July 2015

2Index Foreword 3

Rationale for a style guide 4

Writing for Creamer Media 4

Structuring your interview and writing 5

Production Guidelines 8

Guidance from A Z 9

Areas of common difficulty 19

Annexures 1. Hyphenation 31

2. Abbreviations of units of measurement 34

3. Commonly used scientific elements and their abbreviations 37 The Periodic Table list 38

4. Commonly used abbreviations 39 Abbreviating the names of government departments in headlines 41 Commonly used plastics 42

5. Glossary of standards authorities 43

6. Glossary of mining terms 45

7. Currencies guide 57

8. Research reports 61

9. Whats On listings 62

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Foreword

When it comes to styleWhen it comes to the style in which one should write for Engineering News and Mining Weekly, one can do worse than to take a cue from Radio 702 presenter John Robbie.

Those who have listened to Robbie will know that he instructs contributors to his talk shows: Keep it short, he pleads from the outset. If there is the slightest waffle, Robbie adds: Get to the point. The moment there is adulation, he bellows: Cut the slush.

Staff of Engineering News and Mining Weekly may benefit from applying Robbies three main lines when they are putting their reports into readable form.

Probably the briefest message of all time was from a British officer whose regiment had conquered Sinde in India; he cabled a one-liner, Pecavi, the Latin for I have sinned.

I recall this to stress the need for brevity.

Most of all, reports in Engineering News and Mining Weekly must be easy reads: they must inform, they must stimulate, they must expose and, where appropriate, yes, also entertain.

Clarity of writing usually follows clarity of thought. Should you not be certain, phone around until you are, then complete your work. Your reports must always have meat, but avoid constantly pouring over them the same gravy.

Writer George Orwell is credited with having said that a scrupulous writer will ask himself four questions in relation to every sentence written: What am I trying to say? Which words will express it best? Which image could make it clearer? Could I reduce it to fewer words?

Test what you have written by handing it to a nonjournalist colleague and then finding out what it has communicated. If communication proves moggy, try again.

I have, however, regularly used this route with a semblance of success: write it, sub it, rewrite it, resub it, submit it.

A stylebook ensures consistent quality; its a newsrooms bureau of standards, a verbal constitution, an arbiter in times of dispute and doubt. Thus, we are indebted and very grateful to all those who undertook the laborious task of producing this stylebook, and this electronic version.

Martin CreamerPublishing editor

4Rationale for a Style GuideEven those born to the English language will freely admit that this is not an easy language to speak, let alone write. If you listen to the language spoken in parts of the UK you would not believe that this, too, is English.

In South Africa, English is seldom a first language it may only be a fourth or fifth language. It is, however, the language of business and thats where we come in. Poor language usage can mislead and confuse the reader. We want clarity. A style guide is just that a guide. It does not contain all the answers, but it does have some.

How to use this guideThis is a living document as it constantly evolves as style tips surface. Its purpose is best served as an electronic document, which is easily updated and, most importantly, searchable! To ensure that the master copy remains an authoritative document, please send all additions/queries/updates to Chanel de Bruyn (chanel@engineeringnews.co.za). Regular updates of the document will be posted on the site.

Writing for Creamer MediaGet both sides of the storyWhen you write a controversial article (anything that could/will discredit a company) it is imperative that comment is obtained from the company you are writing about. As a journalist, you are accountable you need to be sure of your efforts and ensure you are contacting the right people. The words substantiation and verification should be high up on your list when attempting anything of a controversial/ investigative nature.

Do not, under any circumstances, simply use random information you got off the Internet for the basis of your argument. Use only relevant, secure sources and always include the other side of the story.

Your job as a journalist is to be objective and you should do everything in your power to get both sides of the story. All sources should have equal opportunity to state their case and it is your job to ensure that they do. However, in the event that is it a news-breaking or extremely important issue that you feel you need to probe and you are struggling to get comment from a particular source, please speak to your editor for guidance.

If you have any questions, please speak to your editor.

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Editorial styleThink like a reader

Given Engineering News and Mining Weeklys readership profile, we strive to produce a riveting read for the MD and an intelligible, clear, educational medium for shopfloor workers and artisans.

Structuring your interview and writingPART ONENews story structure

GOLDEN RULE: News first, scene setting second, context third, comment last (pack article with news, limit commentary).GUIDELINE 1: If you dont understand your sentence/article, no one else will (rewrite it until it is clear dont forget punctuation).

GUIDELINE 2: Exhaust your angle before moving on to a new theme.GUIDELINE 3: Have appropriate joiners to introduce a new theme (meanwhile, further, in addition, another priority . . .).GUIDELINE 4: Multisource where appropriate, and always get the other side of the debate if one is raised.GUIDELINE 5: Clear stories with source and accept reasonable changes, particularly if the article arose from an unsolicited approach by us. Stories arising from public media events do not need to be cleared, unless you have gained additional information on the side of the event.

GUIDELINE 6: Limit the use of direct quotes and rather interpret for the reader in indirect speech.GUIDELINE 7 (most important): Read your article through three times before submission to an editor or a source.

INTRO 1: News first, then who said it1. Sourced, nonexclusive: State-owned power utility Powerkom approved four new mega-projects, involving a combined

capital investment of R42-billion, CEO Coal Stoffberg reported last week. (past tense)2. Sourced, exclusive: State-owned power utility Powerkom has approved four new megaprojects, involving a combined

capital investment of R42-billion, CEO Coal Stoffberg tells Engineering News. (present tense)3. Nonsourced, exclusive: State-owned power utility Powerkom has approved four new megaprojects, involving a

combined capital investment of R42-billion, Engineering News can today report. (present tense)4. Nonsourced, nonexclusive: State-owned power utility Powerkom has approved four new megaprojects, involving a

combined capital investment of R42-billion, industry sources reveal. (present tense)

INTRO 2: Describe company generically, then say where it is from1. Generic description: State-owned power utility . . .

2. Where: Bomber Engineering of Boksburg, on the East Rand, . . .

INTRO 3: Once you have chosen your tense, you have to stick with it throughout the article.

INTRO 4: Try not to start your story with a direct quote.

PARAGRAPH TWO: Scene setting1. Sourced, nonexclusive: Speaking at a results presentation in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Stoffberg said the projects were

part of a bigger R97-billion, five-year capital-investment programme, which had been scaled up from R84-billion to cater for faster-than-expected demand growth. (past tense)

2. Sourced, exclusive: Speaking exclusively to Engineering News, Stoffberg reveals that the projects are part of a bigger R97-billion, five-year capital-investment programme, which has been scaled up from R84-billion to cater for faster-than-expected demand growth. (present tense)

PARAGRAPH THREE: Direct quoteWe were asked by our shareholder, the government, to review our planning in light of the accelerated and shared growth initiative for South Africa, or Asgisa, and this review made us realise that we needed to accelerate our capital programme, particularly with regard to new baseload capacity, Stoffberg explains.

PARAGRAPH FOUR: Provide contextThe South African utility has been mandated to lead the power-expansion programme, following a decision by Cabinet in 2003, not to break Powerkom into its various components of generation, transmission and distribution, so that it could lead the increasingly urgent security-of-supply initiative.

PARAGRAPH FIVE: More context, if neededFor nearly three decades, Powerkom has not needed to make major investments, given that South Africa had surplus generation capacity and had even mothballed several stations. It was also uncertain whether it would be allowed to move ahead with new investments, given that government was considering a new competitive framework for electricity supply.

6PARAGRAPH SIX: More context, if neededHowever, demand has been rising steadily, given higher-than-anticipated economic growth rates and South Africa is now expected to run short of generation capacity, particularly peaking capacity, in the not-too-distant future.

PARAGRAPH SEVEN: More newsThe review concluded that there would also be a shortage of baseload capacity ahead of the initial projected date of 2012. For that reason, Powerkom has brought forward the development of a new R26-billion baseload coal-fired station, which will be built in the north of the country.

PARAGRAPH EIGHT: More newsThe four other projects approved relate to a peaking power plant to be built in the Drakensberg, and two major transmission lines from the Mpumalanga region in the north of the country through to the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces, in the south.

PARAGRAPH NINE: This additional news may also need contextThe transmission projects are deemed necessary to strengthen the network supplying the Western Cape, which was shown up as fragile in December, when the Koeberg nuclear reactor was forced to shut down, owing to a damaged stator . . .

PARAGRAPH TEN: More news Pack the article with facts and figures about the investment programme, the projects, the contractors, the technologies chosen, etc.

PARAGRAPH 11: A balanced article may want to raise concernsMany observers believe the capex programme is too little, too late. Western Cape DA spokesperson Joe Moan says . . .

