Q. I work for a company that produces training material for the mining industry. A machine in the mining process uses ceramic beads to grind down rocks. We refer to these ceramic beads as “grinding media.” Is it appropriate to treat “grinding media” as a singular noun? For example: “The grinding media consists of ceramic beads with a size of 3.5 to 5.0 mm.”
A. Media is not supported as a singular in this context. When media stands for “news media,” you can use the singular, but for other meanings, media is plural and takes a plural verb. What’s more, even though the words beads is plural, there is still only one grinding medium. If the medium were an uncountable item like sand, you would probably use “grinding medium” and a singular verb without a second thought. Please see CMOS 5.14 and also 5.250 (s.v. “media; mediums”).
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. How can I look up words like “illegal alien” or “lady” that are hurtful to the people described?
A. Use search terms like “bias-free writing,” “slurs to avoid,” or “offensive terms.” To find general advice on how to write sensitively, you can search for “inclusive language” or “conscious style.” CMOS 5.251–60 (on bias-free language) might help. You can also find lots of advice at Conscious Style Guide.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. This is sort of a dangler, and yet it seems OK: “As a captain, most of my duties are administrative.” I rewrote it to be safe, but is that kind of construction OK?
A. Not OK! That’s a dangler of the type an editor should not let pass. Good catch.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I’m editing an advertising brochure that says, “With more cruise departures from more convenient ports, you’ll find an itinerary that’s just right for you.” A colleague asks, “More than what or whom? You should not use a comparative word like more without providing the comparison. More than other cruise lines offer? With more cruise departures from more convenient ports than other cruise lines offer?” Is this true or have we evolved a little in terms of ad copy?
A. It’s the peculiar privilege of advertisers to weasel out of specifics. “We give you more!” is a time-honored pitch. Your colleague sounds like a stand-up kind of person whose sensibilities might not be tough enough for this game. Caveat emptor.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Is it redundant to write “and also”? I cannot find this issue (of redundancies) in the Manual. Is it there?
A. It’s fine to use “and also.” If you search for that phrase (with quotation marks around it) you can find it used in CMOS itself.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Do you need to use two indefinite articles with coordinate nouns when one noun begins with a vowel sound and the other begins with a consonant sound? For example, “walking the halls of an elementary or [a] secondary school.” Is the a before secondary required? Would the same be true for coordinate adjectives? For example, “including a relatable and [an] encouraging teacher”? Is the an required?
A. The second article is not required. Readers will mentally supply it.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Hi there—I’m working on a brochure for a cruise line in which we are describing Mayan ruins and Mayan civilization. The client keeps changing Mayan to Maya, which looks strange to me outside the realm of academia. Does Chicago have a preference on this? Thanks!
A. Maya is the new Mayan! Use Mayan only to refer to the language of the Maya. You can see this usage at work at tourist websites such as Yucatantoday.com and Belize.com.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Lie down on your stomach or lay down on your stomach? M-W.com suggests “lie down” is preferable to “lay down.” Please clarify.
A. Merriam-Webster ought to know: “lie down on your stomach” is correct. “Laying down” requires an object: you can lay down your burdens, your money, or the law. You can even lay your body down, as long as body is included as the object. However, “lay down” has now become so popular for any and all constructions that it’s hard to call it incorrect, although major dictionaries and usage manuals do not yet accept it.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Help! Can you please tell me which is correct: “if one or more component is ineffective,” “if one or more components is ineffective,” or “if one or more components are ineffective.” The document I’m reviewing uses all three constructions, and I haven’t been able to find any solid guidance on which is correct.
A. Go with the last one. The adjective nearest the noun normally signals the number of the noun (e.g., “one or two components”; “one or more components”), so the plural components is the noun you want. And a plural subject requires a plural verb (are). Please see CMOS 5.138 (“Agreement in Person and Number”).
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I’m having an argument with my English teachers over what I think is a grammatical mistake in Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes story A Study in Scarlet. The sentence in question is: “The Daily News observed that there was no doubt as to the crime being a political one.” Since I’m fairly certain “being a political one” is a gerund and not a participial phrase, I think that crime should be changed to crime’s, but multiple English teachers have told me I am incorrect (yet the arguments they presented do not make sense to me whatsoever). Is the sentence correct as is, or did Doyle make a grammatical mistake?
A. We are in awe of your perseverance, not merely in investigating this controversial construction, but in doubting the advice of multiple English teachers. But when such a noun (crime) follows a preposition (as to), the possessive with a gerund is optional. Please see CMOS 5.114 (on “fused participles”), as well as the last part of paragraph 7.28, for examples.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]