The Perils of Editing

I am doing some editing work, and so, have been spending many hours learning the rules behind the things I write instinctually, so that changes can (or cannot) be made. What one learns quite quickly in editing, is that there is rarely any hard and fast rules that govern grammar and punctuation with an iron fist. So, I have been spending much of my time trying to find multiple sources to either confirm or contradict what my desktop guides say (I work from an APA guide and a Grammar Desk Reference – checked against various reliable, online sources). In dealing with the conundrum that is the using of the word ‘comprise’, I stumbled upon this candid explanation of the debate at hand. Quite worth the read if you’ve ever had to defend your choice.