Few things are more upsetting than having an editor or proofreader “correct” something that is already correct. Yes, hypercorrections are as real as they are bothersome. Here are a few common misunderstandings that lead to hypercorrections. Consult the references at the end for further reading.
A Myriad of or Myriad
Myriad can be a noun or an adjective, so usage depends on the part of speech. As a noun, it means “a great number”; as an adjective, it means “great in number.” (Funny how that preposition makes all the difference.) Both are historically valid, even if the adjective form tends to be considered more proper today (Walsh 2000, 169). However, Garner (2003, 535) notes that the noun form, a myriad of, has been in the English language for two hundred years longer than the adjective form, which appears without either a nor of. Personally, I prefer the single-word adjective form because it is more concise—why use three words when one would do? The following examples are equally correct.
Example I: We have a myriad of samples available. (Noun form)
Example II: We have myriad samples available. (Adjective form)
Can Fish Be Fishes?
Both fish and fishes are proper plural forms, but with differences. The typical plural is fish. However, when discussing various species of fish, the plural form is fishes (Oxford 2014, 56). Chicago (2017) and The Economist (2018) don’t have stated usage rules, but both follow the rule indicated by Oxford. In practice, other than in scientific contexts, fish can likely be used, but before changing fishes to fish and vice versa, be sure to consider the context.
Example I: We caught three fish today.
Example II: The scientists are studying three kinds of freshwater fishes.
Slow and Slowly, Flat Adverbs
Street signs are sometimes criticized for supposed improper language with presentations like “go slow” instead of “go slowly.” However, drivers are not witnessing grammatical accidents but rather flat adverbs, which retain their adjectival form, sans the -ly suffix. Slow is actually okay. Chicago (276) and Petelin (2022, 98) give several examples of valid flat adverb forms. However, before giving a few examples, it is important to note that there is sometimes a difference in meaning between regular and flat adverbs. Compare working hard with hardly working—obviously different. The following examples are legitimate flat adverb forms.
Examples: Hold tight. Come clean. Drive fast. Think green. Go slow.
Is and Are with Data
Data can be treated as either a singular mass noun or a plural noun. Regardless of which form one chooses, it is important to use the same form throughout a single work..
Yes, technically speaking, data is the plural form of datum, but in general parlance today, it is treated as a singular noun. However, in technical and scientific use, data is treated as a plural. This usage is supported by Associated Press (2020, 76), Chicago (324), Petelin (91), and Sabin (2010, 304). The Economist (39), however, is strictly against the singular usage of data, stating that one should not be “cowed by the majority,” which seems a bit brash—I suppose some publishers are more aggressive than others when it comes to data.
Unless you are writing for a technical or scientific publication (or apparently a publication by or for The Economist), then using data as a singular is likely permissible.
Number of Verbs and Articles
Number in the context of number of can be either plural or singular (Petelin 91), even if there is a tendency of changing the verb number one way or the other. In fact, verb number depends entirely on the article used, a or the. When using a, number takes a plural verb because the phrase refers to the members of the set. On the other hand, when using the, number is generally treated as a singular noun. Although Chicago, Oxford, Sabin, The Economist, and Walsh don’t explicitly state any information on the matter, they all adhere to the following usage in their respective publications.
Example I: A number of witnesses have come forward. (Plural usage)
Example II: The number of resources available is not enough. (Singular usage)
Conclusion
Usage can be a tricky thing, especially when dealing with several perspectives found in style guides. However, sometimes right is right, and sometimes wrong is actually right. Of course, it is also important to respect the house style of your publisher. In cases where there are no explicit rules and hypercorrections have been sprinkled into your work, give your manuscript a second go. Most of the time the “corrections” are not a big deal, but if you want to stand your ground, be sure to be well informed and armed with reasons for your writing choices.
References
The Associated Press Stylebook 2020–2022. 55th ed. 2020. New York: Basic Books.
The Economist Style Guide. 12th ed. 2018. London: Profile Books Ltd.
The Chicago Manual of Style. 17th ed. 2017. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Garner, Bryan A. 2003. Garner’s Modern American Usage. New York: Oxford University Press.
New Hart’s Rules: The Oxford Style Guide. 2nd ed. 2014. New York: Oxford University Press.
Petelin, Roslyn. 2022. How Writing Works: A Field Guide to Effective Writing. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge.
Sabin, William A. 2010. The Gregg Reference Manual: A Manual of Style, Grammar, Usage, and Formatting—Tribute Edition. 11th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Walsh, Bill. 2000. Lapsing into a Comma: A Curmudgeon’s Guide to the Many Things That Can Go Wrong in Print—and How to Avoid Them. New York: McGraw-Hill.