macewan university editorial style guide
TRANSCRIPT
MacEwan University
Editorial Style Guide
Updated April 2014
Prepared by the
Office of Communications and Marketing
The MacEwan University Editorial Style Guide was created to provide direction on the preferred style to be used in university communications.
By providing accessible answers to common stylistic questions, this guide can help ensure consistency and save time and confusion when creating communications for the university.
This guide should be used as a reference in university communications, including:
everyday university correspondence (letters, memos, emails) marketing and communications materials signage reports publications
The focus of a style guide is not a matter of strict enforcement of correct or incorrect grammar or style; its purpose is to provide direction for instances when several possibilities exist.
This guide is not intended to supersede established style guidelines for writing materials such as instructional and other academic materials, and university policy.
This guide was created through consultation with representatives from various university departments, including:
faculty marketing managers
consultants and editors from the faculties and schools
editors from Instructional Media and Design
faculty members from the School of Communications, Public Relations program and the department of English
Office of Communications and Marketing
Any questions regarding this publication can be forwarded to BJ Anderson in the Office of Communications and Marketing at [email protected]
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MacEwan University uses the CP Stylebook (16th Edition), CP Caps and Spelling (20th Edition) and the Canadian Oxford Dictionary as our main reference tools.
Style related to the university ......................................................................................................... 3
Places and things ........................................................................................................................ 3
Address ................................................................................................................................... 3
Buildings ................................................................................................................................. 3
Campuses ................................................................................................................................ 3
Degrees, diplomas, certificates ............................................................................................... 4
Email addresses ...................................................................................................................... 4
Faculties and schools .............................................................................................................. 4
MacEwan University, the university, Grant MacEwan University ......................................... 4
Programs and departments .................................................................................................... 5
University governance and associations ................................................................................. 5
Web ......................................................................................................................................... 6
People .......................................................................................................................................... 6
Alumni .................................................................................................................................... 6
Credentials .............................................................................................................................. 6
Faculty ......................................................................................................................................7
Position titles ...........................................................................................................................7
Students ...................................................................................................................................7
Common style points ...................................................................................................................... 8
Bibliographies and citations ....................................................................................................... 8
Bold, all caps, italics and underlining ......................................................................................... 8
Dates ........................................................................................................................................... 8
Lists ............................................................................................................................................10
Measurements............................................................................................................................10
Numbers .................................................................................................................................... 11
Spacing ....................................................................................................................................... 11
Symbols ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Telephone numbers ................................................................................................................... 11
Time ........................................................................................................................................... 12
Titles of works ............................................................................................................................ 12
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Grammar tips and spelling ............................................................................................................ 12
Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................. 12
Acronyms ................................................................................................................................... 13
et al. ............................................................................................................................................ 13
etc. .............................................................................................................................................. 13
i.e. and e.g. ................................................................................................................................. 14
Punctuation ................................................................................................................................ 14
Apostrophes ........................................................................................................................... 14
Colons .................................................................................................................................... 14
Commas ................................................................................................................................. 15
Ellipses ................................................................................................................................... 15
Exclamation marks ................................................................................................................ 15
Hyphens and dashes .............................................................................................................. 15
Possessives ............................................................................................................................. 16
Semicolons ............................................................................................................................. 16
Quotation marks .................................................................................................................... 16
Spelling and caps ....................................................................................................................... 17
Capitalization ......................................................................................................................... 17
Spelling .................................................................................................................................. 18
Appendix A: Names of academic and business units .................................................................... 21
Academic programs ................................................................................................................... 21
Degrees: ................................................................................................................................. 21
Applied degrees: .................................................................................................................... 21
Diplomas and certificates: ..................................................................................................... 21
Post-diploma certificates: ..................................................................................................... 22
Departments - Academic .......................................................................................................... 22
Departments – Administrative and other ................................................................................ 22
Common acronyms ................................................................................................................... 22
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Mailing address – use the PO address on the covers of publications and other marketing materials:
PO Box 1796 Edmonton, AB T5J 2P2
Directional address – use your own discretion when giving directions or stating location of a specific location on campus:
5-135, 105 Street Building City Centre Campus
9-506 Robbins Health Learning Centre City Centre Campus (Northwest corner of 109 St. and 104 Ave.)
