People are defined as humans considered as a group or in indefinite numbers. It is plural.
Example: People were dancing in the street. I met all sorts of people.
Use peoples (with s) for a body of persons sharing a common religion, culture, language, or inherited condition of life.
Example: Indigenous peoples of the Philippines.
A person, meanwhile, is defined as a living human.
Other definitions of person:
An individual of specified character: a person of importance.
The composite of characteristics that make up an individual personality; the self.
The living body of a human: searched the prisoner's person.
Physique and general appearance.
For our usage, therefore, please use people when referring to several persons.
The following story will sound better if we used people instead of persons.
Police crush another anti-Arroyo rally; 7 persons arrestedMore tips:
At least seven persons were arrested as militants clashed anew with anti-riot policemen in Manila Wednesday morning, merely a day after violence erupted at the so-called "Walk for Democracy" march.
Our elders taught us not to start a sentence with a number. News stories, however, especially flash reports, need to be direct to the point. We can get away with “at least” and start the sentence with Seven people…
To avoid the number, use active voice in your sentences.
Example: Police arrested seven people in Manila.
Militant is a problematic word. Militants can be leftists or rightists or terrorists (another problematic word). It is safer to be more specific. Let us use leftists if those protesting in Manila were leftists, or if they are members of a party-list group, let us say members of a party-list group. A safer word to use instead of militant is activist. Note: party-list is with a hyphen
Let us not use “so-called” if we put in quotation marks the word or phrase we try to describe. Just write “Walk for Democracy” or so-called Walk for Democracy.
Below is a rewritten version of the lead above:
Police arrested seven people Wednesday morning in Manila after protesters clashed with members of a police anti-riot unit. Violence also erupted Tuesday after police dispersed the Walk for Democracy march of leftist groups protesting alleged abuses of President Arroyo.
1 comment:
Suggestion to moderators: can we subdivide this whole entry per tip? Say the rule on how the word people is used is one entry. That way, the entry is more digestible.
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