PARAGRAPH 12: Direct quote for concerned partyThere is little doubt that the power-supply shortage currently being faced comes down to poor policymaking from the national government and bad planning on the part of Powerkom, Moan argues.

PARAGRAPH 13: Get a responsePowerkom, though, is sanguine about its ability to deal with the challenge . . .

PARAGRAPH 14: Another direct quote, possibly to concludeWe believe we have the structures and systems in place to deliver on this ambitious capex programme, Stoffberg concludes.

PARAGRAPH 15: May want to end with summing up, or a fact1. All eyes will be on Eskom and the executive team to see whether they will be able to translate the paper plans into reality.

2. Tenders are out for the coal-fired power station and construction is expected to start next week.

TYPES OF STORIES

Project story Name of the project and location Project description (brownfield or greenfield) Mine project 1: (expansion or replacement) Mine project 2: (output, when commissioned, when at full production) Value Duration Breakdown of main contracts Client Latest developments Companies awarded contracts Any challenges Any unique features or technology Will the project require the use of structural steel and, if so, how much? On budget and on time?

FINANCIAL PRESENTATIONAlways look for an angle beyond the results (new projects, new strategic direction, views on the business environment)But also include: Earnings (net profit/loss after tax in R-million rather than earnings a share) Can also include operating profit/loss as nonoperational issues often affect the bottom line. If the company is looking to raise finance there are three issues to look at:

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1. If it is debt finance: Is it project finance or will it involve the issue of a bond?2. What is the companys current gearing (debt:equity ratio) Do observers believe it has the capacity to raise more debt?3. If it is equity finance: What is the dilution factor on other shareholders and is there any attempt to limit dilution?

BEE DEALS Give a context of why the BEE deal is necessary (the company needs a licence to operate or the company wants to

secure its position as a supplier to a company that has a BEE procurement policy). Give details of the nature of the consortium. Who leads it? Is it broad based and how is it structured? How will the deal be funded? Will banks fund it, will shareholders fund it (through dilution), or will the company act as

a funder through vendor finance? Is the deal expansionary? In other words, will the proceeds go into expanding the operation in some way?

COMPANY PROFILES Get a good generic description of the company. How does it describe itself? Try to understand what the company actually does (we favour manufacturers over traders, but both have their place). Does the company do any R&D? Does it have any of its own commercial innovations on the market? Is it simply a conduit for imports? If so, what value does it add to the economy and its client base? How is it being affected by macrofinancial (interest rate, rand), economic (growth rate, importation), and social trends

(BEE, social development)? What new projects does it have on its book? Then use project questions. What new products and services is it pursuing? How many people does it employ? What raw materials does it use in its business process? Who is the leader?

NOTE 1: When you write up these types of interviews, look for hard news in the form of projects, innovation or business development first. If there is nothing there, then move to issues confronting the industry as a whole.

NOTE 2: If it was an exclusive interview, dont hold the person to his exact quotes. If the language was a little rough, try to interpret it through indirect speech or finesse them into direct quotes that are more readable.

NEW PRODUCTS/NEW TECHNOLOGY Be circumspect about the use of words such as revolutionary, world-first, unless you can verify that. Try to write using as few adjectives as possible. Be careful in making big changes to releases other than simplifying the language. Make sure you know what the product does and for which sector it is appropriate purely by reading your text. If it is a locally developed innovation, you can go a bit bigger. Get chapter and verse on what has been spent, who the researchers were, who verified the products efficacy, where

it has been sold, whether it has export potential. You could even do a sidebar on the innovator him/herself.

HANDLING OPINION-HEAVY COPY1. Journalists often engage with sources who are interested in sharing their untested thoughts and opinions with a view

to airing these in public through an article in one of our publications.2. As a general rule, try direct interviewees and stories towards what a company, department or agency is actually doing,

rather than what the executive is saying.3. If there is unhappiness, for instance, with the workings of a government department, another company or a policy, direct

the source/story to what the company is doing about the issue (e.g. taking legal action, seeking meetings to address the matter, or withdrawing from a market).

4. However, if the story is going to be opinion-heavy:a) Assess whether the source has, by virtue of his or her position, reputation or qualification, the authority to offer

thought leadership, or criticism.b) If he or she does, then ensure the source remains within the bounds of his or her expertise.c) Ensure the opinions expressed can be backed by sound argument and are not merely the sources prejudiced or

unbalanced view on a subject.d) Be aware of the reputational impact on yourself as a journalist (people tend to attack the messenger as much as the

source), on the publication and, lastly, even on the source.5. On the whole, Creamer Media will always favour fact-rich articles that are light on commentary.6. However, where commentary is justified, we should provide a platform to enable the source to make her or his case.7. In many instances, you will also need to seek comment from the subject of the criticism to ensure the article is properly

balanced.

8UNSOLICITED NEWS LEADSThe South African business environment has become prone to the emergence of individuals who attempt to create a profile for themselves in the media despite the absence of sound underlying business structures and/or experience. These individuals use that profile to tap into deal flow that would otherwise be out of their reach. Therefore, it has become necessary for Creamer Media to tighten procedures regarding its handling of unsolicited news leads. These procedures are: 1. Should a journalist receive an unsolicited news lead, she or he should immediately approach her or his editor to assess

whether the story should be pursued at all. 2. In instances where the source is unknown to the editor, the journalist will be asked to do a preliminary Web-based

investigation of the company and report back. During that preliminary probe, the journalist must assess what other reportage there has been on the company and individual, whether the company has a Web presence, and he or she should also phone the company switchboard to assess whether there is in fact more than a Web presence.

3. Once that has been done, the responsible editor will either approve that the story be followed up, or will suggest that we politely decline the interview.

4. If the editor remains uncertain, there should be a meeting with other editors before the journalist is given permission to follows up.

5. Following the interview, the story should again be given to an editor before it is sent for clearance. If there are assets (such as a mine or a factory) or partners (such as a financier or a technology provider), the editor will ask the journalist to do another Web search to ascertain their existence. He or she will also ask the journalist to make a few calls to those companies to enquire about the company and its relationship with the source.

6. If satisfactory answers are not forthcoming, the story will be put on hold. If the answers are satisfactory, we will proceed.

7. The journalist is also encouraged to write the piece in a manner that avoids editorialisation and/or commentary. The article should merely state the position of the source and, if possible, should include comment from business partners and third-party analysts. In other words, adjectives should be limited to generic descriptions rather than to offering any value assessments.

8. The same applies for the way we write about new products and services. Unless you are 100% certain that the products is truly a breakthrough, do not use the words such as breakthrough, world first, revolutionary, etc.

9. Should you have any further questions in this regard, please approach your editors.10. Golden Rule: Research and Check the Facts Before you Write!

PRODUCTION GUIDELINESBelow are a few production-related guidelines that features editors and proofreaders should take note of.1. When we reproduce a map in the magazine, we must delete the scale as it would be wrong after we resize the map.2. We may not have a widow (a single word in a line) at the top of a column.3. Its preferable not to have two abbreviations in a headline, eg SAs GDP seen contracting.4. In those headlines where we a attribute a statement to someone, we use a dash if the name comes last and a colon

if it comes first, eg: Double-digit growth rate a pipe dream Gordhan, but Gordhan: Double-digit growth rate a pipe dream.

5. There must always be a strong link between a story and the photograph accompanying it. An example of where this is not the case would be a story about Zimbabwe used with a photograph of President Robert Mugabe where he is not mentioned in the story. One way of dealing with this would be to insert a short line mentioning Mugabe, eg Zimbawe, whose President, Robert Mugabe, was re-elected for a seventh five-year term in July....

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GUIDANCE FROM A TO ZAbbreviationsAlways write the full form on first appearance; for example, extensions are under way at the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS); the bracketed abbreviation follows immediately. Try not to use the abbreviation too frequently by substituting a generic, for example, the bureau instead of SABS. Remember there is no need to abbreviate if the organisation is only mentioned once.

Do abbreviate: Chief executive officer, managing director, general manager, chief financial officer and financial director in body text as

CEO, MD, GM, CFO and FD respectively. It is not necessary to write out in full at the first time of mention. It is also not necessary to write out Member of Parliament at first mention. Use only the abbreviation MP. Director-general and deputy director-general are not abbreviated to DG and DDG respectively Exceptions: Use only the abbreviation CIO when referring to chief information officer. However, when this abbreviation refers

to chief investment officer, we spell it out at first mention and abbreviate it as CIO thereafter. If used in a title of an event, for example, the Africa CIO Summit, the acronym is to be used as is, as it is the name of the event.

