Editors, watch out for those writers:

• Always (always!) question the way something is written. Don't just accept what the writer has done. Question it! You're the editor.

• Always correct for AP style errors.

• Always correct grammar, spelling and punctuation errors.

• The best sequence for the elements of a direct quotation is direct quote, speaker, verb. If a writer has it another way, either change it or make sure there is a good reason for it to remain the way it is.

BEST: "The president will not support a tax increase," Smith said.

NOT GOOD: Smith said, "The president will not support a tax increase."

TERRIBLE: "The president will not support a tax increase," said Smith.

• Make sure that direct quotations and their attributions are punctuated correctly.

• The writing should conform to the style and general customs of the publication. For instance, most newspapers require that lead paragraphs be one sentence and a maximum of 30 to 35 words. As an editor for that publication, you should enforce that rule.

• Eliminate conditional statements when possible. Take this sentence: "Many non Greek students may have questions concerning the effects of Greek life on their academic." That could be true. It might also not be true. In either case, the writer has just put it out there with no attribution. It contains no information of value. A good editor will eliminate it.

• Be careful about using "the" when you should use "a." For instance, in the following sentence, "Rush Week officially begins with the hazing meeting at 3 p.m. on Friday in Wiley Hall." The implication of "the" is that all of us who read that sentence are familiar with "the hazing meeting." We're not. A good editor will change that sentence to read, "Rush Week begins with a meeting about hazing at 3 p.m. Friday in Wiley Hall." (Note the other changes as well -- from "the hazing meeting" to "a meeting about hazing." Why that change?)

• In news stories, words should be used literally, not as figures of speech. "The Greek system is going to start opening its doors to outsiders very soon." On the campus where this was written, the Greek system is not going to start opening its doors because it does not have any doors to open. And what does that mean? No real information accompanies that sentence, and it should be eliminated.

• Be alert to the oddball phrase. For instance, "Sophomore Amanda Parsons brought forth the petition to have class schedules published three semesters in advance." Amanda probably did not "bring forth" the petition as much as she "wrote" it. Don't let writers get away with that kind of palaver.