Philadelphia Neighborhoods Style Guide
Packages | Tags and Categories | Misused Words | Punctuation | Grammar
Be cohesive, but varied. Rather than squeezing all the information into your article, use the video to highlight one aspect.
For example: You’re doing a package about a community parade in Point Breeze.
Write your article with whatever angle you’ve chosen, but use the video to focus on one interview — maybe the parade organizer, or a resident who’s attended the parade every year. Don’t pull quotes from the video for your article. Instead, keep the two as separate, but related pieces of the same package.
Your photos should capture color, action and feeling, and be relevant to the story. Photos of buildings and headshots are boring and don’t evoke thought or emotion. When featuring a person in a photo, make sure the subject is slightly left or right of center (the same as you would in a video). Candid shots make better photos than posed shots.
NEIGHBORHOOD AND REGION GUIDELINES
Philadelphia has the following regions: North, Northeast, Northwest, South, Southwest, West, Center City, Old City, River Wards. All neighborhoods fall into these larger regions.
When referring to central Philadelphia, use Center City, not downtown.
In all instances except quotes, use Philadelphia, not Philly.
Remember that you are writing for a Philadelphia publication. Neighborhoods do not need clarification:
Correct: John Smith, a 10-year-resident of Germantown, said there’s too much construction on his block.
Incorrect: John Smith, a resident of Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood, said there’s too much construction on his block.
All blocks need clarification and context. Write about the 2300-block of Palmer Street, or Wallace Street between 17th and 18th streets. A story about Palmer Street or Wallace Street with no geographical context creates a disconnect.
WORDPRESS TAGGING & CATEGORIZING GUIDELINES
When you add a new post to WordPress, you’ll be required to categorize and tag your story based on its content.
Do not create a new category for your story. Simply choose from the list. You can check as many categories as apply (ie: Southwest, Point Breeze, zoning).
When tagging posts, think more specifically. Where the categories are general (zoning), tags would include neighborhood organization names, the names of city officials and departments, businesses, places of worship, etc.
For example, if you’re submitting a package about a new church in Mount Airy, which is hosting a welcome event along with the Mount Airy CDC and includes a guest appearance by Mayor Nutter, your categories and tags should be as follows:
Categories:
Mount Airy, Religion
Tags:
church name, Michael Nutter, Mount Airy CDC
You may choose from the list of commonly used tags, and also add your own if pertinent to the story.
As a general rule, do not include political titles in tags, as they change with elections. So, Mayor Michael Nutter should simply be tagged as Michael Nutter.
HOMONYMS AND MISUSED WORDS
Accept, Except
Accept is a verb meaning to receive.
Except is usually a preposition meaning excluding.
I will accept all the packages except that one.
Except is also a verb meaning to exclude. Please except that item from the list.
Advice, Advise
Advise is a verb.
Advice is a noun.
You can advise someone, but you can’t advice him.
Affect, Effect
Affect is usually a verb meaning to influence.
Effect is usually a noun meaning result.
The drug did not affect the disease, and it had several adverse side effects.
Aid, Aide
Aid is a verb or a noun referring to an inhuman object:
I need more financial aid. (n)
He can aid me in getting home from the doctor’s office.
Aide is a noun meaning a person (assistant):
He got a job as a legal aide.
Allusion, Elude, Illusion
An Allusion is an indirect reference.
Elude means to avoid or escape.
An illusion is a misconception or false impression.
Did you catch my allusion to Shakespeare?
The truth eludes me.
Mirrors give the room an illusion of depth.
Anxious, Eager
Both imply desire, but anxious includes an element of fear or concern.
As if, Like
As is a conjunction
Like is a preposition
The proper way to differentiate between like and as is to use like when no verb follows.
John throws like a raccoon.
It acted just like my computer.
If the clause that comes next includes a verb, then you should use as.
John throws as if he were a raccoon.
It acted just as I would expect my computer to behave
Capital, Capitol
Capital refers to a city and also to wealth or resources
Capitol refers to a building where lawmakers meet.
The capitol has undergone extensive renovations. The residents of the state capital protested the development plans.
Censored, Censured
Censure is a “formal rebuke” or “official displeasure.” It is done by someone, usually some kind of assembly, in authority. The s in the word is pronounced like as sh, just as in the word sure.