Chief technical officer must also be written out at first mention and abbreviated as CTO thereafter.

Avoid using Prof, Gen and Col, but Dr is acceptable.Do not abbreviate in body copy (although it is acceptable in headlines): South Africa (SA in heads). Million and billion in body copy for example, $46-million ($46m in heads).

Familiar abbreviations, such as GDP or Scada, must be written out on first mention, but may be used in headlines.For information on abbreviations used in units of measurement, see Annexure Four.When abbreviating year-on-year in headlines, use y/y and not y-o-y.When abbreviating South Africa in headlines, use SA. However, when writing for an international audience (such as Mining Weekly Online or Engineering News Online), please rather spell out South Africa/South African or abbreviate it to S Africa/ S African, as readers may confuse SA with the abbreviation for South Australia.

AcronymsIf an abbreviation can be and is pronounced, for example, Numsa, Nato, Seifsa and Gatt, then it is written in upper and lower case and further reference takes the following forms: . . . it was reported that Numsa . . . the Numsa delegates . . ..

In cases where it cannot be or is not pronounced, capitals are used, for example, SABC and GDP and further preceded by the, for example, the SABC will operate . . .

Note that the NUM and DIN are written in capitals because this is the way in which they are commonly referred to, African Rainbow Minerals is shortened to ARM, Kumba Iron Ore is referred to as Kumba when mentioned a second time and ArcelorMittal South Africa as AMSA

Agreement between subject and verbEngineering News and Mining Weekly always refer to companies in the singular: De Beers Consolidated Mines has completed its feasibility study.The building contractor, Buildright Engineering, refuses to comment on the allegations.In general, two ordinary nouns joined by the word and take the plural form of the verb: Time and tide wait for no manWhen the subject refers to one concept, notion or idea, it takes the singular form of the verb. It is important to establish the way in which the subject is perceived: The wages of sin is death. Fish and chips makes the perfect meal.There are some words that refer to a group, and can take either the singular or plural form, depending on the context of the sentence. When the noun refers to separate members or individuals, the plural form is used, but when the entity is meant, the verb takes the singular: Our team has lost every game. The board has reached a conclusion.Words that refer to pairs take the plural form, but not when the word pair is actually used: Pliers were needed to lift the lid. Where is my new pair of scissors?Anybody refers to one person; therefore it always takes the singular form of the verb.Each always takes the singular, for example, Each of the men is going to succeed. But when each follows a plural word, use a plural verb: the workers are each expected to . . .None usually takes the singular form of the verb, for example, none of us understands his motivation. However, in some cases, the plural may be possible, for example, none of the tools are in good condition. Many is plural and uses the plural verb.

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ApostropheThe apostrophe is usually used to indicate possession, for example, the gold mines profits.Names that end in s, for example, James and Jones become Jamess and Joness when denoting possession. Euphony may decide the addition or omission of s, although it is often omitted when the last syllable of the name is pronounced iz, and in Bridges and Moses. Plural-sounding company names that end in s, take an apostrophe after the s when denoting possession: De Beers exploration tenements.

Plural possessives ending in s are written as bosses, dogs, directors, countries.

Apostrophes are not used in the plurals of abbreviations such as PCs and PLCs.

There is no apostrophe in 1980s, the 20s.

The towns Jeffreys Bay and Richards Bay do not take apostrophes, but Simons Town and King Williams Town do, however.

Apostrophes also indicate the place where a letter is missing from a word: Its wrong to judge = it is wrong to judge

Compare this to the possessive its: Its profits have increased.

The apostrophe when used to mark the omission of a letter or numeral: Dont (do not) Thats (that is) Rock n roll (rock and roll) Its (it is) In 94 or 95 (1994 or 1995).

ArticlesUsed in every sentence, articles are an integral part of the English language. Often misapplied, a and an are usually referred to as the indefinite articles. In general, an is used before a vowel while a appears before a consonant. An is also used before a silent h (but not before the words hotel and hospital since the h is pronounced). In addition, words which begin with u but are pronounced as though the begin with a y are preceded by a, for example, a utensil, a useful idea; but an ugly gesture, an upstart. The definite article the generally points to some particular subject, thereby distinguishing it from others named in the sentence. The effect of the is stronger on a singular noun than with a plural: The engineer will notice a difference in engine performance. Engineers notice slight differences in engine performance.

Note that the definite articles should be used only when the purpose is to draw attention to a noun and it cannot be used interchangeably with a or an.

When adjectives that denote quantities belonging to different things are connected, the article should be repeated: A black and a blue vehicle passed the test. (This means two vehicles.)

When connected adjectives relate to the same thing, the article must not be repeated: A black and blue vehicle passed the test. (This means one vehicle.)

BoldThe full names of people are written in bold on first appearance in an article. Thereafter, use only the surname in medium font. Headings, crossheads and questions are also in bold.

Brackets and parenthesesPhrases can be inserted into a sentence in parentheses ( ) as an explanation or qualification. A phrase inserted in parentheses must make complete grammatical sense on its own and must not have any grammatical connection with the main sentence. Phrases used in parentheses must be kept short. Where possible, insert commas in place of these punctuation marks.Square brackets [ ] are used to enclose an explanation by the writer in clarification of a quoted source.

CapitalsGeneral rule if in doubt, use lower case

We do not uppercase government, but Parliament is always capped, as are certain political positions such as President and Minister.

Legislation (Act, Bill, White Paper and Green Paper) are also capped.

All private appointments are written in lower case, for example, marketing manager and operations director. But CEO, MD and GM are never written out in full. Ranks and titles are written with a capital letter, but only when written in conjunction with a name, for example, President Jacob Zuma.

Also note the capitalisation of military titles Colonel, Vice-Admiral; academic titles Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Vice-Chancellor, Professor; plus, Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth and God. Also capitalise: Councillor. However, US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice says . . . .

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Write: undersecretary-general

Also note the capitals in State (as in government, but not in state of the economy), Internet, Web (but website) and Ethernet.

The names of race groups are not written with a capital letter but Asians, Europeans, Africans and other group names, which are derived from the names of continents, are.

Definite geographical places, regions areas or countries take initial capitals. These include Western Cape, South East Asia, Middle East, South Atlantic, the West. Use lower case with east, west, north or south when it is used as an adjective, for example southern Free State and northern Canada, but South Africas West Coast.Use lower case for province, city or state when it is not strictly part of a name, for example, Kuwait city, New York city, Washington state, Eastern Cape province.The same applies to streets, rivers, dams and project names, for example, Smith street, Van Riebeeck avenue, Fish river, Katse dam, Alusaf Hillside smelter project, Kendal power station, but the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.The names of programmes or developments, which are not proper nouns, take lower case, for example, mine extension programme.

When referring to projects under governments Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme, wind farm and solar PV should be capped if it is part of the name of the project. For example: Mulilo Renewable Energy Solar PV Prieska and not Mulilo Renewable Energy solar PV.

Dont be too liberal with caps.

Names of seagoing vessels should be in italics, for example, MSC Catania or MV Peace in Africa.

Common errors Pacific Ocean, not Pacific ocean. Lowercase website. Lowercase doctoral, as in doctoral research.

ClichsClichs become clichs because they are useful in the first instance; but although they can find a new life from the very fact that they are familiar expressions, they should be avoided. However, use a familiar phrase if it expresses meaning correctly, not just because it is easily recognised.

Collective nounsWords that refer to a group or collection of elements, for example: Team, staff and joint venture, take the singular form: The board has reached a conclusion.However, in some cases, the sense may not lend itself to the singular: The staff have collected money for the Christmas party.A safe rule when using the word number: The number is . . . A number are . . . (when number means many).A pair and a couple are plural.

Think carefully before using the plural form.

ColonsIf a colon does not add to the clarity of the wording, then it should be omitted. For example: The manufacturing facility has the following features: a tool shop, a spray booth and a training centre for artisans. If the

colon is removed, the sentence is still perfectly understandable. Writers are often tempted to add a colon after including, and the same rule applies. Before a whole quoted sentence, but not before part of a quoted sentence, for example, She said: I need to hone my

gardening skills. However, I need to hone my gardening skills, she says is preferred by Engineering News and Mining Weekly.

The colon is used to precede an explanation or to expand on what has gone before, for example, the cause of the fire was obvious: the wiring of the entire building had long been a reason for concern.