Buildings on City Centre Campus should be referred to in any of the following ways:
Building 5 or 105 Street Building or 105 St. Building
Building 6 or 106 Street Building or 106 St. Building
Building 7 or 107 Street Building or 107 St. Building
Building 8 or 108 Street Building or 108 St. Building
Building 9 or 109 Street Building or 109 St. Building or
Robbins Health Learning Centre or RHLC
Christenson Family Centre for Sport and Wellness (name of building, not business)
CN Conference Theatre
Kule Lecture Theatre
MacEwan Bookstores
MacEwan Residence
University Service Centre or USC
When referring to a campus, use the full name in external communications; the abbreviations for campuses (see below) are for internal use only.
City Centre Campus CCC
Centre for the Arts and Communications CFAC
Alberta College Campus ACC
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See Appendix A for a complete list of the proper names of degrees, diplomas and certificates.
Do not capitalize “degree,” “diploma” or “certificate.”
Sandra graduated with her Office Administration certificate.
To avoid redundancy - when referring to a degree credential, do not add “degree” at the end of the program name:
Write this: He received a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University.
Not this: He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University.
When writing about a diploma or certificate referring to the credential use the word “diploma” or “certificate” (lower case):
The Massage Therapy diploma prepares students for self-employment.
When referring to the program of study, you can include “program” within the name:
The Bachelor of Science program is accepting applications for next fall.
The Public Relations program is hosting a panel discussion for faculty members.
To avoid redundancy, do not use both “diploma/certificate/degree” and “program” together:
Write this: The Fine Art program takes two years to complete.
Or write this: The Fine Art diploma takes two years to complete.
Not this: The Fine Art diploma program takes two years to complete.
Use lowercase when talking about an honours program in general terms; capitalize if part of the official name:
Kyle is considering an honours program.
Jane graduated with her Bachelor of Arts, Psychology (Honours).
For consistency, use the full email address, set in lower case letters.
The university’s faculties and schools should be referred to by their full name:
Faculty of Fine Arts and Communications (FFAC)
Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS)
Faculty of Health and Community Studies (FHCS)
School of Business (SofB)
When referring to the university, do so in the following ways:
MacEwan University — preferred for all communications.
Tim will be speaking about his novel at MacEwan University on Tuesday.
Grant MacEwan University — legal name; primarily used in formal documents such as transcripts, official letters for the Office of the Registrar, policies, etc.
Use lower case for “university” when used as a shortened form of MacEwan University.
While at the university, Tim will discuss novel themes with students.
Do not use acronyms/abbreviations e.g., GMU, Grant MacEwan, GMCC, MacEwanU, MacU.
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See Appendix A for a complete list of proper names of department and programs.
Do not capitalize “program” or “department” unless it is part of the proper name.
The Holistic Health Practitioner program is hosting an information session.
Contact the Human Resources department for career opportunities.
He is a faculty member in the Department of English. (changed April 2014)
When referring to a degree program by its proper name, capitalize “Bachelor” but don’t include the word “program.”
The Bachelor of Arts has a variety of majors to choose from.
Always identify the full name of the program/department first. Subsequent mentions can use “the program” or “the department” or in some cases a general reference.
The Police and Investigations program is looking for volunteers. If you are interested in helping the program with Open House, contact them by Saturday.
The Finance department manages second quarter. Members of that department compile the information.
The Bachelor Music in Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music is now taking applications for the fall. The music degree combines studies in jazz and contemporary music.
Do not capitalize majors, concentrations or fields of study, except when they are proper nouns, or when referring to full program names.
MacEwan University offers courses in everything from biology to Asia Pacific studies.
He is studying acupuncture at the university. The Acupuncture program is full time.
She is an economics major with English minor.
When referring to a student studying a particular program/field, do not capitalize the program/field:
Dan is a science student.
The child and youth care student enjoyed the exchange.
When referring to the following governing bodies and associations, use the full name on first mention and the abbreviation on subsequent mentions if desired:
Academic Governance Council AGC
Students’ Association of MacEwan University SAMU
MacEwan Staff Association MSA
Grant MacEwan University Faculty Association GMUFA
Board of Governors the Board (not BoG or B of G)
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When listing university web addresses, include the entire address, omit “http://” and capitalize the “M” and the “E” in MacEwan.
