Editorial Standards: Punctuation
Apostrophe
6.1 - In making the plural of figures, do not use an apostrophe.
The early 1900s
The late '60s
6.2 - Punctuate year of college classes with an apostrophe.
Class of '71
John White, '23
6.3 - Master's degree should always be written with an 's. Never write masters degree or masters' degrees.
Colon
6.4 - Follow a statement that introduces a direct quotation of one or more paragraphs with a colon. Also, use a colon after as follows or the following.
6.5 - Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence.
He promised this: The university will make good all the losses.
But: There were three considerations: expense, time, and feasibility.
6.6 - Colons can be used for emphasis.
He has only one hobby: eating.
6.7 - Use a comma to introduce a direct quotation of one sentence that remains within a paragraph. Use a colon to introduce longer quotations within a paragraph and to end a paragraph that introduces another paragraph of quoted material.
6.8 - Do not combine a dash and a colon.
Comma
6.9 - Use a comma before the words and or or in a series of three or more words, phrases, or clauses.
The workshop will be presented by the Career Center, Psychology Department, and Social Work Department.
6.10 - Place a comma after digits signifying thousands, except when reference is made to temperature or year.
1,850 students
4600 degrees
the year 2001
6.11 - Introductory words such as namely, i.e., and e.g. should be preceded by a comma and followed by a comma.
6.12 - When listing names with cities or states, punctuate as follows:
George Andrews, Boston, president; Carol Green, Detroit, vice president; etc.
6.13 - Place commas after both the city and state in a sentence.
He moved to Frederick, Md., to start a new job.
6.14 - When writing a date, place a comma after the day and after the year.
July 4, 1776, is the date the Declaration of Independence was signed.
6.15 - Do not place a comma between the month and year when the day is not mentioned.
He graduated in May 1994.
6.16 - Use a comma to separate an introductory phrase or clause from a main clause.
When he had tired of the mad pace of city living, he moved to rural Virginia.
The comma may be omitted after short introductory phrases if no ambiguity would result.
During the night he heard many noises.
But use the comma if its omission would slow comprehension.
On the street below, the curious gathered.
6.17 - When a conjunction such as and, but, or for links two clauses that could stand alone as separate sentences, use a comma before the conjunction.
He wanted to go to the party, but he did not feel well.
But use no comma if the clauses cannot stand alone as separate sentences.
He wanted to go to the party but did not feel well.
As a rule of thumb, use a comma if the subject of each clause is expressly stated.
We are visiting Gallaudet, and we also plan a side trip to Baltimore.
But use no comma when the subject of the two clauses is the same and is not repeated in the second clause.
We are visiting Gallaudet and also plan a side trip to Baltimore.
6.18 - Do not use a comma at the start of an indirect or partial quotation.
He said that his victory put him "firmly on the road to a first-ballot nomination."
6.19 - Use a comma before and after Jr. or Sr. in a name. Do not use a comma (or period) for II or III.
Dr. Edward C. Merrill, Jr., was Gallaudet's fourth president.
Edward C. Merrill III accepted a citation recognizing his father's service.
Dash
6.20 - Use a dash to denote an abrupt change in thought in a sentence or an emphatic pause.
We will fly to Trinidad in June-if I get a raise.
Boswell offered a plan-it was unprecedented-to increase donations.
6.21 - When a phrase that otherwise would be set off by commas contains a series of words that must be separated by commas, use dashes to set off the full phrase.
He listed the qualities-intelligence, charm, beauty, independence-that he liked in women.
Do not add spaces before or after the dashes.
Ellipsis
6.22 - Use an ellipsis to indicate the deletion of one or more words in condensing quotes, texts, and documents. Be especially careful to avoid deletions that would distort the meaning. Leave one regular space on both sides of an ellipsis.
I … tried to do what was best.
When an ellipsis is used after the end of a sentence to indicate deleted material, use a period, followed by a space and then the ellipsis.
From President Nixon's resignation speech: "In all the decisions I have made in my public life, I have always tried to do what was best for the nation. …
When deleting words from the end of a sentence, add the space and ellipsis, followed by a period.
However, it has become evident to me that I no longer have a strong enough political base ...."
Hyphen
6.23 - In general, do not hyphenate prefixes unless they are combined with a capitalized word or if there is a possibility of misunderstanding or mispronouncing.
bicultural
cosponsor
midsemester
nontechnical
nonrefundable
preschool
postsecondary
reuse
6.24 - Do use a hyphen if the following word is capitalized.