Censure can be either a noun or a verb, though the verb is more common.
The censure of Sen. McCarthy effectively ended his career.
The Synod voted to censure the priest for his unauthorized activities.
Censor means “to regulate or prohibit writing or speech.” This is normally a verb. When used as a noun, censor is “a person who censors.”
Soldiers’ letters from war zones are frequently censored to avoid passing on sensitive information.
The soldier would have to carefully word his letter so that it would pass the censor.”
Cite, Sight, Site
Sight refers to either your vision or to something you see. For example, seeing the sights around town.
Site refers to a physical location, such as a house or a neighborhood. There are construction sites, for examples.
Cite means to quote something, usually something of authority. Citing can also be a case of mentioning supporting facts. Christians, for example, frequently cite the Bible as the foundation for their beliefs.
Climactic, Climatic
Climactic is derived from climax, the point of greatest intensity in a series or progression of events.
Climatic is derived from climate; it refers to meteorological conditions.
The climactic period in the dinosaurs’ reign was reached just before severe climatic conditions brought on the ice age.
Compared to, Compared with
Compared To: When you want to show similarity between two unlike things. Compare to is used to stress the resemblance.
Compared with : When you want to show similarities or differences between show two like things. Compare with can be used to show either similarity or difference but is usually used to stress the difference.
Compliment, Complement
When you pay someone a compliment, you are expressing admiration for something. You are complimenting someone when you tell him he gave a great speech, or when you tell him you like his Mickey Mouse watch.
However, a complement is something that enhances or completes something else. A nice tie complements a suit. A dessert of pumpkin pie complements a great turkey dinner.
Composed, Comprised
Comprise means “is made up of” or “consists of.” The whole comprises the parts.
Compose means “make up” or “make.” The parts compose the whole.
Incorrect: The rock is comprised of three minerals.
Correct: The rock is composed of three minerals.
Correct: The rock comprises three minerals.
Correct: Three minerals compose the rock.
Disinterested, Uninterested
Distinerested: impartial.
Uninterested: not interested in.
Elicit, Illicit
Elicit is a verb meaning to bring out or to evoke.
Illicit is an adjective meaning unlawful.
The reporter was unable to elicit information from the police about illicit drug traffic.
Emigrate from, Immigrate to
Emigrate means to leave one country or region to settle in another.
In 1900, my grandfather emigrated from Russia.
Immigrate means to enter another country and reside there.
Many Mexicans immigrate to the U.S. to find work.
Hints:
Emigrate begins with the letter E, as does Exit. When you emigrate, you exit a country.
Immigrate begins with the letter I, as does In. When you immigrate, you go into a country
Ensure, Insure
Ensure means to guarantee or to make sure, safe, or certain.
Betsy wrapped the glass vase carefully to ensure it wouldn’t break.
Insure means to provide insurance coverage on something or someone.
Betsy paid extra at the post office to insure the package against loss and damage.
Fair, Fare
Fair refers to being free from bias or injustice. It can also mean pale or light-colored.
Fare refers to the price of a ticket for transportation (such as airfare), or it can refer to how something worked or played out. For example, “He fared well as a pirate.”’
Farther, Further
Farther shows a relationship to physical distance.
Further relates to a metaphorical distance or depth and shows time, degree or quantity.
He lives farther from the city than I do, so he wants to further his education in urban studies.
Flair, Flare
Flair means a special talent or aptitude. It can also refer to elegance or style. You might have a flair for playing the piano, for example, or maybe that snappy tie gives your suit a certain flair.
Flare is something that fire does when it gets stronger. You would also use this word to describe something that starts suddenly and violently, such as a bad argument.
Imply, Infer
The sender of a message implies
The receiver of a message infers
She implied she had better things to do when we spoke on the phone earlier.
I inferred from his letter that he’d be home soon.
Lead, Led
Led: past tense of the verb lead (verb)
Lead: element/material (noun)
Lend, Loan
loan: refers to money
lend: refers to everything else
More than, Over
More than means having a larger amount of something
She has more than $500 in her account.
Over takes a spatial reference.
I couldn’t see my book on the desk, because she put hers over mine.