CommasUse commas sparingly. Short sentences are easier to read than long ones interspersed with many commas. Engineering News and Mining Weekly style is that if a sentence may be understood without using commas, they should be omitted:

Use: Engineering Anonymous contract manager Piet Smith says the plant is operational.Rather thanPiet Smith, contract manager for Engineering Anonymous, says the plant is operational.Commas are used to separate phrases or clauses. When a sentence begins with a subordinate clause, a comma must appear after the clause, that is, before the main clause:

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While the four sets at Morupule were being phased in, the supply from Gaborone was phased out.

Two commas must be used when a phrase is inserted into a sentence parenthetically: Large power stations, we have come to realise, require a lot of maintenance.

Not: Large power stations, we have come to realise require a lot of attention.

The use of commas is required when several items are listed in a sentence:

The local agency stocks valves, bolts and nuts. Dont use commas before and at the end of a list.

The use of a decimal point is mandatory, for example 2.6 and not 2,6. Also note that a space (and not a comma) is used to separate thousands from hundreds, for example, 3 400.

CompaniesCall companies by the names they call themselves, but omit (Pty) Ltd, Limited and cc unless the name is used in an Engineering News plant profile when we specify Pty or Limited, but never (Pty) Ltd on the basis that if it is Pty it must be Ltd and if it is Limited it is a public company as opposed to private one. Other abbreviations omitted after a company name are AG, SA or Gmbh. However, in Coal of Africa Limited and South African National Roads Agency Limited, the word Limited remains because this is part of the name.The names of companies may be abbreviated after first appearance, for example, Atomic Energy Corporation (AEC).

Compound modifiersTwo words functioning as a single adjective should be hyphenated to ensure clarity, for example, long-term growth and twentieth-century technology.

Generally, no hyphen is needed between an adverb and an adjective: A carefully researched article.

Neither is a hyphen required when single adjectives follow a noun: The proposal was ill considered (but: an ill-considered proposal).

CurrenciesThe commonly used currencies of rand, dollar, pound, yen do not take initial capitals. When before a figure, currency abbreviations are used without a space, for example, 40 and $400. Other examples of usage: The European benchmark ferrochrome price has increased by 16%, to $1,03/lb, which is $0,14 higher for the fourth

quarter rand:dollar exchange rate

Countries:In most cases the names of countries should be written out in full. Exceptions are the UK for the United Kingdom and the US for the United States of America.Note that Russia, often used interchangeably with the ex-Soviet Union, is only one of the republics that make up the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Remember the use of capitalisation in country names, such as Far East, South America and sub-Saharan Africa.In cases where a country is know by more than one name, we use the United Nations list of member states as a reference for official names. For example, we refer to Cte dIvoire rather than Ivory Coast.

Use http://www.un.org/en/members/index.shtml to check the accuracy of country names.

We use the noun form (Mozambique government) and not the adjectival form (Mozambican government) when referring to the government of a country. However, there may be instances where the adjectival form reads better than the noun form (French government not France government). In such cases, use the adjectival form.

DashThe dash () must not be confused with the hyphen (-). The hyphen links words whereas the dash separates groups of words. The presence of a dash indicates a slight pause.

DatesThe acceptable style for dates is October 27, 2009. Dates are always written out in full. Note that when a date is written out in midsentence, a comma follows the year, for example, on September 3, 1939, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. Use twentieth century rather than 20th century. Wherever possible, use exact dates rather than the mid-1920s. Likewise, avoid the use of hyphens between two dates, for example, 1995-96. Use a slash instead, for example, 1995/6 2008/9, not 2008/2009 August 2009, not August, 2009. On June 2 and 3, Nersa held hearings

DefamationWe need to be very careful to avoid a situation where we find ourselves in hot water for defaming any individuals or companies, or making ourselves vulnerable to any claims that we have defamed anyone. It was not long ago that another

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mining publication from South Africa suffered a heavy blow when it was taken to court in London for the alleged defamation of a Russian mine owner. The settlement cost them millions of rands.

If you are ever in doubt as to whether an article is defamatory, get it checked before we publish it on our website or in our magazines. We really cannot afford to make any mistakes in this regard. As Martin Creamer always says, If in doubt, find out or leave it out.

Webber Wentzel defines defamation law as a branch of the law of delict (or tort), which protects a persons reputation. The law of defamation seeks to find a workable balance between two conflicting rights: the right to an unimpaired reputation (the right to dignity); and the right to freedom of expression.The law of defamation protects the reputation of a person; reputation is defined as the estimation or good opinion, which an individual has in the eyes of society. All natural persons are entitled to sue for defamation, as are trading and non-trading juristic persons.

The law allows a plaintiff to claim against a defendant if the plaintiff is able to prove three elements: that the defendant (a) published, (b) defamatory matter, (c) referring to the plaintiff. In respect of defamatory material published on the Internet, the High Court has held that publication takes place where the material is accessed (i.e. where the content of the website is downloaded). On proof of the above three elements, the defendant is presumed to have published the matter wrongfully and with the intention of defaming the plaintiff.

It is then for the defendant to rebut either of these presumptions by relying on a defense. There are three traditional defenses: Truth in the public interest. Here, the defendant argues that the material allegations contained in the defamatory

statement are substantially true and were made in the public interest; The defamatory statement amounted to fair comment on a matter of public interest (e.g. an editorial or a satirical

cartoon); or Qualified privilege. The defendant will escape liability in the absence of malice if he or she is under a legal, moral

or social duty to publish defamatory matter, and the recipient has a similar interest or duty in receiving it (e.g. an employment reference). This defence also extends to the fair and accurate reporting of the proceedings of Parliament, courts and certain other public bodies.

It is also possible to be sued for defamation for comments made on the social web, such as Twitter or Facebook or on blogs, forum discussions or in messages sent by email. So think before you vent.

EllipsesThe ellipsis (. . .) should be used only to mark the omission of a word or phrase from a quoted source. There must be a space before and after the ellipses, as well as in between the points.

Ethnic groupsAvoid distinguishing different races. Since South Africas move to democracy and the announcement of the Reconstruction and Development Programme, many companies have invested in small business, rural and human resource development. This has sparked the use of racist classifications for projects, such as the black managers programme or under- privileged housing subsidies (note the use of lower case). Avoid mentioning race if it does not detract from the story.

Foreign wordsTry not to use foreign (anything not English) words and phrases. Avoid Latin phrases in particular. Use: on site rather than in situ, if you mean the machine was assembled on site, but use in situ if you mean the in situ ore

reserves the ore reserves in the ground, prior to mining a year rather than per year the rule with the use of per is that it can be used if substituting a or for each does not

read well, for example, . . . about 441 a year per person is better than . . . about 441 a year a person. year rather than annum through or by rather than via

However, in South Africa: Lekgotla, which translates as meeting place, in Tswana is italicised, but indaba, which is Zulu and means a

conference, a council or a matter for discussion, is not. Judging by the number of search engine hits, Indaba is, by far, the more commonly used of the two, and is widely adopted at least in South Africa.

Names of languages. Use Zulu, not isiZulu

Forward slash is the name of the / character on the computer keyboard. Examples of common usage: quartz/magnetite/chalcopyrite veins.

GenderAvoid differentiating between the sexes. Use: chairperson not chairman businessperson not businessman

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draughtsperson not draughtsman; draughtsmen becomes draughtspeople work hours not man hours work years not man years labour not manpower workers compensation not workmans compensation spokesperson not spokesman or spokeswoman firefighters, not firemen or firepeople service personnel, not servicemen women-owned, not female owned

Where this rule doesnt work that well is when using middleman or middlemen, which would, if this rule is followed, be changed to middleperson or middlepersons, ie, the iron-ore is sold at low prices and the middlepersons make a big profit selling on at inflated prices. Middlepersons just doesnt work. For the same reason, foundrymen remains foundrymen.

Hanging clausesWatch out for hanging clauses when beginning a sentence with an adjectival or adverbial phrase. Ensure that the phrase qualifies the subject of the sentence. Avoid at all costs: A specialist of extensive experience, the board entrusted him with the project.

HyphenationSee Annexure One

InitialsThe initials of peoples names are never used in body copy. Always write first names and surnames and not initials, for example, William Jones not WH Jones. The initials of directors are, however, used in company profiles, for example, marketing director WH Jones, not W.H. Jones.The acronyms of companies or initials in company names are also used without points or spaces, for example, AEC not A.E.C. Remember to spell out the companys name at first mention in an article.

Inverted commasDouble inverted commas are used in direct speech:The state of the industry is more positive since the elections, says Engineering Anon MD Burt Smith.If certain words are quoted as they appear, double inverted commas are necessary: MacGregor remarked that the Minister had fervently promised some sort of remuneration.Single inverted titles are used to enclose the titles of articles or reports, for example, Wheels within Wheels.Single inverted commas are used to indicate a quotation within a quotation:

The president of the association has agreed to challenge imports head-on and will be announcing a plan early next year, reports SAACE member John Brett.Single inverted commas are also used to indicate an unusual word or phrase:The advent of chronobiology could change the world.They are also used to indicate a quote in a headline or in a pullout quote.