NOTE: It is not necessary to capitalize the M and E in our web address when typing it into a web browser. Rather, this is a simple way of reinforcing the MacEwan brand to our audiences.
MacEwan.ca
When listing direct URL addresses to programs/departments, apply the following rules for capitalization:
One or more words in an extension, capitalize each word:
MacEwan.ca/Business
MacEwan.ca/HearingAid
Acronym extension, capitalize all letters:
MacEwan.ca/BA
When referring to graduates, you must take into consideration the gender and number of graduate(s) you’re talking about to ensure you use the appropriate form of the root word “alumnus.”
Female graduates:
Alumna – one female graduate Alumnae – two or more female graduates
Male graduates:
Alumnus – one male graduate Alumni – two or more male graduates
Mixed group of graduates:
Alumni – a group that includes both female and male graduates
See Grammar tips and spelling beginning on page 12 of this guide for more on punctuation in abbreviations.
Degree abbreviations are best used in listings, whereas spelling out the degrees is more readable in regular text.
To avoid redundancy, do not include the word “degree” after a degree abbreviation:
Write this: He has a BA in history.
Not this: He has a BA degree in history.
Do not use “Dr.” with the degree abbreviation “PhD.” Use one or the other.
Dr. Sally Jones or Sally Jones, PhD
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In most cases, “Dr.” is appropriate in formal communications, whereas the degree abbreviation “PhD” is more appropriate for directories and other listings. However, it is important to keep in mind the personal preference of the individual.
Lower case “faculty” unless it is part of a specific name or title (e.g., Grant MacEwan University Faculty Association).
She is a member of the faculty at MacEwan University. OR She is a faculty member at MacEwan University.
Unless an individual who teaches at the university has a specific academic title (e.g. assistant professor), refer to them as “faculty member.” Please refer to the Academic Governance Council website for details on academic titling: MacEwan.ca/academicgovernance.
Grammar tip: Use a singular verb when referring to a group of individuals acting as one body:
The chemistry faculty is organizing an info session for new students.
Capitalize formal titles when they directly precede the name or when they are part of a list:
Preceding name: President Atkinson, Dean David Higgins, Chair Bob Graves In a listing: Brent Quinton, Vice-President, Finance and Administration
Elsie Elford, Dean, School of Business David Atkinson, President, MacEwan University
Lower case titles in sentences, when they stand alone – set them off from the name with commas:
The dean of the School of Business, Elsie Elford, attended the event.
She welcomed Bob Graves, chair of the Management Studies program.
The president was also in attendance.
Long titles when writing sentences (body copy) should be set off with commas — do not front-load:
Write this: Brent Quinton, vice-president, Finance and Administration
Not this: Vice-President, Finance and Administration Brent Quinton
When indicating title and area of responsibility, titles are lower case, followed by a comma and the area of responsibility:
dean, School of Business
manager, Human Resources
provost and executive vice-president, Academic
Always lower case “undergraduate,” “graduate” or “master’s” student.
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Many academic areas and disciplines have specific guidelines for bibliographies and citations, which are in accordance with standards established by associations and governing bodies: e.g. American Psychological Association (APA) and Modern Language Association (MLA). Consult with academic program areas for guidance on standards for your specific discipline.
If your area does not follow an established set of standards, you may refer to the style guide produced by MacEwan University’s Instructional Media and Design department, or to the CP Style Guide.
Avoid using more than one of these together. Using more than one together decreases readability:
Write this: Department of Chemistry
Not this: DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
Write this: Department of English
Not this: Department of English
On the web or in email, the use of all caps for emphasis is considered to be shouting and should be avoided.
When “MacEwan” is in all caps, they should all be the same size. (changed April 2014)
Spell out the names of the months when used in sentences.
It was a cold January.
January 1998 was cold.
Abbreviations are acceptable in some cases, such as event listings, posters, etc. If abbreviating, do not abbreviate the following months: March, April, May, June, July.
Speaker Series Seminar When: Aug. 14, 1:30 p.m. Where: Room 7-166, City Centre Campus
Include the year only if it is needed for clarity, such as if the year of the event you are referring to is not the same as the year in which you are writing:
The next meeting will be in September. (If written in 2012 for a meeting later in 2012.)
