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RSA 601:1 (2001), which must be considered in conjunction with Part I, Article 15 of the New Hampshire Constitution, requires that a person be indicted by the grand jury before he or she may be tried for any offense punishable by imprisonment in excess of one year.

If the defendant had been indicted only for attempted burglary as a principal, the State would have been required to allege in the indictment and prove at trial the specific act committed in furtherance of the attempt.

Attempt is an inchoate crime, see State v. Bean, 117 N.H. 185, 187, 371 A.2d 1152, 1153 (1977), that is considered a substantive offense in and of itself, see State v. Harper, 126 N.H. 815, 818, 498 A.2d 310, 313 (1985).

The incorrect statutory reference was merely an error of form, not requiring abatement of the indictment.

“In State v. Bean, 117 N.H. 185, 188, 371 A.2d 1152, 1153-54 (1977), this court held that this provision should be considered in conjunction with part I, article 15 of the New Hampshire Constitution, which provides that ‘[n]o subject shall be held to answer for any crime, or offense, until the same is fully and plainly, substantially and formally

State v. Bean, 117 N.H 185, 188, 371 A.2d 1152, 1153 (1977); State v. Inselburg, 114 N.H. 824, 827, 330 A.2d 457, 459 (1974); R. McNamara, 1 New Hampshire Practice, Criminal Practice and Procedure § 310, at 121-24 (Supp. 1988) and § 474, at 314-15 (1980).

” State v. Inselburg, 114 N.H. 824, 827, 330 A.2d 457, 459 (1974) (citations omitted); that is, “so that he can prepare for trial,” State v. Rousten, 84 N.H. 140, 143, 146 A. 870, 872 (1929) (citation omitted), quoted in State v. Ball, supra at 63, 132 A.2d at 145; see State v. Thresher, 122 N.H. 63, 70, 442 A.2d 578, 581 (1982); State v. Bean, 117 N.H. 185, 188, 371 A.2d 1152, 1153-54 (1977).

In State v. Bean, 117 N.H. 185, 188, 371 A.2d 1152, 1153-54 (1977), this court held that this provision should be considered in conjunction with part I, article 15 of the New Hampshire Constitution, which provides that “[n]o subject shall be *519 held to answer for any crime, or offense, until the same is fully and plainly, substantially and forma

reversed for any error or mistake where the person or case may be rightly understood by the court, nor through any defect or want of form....” *706 While any allegation which constitutes an element of the offense must be considered part of the substance of the indictment, State v. Bean, 117 N.H. 185, 188, 371 A.2d 1152, 1153 (1977), it is well settled that amendments as to time are not substantive unless time is of the essence of the offense charged.

The defendant cites State v. Bean, 117 N.H. 185, 371 A.2d 1152 (1977), for the proposition that the State must allege “both an intent to commit and an overt act,” id.

The defendant argues that the offense of being an accomplice is an inchoate one, and that, therefore, the information must be specific.

RSA 601:8 (“Formal Errors, etc.”) is not applicable as it sets forth the rule for amending an indictment as to matters of form and not substance.

State v. Bean, 117 N.H. 185, 188-89, 371 A.2d 1152, 1153-54 (1977); State v. Panichas, 107 N.H. 359, 361, 222 A.2d 211, 213 (1966).

Although the indictments describe the offenses in the words of the statute, we have repeatedly held that this alone “ ‘does not always meet the constitutional requirements that a fair and full description of the offense must be alleged.’ ” State v. Bean, 117 N.H. 185, 187—88, 371 A.2d 1152, 1153 (1977), quoting State v. Gilbert, 89 N.H. 134, 194 A. 728 (1937).

...” [2 — 5] An indictment or information “must inform the defendant of the offense for which he is charged with sufficient specificity so that he knows what he must be prepared to meet and so that he is protected from being twice put in jeopardy.” State v. Bean, 117 N.H. 185, 188, 371 A.2d 1152, 1154 (1977); State v. Inselburg, 114 N.H. 824, 827, 330 A.2d 457, 459 (1974).