Reader's question:

I don't like this solution. It leaves too many loose ends.

Could you explain “loose ends”?

My comments:

Grab a piece of worn-out clothes and you’ll see what a “loose end” is. By the edges of any piece of threadbare clothing, there are loose threads hanging – these are loose ends.

Metaphorically speaking, loose ends are any minor unresolved problem that leaves a bigger project unfinished or incomplete.

In news writing, journalists must guard against loose ends, too – in this case, introducing new topics or pointers without elaborating on them later.

Open a topic, close a topic lest you leave readers dangling in the air, wondering what nonsense you’re talking about.

Related stories:

Nose-bleed section

Off the rails

Drag one's feet

Keeping up with the Jones's

Benefits package

Closed-door talk

March Madness

On-again,off-again

Go to Zhang Xin's column

本文仅代表作者本人观点，与本网立场无关。欢迎大家讨论学术问题，尊重他人，禁止人身攻击和发布一切违反国家现行法律法规的内容。

About the author:

Zhang Xin has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.