The next meeting will be in September 2013. (If written in 2012 for a meeting in 2013)
List dates with month first, then the day, then the year:
December 25, 2012
In tables, databases and charts, use ISO standard of YYYY/MM/DD:
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2012/12/25
Do not use the suffixes nd, th or st.
Write this: April 2, April 5 or March 31
Not this: April 2nd, April 5th, March 31st.
Inclusive dates can be separated by an en dash with no spaces on either side of it or written out.
Do not mix the two styles:
Write this: 1990–1998, May 6–26
Write this: Between 1910 and 1935; from April 8 to June 7
Not this: The info session will be held between May 5–7.
The names of days of the week, months of the year, holidays, religious feasts and all special times are capitalized.
Remembrance Day
Hanukkah
October
Tuesday
Names of the seasons are lower cased.
He can’t wait to start school in the fall.
She is graduating in spring of 2012.
However when referring to a seasonal academic term, capitalize the season, but not the word “term”:
Applications open soon for the Fall 2012 term.
January marks the beginning of the Winter term.
When referencing a two-year span, such as an academic or fiscal year, use a slash:
2012/2013 or 2012/13
When indicating a range in years, use an en dash with no spaces on either side of it. Note that it is acceptable to drop the first two digits from the second number if they are the same as the first number:
2012–2013 or 2012–13
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When listing items, it is usually more readable to format the information in a vertical bulleted or numbered list.
The sentence that introduces a bulleted/numbered list should end with a colon. In this list style, a bulleted item will typically end with a period (see “following reasons” example below) or no punctuation (see “following flowers” example below) and there is no need for a comma or semicolon between bulleted items.
If the items in a bulleted/numbered list are complete sentences, the first letter should be capitalized and there should be a period at the end of each item:
They gave the following reasons for choosing MacEwan University:
They enjoyed the small class sizes.
The faculty had an excellent reputation.
The downtown location was ideal.
If the items in the bulleted list are not complete sentences, they should be lower case and do not need a period:
The following flowers were included in the landscaping plans:
daisies
petunias
roses
Capitalize the first letter of each line item in numbered lists, even if it is not a complete sentence.
Be consistent. Use either words OR complete sentences, not a combination of both in the same list.
CP Style uses metric for most measurements. The names of metric and imperial units are usually spelled out:
The jug of water weighed 10 kilograms.
There are no abbreviations in metric, only symbols. These symbols are not punctuated, never take an s as a plural, and are separated from a number by a space.
33 mm
4 cm
21 g
In adjective form, the space is replaced by a hyphen.
30-kg bag
If a sentence or document contains large numbers of metric units that are repeated, the use of metric symbols is often advisable to improve readability:
The 5-kg box, the 10-kg tool and the 15-kg machine were placed on a 25-kg table.
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Write out numbers from one to nine. Use numerical digits for numbers 10 and above, except when the number is the first word in a sentence:
There were three students working at the booth for Open House.
Eleven faculty members assisted in organizing the info session.
The dean invited 10 students to participate in the survey.
Human Sexuality is a three-credit course.
Exceptions include the following:
days and years in dates – March 3, 2012
exact measurements – The experiment called for 5 millilitres of vinegar.
page and chapter numbers – She read from page 3 to the end of Chapter 5.
series of quantities in which one number is above 10 – I ran 5 to 10 kilometres.
ages and grades – An 8-year-old child is in Grade 3.
numbers with monetary symbols – He owed $3 in library fines.
before per cent (in a table) – 2%
In statistics-heavy documents, use figures instead of spelling out the numbers.
Use one space after a period, colon, semicolon, question mark or exclamation mark.
Shorthand or symbols, such as ampersands (&), should never be used unless it is part of the formal name of a business or organization, such as Barnes & Noble. Otherwise, please spell out the related word:
Office of Communications and Marketing
Christensen Family Centre for Sport and Wellness
Use the 10-digit number format, with dashes to ensure consistency with common telephone directory usage. Toll free is formatted as follows:
780-516-8229
Toll Free: 1-888-497-4622
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Use lower case letters and periods for a.m. and p.m. Do not include zeros if the time stated falls on the hour.
5 a.m. not 5:00 a.m.