Peak, Peek, Pique
Peak means the highest point of something, such as the peak of a mountain.
Peek means to take a quick, often sneaky look at something.
Pique means to excite interest, but it can also mean being irritated.
He piqued my interest in the princess who lives on top of the mountain, so I decided to climb to the peak and have a peek for myself.
Principle, Principal
Principal is a noun meaning the head of a school or an organization or a sum of money. Principle is a noun meaning a basic truth or law.
The principal taught us many important life principles.
Reluctant, Reticent
Reluctant means unwilling.
Reticent means silent.
Set, Sit
Set is a transitive verb meaning to put or to place. Its principal parts are set, set, set.
Sit is an intransitive verb meaning to be seated. Its principal parts are sit, sat, sat.
She set the dough in a warm corner of the kitchen. The cat sat in the warmest part of the room.
Than, Then
Than is a conjunction used in comparisons.
Then is an adverb denoting time. That pizza is more than I can eat. Tom laughed, and then we recognized him.
Hints:
Than is used to compare; both words have the letter a in them.
Then tells when; both are spelled the same, except for the first letter.
Taut, Taught
Taut means tight
Taught is the past tense of teach.
There, Their, They’re
There is an adverb specifying place; it is also an expletive.
Adverb: Sylvia is lying there unconscious.
Expletive: There are two plums left.
Their is a possessive pronoun.
They’re is a contraction of they are.
Fred and Jane finally washed their car. They’re later than usual today.
Wave, Waive
Wave: a disturbance on the surface of a liquid body, as the sea or a lake, in the form of a moving ridge or swell. (noun)
Wave: a fluttering sign or signal made with the hand, a flag, etc.: a farewell wave. (noun)
Waive: to refrain from claiming or insisting on; give up; forgo: to waive one’s right; to waive one’s rank; to waive honors. (verb)
Your, You’re
Your is a possessive pronoun
You’re is a contraction of you are.
You’re going to catch a cold if you don’t wear your coat.
COMMAS
a. IN A SERIES: use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction (and) in a simple series. (The flag is red, white and blue. He would nominate Tom, Dick or Harry.) There are exceptions: (I had orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for breakfast.)
b. IN A SERIES: use commas to separate ALL elements of a series, which is not a simple series. (The main points to consider are whether the athletes are skillful enough to compete, whether they have the stamina to endure the training, and whether they have the proper mental attitude.)
c. TO SET OF INTRODUCTORY CLAUSES AND PHRASES especially if there might be ambiguity in meaning.
d. WITH PLACES AFTER BOTH THE CITY AND STATE: Lower Merion, Pa.,
e. BEFORE AND AFTER AGES. (Mary Jones, 48, was present.)
QUOTATION MARKS.
a. The comma OR period at the end of a quote always goes INSIDE the
quote.
“I have no intention of staying,” he replied.
“I do not object,” he said, “to the idea of the report.”
Franklin said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.”
Franklin said: “A penny saved is a penny earned. I like pennies.”
An investor said the practice is “too conservative for these times.”
b. Question marks and exclamation points usually go inside the quotes, with the following exception: If the sentence itself is a question, and thequotes refer to a title. For instance: Did you like reading “Brave New World”?
b. A semicolon always goes on the outside of a quote. However, for the purposes of this class we are not using semicolons.
CITY AND STATE
Put a comma (,) AFTER the city AND the state.
She said Cook County, Ill., was where she grew up/
For today’s usage, we:
a) Spell out the name of the 50 states when they stand alone
b) Eight states that are never abbreviated are: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa,
Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah
c) The abbreviations for the states are NOT the ZIP code abbreviations.
Here we go:
Ala.
Ariz.
Ark.
Calif.
Colo.
Conn.
Del.
Fla.
Ga.
Ill.
Ind.
Kan.
Ky.
La.
Md.
Mass.
Mich.
Minn.
Miss.
Mo.
Mont.
Neb.
N.H.
N.J.
N.Y.
N.D.
N.C.
Okla.
Pa.
Ore.
R.I.
S.D.
Vt.
Wash.
Wis.
N.C.
Okla.
Pa.
S.C.
Tenn.
Va.
W.Va.
Wyo.