Pre-College Programs
Pro-American
6.25 - Use the nonhyphenated spelling of a word if either spelling is acceptable. If in doubt, check the dictionary.
6.26 - Use hyphens sparingly with compound adjectives. Hyphenate primarily to avoid confusion of meaning or to help readers grasp the thought quickly.
cost of living index
balance of payments issueBut:
old-furniture dealer
first-class treatment
Hyphenate most modifiers ending in ing or ed.
Law-abiding citizen
Agreed-upon rules
When compounds follow the noun they modify, however, they appear without a hyphen.
law-abiding citizen
The citizen was law abidingagreed-upon rules
The rules were agreed upon in advance.fund-raising program
Fund raising is her job.
6.27 - Hyphenate part-time and full-time when used as adjectives, and hyphenate any modifying word combined with well.
She has a part-time job.
But she works part-time.Well-built engine
Well-rounded person
6.28 - Do not use the hyphen to connect an adverb ending in ly with a participle.
Newly married couple
Elegantly furnished house
6.29 - Do not hyphenate the words hard of hearing.
6.30 - Hyphenate closed captioned, on campus, and off campus only when used as a compound adjective to modify a noun.
They watched a closed-captioned program on T.V.
But the program was closed captioned.Three hundred people attended the off-campus event.
But the event was held off campus.
6.31 - Hyphenate ages used as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun.
The 12-year-old girl ran home.
But the girl is 12 years old.The race is for 3-year-olds.
The dance class is for 8- to 10-year-olds.
Leave a space between the first hyphen and to, and between to and the next number.
6.32 - In general, hyphenate numbers and letters used to form modifiers.
A three-week vacation
Sixth-grade teacher
A 24-hour day
Exceptions to this rule include modifiers using money or the word percent.
A $10 million project
A 5 percent increase
Period
6.33 - Letter symbols of degrees, such as B.S., M.A., or Ph.D., and the national abbreviations U.S. and U.S.A., should be capitalized and written with periods. However, USA is an acceptable alternative, particularly in tabular matter.
Use no periods with MSW or LCSW.
6.34 - Alphabetical abbreviations of groups, organizations, or laws-such as NAD, NICD, or ADA should be capitalized and written without periods or space.
6.35 - Place a period outside a closing parenthesis if the material inside is not a sentence (such as this phrase).
(An independent sentence inside parentheses, such as this one, takes a period before the closing parentheses.)
Quotation marks
6.36 - Use single quotation marks for quotations printed within other quotations.
6.37 - Use single quotation marks in headlines.
6.38 - Use double quotation marks for photo captions.
6.39 - If several paragraphs are to be quoted, use quotation marks at the beginning of each paragraph, but at the end of the last paragraph only.
6.40 - Set quotation marks outside periods and commas and inside colons and semicolons. Quotation marks should be set inside exclamation points and question marks that are not part of the quotation.
6.41 - No quotation marks are necessary in printing interviews when the name of the speaker is given first or in reports of testimony when the words question and answer or Q and A are used.
Q: Who is eligible for the program?
A: Full-time faculty…Jones: When will the committee meet?
James: On the second Thursday of the month.
6.42 - Use quotation marks for all titles of articles, chapters, divisions of a publication, short stories, poems, songs, and television or radio programs.
6.43 - Use brackets when adding editorial explanations within a direct quote or to enclose parenthetical matter within matter already included in parentheses.
"I've seen (employees) here as late as 9:30 p.m.," he said.
This Po River country was called Cisalphine Gaul (Gaul on this side [i.e., Italian side] of the Alps) because there was another Gaul on the other side of the Alps (Transalpine [trans-al-pin] Gaul).
Semicolons
6.44 - Use semicolons to separate items in a series when individual parts contain commas.
The new offices are Marvin Smith, president; Jane Doe, vice president; and James Schultz, treasurer.
6.45 - Use a semicolon in compound sentences when no connecting conjunction is present.
The letter was due last week; it arrived on Tuesday.
6.46 - Use a semicolon before a conjunctive adverb that connects two main clauses.
I'll try to attend the meeting; however, I may be late because I have a doctor's appointment.
6.47 - Place semicolons outside quotation marks.
