A suspended ceiling comprising SUSPENDED metal runners in a horizontal plane, the runners each having a horizontal flange having an effective vertical thickness, a plurality of rectangular drywall sheets aligned crosswise to the runners and screwed to the flanges with ends of the drywall sheets forming butt joints midway between adjacent runners, boards overlying butt joints and adjacent flanges, the boards being substantially stiffer than the drywall sheets, whereby the drywall sheet ends are drawn up towards an upper level of the flanges when screwed against the overlying board so that a pseudo taper is formed on the drywall sheet ends.