Write noon if it’s a stand-alone start time, but 12 p.m. if stating a period of time:
The presentation starts at noon. The presentation runs 12 to 2 p.m.
Write time spans with an en dash or with the words from and to. If both times are in the morning or the afternoon, indicate a.m. or p.m. on the last time stated.
The info session will be running from 3 to 5 p.m.
Open House is happening from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. on Saturday.
Italicize titles of:
films, books, plays, journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, long poems, paintings, drawings, statues and other works of art, and lengthy musical compositions
Use quotation marks for:
articles, chapter titles, papers read at meetings, exhibitions, lectures, short poems, songs, and television and radio shows
Mixed abbreviations that end in a lower case letter take periods:
B.Com. B.Sc. R.Ac. St. Jan.
If an abbreviation ending in a period occurs at the end of a sentence that would normally take a period, do not add a second period.
Write this: He was a fan of Sammy Davis Jr.
Not this: He was a fan of Sammy Davis Jr..
Metric symbols (e.g., km) are NOT abbreviations, and therefore do not need periods or other punctuation.
See Measurements on page 10 for examples.
Mixed abbreviations that begin and end with a capital letter do not take periods:
PhD
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BScN
Omit periods in all-capital abbreviations unless they are geographical or refer to a person:
RN MBA B.C., P.E.I. J.R., E.T.
See Appendix A for a list of commonly-used university acronyms.
On first occurrence, write out the full name with the acronym in parentheses after it. Subsequent mentions may use the acronym only:
Game scores and standings can be found at the Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference (ACAC) website. The ACAC is the governing body for intercollegiate athletics in Alberta.
The abbreviation “et al.” stands for “et alii” (“and other people,” not things), and is used most often in reference lists and in-text citations, as in the following example:
The executive were informed of intriguing research on the correlation between highest level of education completed and yearly income (Smith et al., 2005, p.78).
When it follows a single name, no comma is needed between the name and the “et al.”:
The horror novels written by Stephen King et al. frighten me.
When “et al.” follows two or more names, place a comma between the last name and the “et al.”:
I never liked reading horror stories by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Peter Straub, et al.
The abbreviation “etc.” stands for “et cetera” (“and other things;” not people). Do not use “and etc.” (et means “and”). Generally not used in formal text — use phrases such as "and so forth” instead or simply provide a few examples and eliminate the “etc.”:
He liked the social sciences, enjoying the subjects of sociology, psychology, criminology and so forth.
He liked the social sciences, enjoying subjects such as sociology, psychology, criminology.
“Etc.” may be used in lists and within parentheses:
He liked the social sciences (sociology, psychology, criminology, etc.).
Place a comma both before and after “etc.” when it is used as the final item in a series. Do not italicize.
He enjoyed sociology, psychology, criminology, etc., and avoided math.
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The abbreviations “i.e.” and “e.g.” are sometimes used incorrectly, so use caution.
“i.e.” is the abbreviated form of “id est,” or "that is.”
I like to study in a quiet place, i.e., the library.
“e.g.” is the abbreviated form of “exempli gratia,” meaning “for example.”
Coffee shops (e.g., Starbucks) have too many distractions for studying.
Both “i.e.” and “e.g.” are used most often in parentheses and are typically followed by a comma, except when referring to the abbreviation itself, as at the very start of this sentence.
To be as clear as possible, it is sometimes best to write out “i.e.” and “e.g.” as words.
Apostrophes See Possessives later in this section for more on apostrophe use in possessives.
The words it’s and its are often used incorrectly, so use caution:
It’s is the shortened form of “it is.”
It’s too late to go for lunch now.
Its is the possessive of “it,” and means belonging to “it.”
The cat ate its lunch slowly.
Omit apostrophes when referring to decades:
He was born in the 1930s. or: There was a lot of heartache in the thirties.
Use apostrophes for abbreviations of years when it is clear which century you are referring to:
He was part of the class of ’05.
When determining whether to use a colon, decide if a full sentence is coming before it. In most cases, the colon must follow a complete sentence. Refer to the CP Stylebook for other usage.
Write this: The following departments are included: biology, chemistry and physics. Not this: The list of applicable departments includes: biology, chemistry and physics.
Write this: For more information, please call Shelly Anderson. Not this: For more information, please call: Shelly Anderson.
