Punctuation and formatting - Writing Style Guide

Étienne Bök, professor in the Schulich School of Business
François Rhéaume, professor of linguistics at Glendon
Professor Harpin was raised in Trois-Rivières, Que.
French studies Professor Véronique Duval
Groupe de recherches en études francophones is the name of the French-language press based at Glendon College.
York professors attended a conference at the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie in Germany.

Use when part of an official name: H&R Block, AT&T and in expressions such as B&B (bed and breakfast).

Use when part of the name of a Faculty, school, department, program or centre. Write out “and” in all other instances, including job titles.

Use the apostrophe before an “s” to indicate the possessive (i.e. something that is of or belonging to something else – the graduating class of York).

York’s graduating class

If something is descriptive rather than possessive, it does not take an apostrophe (the guide for students, the college for teachers, the outfielder for the Jays).

students guide
teachers college
Jays outfielder

Singular and plural nouns not ending in "s" take an apostrophe and "s" to form the possessive case.

father's pipe, women's health, people's food

Plural nouns ending in “s” take an apostrophe alone.

teachers' apples, the two peoples' history, the Joneses' daughter
The students’ grades will be posted.

Singular nouns and names ending in "s" (or an s sound) normally take an 's.

Chris's sandwich, Burgess's novel, the witness's testimony
The Schulich School of Business’s faculty members

But names of two or more syllables that end with a "z" or "eez" sound often take only an apostrophe.

Lansens' foot, Socrates' plays
Professor Bridget Jenkins’ research

Note: “s” followed by an apostrophe reads awkwardly, so it might be better to rewrite the sentence.

Grades will be posted.
Research by Professor Bridget Jenkins.

Use an apostrophe with plurals of lowercase letters.

Mind your p’s and q’s.
Dot the i’s and cross the t’s.

Capital letters and numbers have no apostrophe before plural “s” (unless you need one to avoid ambiguity).

She got straight As.
We teach the three Rs.
The 1960s was a decade of rapid growth for York University.
A’s in math and physics are hard to come by.

(See the Numbers and Dates and times sections.)

Do not use an apostrophe with the possessive pronoun “its.”

The program is in its third year.

Use an apostrophe with the contraction meaning “it is.”

It’s a difficult course.

Use an apostrophe to indicate the omission of letters of figures.

she'd, couldn't, rock 'n' roll, the early '30s, the class of '80

Use brackets sparingly when other punctuation won’t do the job.

Use regular brackets (parentheses) to indicate a separate thought or expression within a sentence.

She taught the statistics course (one of the toughest in the curriculum) for 15 years.

Regular brackets can be used to offer an explanation or definition of a term or an acronym that is to be repeated within the text.

The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) has honoured two York professors. This year’s teaching award recipients were announced by OCUFA officials at the spring meeting.

Use regular brackets to enclose a York grad’s degree details.

David Coombs (BA ’72, PhD ’78) retired in 2004 after 27 years as a stockbroker.

If a punctuation mark applied to the whole sentence, put the mark after the closing bracket. If a punctuation mark applies only to the words inside the parenthetical section, put the mark inside the closing bracket.

In general, a parenthetical sentence takes a capital only if it is a direct quotation.

Use brace or square brackets within a direct quote to indicate words of explanation that are not actually part of the original quotation.

“Those enrolling in it [the master’s program] should know that the requirement is six full credits and a thesis,” said Jones.

Avoid nested parentheses ([ ]), square brackets inside round brackets, whenever possible. (The exception being honorary degrees.)

Use a colon, rather than a comma, to introduce a direct quotation longer than a short sentence.

Use a colon to introduce a list, an example or a question.

Use colons in question-and-answer formats and for interviews. Quotation marks are not used.

Generally, do not capitalize the first letter of a sentence that follows a colon, unless it’s a word that would always be capitalized.

In a short series (list), use commas after each item but not before the final conjunction unless that avoids confusion.

Students will need books, pencils and rulers.

With a long or complex series (list), use semicolons.

His main research areas include: 20th century literature and criticism; aesthetics of criticism in the postmodern era; deconstructionist criticism and French literature; and theatre history for set designers.

(See the Lists section.)

In a quotation, commas and periods always go inside quotation marks; colons and semicolons outside. The question mark and exclamation mark go inside the quotations when they apply to the quoted matter only; outside when they apply to the entire sentence. (See Quotations section.)

“We need to recruit the best students we possibly can,” he said.
The Registrar’s Office announced that the changes would be “retroactive.”

