What is wrong with this lede?
To save the life of
a dog, 22-year-old Scott Forsythe lost his life in a car crash just 15
minutes before his wedding this morning.
If you
read this lede literally, it's this: you're saying this man died 15
minutes before his wedding. You're suggesting his wedding took place
(all "Weekend at Bernie's"-style, perhaps).
But that's not what you meant. What you meant was, he died 15 minutes before his wedding was to take place this morning.
If that's what you meant, then that's what you should have written.
Make sure you say what you mean, and mean what you say. Don't leave room for any misinterpretations. Be precise.
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