)

Although “grammar” refers to the structure of language, it’s often used as a catchall to include related subjects, such as usage, punctuation, and spelling; therefore, it makes sense this topic would take second place with eleven votes. Coming in next are the profession-related posts, which appeal to a subset of readers: “style” ranked third with eight votes, and close behind, “copy editing” and “writing” tied for last place with seven votes each.

Thanks to those who voted – I’m looking forward to writing about all of these topics in the New Year!

State of the Blog Address

It’s Blue Pencil Editing’s one hundredth post! It took me more than two years to get here, but it’s about quality, not quantity, right? (To those of you who post daily, I tip my hat.) So, in honor of this milestone, I’m taking stock by taking a poll.

As my tagline indicates, this blog was created as a resource: for editors (such as myself) and for those in need of editorial enlightenment (also like myself – it’s a continuous learning process). I’ve covered a variety of topics (editing, grammar, language, proofreading, punctuation, spelling, style, word usage, writing) and resources (articles, blogs, books, products, Web sites), often in response to reader suggestions. (For an overview, see Labels.)

In keeping with this mission, I’m asking readers which posts you find the most helpful and entertaining – the posts with the most, if you will. (See poll to the left; you can select more than one answer.) And if there’s a particular post or series of posts (be my guest, big offenders, dear BPE, handy hint, reviews) you especially enjoy, let me know!

I’m looking forward to your responses. Here’s what I’ve learned from this blog so far: many, many people want to know the difference between “toward” and “towards”; interest in grammar and language is thriving; and there’s an online community of witty, wonderful word nerds I might not have met otherwise.

Thanks for reading!

And the winner is … Chicago!

With eighteen votes total, The Chicago Manual of Style received the majority plurality (44 percent). Since I tend to favor Chicago style, I guess it’s no surprise I attract readers who do as well. The Associated Press Stylebook came in second, also as expected, with 22 percent of the vote. Fowler’s Modern English Usage, The Gregg Reference Manual, and “Other” tied for third, with 11 percent each. One person who commented on my original post said he prefers New Hart’s Rules, which I had never heard of before. I would like to know which other style guides people use. The Elements of Style? Garner’s Modern American Usage?

I was a little surprised The Gregg Reference Manual didn’t receive more votes given that my copy editing mentor, who works for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, swears by it. But what really shocked me was that the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing didn’t receive a single vote. I guess I spent too much time in academia …