JargonAvoid at all costs. Technical terms work well in proper context and should be defined or briefly explained early in the article. In many instances a simpler synonym is the harder-working word. Remember, you dont sacrifice precision when omitting jargon.

Legal aspectsThere are three legal pitfalls into which journalists can fall: defamation, contempt of court and interfering with sub judice matters.

Defamation is the publication of any injurious statement in respect of another person or class of persons with the intent of causing disrepute to his or her name, company credit or reputation.

Contempt of court includes irresponsible reporting to the extent that the judge or magistrate has reason to consider the report an interference with the process of the law. Matters under consideration by a court are sub judice until evidence is heard. Any report written on the case must not impute blame to any party. Report dont judge.

ListsNo colons in front of lists, unless the list is bulleted.

Lower caseRefer to the section on capitals. If in doubt as to whether to use capitals or lower case, opt for lower case.

MetaphorsAlthough a skilfully used metaphor can evoke a visual image, adding this new dimension to a story can be tricky. To use

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this figure of speech without loss of vividness steer clear of dipping into the well of worn-out metaphors, which will only tire the reader and force him or her to move on to another story. Use all metaphors sparingly. Strive for accuracy, not ambiguity.

NamesThe names of people are written out in full and appear in bold on first appearance. Thereafter, only the surnames are used when using direct or reported speech.When citing people in articles, our style is to write Mineral Resources Minister or Department of Mineral Resources director-general Thibedi Ramotja, not Minister of Mineral Resources or director-general of the Department of Mineral Resources Thibedi Ramotja.

Numbers Never start a sentence with a figure; write out the number in words. Numbers one to ten are written out in full, unless the number is a decimal, for example, 4.6 and 5.9 or precedes a unit

of measure, for example, 4%. Use two-billion and ten-million, but R10-million, not ten-million rands. Numbers should be rounded off to the second decimal place, for example, R5.68-million not R5.683-million. Fractions should be hyphenated when spelled out in full, for example, two-thirds, even when the number is higher

than ten. The same applies to figures used as adjectives: He gave a tenth (not 10th) of his salary to the poor. When to is being used as a ratio it is best to spell it out rather than use a colon: They voted nine votes to two,

to abandon the project. However, ratios expressed as percentages can be referred to in figures, for example, the shareholding was 50:50.

It is acceptable to have 22 000 but million and billion must be written out in full and with a hyphen, for example, R22-million.

Do not use a hyphen in place of to when using two figures: the project will take 12 to 18 months (not 12-18 months) to complete.

When million is used, for example one-million tons, it has to be written out in full if the number is below 11. Do not use 1-million tons. However, 3.2-million tons and 1 t is acceptable, as is 4 c/t.

If there is a sequence of numbers, use figures as in 9 of the 11 units, or by 10-million to 13-million tons.Use: fiftieth not 50th anniversary; however, if the number is too long, for example thirty-thousandth, rather use 30 000th. 20 m a minute, not 20 m/m 20 angle, but 30 C twelve 200 mm pinch valves one metre to ten metres is written in words, thereafter 11 m is used five-thousandths of a millimetre (.005 mm) the project is expected to take 24 to 30 months, not take between 24 months to 30 months.

Ongoing, one word

Omitted wordsPassages omitted from a quotation must be indicated by three dots (. . .) or four dots (. . . .) to indicate a full stop. Please note the space between the dots.

PercentageUse the sign % instead of per cent wherever possible. Write 5%, 30% but five per cent and thirty per cent when starting a sentence with a percentage.When hyphenating, use: 26%-owned by . . .

Per cent/percentage pointInterest rates best illustrate the difference between per cent and percentage point. If the interest rate was 5% and government increased it to 6%, we would say it was increased by one percentage point. Saying that it was increased by 1% would mean that it was increased by 1% of the original amount (that is, 1/100 of 5%, or 0.05%).

The Four PsEngineering News and Mining Weekly have their own unique hierarchy of subject importance. These are, in order of preference: Projects (major developments, their values and the companies involved) Products (introduction of innovative technology in products and its features) People (whos making the news) Policy (government regulations in industry)These can be extended to include: Polemic (debate the issues, present both sides of the story) Probing (this is what investigative journalism is all about!) Prodding (encourage formal institutions to take action)

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Praise (acknowledge creditworthy performance) Please (give the reader what he or she wants)

And theres another P Priority. Journalism has evolved with the advent of online reporting, which needs to be brief and to the point. The inverted pyramid is a metaphor used to illustrate how information should be arranged or presented in a report; the most important facts first and less important detail tapering to the inverted point of the pyramid. This historic form of news writing is ideally suited to the web and also suits many of the articles written for Creamer Media publications as it makes editing easier when text needs to be cut for layout purposes.

Pyramid format writing is more suited to academic papers, where a foundation is supported by research findings, data and extensive summaries. It is unsuited to journalism.

Feature writing results in several pages of articles, supported by photos and advertising, providing an overview of an engineering or mining aspect. It is vital to ensure that writing is informative, interesting and relevant in support of the Engineering News and Mining Weekly status as an essential source of information for those involved in the engineering and mining sectors. To this end, the inverted pyramid format is often best suited to feature writing, but the flow of information may dictate the use of other formats.

The question and answer format is also used to bring variety and interest to the publications. It is also suited to online journalism and is popular in personality profiles.

Cover stories for Engineering News and Mining Weekly typically begin with a scene-setting opening paragraph and then present various points of view on the topic setting out the challenges, successes, dilemmas and other aspects, and ending with a thought-provoking concluding paragraph.

The more interpretive narrative form of writing is not a style associated with Creamer Media but is often used in magazines, where the article opens with a human-interest story designed to catch the readers attention. The writer presents the facts or views by crafting these around this story and other illustrative stories. The key message or messages unfold throughout the piece and may or may not wrap in a punchy conclusion.

Most published columns follow a format of writing and columnists are featured in Engineering News and Mining Weekly. There are many fine examples of this format in a myriad of publications and many talented writers who have become esteemed columnists, some who have become powerful opinion formers in arenas from politics and sport to entertainment and food.

QuotationsQuotations are not something written but rather something that is spoken. Hence, make a quote less formal and more friendly. Strive to reflect the speakers character. Quote only when imperative.

Quotation marksQuotation marks are used in direct speech: Tourism will benefit from the 2010 FIFA World Cup, says Tourism Minister Marthinus van SchalkwykThey are also used when quoting phrases within a sentence: We are warned that the legislation will force industry to evaluate its production processes.

Note the relative placing of quotation marks and punctuation: if a complete sentence is quoted, the final stop should be placed inside the quotation marks and, if the quotation forms part of a sentence, the quotation marks should precede any punctuation marks.

Relative pronounsIn short, who, or whom is used for people while which or that is used for animals and inanimate objects. Note that a company is not human and therefore it does not take who:The company that survived . . .

not

The company who survived . . .

Note also:

The company, the premises of which are situated in . . .

rather than

The company, whose premises are situated in . . .

Reported speechEngineering News and Mining Weekly style is to report before attributing the speech: The product has enjoyed unprecedented success, reports Engineering Anon sales manager Joe Myburg.rather than Engineering Anon sales manager Joe Myburg says: The product has enjoyed unprecedented success.Note that the attributive verb is always in the present unless reporting on a speech or presentation. Use says not said, explains not explained, reports not reported.

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Semicolons and colonsSemicolons mark a pause longer than a comma but shorter than a full stop. They can be used to distinguish phrases listed after a colon if commas will not do the job clearly. Dont overdo. The colour patterns are red, white and blue; silver, green and purple; gold, black and yellow; and grey, brown and

orange. They agreed on only three points: that the ceasefire should be immediate; it should be internationally supervised,

preferably by the AU; and a peace conference should be held, either in Geneva or Ouagadougou.

SlangSlang, like metaphors, should be used only occasionally if it is to have any effect. Even then, slang should be used with caution.Examples of South African slang include bakkie (pick-up), dorp (town), dwaal (lost), fundi (from the Nguni umfundisi, meaning teacher or preacher), gogga (insect), howzit, just now (shortly), muti (medicine) platteland (countryside), takkies (as in wheels or running shoes) and vrot (rotten or smelly).Avoid using expressions such as thumbs up or thumbs down, guesstimate, massive. As an alternative, always opt for the simpler, clearer word.

