HI-LIGHTS I

Common style issues

Time

Use figures for numbersUse a.m. and p.m.

The car ran through the red light at 4:17 p.m. Paige took Noodles for a walk at 3:15 a.m.

Use a hyphen (-) for time ranges The class runs from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Dates

Abbreviate names of months over 5 letters only when using a specific day February is the shortest month. School resumes in September. March weather generally sucks.

No nd, rd, or st (March 3, not March 3rd) Monday, April 5 Friday, Sept. 13

Use a hyphen (-) for date ranges May 3-9 Nov. 14-16

Money

Use the dollar sign ($) in all except casual references or amounts without a figure I paid $9 for the book The toy robot cost $3.79

Use commas every three spaces She paid $1,000 for her car. His house cost $1,259,000.

Referring to people

Use title and first and last name for first reference. Tomorrow sophomore Candi Dish will perform with her

Swedish black metal band Buckets of Blood. According to philosophy teacher Plato Isfun, it’s best to

use questions to help people solve their problems.For the second and subsequent references, use

the last name only Dish is looking forward to rocking. “Questions are the bomb,” said Isfun.

Two people with the same last name? The same rule applies, only on the second and

subsequent references, use only the first name.

Adviser, Advisor

Adviser, NOT advisor Student council has announced Matt Floor as its new

adviser. Remember, alphabetical order!

Initials

The first time you reference a group or something else that commonly goes by initials, write the title and then include its initials/acronym in parentheses The Student Support Group (SSG) meets on Fridays

during lunch. This year, SSG hopes to double its membership, said President junior Victor E. Ismine.

EXCEPTION Commonly recognized organizations – CIA, FBI, etc.

Commas

Use after introductory phrasing Using introductory participial phrases, Larry

impressed his friends. After the game, the players went out for ice cream.

Do not use a comma before the last item in a list. Hector needs to buy goats, lemons and puzzles. Dan followed the leader, won the game and patched

the hole in the ozone layer. We ate liver, cheese and green eggs and ham.

Names in groups

Introduce first by class (seniors to freshmen)Alphabetize by last nameReturning letter winners include seniors John

Ashford, Lennie Cayman and Phil Fuller, juniors Ron Livingston and Paul McCartney, sophomores Fred Bimmler, Jason Slater, Don Torrance and Wendell Zimkowski and freshmen Dennis Carter and Larry Wydell.