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ASK THE EDITOR Vol. 2, Issue 3 May/June 2001 http://kevinorf.tripod.com ----- IN THIS ISSUE: A MATTER OF STYLE - NOTE FROM THE EDITOR - A MATTER OF STYLE - ASK THE EDITOR QUESTIONS - QUOTES - QUESTIONS FOR READERS - PREVIOUS READER REPLIES ----- NOTE FROM THE EDITOR I've been receiving a lot of interesting questions from readers lately that relate to gray areas of style that aren't readily answered by style manuals.
These questions raise the larger question: What do we do when we come across an issue that isn't exactly covered in a style manual? In this issue, we'll tell you what to do.
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Sincerely, "The Editor" ----- A MATTER OF STYLE If a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, as Emerson suggests, then the arbiters of the English language must have very large minds indeed.
We'd all like to believe there's a single, definitive reference on style and usage that will settle all bar room bets, but we know better. Do we put a comma before a conjunction in a simple series? No, according to The Associated Press Stylebook; yes, according to The Chicago Manual of Style. It's interesting to note that in a study of twenty English usage guides, Thomas Creswell found no consistency among the works except for small sets of items in small numbers of the books he examined.
Fortunately for most writers and editors, common issues are answered by selecting a style manual and sticking to it. Most journalists and business communicators abide by AP style, while scientific and book publishers swear by The Chicago Manual.
What do you do, however, if you encounter a style issue that your style manual doesn't address? Here are a couple of ideas:
- First, check "house" style. Many organizations have their own house style manual. These range from a laundry list of how to abbreviate or capitalize common words specific to a business or industry to comprehensive manuals that address every aspect of style. In organizations that have their own style manual, house style supersedes the reference book that has been selected, although the two likely complement each other.
- If the issue isn't addressed in either the house style manual or the preferred style manual, check an alternate style manual. For example, if your organization uses Chicago but it doesn't provide a reasonable answer, check AP.
- Ask yourself whether you are asking the right question. You may find it difficult, for example, to find an answer to a question you have about capitalizing a certain kind of word in a heading. But you may be able to address your issue by separating it in two and following the individual rules for capitalization and headings.
- With apologies to Mr. Emerson, be consistent. If you can't find a rule that exactly matches your needs, just make sure you address it consistently throughout your publication. You may want to consider adding the issue to your house style manual.
- Above all, consider your reader. Whichever style rules you follow, make sure they contribute to the uniformity of reading ease.
- And don't forget to get the latest editions of style manuals, which are updated to address the current needs of writers and editors, for example, citing a Web page.
----- ASK THE EDITOR QUESTIONS Q. How do I punctuate the following bulleted list? Do I include a colon or no colon after "students'"?
Selection for promotion to second-year studios is competitive. Criteria for promotion include an assessment of students’ - GPA in the foundations studio sequence - GPA in non-studio first-year courses including mathematics, communication/English, history and digital design - portfolio review
Bob Schorr
A. Bulleted lists are a sticky wicket, as everyone seems to deal with this issue somewhat differently, and most style guides don't offer much help. When working with a client, I always check the house style first to see how bullets are handled. If it's not covered there, I look at how they've handled them in past publications. The main thing is to be consistent.
Here are some general principles:
- Follow the rules for punctuation as you would with any other sentence. For example, colons should always follow an independent clause, as in this example:
I like many flavors of ice cream including the following: - chocolate, - mint, and - strawberry. (You'll see this rule violated quite a bit, especially in marketing copy, for example, "I like many flavors of ice cream including: …")
- Or drop the colon when the list is introduced by a dependent clause:
I like many flavors of ice cream including - chocolate, - mint, and - strawberry.
- Capitalize the bulleted item only if it is a complete sentence:
He has many qualities that will make him a fine leader: - He likes ice cream. - He's generous with his ice cream. - His employees like ice cream.
- Notice in the previous example that when bulleted items are complete sentences, they are followed by periods. When they are not, they can be followed by commas as in the former examples, or left open, as in this example:
I like many flavors of ice cream including the following: - chocolate - mint - strawberry
- Semicolons can also be used in bulleted items for clarification:
When she arrived, all she had with her was - a purse containing a comb, a wallet, and a dollar bill; - photos of her sons, John, Tony, and Will; and - her violin.
"The Editor"
Q. I know you have to capitalize the schools/colleges like the College of Arts and Sciences, but what about departments? My feeling is that no you don't capitalize them. Am I right? For example:
All course credits acceptable for transfer must be approved by the chair of the Department of Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics.
When I asked other people in my department, they said, "It depends on the style you want to use." In other words, "I have no idea."
Andy Mayfield
A: Well, your colleagues aren't necessarily wrong. As discussed above, find out if your organization has a house style manual. This should be followed first, even if the style isn't conventional. For example, I have a client that capitalizes titles when they are not used immediately before a name, even though this runs contrary to commonly accepted styles.
If your house style doesn't have a rule on this, check the style manual you use. AP, for example, says to lowercase academic departments except for words that are proper nouns or adjectives, for example, the history department, the English department.
"The Editor" ----- QUOTES "Style has no fixed laws; it is changed by the usage of the people, never the same for any length of time." Seneca
"This morning I deleted the hyphen from 'hell-hound' and made it one word; this afternoon I redivided it and restored the hyphen." Edwin Arlington Robinson
"All morning I worked on the proof of one of my poems, and I took out a comma; in the afternoon I put it back." Oscar Wilde
------ QUESTIONS FOR READERS Which style manual do you use? Why? Do you have a house style manual? What does it consist of? ----- PREVIOUS READER REPLIES "How many times do you revise or rewrite your headlines?"
Funny you should ask... I have recently begun free associating headlines and coming up with some good ones almost by accident. The one I like best from my foray into this kind of headline writing is "Tapping sap brings sweet rewards"--it was a feature story on a maple syrup festival where visitors would be allowed/taught to make maple syrup through the entire process.
I tend to jot down words, phrases, ideas to get the ball rolling. Then I write them up as possible heads, then I pick the one that works best, fits the space, or seems catchiest. That's all for a newspaper. For my journals and newsletters, I do the same kinds of things, but I'm not as free to be creative with some of what I do.
Thanks. Patricia Sullivan Managing Editor, Sherwood Group
That's great advice! I also like to free associate key words. A favorite of mine I did recently for a client was this: "Spin Doctor: Traction Management System Provides Perfect Remedy for Tire Spin."
"The Editor"
Thanks for your very helpful answer on hyphenations. As I get older with more years in the business, this area, along with capitalization and others, seems to get more confusing and debatable for some strange reason.
Regards, Dave Prichard IMC Global ----- Stumped by a style issue or perplexed by a punctuation problem? In each issue, I answer a question submitted by a reader. Send your question today! ***** Copyright 2001 Kevin Orfield Need an immediate quote on a writing project? Or need an estimate for a customized business writing seminar? Call a writing consultant you can depend on. Kevin Orfield, MA Writing Consultant 262-236-0110 Fax: 262-236-0120
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