How do you style the first letter of words for games and similar entertainment? The default setting is lowercase, though of course there are exceptions. Names of card games are lowercased except for words normally capitalized, thus poker, but “Texas hold ’em.” Names for other games of chance, whether more or less “legitimate” ones like … Read more
Capitalization style for words and phrases related to legislation and international agreements is fairly straightforward, but here are some notes about treatment: Constitutions The phrase “US Constitution” (or “United States Constitution,” though the form with initials alone is sufficient) should be capitalized as such, as should names of state constitutions (“the California Constitution,” for example), … Read more
When it comes to names of comestibles and beverages, whether to capitalize proper names that are part of their names can give one indigestion. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary tends to uppercase such terms — though it often (but not always) advises that capitalization is not necessary — but The Chicago Manual of Style recommends lowercase forms. … Read more
When you write a number that will appear in print or online, do you use figures, or spell it out? If you want to follow an authoritative source to produce professional-looking content, the answer is both more complicated and simpler than you think. (We already covered part of this topic with the article “10 Rules … Read more
Let’s talk about the dos and don’ts of contractions, ’k? (But first, this note: This punctuation mark is the same as the one used for apostrophes. However, if you use smart, or curly, quotes, your word processing program will probably incorrectly render an apostrophe not preceded by a letter — as in the last word … Read more
Nomenclature for US government entities can be complicated. Here are some guidelines about how to style names of administrative jurisdictions, departments, and agencies: Name Versions The formal style for Cabinet-level departments is “the Department of State,” for example, though journalistic style often up-ends this form as, for instance, “the State Department.” Informally, a department may … Read more
North, south, east, west — when is capitalization best? Obviously, when the directional term is part of a current or historical proper name — for example, North Dakota and West Germany, respectively — capitalization is nonnegotiable. But many lesser-known geographical designations aren’t as obvious. Here’s a rundown of some examples: Four of Australia’s seven states … Read more
Some style guides recommend using en dashes in place of hyphens for a wide variety of uses, but The Chicago Manual of Style, the guidebook of record for most American publishing companies, advises a more limited set of applications. According to Chicago style, these sentences would all be written with hyphens, not en dashes: “He … Read more
What type of markers or emphasis should a writer give to signal that a character’s thoughts are unspoken? Though some people disagree, the consensus is that they should be enclosed in quotation marks as if they were said aloud: 1. “She surveyed the shambles of her room and thought, ‘Where do I start?’” This mode … Read more
Determining whether to refer to geological and astronomical terms with initial uppercase or lowercase letters can be a challenge, because various publications and publishers differ on capitalization style. The following guidelines, however, appear to predominate: Names of geological time spans are capitalized, but the terms for the magnitude of duration (eons, eras, periods, epochs, and … Read more
Civil titles (Mr., Mrs., and Ms.) — have become largely archaic and superfluous in written communication, and Dr. is usually unnecessary, too — and, in the case of someone who earned a doctorate, is often seen as a disingenuous affectation. (When necessary, follow the person’s name with PhD instead). A doctor with a medical degree … Read more
To slang, or not to slang? First, it’s important to make a distinction between slang and genre dialect. If you’re writing crime noir set during the Depression, your readers are going to expect some gaudy patter about gats and dames and gin joints. And if your novel is set in the Old West, there’s going … Read more