# US headline writing conventions

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-headline-writing-conventions/388633>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 19, 2007, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-headline-writing-conventions/388633 "2007-01-19T21:45:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 6

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-headline-writing-conventions/388633/101 "2007-01-25T02:55:48Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=guizot]  
Let me get this straight: “Saving Private Ryan,” for example, is not the use of a gerund? It’s imperative? Who taught you grammar?  
[/QUOTE]

I believe the confusion lies in the fact that both me and **Polycarp** thought you were saying “save” is a gerund in “save the ER for real emergencies.” At least that’s what I thought you were saying.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-headline-writing-conventions/388633/102 "2007-01-25T11:45:04Z")

</div>

Okay, **guizot** , but you misattributed this quote to me –

> [@acsenray](#):
>
> If you are in “the industry” you read Variety more than the Times. Outside the industry, you couldn’t care less.

**Musicat** said that.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-headline-writing-conventions/388633/103 "2007-01-25T15:56:51Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=pulykamell]  
I believe the confusion lies in the fact that both me and **Polycarp** thought you were saying “save” is a gerund in “save the ER for real emergencies.” At least that’s what I thought you were saying.  
[/QUOTE]  
I see. I apologize. The way I view gerunds is that it’s a way to make a verb function as a noun. You put the _-ing_ on a verb and it can function as a subject or an object, so every gerund orginates from a verb. I pointed it out to demonstrate that if you want to use a verb in a headline without a subject for the verb, the typical way to do it is to make that verb into noun (as a gerund). The headline “Saving E.R. Rooms” etc. focuses on the action, rather than the agent of the action, as opposed to the marked, idiosycratic VERB + PEDICATE way of the New York Daily News.

[QUOTE=acsenray]  
**Musicat** said that.  
[/QUOTE]  
Very sorry, again. Sloppy posting on my part.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-headline-writing-conventions/388633.md?page=5)