Use a colon to set off a phrase or sentence that augments the meaning of the preceding sentence:
The staff meeting was met with mixed reactions: confusion, frustration and anger.
Study abroad students travelled to many locations this year: Italy, Brazil, Taiwan and Belize.
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Use a colon when introducing a list, text or table:
The president’s forum covered the following topics:
The new campus
University anniversary celebrations
Current research
When introducing a formal question or quotation, use a colon:
Shakespeare’s Hamlet asks: “To be, or not to be, that is the question.”
Generally, place commas between the elements of a series of three or more items but not before the final “or,” “and” or “nor:”
I like peas, carrots and corn.
If a list contains compound elements (with an “and”), place a comma before the final “or,” “and” or “nor:”
I ate a breakfast of oatmeal and milk, bread and butter, and fried eggs.
Sometimes you may need to place a comma before the final “or,” “and” or “nor” to avoid confusion:
Write this: The car was available in four colours: red, white, black and tan, and green. Not this: The car was available in four colours: red, white, black and tan and green.
Ellipses should be avoided in formal communications except to show an omission in a quotation and, in rare instances, to create a dramatic or humorous effect that cannot be achieved in other ways.
See Quotation marks later in this section for more on exclamation marks with quotation marks.
Use exclamation marks sparingly in formal communications.
Question marks and exclamation marks go inside the quotation marks when applicable to quoted matter only.
Note the difference between hyphens (-), en dashes (–), and em dashes (—). Some of the main uses of the different kinds of hyphens and dashes are outlined below. (For additional ways in which they can be used and a more detailed discussion, consult the CP Stylebook).
a) Hyphens are used in compound words and modifiers. (Check the Canadian Oxford Dictionary if you are not sure if a word is hyphenated or two words or one word).
She was taking an in-class course, not an online one.
b) En dashes (about the width of an “n”) are used in a series or range of numbers (they mean “through” or “to”), in which case there is no space on either side of the en dash:
Tom read pages 1–25.
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He visited the Zimbabwe–South Africa border.
He spoke on a wide variety of topics, including male–female relationships, the human–machine interface and the Canada–Russia hockey series.
d) En dashes are also frequently used to introduce a list, in which there is a space on either side of the dash:
Expenses for Toronto trip – gas, hotel, registration, phone calls
e) Em dashes (about the width of an “m” or twice the width of an “n”) are used to insert information or to create a strong break in the structure of a sentence:
At the age of three—such is the power of youth—Judy could stand on her head.
Inserting an en or em dash in Microsoft Word:
Windows: En dash Ctrl + minus (on numeric keyboard)
Em dash Ctrl + Alt + minus
Mac: En dash Alt/Option + hyphen
Em dash Shift + Alt/Option + hyphen
To show belonging to, singular nouns and plural nouns not ending in “s” typically use apostrophe s:
father’s book (singular noun), women’s volleyball (plural noun), alumni’s donations (plural noun)
Plural nouns ending in “s” use an apostrophe only:
teachers’ parking spots, the Joneses’ daughter
Singular nouns ending in “s” most commonly use apostrophe s, but the CP Stylebook notes some exceptions. For example, the final “s” is sometimes dropped for classical names ending in “s” or in cases in which the apostrophe s would result in an unpronounceable sound (e.g., “ziz-ziz”):
Socrates’ dialectics, Mars’ surface
A semicolon usually requires a complete sentence on both sides.
A semicolon is typically used when two statements are separate from one another such that a comma between them is not a strong enough separator, but so closely related to one another that a period between them is too strong a separator. That is, a semicolon lies between the momentary pause of a comma and the full stop of a period:
She never judged a book by its cover; she might miss a great story.
Use a semicolon to separate phrases that contain commas:
Most original artwork, Sally Johnson, A Rose; most improved technique, John Kates; most innovative technique, Talin White.
Periods and commas always go inside closing quote marks:
“I think this research will reveal a lot,” explained Janet.
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Tom thought the festival was worth attending. “It really showcased amazing talent.”
Question marks and exclamation marks go inside the closing quotation marks when applicable to the actual quotation only, and go outside the quotation marks when applicable to the whole sentence:
Applicable to quote only: He said the show was “an incredible production!”
Applicable to whole sentence: Did she mean it when she said, “I hate school”?