SpacingA space must be left between a figure and its unit of measurement: 26 m, 32 km, 12 and 30 C (temperature) is the correct style, but 24% and 16 (angles).

Split infinitivesSplitting of infinitives is justified only when avoiding ambiguity. Compare: Our object is to further cement trade relations (split infinitive), and Our object is to cement further trade relations.He wanted to desperately expand his business. (wrong)He desperately wanted to expand his business. (right)

StyleGolden rule: News first, scene-setting second, context third, comment last. (Pack article with news, limit commentary.)

Guidelines:1. If you dont understand your sentence or article, no-one else will. Rewrite it until it is clear. Dont forget punctuation.2. Exhaust your angle before moving into a new theme.3. Have appropriate joiners to introduce a new theme (meanwhile, in addition, another key priority . . .)4. Multisource where appropriate and always get the other side of the debate if one is raised.5. Limit the use of direct quotes and rather interpret for the reader in indirect speech.6. (Most important) read your article through three times before submission to an editor.

TensesThe present tense is the norm when writing an article: Johansen says that building will start in two months time.

The past tense is used only when reporting on a speech which has already occurred: MacKenzie said in his inaugural speech that he was looking forward to his term of office. Note that was and not is is used after the word said. The past tense will follow throughout the rest of the reported speech.

For the sake of immediacy it is better to say:Retecon has been commissioned as main contractor rather than Retecon was commissioned.

TimeTime should always be given in figures according to the 24-hour clock without specifying am or pm or using an h: A decision is expected by 14:00 on Monday Dont use three years to five years. Use three to five years When referring to time zones, it is acceptable to use only the abbreviation. For example: CAT not Central African Time.

TitlesAlthough the overriding principle is to treat people with respect, do not indulge peoples self-importance unless it is insulting not to use the titles they themselves adopt.Titles are used only to indicate positions of importance, for example, Professor Jan Goldblatt; Dr Jack Mulder, Sir Ernest Oppenheimer.Mr, Mrs and Miss are not used in Engineering News and Mining Weekly. First names and surnames are used on first mention: Nols Oliver not Mr Nols Oliver. After having used a persons first name and surname once, just his surname is necessary thereafter: Oliver not Mr Oliver, Mulder not Dr Mulder and Goldblatt not Professsor Goldblatt.The only time Mr is used is for the names of judges, for example Mr Justice J McArthur.Peoples designations in a company are rarely written with capitals.Note: For the sake of brevity and ease of reading, use Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies rather than Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies.

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Book titlesNewspaper and magazine titles are not written in Italics, with the exception of our own publications, Engineering News, Mining Weekly, Polity and Research Channel Africa. Titles of articles appearing in a book, newspaper or magazine, and titles of reports, are enclosed in single inverted commas, for example, Wheels within wheels, Gold hits new high and World Competitiveness Report.

Song and movie titles are Italicised no quotes for example Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika and District Nine.Italics are used for the titles of books or poems, for example, Oliver Twist; the titles of films, for example, White Wedding; names of ships and aircraft, for example, Destiny and Challenger and words from another language, for example, lekgotla.

Units of measure see Annexure Two

Unnecessary wordsSome words, while adding length to an article, do nothing for journalistic style. Adjectives can be used to make your meaning more precise but you should guard against those that serve only as decorations. Prime examples are very and wide.Deleting these from a phrase rarely detracts from their intended meaning: The chances of inflation increasing in the next two years are (very) good. The company offers a (wide) range of petrochemical products.

Other examples include strike instead of strike action; cuts instead of cutbacks; record instead of track record; sold instead of sold off.

Watch points(Engineering News and Mining Weekly no-nos)

There are several words and phrases that Engineering News prefers not to use. According to Tom Ansley says is preferred Address/ed Do not use address or addressed as a verb. Substitute with words like confront, consider, promote. Almost all Most is more concise, although an exact figure would be even better Annually and per annum use yearly or a year instead of Latin words. Anticipates rather use expects Approximately About or almost is preferred. At the same time Simultaneously is preferred. Company location do not write Endenvale-based Acme Props but Acme Props, of Edenvale. The use of a number of and several are acceptable. In situ On site is preferred. Intros Do not start introductions with company names unless the alternative is grammatically incorrect or very

cumbersome. Now Avoid using unless its omission changes the meaning of a sentence. The use of a number of and several are acceptable. Per Use of this word should be avoided. For example, eight hours per day can be replaced by eight hours a day. Percentage When writing percentages use per cent rather than percent. Presently means soon, not at present. Avoid. Quantity Please distinguish between amount, number and quantity (and fewer and less). Recently Avoid using as the word is vague and, in some cases, redundant. Rather use the exact date or nothing

at all. On his visit to South Africa . . . not . . . On his recent visit to Africa. The building has been finished . . . not . . . The building was recently finished. S vs Z The letter s is preferred to the letter z as a verbal ending: emphasise rather than emphasize; specialise

rather than specialize. Use horizon, not horison. Today do not use, except in cases such as . . . Engineering News can today report.

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Areas of common difficulty

AAbility, CapacityAbility is physical and mental power, particularly the power to plan and execute, while capacity is the power to receive: The MD has the ability to carry out the companys rationalisation plans. The MD has a great capacity for technical equations and mathematical calculations. The plant has a production capacity of 500 t/y.Academic qualifications should be mentioned in chronological order, for example, BA, MA.Act and Bill as in legislation, are cappedAccording to Tom Ansley says is preferred.Advertisement, is preferred to advertAddress/ed do not use address or addressed as a verb. Substitute with words like confront, consider, promote.

Addressing issues rather use tackling or dealing with

Adviser, not advisor

Affect/effect. Affect and effect as verbs are frequently confused. Effect is to bring about, to accomplish, affect is to produce an effect on, to attack, move or touch. The majority of the time you use affect with an a as a verb and effect with an e as a noun.

Examples from the CM style guide: The struggling economy had a disastrous effect on the gold price The struggling economy affected the gold price terribly.

The Chinese and South African markets had been impacted on to a lesser extent. Replace impacted on with affected.

Agroprocessing, not agro-processing

Aims, ObjectivesAims are the goals set and objectives are the measurements we undertake to achieve the aims.

Almost all most is more concise, although an exact figure would be even better.

Allow, enable and afford

allow means to: give permission for something to happen or somebody to do something, or take no action or make no rule to prevent it let somebody or something enter or be present in a place let somebody or yourself have something, often a benefit or pleasure of some kind give or credit somebody with an amount of money as a discount or in exchange for something set aside or make available something such as a period of time or amount of material for a particular purpose take something into consideration or make provision for it when making a plan or decision admit something or accept it to be true or valid (formal) present something as possible or reasonable (formal) US usage means to state or suppose

Enable means to: provide somebody with the resources, authority or opportunity to do something make something possible or feasible (note: this definition is not given for allow.)

Afford means to: be able to meet the cost of something without unacceptable difficulty be able to do or provide something without unacceptable or disadvantageous consequences. Do not use allow when

you mean afford as in to to do or to provide. be able to spare something without unacceptable or disadvantageous con-sequences supply or provide something

Allusion, illusion, delusionThe first two especially are frequently confused. An allusion is an indirect or covert reference to something. An illusion is a false or mistaken conception. A delusion is a view of belief so utterly false that it suggests insanity: In the first stanza, the poet makes several allusions to the works of earlier poets. The author alludes to Hamlet but

nowhere names the play. Though he had never managed to publish anything, he was under the illusion that he was a poet. In his famous speech in the fourth act of the Tempest, Prospero presents the world as a vase illusion The belief that he and his soldiers could not be harmed by the enemys bullets was only one of the delusions he

suffered.

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Allusive, elusive, elusory, illusory

Allusive is the adjectival form of allusion. When poets make frequent allusions, wespeak of their style as allusive. If we call something elusive or elusory, we mean that it is perplexing, difficult to grasp (it eludes us). Illusory is the adjectival form of illusion. To call something illusory is to say that it is deceptive, that it has the character of an illusion.

Alternate(ly), alternative(ly)

Alternate(ly) implies first one, then the other. Alternative(ly) traditionally referredto a choice between two, but its use in referring to a choice among several possibilities is now firmly established: They marched and rested on alternate days. They worked and played alternately and never became bored. They could surrender; alternatively, they could retreat and wait for another opportunity to attack. The generals had several alternatives to choose from in deciding on a course of action.

Annually. Use yearly or a year instead of Latin words.