With a long, descriptive title, put commas after the name and job description.

EJ Janse van Rensburg, interim dean of the Faculty of Science, spoke at the meeting.
Patrice Blanchard, federal minister of immigration, visited York.

With degrees and long descriptive phrases, put a comma between the name, the degree and the phrase.

George Nelson, BA, MA, PhD, won a gold medal.
Alice Johnson, PhD, a pioneer in genetic engineering, is a York graduate.

When writing a specific date that includes the day of the week, put a comma between the weekday and the month.

Friday, Aug. 5

If abbreviating the weekday (but avoid), remove the comma.

Fri. Aug. 5

Use a comma before a list beginning in e.g. and before etc. at the end of a list. If there is no list, there is no need for a comma before etc.

The walls were painted in a variety of colours, e.g. blue, green, peach, ivory, etc.
The abbreviated form ibid. is in more general use in bibliographies etc.

Use a comma before a list or clause beginning with i.e.

Abbreviations are helpful when taking notes in a lecture, i.e. they can save you time and space.

The dash should not be confused with the hyphen. A hyphen is used to break a word over two lines, or to join two compound words.

At York, we do not use the em-dash (long dash). For typesetting purposes, we use the en-dash (middle-length dash) as an em-dash, to set off mid-sentence lists or explanations. This dash can be used instead of a pair of commas, or instead of a colon.

Anything that would typically require an en-dash (joining inclusive numerals, attaching a prefix or a suffix to an unhyphenated compound or joining the names of two or more places) will get a hyphen instead.

ABLE York – an organization that promotes the rights of students with disabilities – is hosting the event.
or
ABLE York, an organization that promotes the rights of students with disabilities, is hosting the event.

Use dashes to set lists apart from the rest of the sentence.

The visitors will discuss common problems – trade, tourism, immigration and defence – before the conference is over.

Use dashes when commas (generally preferable) would create confusion.

The pies – meat and fruit – were cheap.

Use a dash to mark a sharp break in a word or sentence

“I’ve been laughed at, ignored – but I’m boring you.”

Write dashes with a space before and after.

Write specific dates within the body of a text as follows, abbreviating the month.

Saturday, Sept. 19, 2018

When writing specific dates, omit the year when referring to the year we’re in.

Wednesday, Nov. 25

Do not change the order of construction, e.g. do not use “Saturday, 19 Sept.”

For dates that are distant, omit the weekday.

Feb. 20, 2028

Note: The months of March, April, May, June and July are never abbreviated because the words are so short. They are instead written out in full.

May 9, 1985
Thursday, July 3, 1997

Don’t use ordinal indicators (the suffixes "st," "nd," "rd," "th") when writing dates.

Oct. 12 not Oct. 12th or Oct. 12^th

(See Ordinal indicators / superscript section.)

When writing approximate dates within the body of a text, spell out the month in full.

During December (month only)

Avoid commas when you are referring to a specific month within a specific year.

Starting in September 1999 (no comma, month spelled out in full, year listed numerically.)
The target for completion of the project is August 1999.

Use commas when you are referring to a specific month, day and year within a sentence.

Oct. 1, 2012, was a Friday. January 2015 was wet.

When writing about decades, use numbers.

The 1920s, the 1980s, the ’80s, the mid-1960s, the mid-’60s.

When writing about periods of time over years, a hyphen is used to connect dates except when preceded by “from” or “between.”

The 1982-83 tax year, from January to May (not from January-May), between 1970 and 1976 (not between 1970-76)

NOTE: Don’t drop the first two digits if the numbers are not the same: 1998-99, but 1998-2002.

When writing about centuries, as with numbers spell out the first nine as words, and use digits for 10 and above.

the fifth century
the 19th century

Hours are written numerically with no zeros.

9 a.m. (not 9:00 a.m.) 11 p.m. but 11:45 p.m.
noon (not 12 noon. The 12 is redundant.)

A range of times is written using the word “to” in text, but with a hyphen in tables.

The reception is scheduled from 8 to 11 p.m.
Reception, 8-11 p.m.

Note: The above rules for dates and times apply within the body of text. In calendars, tables, forms or graphs where space is extremely tight, short forms and figures can be used.

Nov. ’98 Dec. ’98 Jan. ’99

Also known as dot, dot, dot or ...

Three periods (...) comprise an ellipsis, with the addition of a fourth period to end a sentence. Ellipses are used to indicate omission of text. Put spaces before and after the periods.