Use a colon when introducing a formal question or quotation:
Shakespeare’s Hamlet asks: “To be, or not to be, that is the question.”
With certain modifications, the university follows the Canadian Press Stylebook recommendation for using capitals in a modified down style—that is where a reasonable choice exists, use lower case.
The use of too many capitals is distracting to the reader and takes away from the significance of those proper nouns, adjectives and pronouns that clearly call for capitalization.
Essentially, capitalize all:
proper names
trade names
government departments and agencies
associations
companies
clubs
religions
languages
nations
race
places and addresses
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A
Aboriginal
advisor
alumni, alumnus, alumna, alumnae, alum (see page 6 for definitions of each)
a.m. B
bachelor’s degree
behaviour
C
centre
centred on, NOT centred around
certificates (see Appendix A for list)
child care, not childcare
colour
co-operative education
co-requisite and prerequisite
counsellor (guidance counsellor); councillor (city councillor)
coursework, not course work D
degrees (see Appendix A for list)
diplomas (see Appendix A for list)
E
e-book, e-journal, e-commerce
email (not e-mail)
endeavour
enrol and enrolment; enrolled and enrolling F
Fall term
favour
field work (noun); field-work (adjective): He has field-work experience.
flavour
full time (noun): he is studying full time; full-time (adjective): he’s taking a full-time program
fundraising, fundraiser, fundraise G
Grant MacEwan University, MacEwan University, university (see page 4 for more info)
19
H
health care (noun): health care is necessary; health-care (adjective): health-care system
home page
homeroom
homestay
honour, honourable, honourary I
Internet (capitalized)
Intranet (capitalized) L
labeled
labour M
mCard, unless at the beginning of a sentence
master’s degree N
native
non-credit O
off-campus, on-campus (adjective): the program is offered on campus; off campus, on campus: she is studying an off-campus program
online P
part time (noun): he’s studying part time; part-time (adjective): he’s taking a part-time program
per cent (not percent; preferable to % in creative writing. In a context involving a lot of statistics, % is preferred)
p.m.
prerequisite R
resumé S
self-study
Spring term
Students’ Association of MacEwan University
Summer term T
theatre
travel, travelled, travelling
toll free
20
U
university NOT University, except in legal/policy documents
V
vice-president W
website, webcast, webmaster and webcam, but web page and web server
Winter term
21
Bachelor of Arts BA
Bachelor of Child and Youth Care BCYC
Bachelor of Commerce B.Com.
Bachelor of Communication Studies BCS
Bachelor of Education transfer —
Bachelor of Music in Jazz and Contemporary Popular Music B.Mus.
Bachelor of Psychiatric Nursing BPN
Bachelor of Science B.Sc.
Bachelor of Science in Engineering transfer —
Bachelor of Science in Nursing BScN
Bachelor of Applied Business Administration – Accounting
Bachelor of Applied Human Service Administration
Accounting and Strategic Measurement
Acupuncture
Arts and Cultural Management
Asia Pacific Management
Correctional Services
Design Studies
Disability Management in the Workplace
Disability Studies: Leadership and Community
Early Learning and Child Care
Emergency Communications and Response
Fine Art
General Studies
Hearing Aid Practitioner
Holistic Health Practitioner
Human Resources Management
Legal Assistant
Library and Information Technology
Management Studies
Massage Therapy
Music
Occupational Health Nursing
Office Assistant
Police and Investigations
Psychiatric Nursing
Public Relations
Social Work
Special Needs Educational Assistant
22
Theatre Arts
Theatre Production
Therapist Assistant
Travel
Cardiac Nursing Post-basic Certificate
Perioperative Nursing for Registered Nurses
Post-basic Nursing Practice: Hospice Palliative Care and Gerontology
Professional Golf Management
Wound Management Post-basic Certificate
Department of Anthropology, Economics and Political Science
Department of Biological Sciences
Department of Computer Science
Department of English
Department of Humanities
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Department of Physical Sciences
Department of Psychology
Department of Sociology
Human Resources
Finance
Students’ Association of MacEwan University
MacEwan Centre for Sport and Wellness (business, not the building)
MacEwan International
ACAC – Alberta College Athletic Conference
CCAA – Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association
CCAC – Canadian Council of Animal Care