Help:Style Guide

Accepted Guides

• The Chicago Manual of Style (17th Edition) is our main style guide.
• Merriam Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary is our source for spelling.
• Rules may be borrowed from the AV Style Guide and documented herein.

If a rule conflicts with what is generated by standard wiki markup, and if overcoming that standard markup would result in extra work, consider using the wiki convention and documenting that here.

Exceptions

• Numbers
  • Use CMOS Alternate Rule:
    • ”Many publications, including those in scientific or journalistic contexts, follow the simple rule of spelling out only single-digit numbers and using numerals for all others (but see 9.7). Most of the exceptions to the general rule (9.2) also apply to this alternative rule. Round multiples of hundreds, thousands, and hundred thousands, however, are typically expressed as numerals when the alternative rule is in force (cf. 9.4).”

READ THIS FIRST

The Chicago Manual of Style (17th Edition) is JFA's main style guide; therefore, most of JFA’s style will not be listed here. However, since this page lists both a) style decisions unique to JFA and b) all the ways in which JFA’s style deliberately diverts from the CMOS, this page always takes first priority.

• For spelling, use the first spelling entry in the online Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary. This can be found (with subscription) by traveling to http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/ and selecting Collegiate via the Reference drop-down menu. Exceptions are listed below, in the TERMINOLOGY section.

• If that dictionary doesn’t contain a term or all a term's necessary information (e.g., spelling for plurals, verb endings, etc.), consult the online Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (also requiring subscription) via the same link but with Unabridged selected in the drop-down menu.

Bold text examples represent the correct way to style text. Non-bold text examples (which generally appear beneath bold ones) represent incorrect ways to style text.

PUNCTUATION

Apostrophes

• Use curly apostrophes, not straight ones
  • I can’t believe you don’t like seitan!
  • I can't believe you don't like seitan!

Colons

• Using a colon after an introductory sentence fragment
  • If what comes after the colon is a full sentence, capitalize after the colon
    • Note: These are words.
    • Note: these are words.
  • If what comes after the colon is not a full sentence, lowercase after the colon
    • Example: sheep.
    • Example: Sheep.

Commas

• Use a comma before “too” (when meaning “also")
  • And we want to see you there, too!
  • And we want to see you there too!
  • And you, too, are appreciated.
  • And you too are appreciated.
  • Don’t waste too much time!
  • Don’t waste, too much time!
• Use a comma before “either” (when appropriate)
  • We shouldn’t waste time, either.
  • We shouldn’t waste time either.
  • I can’t tell if either is joking.
  • I can’t tell if, either is joking.
• Use a comma before “also” (when appropriate)
  • We’ll be stopping in New York, also.
  • We’ll be stopping in New York also.
  • We’ll also be stopping in New York.
  • We’ll, also be stopping in New York.
• Do not use a comma before “as well”
  • I need a mask as well.
  • I need a mask, as well.

Ellipses

• Use them sparingly
• Use an unspaced ellipsis character (ALT+0133)…
  • at the end of a complete sentence that is trailing off
    • Speciesism has seen its end…
    • Speciesism has seen its end….
    • Speciesism has seen its end. . .
    • Speciesism has seen its end . . .
    • Speciesism has seen its end...
  • at the end of an incomplete sentence that is trailing off
    • But I don’t think we…
    • But I don’t think we....
    • But I don’t think we. . .
    • But I don’t think we . . .
    • But I don’t think we...
  • at the beginning of a sentence that has an initial dramatic pause
    • We are AV. …Expect us.
    • We are AV…Expect us.
    • We are AV. ….Expect us.
    • We are AV….Expect us.
    • We are AV. . . .Expect us.
    • We are AV . . . Expect us.
    • We are AV. ...Expect us.
    • We are AV...Expect us.
  • in the middle of a sentence when a distinct pause is desired
    • It’s time…that we got serious.
    • It’s time….that we got serious.
    • It’s time. . .that we got serious.
    • It’s time . . . that we got serious.
    • It’s time...that we got serious.
    • It’s time … that we got serious.
    • It’s time… that we got serious.
    • It’s time …that we got serious.

Exclamation points

• Never use more than a single exclamation point in a row
  • Let’s make some vegans!
  • Let’s make some vegans!!
  • Let’s make some vegans!!!
  • Let’s make some vegans!!!!!!!!!!

Multiple punctuation marks

• Use “?!” and never “!?”
  • What do you mean?!
  • What do you mean!?
  • What do you mean?!!
  • What do you mean!??

Question marks

• Never use more than a single question mark in a row
  • Who’s ready to make history?
  • Who’s ready to make history??
  • Who’s ready to make history???

Quotation marks

• Use curly quotation marks (the default for Google Docs), not straight ones
  • I said, “I’ll never miss a Cube.”
  • I sad, "I’ll never miss a Cube."