AGES OF PEOPLE
Always use numbers. If the age is an adjective before a noun or substitutes for a noun, use hyphens.
A 5-year-old boy. The boy, 7, has a sister, 10. The woman, 26, has a daughter 2 months old. The law is 8 years old. The race is for 3-year-olds. The woman is in her 30s. (no apostrophe)
DATES
Always put a comma after the year. She was born Oct. 17, 1965, in Indiana. It is October 1965, but Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec, are abbreviated for complete dates. For example, it is June 12, 2006. But it is Sept. 12, 2006.
If you are writing about a period of time, don’t use an apostrophe. The 1890s marked a period of intense invention.
NUMBERS IN GENERAL
Write out numbers below 10. Otherwise use the numeral. This is true even in a written sentence that is a list. She ordered three boxes of ginger snaps, 14 boxes of chocolate wonders and five boxes of lemon specials. He had three cats, 17 dogs and two birds.
It is $1 million. The only number that is NOT written out at the beginning of a sentence is a year. 1968 was crazy. Seven people died
POLITICAL DESIGNATIONS.
Wards and districts can be found at seventy.org.
POSSESSIVE WORDS
Usually a possessive means adding an “’s” at the end of the word. Sally’s dress was blue.
There are exceptions.
If the plural noun already ends in “s” then add just an apostrophe. The horses’
For example, it is the states’ rights, the girls’ toys.
In general if a proper name ends with an “s” we add an apostrophe only.
Achilles’ heel, Agnes’ book, Dickens’ novels.
THERE IS NO APOSTROPHE WITH POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS. Yours, its, theirs, whose, his, hers ours, mine.
If you find yourself using an apostrophe with a possessive pronoun…always double-check yourself. It’s, you’re, there’s, who’s are CONTRACTIONS not possessives.
THE SEMICOLON
For this class, let’s avoid using it. Your writing will be stronger and clearer if you can write using shorter sentences with fewer clauses.
WHO AND WHOM, THAT AND WHICH
Use who and whom for references 1) to people and 2) to animals with names.
Use that and which for inanimate objects and animals without names.
Who for subjects of a sentence, clause or phrase
The woman who rented the room left the window open. Who is there?
Whom is the word when someone is the object of a verb or preposition.
The women to whom the room was rented left the window open. Whom do you wish to see?
That introduces a dependent clause. (It sometimes can be left out and the meaning still be clear) It should always be used if there’s a time element. The president said Monday that he had signed the bill.
Which refers to an inanimate object or a pet without a name. It can be used as a pronoun. Which dress will you wear?
Also that is restrictive….meaning it refers to a specific thing. Which is more general.
The horse, which is six years old, is in the stable. The horse that is in the stable is six years old.
VERB TENSE AGREEMENT
Don’t change tense in the middle of a paper. I got one that had some paragraphs in past tense, some in present tense.
Make sure the subject of the verb and the verb agree in tense. Be particularly careful about two instances: 1) When there is a phrase between the subject and the verb. Mary, who has many dresses, is always stylish. 2) The subject is a “collective noun” The group was ready to go. The herd of cattle was sold. These nouns usually take the SINGULAR verb. {There are some exceptions, when the collective noun refers to a collection of items. You should ask or look it up. 3) Media is the plural of medium. Media takes a plural verb. The media are changing rapidly.
Avoid passive tenses.
DON’T say, “Johnny was taken to the hospital.”
SAY, “Johnny’s parents sped him to the hospital.”
PRONOUNS
An organization is an it. The City Council is an it. Don’t use they. Make sure you can identify the noun to which you are referring when you use a pronoun. Make sure the pronoun agrees with gender and number.
TITLES
1. Titles before a name are usually capitalized. Mayor Nutter. But the mayor handled the problem. President George Bush. The president. Style may vary with individual news outlets, but the above is AP policy. 2. Many titles are abbreviated in AP style. You need to look them up.
ADDRESSES
26 Church St.
26 Church Ave.
26 Church Blvd.
26 Church Lane
Church Street
Church Avenue
Church Boulevard
Church and Park streets
TECHNOLOGY
1. Proper style is Internet, World Wide Web, website and email. Please use these.
2. Although AP has yet to take an official position, the word is generally blog or vlog (video log).
LINKS
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