In her letter of nomination, McDougall wrote, “Lynda Hoffer is one of the most exceptional chemistry students I have ever had ... exhibiting a keen love of learning.”
In condensing text, use an ellipsis at the beginning, inside or at the end of a sentence. If it is at the end, put the punctuation before the ellipsis. Hence four periods ends a sentence.
“The decision is clear…. The elected representatives have reached a concensus.”
“What is the answer?... We must strive harder.”

Headlines for websites should typically be about six words (fewer than 45 characters), intriguing readers into clicking into the story. A strong, active verb can help create a mental picture. Put it in the present tense.

Don't use a name-only reference with people who aren't well known.

Only the first letter in the first word of the headline is uppercase. All other words in the headline follow normal Canadian Press style for capitalization. However, the principal words of headlines are capped when they are quoted within the body of a story.

The usual rules on abbreviations apply, with some additions.

For Canadian provinces, it is OK to use B.C., P.E.I., N.B., N.L., N.S. and N.W.T. in all references (nouns and adjectives).
Sask., Alta., Ont., Man., Nvt. and Que. can also be used, but only if space constraints require it.
Don't shorten Yukon.
Do not load up a headline with numerous abbreviations.

Use numerals – 8 instead of eight, 1st instead of first, etc. – for numbers under 10.

Use % instead of per cent.

Use M, capped, for million after numeral.

$2M in funding.

Use single, not double, quotation marks in headlines. Only use quotation marks in a headline if it includes a direct quote.

Use a hyphen when you join two words to form an adjective. This eliminates confusion.

first-year course
full-time equivalent
third-year students
part-time studies
the government-mandated budget cut

Don’t use a hyphen when the meaning is clear and there is no ambiguity.

one half course
a full course
one half of the students

A hyphen should not be used to join a prefix to a root/base except to avoid doubling a vowel, tripling a consonant, duplicating a prefix or when the context is confusing or causes ambiguity.

antibiotic
antivirus
antiwar
antisemitic
ebook
email
postdoctoral
postgraduate

but

anti-inflation
anti-intellectual
anti-ageism
anti-racism
e-learning
e-reader
post-secondary

Use a hyphen with the prefix “re” where the word would otherwise be confusing.

re-entry
re-coiled the rope (as opposed to recoiled in horror)
re-covered a chair (as opposed to recovered from an illness)
re-examine

Adverbs ending in "ly" are not followed by a hypen. The "ly" alerts readers that the word that follows is modified: a brightly lit room, an eagerly awaited speech

Italicize the titles of books, journals, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, proceedings, collections, theses, dissertations, plays, movies, operas, oratorios, paintings, drawings, sculptures and other works of art.

YFile, York University's newsletter
The York University Magazine
Margaret Atwood’s novel Alias Grace
Jack Granatstein’s book Who Killed Canadian History?
The Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, the Edmonton Journal, the Toronto Sun.
Note: When the full title is not used, “the Sun” it is not italicized.

Some of the publications produced at York University include: Canada Watch, produced by the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies; Canadian Woman Studies, produced by the Centre for Feminist Research; and The York University Magazine, published by the Department of Strategic Communications.

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Frank Capra’s movie It’s a Wonderful Life, starring James Stewart
Handel’s Messiah
Rodin’s sculpture The Thinker
Voice of Fire, a painting by Barnett Newman
Ralph Beninger’s dissertation is titled Freud: The Dream Maker.

Note: When it comes to poetry, only epic poems are italicized. Regular short poems are set in quotation marks in the usual roman type.

Milton’s Paradise Lost (an epic poem) was written well after “On His Blindness.” (a short poem)

Do not italicize titles of articles, chapters in books, research project titles, short stories, regular poems, radio and television programs, lectures, papers read at meetings, manuscripts in collections. Instead, type them in roman type and set them inside quotation marks.

Peter Gzowski hosted his last episode of “Morningside” in 1997.
“My Son at the Seashore, Age Two” is one of the poems in the collection Forests of the Medieval World by York Professor Don Coles.
CBC Television’s program “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” is enormously popular.

Do not italicize songs, ships, aircraft or trains. Set in roman type and capitalize initials.

The song Sudbury Saturday Night is a classic by Stompin’ Tom Connors.
The staff party will take place on the Empire Sandy, which is docked at the foot of Bay Street.

Italicize foreign words and phrases, including Latin phrases.