Anticipate, expect use expect instead where appropriate

Anticipate means to:1. imagine or consider something before it happens and make any necessary preparations or changes.2. think or be fairly sure that a certain thing will happen or come.3. feel excited, hopeful, or eager about something that is going to happen.4. imagine or consider something that might happen and take action to prevent it.5. say or do something before it becomes fashionable or comes into widespread use (formal).6. make use of something before it has actually been received (formal).

Expect means to:1. believe with confidence, or think it likely, that an event will happen in the future.2. wait for, or look forward to, something that you believe is going to happen or arrive.3. demand or anticipate receiving something because of a perceived right to it or because it is somebodys duty to give it.

Amend, emendAmend means to alter, usually in the sense of improving something. Emend means to remove errors from: The legislature met to amend the countrys constitution. Several amendments to the motion were passed. The writer emended two passages in the typescript The manuscript shows that the writer made several emendations before submitting the article for publication.

American spellingThe only time this is not changed to UK spelling is when it is the name of an American organisation, for example: The Center for Disease Control.

Among (not amongst), betweenTraditionally between and among were carefully distinguished in both speech and writing. Something could be divided between two people or among more than two. Among continues to imply more than two, while between has come to be permitted when more than two are indicated. Even in formal writing, between can be used with more than two when it is used spatially or geographically: Their house was situated between the railway, the road and the shopping centre. Apart from this exception, unless your phrasing lands you in difficulties, you should observe the distinction in formal

writing. The correct expression is between you and me (between us) and not between you and I.

Ante, Anti ante means before and anti means against: An antecedent is a preceding thing or circumstance. An antidote is a remedy against poison.

Approximately about or almost is preferred

Archaisms Archaic r-k-ik, adj. ancient; savouring of the past; not absolutely obsolete but not longer in general use; old-fashioned.Examples: Coolth = coolness Proven = proved Thereafter = after that Therein Thereof = of that Whilst = while Amid = among Amongst = amongNot archaic but a nonword: Telephonic

At the same time simultaneously is preferred

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Artisanal mining, not artisinal miningAutocatalyst, not auto catalyst.Aside and Apart. Aside means to or toward the side, for example, he stepped aside; away from others or into privacy, for example, she pulled him aside; out of the way especially for future use, for example, they are putting aside savings. Apart means at a little distance, for example, he tried to keep apart from the family squabbles; or away from one another, as in space or time, for example, they lived in towns 20 km apart.

BBackup, not back-upBail-out, as in following a bail-out by JSE-listed company Zambia Copper Investments.Baseload, not base load. Use baseload expansion, baseload generation capacity.Basin is lowercased (like reef) for example, the Witwatersrand basin or the Eastern, Western and Central basins. Geologically, a basin is a broad tract of land in which the rock strata are tilted toward a common centre, or a large, bowl-shaped depression in the surface of the land or ocean floor. It is also the catchment area of a particular river and its tributaries or of a lake or sea.

Benefiting/Benefited is spelled with only one t, but modelling and signalling are spelled with a double l.Beside, besidesBeside is a preposition while besides is a conjunction or an adverb meaning as well as: He sat down beside the toolbox. Besides gaining a head start in the local market, the company found success in the export market.Biannually twice a year. One word. See also Biennially.Biennially occurring every two years. One word.Bloc: a bloc is a group of countries or people with a shared aim. Born, borneA child is born but the burden of birth is borne by the mother. If what you wish to express is not related to birth, the word you should use is borne. Borne refers to burdens, insults and responsibilities.Breakthrough, not break throughBy-product, not by product

CCalled/known as be careful about using either. You may have called someone an expert, but the person may not be known as one. A current trend is to write: the R5-million machine, called Mighty Mouse, has . . . , when the R5-million, machine, Mighty Mouse, has . . . would be acceptable!Both cannot and can not are acceptable spellings, but the first is much more usual. You would use can not when the not forms part of another construction such as not onlyCapex, is an abbreviation for capital expenditure; however, use was spent on capital projects instead of was spent on capex.Cause, reason the cause of an event is the power or agency that brings about its circumstance, while its reason is an explanation formulated in the human mindCautionary. We do not need to write cautionary announcement or notice when the phrase the company issued a cautionary yesterday morning, prior to the announcement of its quarterly results is understandable.Cash flow, not cashflowCentury twenty-first century, twenty-first-century skillsChannel, as in Maputo channel, is lowercasedCity, we uppercase City of Johannesburg, but city on its own, is lowercasedCoalfield, one word but coal bed is two words, for example the coal bed is to be mined.Co the use of the prefix co is confusing. Here are some examples of when to use a hyphen: Cochairperson, not co-chairperson Co-opt Co-owner Cooperation Coordination Co-suppliers Co-modality Co-investors Co-author Cofiring boilers, not co-firing

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Colour, lower case blue, green, yellow etcCommonwealth, not Common WealthCompare to, compare with Compared to is used when the subjects are of different orders, for example: International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) compared to US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US

GAAP). Recent climate observations compared to projections But developments in diesel technology have to be compared to continuing advancements in gasoline-powered

vehicles. Compared with is used when the subjects are of the same order, for example: Cash generated from operations increased by 134% to R147.3-million compared with R62.9-million the

year before. Refracting telescopes compared with reflecting telescopes, When discussing climate Japan is often compared with California because of its north-south placement.An easy way to remember is that you can compare one type of apple with another type of apple, but you would compare an apple to an orange.

Competence The state or quality of being adequately or well qualified; ability. The plural is competences, as in Aurecon will be exhibiting its mining competences. Compliment, -ary (flattering), is often confused with complement, -ary (in completion of) or form a complement to as in her scarf complements her dress.

Complex, as in Bushveld Complex, is capped.Complete/Completed The project is 80% complete, but the shaft fitting has been completed.Compound modifiers Two words functioning as a single adjective should be hyphenated to ensure clarity, for example, long-term growth and twentieth-century technology. Generally, no hyphen is needed between an adverb and an adjective, for example, a carefully researched article. Neither is a hyphen required when single adjectives follow a noun, for example, the proposal was ill considered (but, an ill-considered proposal).

Concentrated solar power not concentrating solar powerContemporary (noun and adjective) means both belonging to the same period of time and current, of our own time. This can lead to confusion. If contemporary is used in a sentence that refers to an earlier period or a particular person, it means of that period or that persons period. It is therefore incorrect to write: Shakespeares plays are relevant to contemporary problems, if what you mean is that his plays are relevant to problems of our own time. As a rule, if you refer to an earlier period or a particular person who lived in an earlier period, and you want to relate that period or person to our own time, avoid using contemporary in your sentences. Find an acceptable substitute to express what you want to say. The following show some of the correct uses of contemporary:Shakespeares plays surpass even the best works of his contemporaries.

Blakes poetry is significantly different from the work of contemporary poets.

Ben Jonson was a contemporary of Shakespeare.Emily Dickinsons poetry was largely ignored by contemporary writers and critics.

Continual, continuous Continual implies a recurrence at frequent intervals; continuous means extending uninterruptedly, unbroken and connected. The best way to remember the difference between these words is to make up a saying along the lines of the following: You can learn to play a musical instrument by continual practice; but your effort cannot be continuous.

Contracts are awarded, not rewarded.Copperbelt is one word and capped.Crosscuts, not cross cuts.Currency When speaking it is acceptable to say ten rand or a million rand we all do it; but when writing especially for publication we must write ten rands or a million rands. However, if rand is used adjectivally, then it remains rand and may need to be hyphenated, for example, a multibillion-rand initiative.Cutoff, not cut-off

DDataIn Latin, data is the plural of datum, meaning, one piece of information. Datum is infrequently used. When it is used, it typically means thing known or granted, unquestionable fact.The word data is often used with a plural verb; however, increasingly it is used as a collective noun denoting a single body of facts or information. In such constructions it takes a singular verb. It is correct to use the singular construction unless it seems awkward in the particular sentence you are writing:The available data are insufficient to draw any conclusionsThe data on the subject is rather meagre

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Database, not data baseDependant, dependentDependant is the noun, while dependent is the adjective.Dependence is a state of being dependent on somebody.Dependency a territory subject to nonadjacent country, or overreliance on a drug.Die casting is not hyphenated, for example die casting technology.Differ with, differ fromNormally a distinction is drawn between differ with and differ from. We differ with eople when we do not agree with them. Differ from is used in the sense of be different. The confusion arises because although I may differ with you (or disagree with you) my ideas would be said to differ from yours.Differ with is the more frequently used expression. In present usage, differ from is often replaced by phrases using different:He differs with those historians who think of history as the actions of famous people.His description differs from the accounts of other anthropologists.Different from/to/thanAlthough different has been used variously with from, to and than since at least the seventeenth century, expressions using different can trigger off heated disagreement among grammarians. Many writers continue to insist that different from is the only permissible construction, though more recently some have been prepared to tolerate different to in speech and even in writing.Directions:North-west JohannesburgNorth-western bypass routeNorth-northeast of SishenUnless a town is very small, it is not necessary to write the mine is situated 25 km west of the town of Musina, when 25 km west of Musina would suffice.Diversified, as in a diversified mining company. To be classed as a diversified mining company, the company needs to mine at least three different minerals, for example, gold, coal and iron. An example is BHP Billiton.Downtime, one word.Draft, an air current, the order to join the armed services, a preliminary sketch or plan, a preliminary report or speech, a written order to pay money, a drink, a dose of medicine, the depth required for a ship to float.Draughting, not drafting, services. Draughtsperson or draughting technicianDue diligence, not due diligence studyDue to, owing to see O

EElectricity. We use electricity, not electrical power.

