the word 'state' should not be capitalised when referring to Australian states. For example, 'state funding', or 'state premiers'. 'The States', when referring to the United States of America, however, should be capitalised—because all countries' names, including their abbreviations and nicknames, are capitalised.

not inarguable

'uncharted waters' is often used as a metaphor for anything new, untried, unfamiliar, and with the implication of unknown dangers ahead. 'Unchartered', however, is used less often, as an adjective meaning without regulation or laws—so best not to confuse the two.

use this HTML code for the degree symbol (°)
°

Indian subcontinent (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka)

online content for which one may be charged. Not 'metred'.

a sterling effort, a stirring anthem...not 'stirling'.

we use the internationally adopted spelling 'neuron' to describe nerve cells, not the British spelling 'neurone', although in Motor Neurone Disease the British spelling has become more common, so complete consistency is impossible.

I learned a lot from my grandmother. It was a well-learned lesson. Not learnt, even though it sounds closer to what people actually say.

I burned the toast (past tense of verb). You'll get your fingers burnt (adjectival participle). This is like learned and learnt—always contentious, but this is a style guide so we won't sit on the fence.

instalment in Australia, installment in the USA

European Union's official currency. The symbol (€) can be created using the HTML code €

For a letter U with an umlaut (ü) to publish successfully online it should be written in HTML code as follows:

ü

For fractions to publish correctly online, you need to use the following HTML code. If you copy and paste actual fractions from other documents our publishing system will treat them as illegal characters and your story will fail.

Perth Writers' Festival, not Writer's. There are a number of writers involved, not just one. And the Greens' policy, not Green's. The Greens is a political party with a number of Greens in it, not just the one.

not vs...so Australia v Germany, Labor v Liberal, etc

awareness of (not awareness about), knowledge of (not knowledge about), understanding of (not understanding about). Scourge of the countryside (not for the countryside). It does matter which preposition you choose. Check the dictionary if you're not sure.

'There's been reports of looting...' In rapid speech this might pass, but in formal writing we need agreement between verb and noun phrase — 'There have been reports of looting.'

I tell a lie, I lied before, I'm lying now, and I've lied many times in the past

I'm going to lie down, I lay down for a bit yesterday, I'm lying down now, I have lain on this bed before

lay the table, (or an egg), I have laid the table, the table has been laid, I'm laying the table

prescribe is to lay down as a rule to be followed (Macquarie) ... proscribe is to forbid, denounce or condemn. So '...development can only take place under certain proscribed circumstances...' doesn't make sense.

one fell swoop