Agreement Squashed in Allegedly: A Copy Editor`s Guide to Writing with Clarity
As a copy editor, one of the most important aspects of my job is ensuring that the text I`m working on is clear, concise, and free of ambiguity. This is especially important when it comes to writing about legal issues, where the wrong word choice or phrasing can have serious consequences.
One phrase that crops up frequently in legal writing is «allegedly.» This word is used to indicate that something is simply being claimed, rather than established as fact. For example, if someone is accused of a crime, they are «allegedly» the perpetrator until proven guilty in a court of law.
However, when it comes to writing about alleged actions involving multiple parties or entities, it can be easy to accidentally create confusion by not being clear about who is doing what. This is where the concept of «agreement squashed in allegedly» comes into play.
Essentially, when you`re writing about an alleged action that involves multiple parties, it`s important to make it clear who is doing the alleging and who is the subject of the allegation. If you`re not careful, you can end up creating an ambiguous sentence that muddies the waters instead of clarifying them.
For example, consider the following sentence:
«The Smiths allegedly defrauded the company of $100,000.»
On its face, this sentence seems fine. However, if you read it closely, you`ll notice that it`s not clear whether the company is the one doing the alleging or whether it`s someone else. To avoid this ambiguity, it would be better to rewrite the sentence as:
«The company alleges that the Smiths defrauded them of $100,000.»
This phrasing makes it clear that the company is the one claiming fraud, and the Smiths are the subject of the allegation. By making this distinction, the sentence becomes much clearer and easier to understand.
Another example:
«The police allegedly arrested the suspect for robbery.»
Again, this sentence isn`t inherently wrong, but it`s not clear who is doing the alleging. It could be someone else, not the police. A more clear and precise wording would be:
«The suspect was allegedly arrested by the police for robbery.»
In this way, it’s clear that the police are the ones who arrested the suspect, but it`s still only an allegation until proven in court.
In conclusion, as a professional, it`s important to be diligent when writing about alleged actions involving multiple parties. By being clear about who is doing the alleging and who is the subject of the allegation, you can avoid «agreement squashed in allegedly» and ensure that your writing is as clear and concise as possible.