Electromechanical, not electro-mechanical

En dash The en dash is used instead of a hyphen to indicate a break in a sentence followed by information, which adds to or clarifies the first part of the sentence, sometimes as an alternative to using brackets. It is also used in lists to avoid using too many commas. Other uses include: A publicprivate partnership, where the use of a hyphen may be deemed adjectival when, instead, the two entities have equal weight.Lloyd-Jones (one person), but a LennonMcCartney composition (two people).ParisDakar Rally.JohannesburgLondonCairo trip.Waterval-BovenWaterval-Onder railway line.

EndDoes in the end and at the end mean the same thing? In the end is most commonly used to mean finally or after a long while. At the end is generally used to mean the point where something stops.End-user is hyphenated. Collins does not hyphenate this, but we do. Enormity means extreme evil or moral offensiveness or a very evil or morally offensive deed. An enormity can mean sheer size, terrible nature or atrocity, so be careful in its usage, for example:The enormity of war crimes.The bombing of the defenceless population was an enormity beyond belief. When referring to size, cope, extent, influence or immensity, examples include:The enormity of the task.The enormity of such an act of generosity is staggering.eresearch, not e-research

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FFarther, further farther has reference to distance; further to continuance:He rode farther Further to our conversationBoth a feasibility study into and a feasibility study on are correctFast-tracking is hyphenatedFibre-optic cable, not fibre-optics cableFlowsheet, not flow sheetFollow-up is the noun, follow up is the verbForklift, one wordFundraising, one wordFurther, not furthermore

GGasfields, not gas fieldsGoing forward is one of those phrases people like to use; however, if dropped from a sentence and the meaning is unchanged, it is best deleted.

Government, it is not necessary to use the in front of government use . . . commitment to governments economic agenda, rather than . . . commitment to the governments economic agenda. Similarly, do not use the in front of Cabinet.

Groundwater, one word.Groundwork, one word.

HHappen, occur, take placeHappen and occur usually refer to circumstances beyond control whereas take place refers to things that are done intentionally:The accident occurred in the plant.The meeting will take place tomorrow.What happened to Europes winter? Something really pivotal has happened to South Africas public finances; they have collapsed and the fault does not lie entirely with the global recession.Hard wearing (two words), as in hard wearing and corrosion resistantHealthcare, one wordHematite, not haematiteHowever Many of you have trouble using the word however, which is usually followed by a comma when used as the first word of a sentence, and preceded and followed by a comma when used later in a sentence. For instance: In any case, however, the siphon may be filled.

When it means to whatever extent however needs no following comma, for example, Bring the drum, however full it is.However can come at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence, but it is best positioned immediately after the item that is held up for contrast: In the morning, however, nothing was done (in contrast to the preceding afternoon). It should be surrounded by commas unless it means no matter how, as in however hard I work.The use of a comma or semicolon before however: However is preceded by a semicolon only when the semicolon can be replaced with a full stop and the resultant two sentences still make sense.For example: My child has always been a hard-working learner; however, she has never passed any exam with flying colours. My child has always been a hard worker. However, she has never passed any exam with flying colours.The following is incorrect because the two clauses are complete sentences in their own right. A punctuation mark that is stronger than a comma should be used after learner: My child has always been a hard-working learner, however, she has never passed any exam with flying colours.

Hyphenation. See Annexure One

IImpact or impacted is followed by on, as in China and South Africa have been impacted on to a lesser extent. However, the meteriorite impact was felt . . . is not followed by on as, in this case, impact implies force.

Indicate/suggest sometimes used incorrectly. You can indicate your approval with a nod; indicate the right road or have the first rains indicate the start of summer. You can put forward a suggestion, see a cloud that suggests a mushroom, endure a silence that suggests disapproval or feel that such a crime suggests apt punishment.

Independently, not independantly

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Information technology sectors, not information-technology sectorsIndependencies and independences The former is the plural from of independency, an independent territory or state, while the latter is the plural form of independence.

Input, one word.Inquiry Inquiry is correct when used to indicate an investigation, for example, a Court of Inquiry. Enquiry would be used in the sense that is it a request for information.Internet Internet is always captatilised.

JJunior minerWhat is a junior miner anyway?Juniorminers.com set out to find what the definition of a Junior Miner was. So we contacted the nice folks at the PDAC (Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada) and asked them for their definition of a junior mining company. Their response was this:Mining companies are defined largely by the way in which they derive their revenues. A senior producer or operator generates its revenues from the production and sale of the commodity it is mining. A junior mining company has no mining operations and is essentially a venture capital company. It must rely almost entirely on the capital markets to finance its exploration activities [I say almost entirely because some juniors derive their financing from private sources]. There is another category: midtier producers. These are generally junior companies that have decided to go into production on properties that they have discovered.We then asked the folks at the TSX and their response was:Everyone has their interpretation of the definition of a junior mining company. We see most of them as being listed on TSX Venture Exchange instead of on the TSX.

Judgement, judgmentUse judgment not judgement.

KKeeps up. Rather use maintains ie He maintains morale.Kick-off, not kickoff as in 100 days to kick-off.

LLandfill, not land fill.Landmark, not land mark.Largest, rather use biggest.Lend, loan, borrowLend is the verb while loan is the noun:The company lent the entrepreneur R50 000 and he was grateful for the loan. The entrepreneur borrowed R50 000 from the company.

Learn, learned, learntLearn acquire knowledge or skillLearned is the past tense and past participle of learn (also learnt, which is a variant of learned).Learned having great knowledge or characterised by scholarship (not learnt).The difference between learned and learnt is the tenses:I learned something yesterday. (Past tense)I have learnt my lesson. (Past participle)There is a lesson to be learned/learnt in the smallest and simplest things in life each day. (Both forms are correct.)Learning difficulties, use instead of mental handicap or retarded to avoid giving offence, as in people with learning difficulties, her son has learning difficulties (also learning disabilities).

Less, fewer, Less refers to degree or quantity; fewer to number.

Licence, licenseThe letter c refers to a noun, while the letter s refers to a verb. Hence, licence is a noun and license is a verb: The company manufactured the produce under licence to its overseas principal. (noun). If you use card, contract or papers instead of licence and the sentence still makes sense, then licence is correct.The company had the product licensed. (verb) In this case, if you can use the verb to allow, which is a verb, in its various forms (allowing, allowed, allows) instead of license, then license, is correct. If you use allowance and the sentence makes sense, then you should be using licence. Hana Botswana holds 11 prospecting licences.Licences are revoked, not taken away.Life-of-mine is hyphenated unless used as the life of the mine.

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Life span, not lifespan.

Lifestyle, not life style.

Life cycle, two words, but life-cycle costing.

Lightweight, not light weight.

Line-up is hyphenated, as in part of the line-up for the day.

Load-shedding is hyphenated when used as an adjective, noun or verb.

Location If, for example, you are referring to a company that is based in France, it is France-based the geographical location. To use French-based means that it may have originated in that country, for example, French is widely spoken in Africa. Write:Australia-based.England-based.However, we would refer to South African-produced motor vehicles.

London Metal Exchange is written as LME

Looking at, rather use considering.

MManhours. Rather use work hours, for example . . . including engineering work hours . . .

Manmade, rather use artificial or synthetic, if appropriate.

Majority, on its own, is singular. (However, if you write about a majority of some specified group, such as a majority of employees, you should use the plural form, are.)

Many, much

Many refers to number, much to quantities:There must have been as many as a hundred at the conference.The company was willing to spend as much as R2-billion on the project.

MeasurementsThe use of centimetres is, for some peculiar reason, restricted to textiles and garments. In all other instances, please use millimetres.All imperial measurements mu