Staff members gathered to say grazie and obrigado to the governments of Italy and Portugal for funding scholarships at York.
He received a doctor of laws honoris causa from York University.
York’s motto is tentanda via. (Note: do not capitalize the first letter except at the beginning of a sentence.)

There are three basic types of lists:

lists that contain only a few words in each item, not containing a full verb phrase;
lists of items that combine to form one giant sentence, each item completing the partial sentence interrupted by a semicolon; and
lists of items that are each at least one independent sentence.

Bullets are preferred except when the items in the list are to give the basic points that will be explained later in full. In this second case numbers or letters can be used, which will also be re-used consistently within the body where the explanation/expansion of each appears.

Type 1 – must be introduced by a grammatically complete sentence that introduces the coming list of nouns, noun phrases, etc. Items are brief, of only a few words (not a clause containing a verb). Each item begins with a lowercase and no punctuation follows.

York University has introduced several new programs for the academic year 1999-2000:

information technology
business and society
business economics
international studies

Type 2 – must be introduced by a grammatically incomplete sentence, and all items end with a semicolon except the final one, which has a period to end the sentence.

The students demanded that the government:

take steps to end corruption among party officials;
institute political reforms leading to more democracy and less authoritarianism; and
end martial law in the capital.

Type 3 – must be introduced by a grammatically complete sentence, often containing an anticipatory word tipping off the reader that a list is to follow.

The students made these demands:
The students listed several demands:
The students presented a long list of objectives:

These items are each at least one complete sentence. They can contain more than one sentence, but cannot run more than one paragraph, except possibly the final one. Each item begins with uppercase and ends with a period.

The students demanded the following of the government:
- A meeting will be arranged between the student executive and the administration within the next two months.
- Faculty and student executives will co-ordinate bimonthly meetings to continue developing funding initiatives.

Note: If the items are each too long and/or too complicated to match with either Type 2 or 3, the information is not suitable for bullets or numbered lists.

When to use bullets, numbers and letters:

Each item should be identified with a number if the list is introduced with a phrase such as: "There are three reasons..."
Items should be identified with numbers or letters if they will be expanded on and referred to in the text following. They must be consistent and clear when referencing the items given earlier.
For all other occasions, bullets should be used to identify each item.

Singular and plural nouns not ending in “s” take an apostrophe and “s” to form the possessive case.

Father’s pipe, women’s health, people’s food

Plural nouns ending in “s” take an apostrophe alone.

Teachers’ apples, the two peoples’ history, the Joneses’ daughter

Singular nouns and names ending in “s” (or an “s” sound) normally take an ’s.

Chris’s sandwich Burgess’s novel, the witness’s testimony

But names of two or more syllables that end with a “z” or “eez” sound often take only an apostrophe.

Lansens’ foot, Mars’ laws, Socrates’ plays

Names ending in a silent “s” or “x” take an ’s.

Duplessis’s cabinet, Francaix’s symphony

For company and institutional names, follow the organization’s preference.

If something is descriptive rather than possessive, it does not take an apostrophe.

hitchhikers guide
students council
teachers association

(See the Apostrophes section.)

Always use double quotation marks for speech except for in headlines and quotes within a quote.

Double quotation marks frame direct quotes. Anything inside them is assumed to be exactly what was said or written. Anything else inserted inside for clarification or explanation should be framed in square brackets. (See the Brackets section.)

He said, “We are working to improve it [the curriculum] over the summer.”
Periods and commas always go inside closing quotation marks; colons and semicolons go outside. The question mark and exclamation mark go inside the quote marks when they apply to the quoted matter only; outside when they apply to the entire sentence.

Single quotation marks indicate a quote or saying within a direct quotation.

“I don’t want the phrase ‘Those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach,’ to be seen to apply to the Faculty of Health,” said the new dean.
Do not use quotation marks to enclose slogans and headlines.
Do not use quotation marks around single letters.
Use single, not double, quotation marks in headlines. Only use quotation marks in a headline if it includes a direct quote.

Peter Gzowski hosted his last episode of “Morningside” in 1997.
“My Son at the Seashore, Age Two” is one of the poems in the collection Forests of the Medieval World by York Professor Don Coles.
CBC Television’s program “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” is enormously popular.

Use a semicolon to separate statements too closely related to stand as separate sentences.

Use a semicolon to separate phrases that contain commas.

Use a semicolon to precede explanatory phrases introduced by “for example,” “namely,” “that is” and the like when a comma is too weak.

Semicolons go outside quotation marks.

(See the Italics section.)

Jump to: