Central Washington University Editorial Style Guide

The CWU editorial style guide is intended to enhance readability, provide consistency, and establish a standard of communications.We base our style guide on the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) for all official university content, including the course catalog, brochures, posters, Web sites, postcards, newsletters, and other publications, printed or online. CMOS is one of the most widely used and respected style guides in the United States, and is considered the de facto guide for American English style, grammar, and punctuation.But because we’re not all editors, and the CMOS is nearly 1,000 pages long, the CWU Public Relations and Marketing Department has created a CWU stylebook. You are encouraged to use it—not just to double-check things, but to learn about rules you may have never known existed. If you’re in a position where you are writing any kind of promotional text for the university, please refer to this guide. The hardback version of the CMOS is at the Wildcat shop. It’s also available online through a subscription at www.chicagomanualofstyle.org;. This guide’s entries are bound to be changed or expanded, so check back for updates. If you feel something should be added to the stylebook, let us know!For more information about using the style guide, please contact the Content Team at Public Affairs, 509-963-1221.

Editorial Style Guide A-Z

AAbbreviations and AcronymsAbbreviations and acronyms are not to be used in sentences on first reference. Spell out the full title on first use and follow it with the abbreviation in parentheses. Never use periods in formal title acronyms and abbreviations. Use periods for common nouns, such as p. for the word page. Other examples of words that should be abbreviated on first reference, and use periods are:e.g., a.k.a., etc., p.m., a.m., vol. et al.For more information on formatting time, please see the time entry.A handful of acronyms or abbreviations, such as USA or US are fine to use on first reference, since they are so widely known. The Student Union and Recreation Center is the only campus title that may be abbreviated on first reference. (SURC)Don’t know what an acronym or abbreviation stands for? Try searching for it at www.acronymfinder.com.Abbreviation Exmples:Central Washington University is located in Ellensburg, Washington. CWU is home to the Wildcats. The Science Talent Expansion Program (STEP) is planning a community event. The event will be located in the SURC Ballroom.The USA is known for promoting higher education.Academic and Administrative Titles

Also see entries on job titles, capitalization, titles of peopleCapitalize a title before a person’s name, lowercase it after a name. If it’s used in a generic sense (such as a professor of geology), lowercase it in all circumstances.The university welcomed Professor John Smith. The university welcomed John Smith, professor of biology.A professor of biology for ten years, John Smith…

Treat the title of trustee the same way.Judy Yu has been a CWU trustee since 1998.CWU Trustee Judy Yu works at Shoreline Community College as director of the College of Communications.

This rule also applies to administrative titles.Executive Secretary Barbara Rhodes is arriving today.The executive secretary is arriving today.Rhodes, who has been executive secretary of State University since 2002, arrived today.

A “named” title is capitalized no matter where it’s placed in a sentence.Mary Ludin was named the latest Robert Elliott Professor of Business Administration. (Note the word “professor” is capitalized despite being after the person’s name in this circumstance.)

Do not capitalize a qualifying word (such as the word “former”) in a capitalized title.Today the community honored former President Jerilyn S. McIntyre for her years of service.

Academic Courses (Also see courses)Capitalize formal course titles, but lowercase course subjects when used generically. For a specific list of courses at CWU, refer to the catalog.Ryan registered for Art History 240.The professor teaches art history at Central Washington University. This quarter he will teach Art History 300.She had a hard time choosing between an art history or English class.The word course is always lowercased, unless used at the beginning of a sentence or in a title.Academic DegreesDegrees offered at CWU change yearly, so it’s best to consult annual CWU publications, such as the catalog, to find out which ones are current or new and to get their proper names. There are a few ways to format a degree title.Most of the time, the degree is lowercased, like so:She has a bachelor’s degree in musical theatre from CWU.But if, for example, you are listing degrees available in a brochure in say a bulleted list, and not in a running sentence, it’s good to capitalize them.

Department of Engineering Degrees BS in Electrical Engineering BS in Aeronautical Engineering BS in Mechanical Engineering

Language degrees are always capitalized because they are formal nouns.She received two degrees in English and Spanish.Chicago Manual of Style requires no periods in degrees, like so:BA, BS, MS, MEd, PhD, BFA, BM, EdD, MAAcademic Designations(Also see capitalization)Freshman, freshmen, first-year student, sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate student are always lowercased. Names of degrees, fellowships, and the like are also lowercased when used generically. (master’s degree, doctorate, fellowship, master of business administration, master of fine arts, etc.)The junior was working toward a computer science degree.He received an arts fellowship.Academic Programs(Also see capitalization)Do not capitalize the term “program” unless it is part of a formal title. For a list of specific CWU programs, refer to the CWU phonebook or catalog.Central Washington University’s Science Honors Program is for physical and biological sciences undergraduates. Once accepted into the program, students work on a thesis over a two-year period.The pre-dental program is recommended for all students interested in dentistry.Addresses(Also see numbers)Addresses should be written in typical US Postal Service format, unless it is part of a sentence. If so, everything should be spelled out, including words such as first, second, third, etc., and avenue, street, boulevard, highway, interstate, east, south, north, and west. The proper postal abbreviation for Washington is WA. In a sentence, a comma must appear after a city and the state, unless the location is modifying the noun. Note these two examples below.When we arrived in Seattle, Washington, the weather was perfect.Oftentimes Seattle, Washington weather gets a bad rap. (The location is modifying the noun, thus no comma after the state.)Also, when addresses appear in running text, commas are needed between a street address, city, state, and zip code.The manuscript was sent to the editor at 1202 Timber Street, Elmwood, Oregon, 99999, on July 25.Spell out numeral street names from one to nine. Use numerals for streets numbered 10 or higher. Use numerals for the physical address number as well. Abbreviate all compass points and use a period (N., S. E., and W.) when used with a number in the address. Spell them out if not. Do not use periods in quadrant abbreviations (NE, SE, SW, etc.).

She lived on Fourth Street, and her boyfriend lived nearby on 10th Street.She lived on 112th Street.

His address is 141 West Fourth St.He lives on North Pennsylvania Avenue.He lives at 121 North Pennsylvania Ave.He lives at 121 NE Pennsylvania Ave.

State, Federal, and Interstate Highways are written with arabic numerals.

Highway 10Interstate 90US Route 41Interstate 5

Use these abbreviations for addresses. Note some have periods and some do not.

Ave. (Avenue)Bldg. (Building)Blvd. (Boulevard)Ct. (Court)Dr. (Drive)Expy (Expressway)Hwy. (Highway)Ln (Lane)Pkwy (Parkway)Pl. (Place)PO BoxRd. (Road)Rm. (Room)RR (Rural Route)Rt. or Rte. (Route)Sq. (Square)St. (Street)Ste. (Suite)Terr. (Terrace)Also see numbersAdmission, admittanceAdmission suggests the rights and privileges granted upon entry.The student was admitted to CWU.Admittance is purely physical.No admittance beyond this point. AdvisorNot adviserAffect vs. EffectAffect, almost always used as a verb, means “to influence, have an effect on.”The news of the candidate’s affiliation to the group had an adverse affect on the campaign.Affect can also be used as a noun, however it’s rare.

Effect, usually a noun, means “an outcome, result.”Despite his efforts, the candidate’s outreach program had no effect.It can also be used as a verb, which means “to make happen, produce.”The goal of the project was to effect major change in governmental spending.Alford Montgomery HallA lotTwo words, always.Alum, Alumna, Alumni, Alumnus, AlumnaeAlum: Informal of alumnus or alumnae. It’s best to not use this form of the word.Alumna: One female graduateAlumni: Multiple graduates of all gendersAlumnus: Singular male graduateAlumnae: Multiple female graduatesAlison is a Central Washington University alumna. CWU’s alumni are diverse.Jeff is a CWU alumnus.The four women, all CWU alumnae, remained friends after graduation.American College TestSpell out on first reference and put ACT in parenthesis. Write it as ACT on second reference. The same rules apply for the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT). AmpersandDo not use ampersands unless it is officially part of a formal title.Anderson HallApostrophesFor a thorough entry on possessives and their apostrophe usage, see the POSSESSIVES entryNo apostrophes are needed for decades: 1990s, 1800s.But if the year, decade, etc., is belonging to something else (1994’s snowstorm was a killer), then use the apostrophe.A singular noun ending in an s needs an apostrophe and another s to form the possessive.The Department of Physics’s lecture seriesPlural possessive nouns are formatted like so:The colleges’ are both highly ranked in academic standing. (Note the word is college, pluralized, which means the apostrophe goes after the s.) Pluralize abbreviations with an s, but without an apostrophe.MBAs, RNs, BAsAquatics FacilityArtworkTitles of paintings, sculptures, drawings, and other works of art are italicized. Only photographs are not; they are put in quotes. Exhibition and fair titles are not italicized, but catalog titles are.Also see composition titlesAssociated Students of Central Washington UniversityASCWU on second reference.Associated Students of Central Washington University Board of DirectorsASCWU-BOD on second reference.

Autumn, fall, fall quarterAlways lowercase autumn, fall, and fall quarter unless they are part of a title or at the beginning of a sentence.Also see seasonsAuxiliary Services Warehouse

BBABachelor of Arts, no periods in BA.BSBachelor of Science, no periods in BS.Barge HallBarto HallBeck HallBlack HallBledsoe-Washington Archives BuildingBoard of Trustees(Also see job titles)Central Washington University Board of Trustees is its formal name. It should also be referred to as the Board of Trustees, with a capital B and T. Board member in the generic sense is lowercased. When referring to “a trustee,” trustee is lowercased.The Central Washington University Board of Trustees is composed of eight members.Each trustee board member serves a six-year term, except for one student, which changes annually.The Washington State governor appoints each trustee.Bookstore (Wildcat Shop)The proper name is the Wildcat Shop. Use the title of the Wildcat Shop at all times.Botany GreenhouseBouillon HallBrooklane VillageButton Hall

CCPACertified Public Accountant, no periods in CPA. Capitalize this title when preceding someone’s name, lowercase it when proceeding. Campus(Also see capitalization)Unless used at the beginning of a sentence or in a title, the word campus is not capitalized.Campuswide

One word.Campus Courts ApartmentsCapitalization (Also see job titles)Capitalize formal nouns and lowercase common ones. Also lowercase all articles and prepositions in titles. An example of articles, prepositions, formal, and generic wording:Central Washington University’s weekly campus newspaper, the Observer, has been an important voice for university students over the years. Many of the Observer’s reporters are CWU Department of Communications students. (Note that the article “the” is lowercased before the word Observer despite being part of the newspaper’s formal title. Also note the word “university” is lowercased. The preposition “of” is lowercased in the Department of Communications and Central Washington University’s full name is used at the beginning, but is referred to as “the university” and “CWU” later on in the paragraph.)It’s a common mistake to assume any college-related word should be capitalized in university material. Some words, such as the job title of professor, should be capitalized when it appears in front of someone’s name (but never capitalize a job title after someone’s name). However, many words that appear in university publications should not be capitalized unless they are part of a title or at the beginning of a sentence. Some of those words are: student, students, campus, course, class, major, department, professor, faculty, chair, instructor, associate professor, tenure, doctor, graduate student, freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, bachelor, bachelor’s, master, master’s, scholarship, endowment, fellow, autumn, summer, spring, fall, winter, session, trustee, board member, member, board, program, orientation, spring break, commencement, quarter, and college.But remember, if any of these words are part of a formal title, such as the College of Arts and Humanities, then the word should be capitalized.Here are some examples of capitalized and lowercased words:The university is home to hundreds of pieces of public art. (Note the word “university” is being used generically, thus it is lowercased.)The registrar’s office is on the third floor. The Office of the Registrar is on the third floor. (Office of the Registrar is the office’s formal name, so it is capitalized. Registrar’s office is not the proper name, so it’s lowercased.)Also, a very common error found in text is the capitalization of plural formal nouns. Here is an example of this mistake: Yakima and Kittitas Counties are in central Washington. The mistake here is the capitalization of the word “counties.” It should be lowercased since it is not being used in the formal sense. It would be correct to write: Yakima County and Kittitas County are in central Washington. But because that’s redundant, the writer can simply say instead: Yakima and Kittitas counties are in central Washington.Carmody-Munro HallCashiers Office No apostrophe in cashiers. CentralCentral is an acceptable way to refer to Central Washington University upon second reference.Central Washington

Unless used at the beginning of a sentence or in a title, the word central, when referring to central Washington the region, should be lowercased.Central Washington UniversityCentral Washington University is the full, proper name of the university and the full title should always be used on first reference in any text.ChairUse in all cases (not chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson). Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute CHCI on second reference is acceptable.Colleges(Also see capitalization)Capitalize the full, formal names of colleges, but lowercase shortened informal versions.The College of Arts and HumanitiesThe arts and humanities collegeColonsA colon (:) serves as an introducer of a list, an example, or an explanatory phrase. The word after the colon is lowercased unless it’s a proper noun.The editor gave me three suggestions: rewrite the story, work with a different editor, and consider a new career.I have a question: weren’t the clowns supposed to be here at 11?CommasAlways place a comma in a series of listed items, including between the last two items in a list.The dog ate my glasses, a sock, a roll of paper towels, and a remote control. (Note the final comma placement.)I want no ifs, ands, or buts.The meal consisted of soup, salad, steak, and macaroni and cheese. (Note no comma between “macaroni” and “and.”)John went to the movies, his wife went shopping, and their kids spent time in an arcade and at the food court. (Note no comma between the words “arcade” and “and.”)When items in a series require internal punctuation, semicolons must separate them.The business student, in an attempt to be excused from a final exam, told his professor that his old, often-unreliable car had finally kicked the bucket; his girlfriend, who hadn’t called him in four days, had broken up with him through e-mail; and within the past few hours, he’d developed a strange rash.Commas set off parenthetical elements when a slight break is needed. If a firmer break is necessary, or if there are commas within the parenthetical element, use an em dash or parentheses. Parenthetical elements with commas: Exercise, according to the doctor, would help keep his blood pressure down.Parenthetical elements with an em dash: The cigarettes—his only vice for thirty-five years—would probably kill him in the end.Parenthetical elements with parenthesis: Smith’s retelling of the high-profile court case (see chapter four) is the most compelling part of the book. (Note, it’s best to use parenthesis sparingly.)

Frequently commas set off quotations; however other punctuation rules exist. See quotations for further rules.“I’m planning to take a nap between classes,” she told her roommate.She told him, “I need a nap.”Qualifiers, such as PhD, MD, etc., are preceded by a comma when used following a person’s name. A second comma follows the qualifier in running text.John Smith, PhDThe book, written by John Smith, PhD, will be out this fall.Commas do not set off qualifiers such as Jr., Sr., and II.Martin Luther King Jr.John Smith IIWhen writing a business name, do not put a comma between the name and words such as Inc., Ltd., etc.The president of Wild Hair Media, Ltd. was the first person to speak.Cocurricular, coed, copay, cosponsorOne word.College Assistance Migrant ProgramC.A.M.P.Commencement(Also see capitalization)Unless used at the beginning of a sentence or in a title, commencement is lowercased.Composition TitlesAll titles of compositions should be italicized, including books, films, songs, albums, newspapers, magazines, journals, computer games, plays, operas, poems, television and radio shows, and works of art, except for photos, which should be in quotation marks.Do not underline titles.Exhibition and fair titles are not italicized, but catalog titles are.A fascinating exhibition, Urban Renewal, was shown at the gallery.We saw the exhibition Crossroads and Connections at Central Washington University’s Sarah Spurgeon Gallery. The book, Crossroads and Connections was created to catalog the exhibit of the same name shown at Central Washington University in 2007.Connection CardCopyCat ShopCoursesCapitalize formal course titles, but lowercase course subjects when used generically. When it’s a language course, it’s capitalized every time, no matter how it’s used. There is no punctuation between the course number and title.Ryan registered for Art History 240.The professor teaches art history at Central Washington University. This quarter he will teach Art History 300.She had a hard time choosing between an art history or English class.The word course is always lowercased, unless used at the beginning of a sentence or in a title. Course workOne word.

Curriculum/curriculaCurriculum is singular. Curricula and curriculums are plural.CWUCWU is an acceptable way to refer to Central Washington University upon second reference.CWU Federal Credit UnionCWU-Des Moines CenterCWU-Lynnwood CenterCWU-Moses Lake CenterCWU-Pierce County CenterCWU-Wenatchee CenterCWU-Yakima CenterCWU University CentersWhen referring to all the centers in one, they are called the Central Washington University Centers. CWU Centers is fine to use on second reference. This same rule is applied when you first reference a specific center. For example: Central Washington University-Lynnwood, CWU-Lynnwood.There are six centers and they should be titled like so: CWU-Lynnwood, CWU-Des Moines, CWU-Yakima, CWU-Moses Lake, CWU-Pierce County, and CWU-Wenatchee. There are also three other CWU locations and should be titled: CWU at Mt. Vernon, CWU at Kent, and CWU at Everett.

DDashesThe two most commonly used dashes are the em and the en dash. The em dash is long, like so: —The en dash is short, like so: –Dashes are used to separate text while hyphens are used for joining it. Em dashes are used to set off long or complex phrases where something stronger than a comma is needed. For example: The visiting professor—a Venezuelan native—gave his American colleagues heartfelt thanks before returning home.Note there are no spaces between the em dash. Never use one em dash and follow it with a comma. This usage is incorrect: The visiting professor—a Venezuelan native, gave his American colleagues heartfelt thanks before returning home.Another way to use the em dash is when the parenthetical phrase (additional information) comes at the end of a sentence and only one dash is needed to set it off—like so.Never substitute a hyphen or an en dash for an em dash. En dashes are used in place of hyphens to join two elements. For example: the Pre–Medical Program, the non–English speaker, the Washington–Oregon borderEn dashes are also used for number sequences or dates.For example: The 2009–10 campaign, chapters 20–25, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.En dashes are also used to indicate a minus sign in a grade.

A grade of C– How to make em and en dashesOn a PCEm dash: Hit the hyphen key (just to the right of the zero) twice in a row, with no spaces. The program will turn the two hyphens into an em dash.Or place your cursor where the em dash will go, go to Insert in the program menu, open Symbol, highlight the appropriate dash and hit Insert. En dash: Place your cursor where the en dash will go, go to Insert in the program menu, open Symbol, highlight the appropriate dash and hit Insert.On a MacEm dash: Shift-option-hyphen (The hyphen key is just to the right of the zero.) En dash: Option-dash

DatabaseOne word.DatesWhen writing the month, day, and year in running text, use commas both before and after the year. When only the month and year are given, or a specific holiday with a year, do not use a comma.The new building was open to the public on January 2, 2008, on the Central Washington University campus.ANDIn January 2008 the new program made its debut.On Christmas Day 2004 the campus was hit hard by an ice storm.Years are written in numeral form, unless they are being used at the beginning of a sentence.The War of 1812, fought between the United States and the British Empire, ended in 1815.Eighteen twelve was a war-torn year for the United States and the British Empire.Years are abbreviated with an apostrophe, not an open single quotation mark.The spirit of ’76.The class of ’00.David Wain Coon Center for Excellence in LeadershipDavies HallDean HallDegrees Capitalize the main words in the names of degrees and capitalize abbreviations. Do not place periods between abbreviations.Bachelor of Arts, BABachelor of Science, BSMaster of Arts, MAMaster of Science, MSDoctor of Philosophy, PhDDegree capitalization should match Registrar Services’ official degree list. For example, if the name contains the words “of Arts,” the discipline is capitalized.

Do not capitalize academic degrees used in a general sense. Note that bachelor’s and master’s end in ’s.An associate degreeA bachelor’s degreeA master’s degreeA doctoral degree or doctorate.In reference to degrees, the word degree is never capitalized.She earned her Master of English degree.Pluralize abbreviations by adding an s.MAs, PhDs, BAsDepartmentsCapitalize departments when used formally, lowercase when used informally. For a complete list of departments, refer to the CWU phonebook or the catalog.The Department of History will sponsor the lecture. The history department will sponsor the lecture.DimensionsPhysical quantities such as distances, lengths, areas, etc., are spelled out.During a monsoon, the temperature can drop twenty degrees in ten minutes.He took his new Hog for a ride—tearing down roads at ninety miles per hour. (Numbers 100 and higher are written numerically.)Three-by-five-inch index cards are now seldom used in index preparation.She is five feet nine.

In some contexts, using numerals is recommended.She wears a size 6 dress.I need one 40-watt bulb.This old car has a fuel efficiency of only 8 miles per gallon.The reading jumped to almost 6 volts.

Dimension abbreviations (Length, area, and volume)Length:Inch = in. or ''Foot = ft. or 'Yard = yd.Rod = rd.Mile = mi.Area:Square inch = sq. in.Square foot = sq. ft.Square yard = sq. yd.Square rod = sq. rd.Square mile = sq. mi.Volume: Cubic inch = cu. in.Cubic foot = cu. ft.Cubic yard = cu. yd.

DisciplinesDo not capitalize academic subjects unless they are part of a department name or part of an official course name. Some subjects, however, are proper nouns, such as English, Latin, etc., and should always be capitalized.She has published several books on the history of religion.CWU will soon add a new course in gender studies.He is majoring in computer science.Diversity Education CenterDon and Verna Duncan Civic Engagement CenterCivic Engagement Center is acceptable on second reference.Donald L. Garrity Japanese GardenJapanese gardens OK on second reference.Dr.Avoid using the title of Dr. when in reference to someone who’s earned a doctorate, unless used in a direct quote. Instead, use PhD following the name. Dr. can, however, be used when referring to a medical doctor.

EE-mailE-mail is always hyphenated, as is e-commerce.Early Childhood Learning CenterEarthLowercase the word when placing a “the” in front of it. Uppercase if using it as a title.He still believes the earth is flat.Venus’s gravitational pull is nearly identical to that of Earth’s. Educational Opportunity CenterEducational Technology CenterEllensburg Community TelevisionECTV (Channel 2) acceptable on second reference.EllipsisEllipsis is used to indicate missing verbiage. Use them when something has been left out of a sentence. To properly format ellipsis, use three dots with one space before and after the first and last dot. The administration decided to cut energy usage … campus will work to eliminate its carbon footprint.Em dashSee dashesEmerita, emeritae, emeriti, emeritusThis is a specific title given to some faculty members upon retirement per recommendation by school administrators.Emeritus is the singular, masculine form. For references to women, use emerita (singular) or emeritae (plural). Emeriti can also be used as the plural for a group of strictly men or

men and women. It is lowercased in all cases unless it’s used before a name as a formal title. Empowerment CenterEn dashSee dashesExclamation pointTry to avoid using exclamation points in all text. It is frowned upon for most all writing, including promotional text in brochures, post cards, press releases, posters, etc.Excel Alternative High School

FFacultyFaculty can be singular or plural. Singular usage would be when referring to the group as a whole. Plural usage would be to describe individual members.Fall, fall quarterAlways lowercase fall and fall quarter unless the word fall is used in the beginning of a sentence or in a title.Also see seasonsFamily Resource CenterFarrell HallFaxAlways lowercase fax.Financial AidLowercase it.Form and Document TitlesTitles of official forms and documents are capitalized only. Do not italicize or put quotation marks around them. Freshman, freshmenAlthough freshmen is plural, use freshman courses, freshman year, freshman class, etc. Also use incoming students or first-year students as alternatives. Unless the first word of a sentence or part of a formal title, the word is always lowercased.Full time/full-timeIf the word is modifying a noun, hyphenate it. If not, don’t hyphenate it.This is a full-time job.She works full time.Fundraising, fundraiser, fundraiseKeep it one word always.

GGEAR UP

Getz-Short ApartmentsGradesGrades are written in capital letters. Do not use quotation marks. Use an en dash to indicate a minus sign. Students must earn at least a B– average for the course.Pluralize single letter grades with an s; use no apostrophe.She got mostly Bs and Cs all year.Grade Point Average (GPA)Do not hyphenate or write with periods. Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)Abbreviate after the first full reference. Do not use periods.Green Hall

HHealth care/ healthcareTwo words, no hyphen as a noun, one word as an adjective.She has health care at CWU.Her healthcare costs are minimal.Health CenterHebeler HallHertz HallHigh School Equivalency ProgramHEPHitchcock HallHogue HallHolmes DiningHomecomingAlthough the word homecoming is a common one and usually lowercased, in CWU’s publications, when referring to CWU’s homecoming, it should be uppercased, since it is the event’s formal name.There will be several events during CWU Homecoming weekend.HomepageOne wordhttp://Delete http:// from all Web sites, unless it will make it impossible for the user to get to the site.HyphensThe best place to look when there is a question about whether a word is two words, should be hyphenated, or written as two words, is the dictionary.A few rules to clarify hyphenation use:An adverb/adjective combination in which the adverb ends in “ly” is never hyphenated. Her extremely short skirt was inappropriate for work.Other adverbs are followed by a hyphen when combined with an adjective.The over-cooked turkey tasted more like salty cardboard.

The point here is that “over” modifies “cooked,” not “turkey.” When both words modify the same noun, they are not hyphenated. A “light-yellow cake” is pale in color, but a “light yellow cake” is light in calories. In the latter example, “light” and “yellow” both modify “cake,” so no hyphen is needed.Adjectives combined with nouns ending in the “ed” suffix are hyphenated.The editor insisted all reporters ask open-ended questions.If the phrasal adjective follows a verb, it is usually unhyphenated.A well-educated student vs. A student who is well educated

Ages should be hyphenated when they are adjective phrases involving a unit of measurement. Her 17-year-old son has a bad case of senioritis.A boy or girl can be a 12-year-old, which automatically implies he or she is a child, but there are no hyphens in a phrase such as: Her son is 12 years old. A phrase composed of a noun and a present participle (“ing” word) must be hyphenated.The low-flying airplane startled people on the ground.Never place spaces between hyphens. Only when more than one word needs a hyphen are there spaces.Much to her delight, Ann’s pre- and post-diet dress sizes were significantly different.The self-initiated and -implemented projects were a success.Some words are commonly hyphenated when they should not be, such as: high school student and grade point average.The suffix “wide” is hyphenated only after a lengthy base word of three or more syllables.University-wide, but campuswide, worldwide, citywide, statewide.

Many words beginning with common prefixes are closed up. Hyphens are not used in such familiar expressions as these: extracurricular, interlibrary, midyear, minicomputer, multicultural, nondegree, postdoctoral, preenrollment, reevaluate, semicolon, socioeconomic.Hyphenate if closing up the word would make it confusing, ambiguous, or difficult to read.co-op (versus coop), anti-intellectual (versus antiintellectual)Hyphenate, also, if the second element in the word begins with a capital letter or precedes a hyphenated phrase.

anti-American, non-degree-granting program

For guidance on hyphenating specific words, see individual entries in the preferred spelling/capitalization word list in this style guide or see Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Also, the Chicago Manual of Style has a very useful compounds section at the end of its seventh chapter.

I Inc., Ltd., Corp., etc.Commas are not required around Inc., Ltd., and such as part of a company’s name. As with Jr., however, if commas are used, they must appear both before and after the element.The president of Millennial Products Inc. was the first speaker.or, less desirably,The president of Millennial Products, Inc., was the first speaker.Instrumental worksMany instrumental works are known by generic names such as symphony, quartet, nocturne, etc., and often include a number, key, or both. These names are capitalized but not italicized. A descriptive title is usually italicized if referring to a full work, or set in quotation marks if referring to a section of a work. The abbreviation no. (number; plural nos.) is lowercased. Examples:

B-flat Nocturne; Chopin’s nocturnes the Menuetto from the First Symphony; the third movement Concerto no. 2 for Piano and Orchestra; the second movement, Allegro

appassionato, from Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto; two piano concertos Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra (or Concerto for Orchestra) Bach’s Mass in B Minor Hungarian Rhapsody no. 12; the Twelfth Hungarian Rhapsody Piano Sonata no. 2 (Concord, Mass., 1840–60); Charles Ives’s Concord Sonata Symphony no. 6 in F Major; the Sixth Symphony; the Pastoral Symphony Air with Variations (“The Harmonious Blacksmith”) from Handel’s Suite no. 5 in

E Elliott Carter’s String Quartet no. 5 and his Figment for cello

Letters standing for musical pitches (which in turn are used to identify keys, chords, and so on) are capitalized. middle Cthe key of G major

The terms sharp, flat, and natural are preceded by a hyphen. G-sharpthe key of B-flat minor or B♭ minorBeethoven’s E-flat-major symphony (the Eroica)

In some works on musical subjects where many keys are mentioned, capital letters are used for major keys and lowercase for minor. If this practice is followed, the words major and minor are usually omitted. A series of pitches are joined by en dashes.The initial F–G–F–B♭International Center

International StudentsThe phrase “international students” is preferable to “foreign students.”InternetAlways capitalized. Also capitalize Net and Web. The word Web site is two words, with a capital W, as is Web page, Web address, World Wide Web, etc. Italics (See also Composition Titles, Artwork, Instrumental Works)Use italics for titles of works. Do not underline titles. Avoid underlining all text, as it makes it harder to read.Examples of titles to italicize include: books, films, songs, journals, magazines, newspapers, plays, operas, television and radio programs, and all works of art (except for photo titles, which appear in quotation marks).

Titles of articles and features in periodicals and newspapers, chapter titles, and titles of short stories and essays are set in regular type and enclosed in quotation marks.

I find Strunk and White’s “Elementary Rules of Usage” one of the most helpful chapters in their book, The Elements of Style.Titles of long poems that have been published separately and titles of poetry collections are italicized. Titles of short poems are set in regular type and enclosed in quotation marks.

Her favorite T. S. Eliot poems were The Waste Land and “The Journey of the Magi.”

Titles of plays are always italicized. Parts of plays are usually lowercased and set in regular type.

King Lear, act 2

Titles of dissertations and theses, manuscripts in collections, and lectures and papers read at meetings are enclosed in quotation marks. Titles of book-length manuscripts that are under contract to be published may be italicized, but the fact that they are forthcoming should be noted.

Friday’s lecture: “Evolution and Religion"Bryson, Liz. Say It Like You Mean It (forthcoming).

Titles of individual television and radio programs are set in regular type and enclosed in quotation marks, but series titles are italicized.

Star Trek’s “The Man Trap”

It’s vs. ItsThis is a grammatical rule that trips up even the best of writers on occasion.Here’s the easiest way to remember if you need an apostrophe or not.

When there’s an apostrophe (it’s) the literal translation of the word is “IT IS.”

When there is no apostrophe (its), it is simply spoken out loud as “its.”

So, next time you’re faced with the question of adding the apostrophe or leaving it out, simply say out loud or to yourself how you would say it fully.

For the long, complicated, and technical explanation of it’s vs. its, go to the Chicago Manual of Style or any good grammatical Web site.

An example of reading out loud: It’s unlike any dog I’ve ever seen. Literal translation: It is unlike any dog I’ve ever seen. In this case the apostrophe is being used correctly. I found my phone but it’s screen has gone black, so I can’t make any calls.Literal translation: I found my phone but it is screen has gone black, so I can’t make any calls. In this case, the apostrophe is being used incorrectly. When in doubt, its best to look it up. In this case, the word its is incorrect. You need an apostrophe so that it reads: When it doubt, it is best to look it up.

JJames E. Brooks Library

Job titlesCapitalize a title before a person’s name, lowercase it after a name.The university welcomed Professor John Smith. The university welcomed John Smith, professor of biology.

Treat the title of trustee the same way.Judy Yu has been a CWU trustee since 1998.CWU Trustee Judy Yu works at Shoreline Community College as director of the College of Communications.

This rule also applies to administrative titles.Executive Secretary Barbara Rhodes is arriving today.The executive secretary is arriving today.Rhodes, who has been executive secretary of State University since 2002, arrived today.

A “named” title is capitalized no matter where it’s placed in a sentence.Mary Ludin was named the latest Robert Elliott Professor of Business Administration. (Note the word “professor” is capitalized despite being after the person’s name in this circumstance.)

Do not capitalize a qualifying word (such as the word “former”) in a capitalized title.Today the community honored former President Jerilyn S. McIntyre for her years of service.

Jongeward Plant Services

Jongeward Facilities Administration Building

Jr., Sr., etc.Commas are not needed around Jr. and Sr. If they are used, the must appear before and after the element. Commas also never set off II, III, etc., when used as part of a name.

Ben Latham Jr. has the information.Ben Latham, Jr., has the information.Ben Latham III is planning to attend.JuniorLowercased unless at the beginning of a sentece or part of a title.

KKamola HallKCWU Radio88.1 The ‘BurgKCWU TelevisionChannel 15Kennedy Hall

LLanguage and Literature Building

Lectures, papers presented at meetings, speeches, etc.

Individual lecture titles are capitalized and enclosed in quotation marks. Lecture series titles are capitalized but do not require quotation marks.

This year’s Environmental Transformations lecture series focused on global warming, with the first lecture, “How Humans Impact Climate,” selling out.

The title of a speech or paper presented at an event should be followed by the sponsorship, location, and date at which the speech or paper was presented. Bryson, Liz. “Say It Like You Mean It.” Keynote address, annual festival, Meeting of the

Minds, Ellensburg, WA, June 11, 2009.

Letter GradesUse letters for grades. Capitalize them and use no quotation marks. An en dash is used to denote a minus sign. (B–)

Letters, plural

The plural of single lowercase letters is formed by adding an apostrophe before the s. Capital letters don’t need an apostrophe in the plural.

He spelled his last name, Foxx, with two x’s.The three Rs

Library (James E. Brooks Library)Use the full name, James E. Brooks Library, on first reference. Brooks Library or simply library are acceptable on second reference.

Lind Hall

Lists

Lists should be put in a logical order, such as alphabetically, in order of importance, size, cost, etc. If the order is not apparent to the reader, explain it.Business majors can study the following areas:AccountingEconomicsFinanceMarketing

Characters (in order of appearance):John Doe Sr.Jane DoeJohn Doe Jr.Medical Examiner

Avoid using numbers or letters in a list. Replace them instead with bullets. If the items in a list are numbered or lettered, however, each number or letter should be followed by a period, not a parenthesis. If you need to number the elements of a list in running text, the numbers should be placed in parentheses with no periods after them.

The professor told students they had to (1) take the exam home, (2) cite their sources, (3) follow MLA style, and (4) turn it in typed and double spaced.

If one or more of the items in a vertical list is a complete sentence, each item ends with a period. Otherwise the period is optional, even when the list items complete the partial

sentence that introduces the list.

Living Learning CommunitiesPart of University Housing and New Student Programs, Living Learning Communities (LLC or LLCs on second reference) includes as of 2009, 11 communities. They are:Aviation (Kamola Hall)Casa Latina (Meisner Hall)Education (Kamola Hall)International House (Anderson Hall)Leadership House (Kennedy Hall)Music (Al Monty Hall for freshmen, Sue Lombard Hall for sophomore and above)STEP (Kamola Hall for freshmen, Sue Lombard Hall for sophomore and above)Students for the Dream (Meisner Hall)William O. Douglas Honors College (Kamola Hall)Women’s Experience Theme Community (Green Hall)Recreation Theme Community (Kennedy Hall)

MMBAMaster of Business Administration, no periods in MBA.

MajorLowercased unless part of a title or at the beginning of a sentence.

Mary Grupe CenterAvoid the urge to spell it “Group.”

McConnell Auditorium

McConnell Hall

McNair Scholars

Meisner Hall

Michaelsen Hall

Mitchell Hall

Moore Hall

Months

Months are not abbreviated in running text; do not use a comma if just the month and year are stated.October 1994Not October, 1994

Acceptable abbreviations when using months with dates include: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. May, June, and July are not abbreviated.

Months and day names are always capitalized. The four seasons are lowercased.

Mr., Mrs., etc.Titles such as Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Dr., should be not be used. When an academic degree or professional designation follows a name, courtesy titles such as Mr. are always omitted.

Munson Hall

Music Building

NNames of People

People’s names and initials are always capitalized. Put periods after initials. If the name has more than one initial, put spaces between them.

J. R. Ewing

If a person’s entire name is abbreviated with initials, no spaces or periods are necessary.FDR

Names used in such expressions as “by george!” are usually lowercased.

Names when Plural

Simply add an “s” or “es” to the ends of proper names. Never use an apostrophe to form the plural. (The Jeffersons, not the Jefferson’s). For names that end in an “s,” try writing it a different way to avoid wording such as the Rogerses or the Joneses. For example, you could instead say: The Jones family reunited at Christmas versus The Jonses reunited at Christmas.

Other examples:Rainy Sundays

Israelis and PakistanisTwo Roberts

Names and Terms of Schools, Departments, Etc. (What to Capitalize)

The full names of schools, departments, institutions, and companies should be capitalized. If the word “the” follows the name, even as part of the official title, lowercase it. Words such as school, department, etc., are generally lowercased when used alone, but are sometimes capitalized in promotional material to avoid ambiguity.

Examples of capitalization:Central Washington University; Central; CWU; the universityCentral Washington, Eastern Washington, and Western Washington universities (Note the word university is lowercased when more than one is listed.)

Department of Music; music department; music; the departmentThe Central Washington University Board of Trustees; the board; the trusteesSarah Spurgeon Gallery; the galleryMilo Smith Tower Theater; the theaterKamola Hall; the dorm; the residence hall; the hallJames E. Brooks Library; Brooks Library; the librarythe New York Stock Exchange; the stock exchangethe Museum of Modern Art; MOMA; the museumthe New York Times; the newspaperthe Beatles; the Beach Boys

Nicholson Pavilion

Noncredit, nondegree, nonprofit, nontraditionalAll one word.

North Hall

North Village Café

NumbersCentral Washington University uses the Associated Press Stylebook’s rule for numbers when simply referring to quantity, but uses Chicago Manual of Style for other numerical rules. Here is a list of specific rules:

Numbers below 10 are spelled out. Numbers 10 or higher are written in numeral form.

The course is five credits. Students must take 15 credits or more.Five plus five equals 10.

When writing about course credits in running text, spell out the credit numeral. When credits are being used in a list, numerical numbers should be used at all times.

It’s a five-credit course.History 412 … 4 creditsHistory 202 … 3 credits

Never begin a sentence with a numeral. If a sentence starts with a number, spell it out.One hundred and thirty students signed up for the class.

Room numbers should always appear with a numeral, and the word room should be capitalized.

The meeting will be held in the SURC, Room 212.

Spell out fractions.Two-thirds, one-half, three-quarters

For round figures greater than 999,999, use million or billion after the initial numeral(s). Use commas in 1,000 and above.

The building cost $3.9 million to build.

Spell out numeral street names from one to nine. Use numerals for streets numbered 10 or higher. Use numerals for the physical address number as well. Abbreviate all compass points and use a period (N., S. E., and W.) when used with a number in the address. Spell them out if not. Do not use periods in quadrant abbreviations (NE, SE, SW, etc.).

She lived on Fourth Street, and her boyfriend lived nearby on 10th Street.She lived on 112th Street.His address is 141 N. Fourth St.He lives on North Pennsylvania Avenue.He lives at 121 N. Pennsylvania Ave.He lives at 121 NE Pennsylvania Ave.

State, federal, and interstate highways are written with arabic numerals.

Highway 10Interstate 90U.S. Route 41Interstate 5

Use these abbreviations for addresses. Note some have periods and some do not.

Ave. (Avenue)Bldg. (Building)

Blvd. (Boulevard)Ct. (Court)Dr. (Drive)Expy (Expressway)Hwy. (Highway)Ln (Lane)Pkwy (Parkway)Pl. (Place)PO BoxRd. (Road)Rm. (Room)RR (Rural Route)Rt. or Rte. (Route)Sq. (Square)St. (Street)Ste. (Suite)Terr. (Terrace)

Also see addresses Percentages are given in numerals, even numbers nine and below. In normal text, the word percent is used. In scientific and statistical text, or in normal text that includes many percentage figures, the % symbol is used.

Only 5 percent of the student body voted.When 10% of the mice were observed over a 30-day period, 5% showed signs of improvement.

Note that percent is not interchangeable with the noun percentage. Note also that no space appears between the numeral and the symbol %.

Physical quantities, such as lengths, distances, dimensions, areas, etc., are spelled out, whether it is below or above the number 10, unless it is 100 or larger.

She will be here in fifteen minutes.It’s important to follow the twenty-mile-per-hour speed limit around campus.He is six feet two. He is a six-feet, two-inch-tall man.The farm is 145 acres.We drove eighty-three miles to the airport, flew nearly 3,500 miles, and sailed sixty-four miles to get here.

See also dimensions

No. and Nos.Use the abbreviation of no. or nos. for the word number or numbers. Try to avoid using it in a sentence. It’s acceptable to use no. or nos. when referring to instrumental titles or

when citing sources in papers.

Recommended: He was my number-one man Not recommended: He was my no. one man.Pages nos. 1-12.Piano Sonata no. 2McMillen, Sally G. “Antebellum Southern Fathers and the Health Care of Children.” Journal of Southern History 60, no. 3 (1994): 513–32.

Numerical eras are spelled out.

It’s the twenty-first century.The nineteen hundreds.

U.S. currency should either be spelled out fully or written numerically with the $ or ¢ symbol. Either is fine; however, it is generally easier for readers when numerals and symbols are used.

I paid $20 for the book.The bus costs fifty cents.Sale prices range from $0.99 up to $10.

For ages, always use numbers

The girl is 15 years old.The law is 7 years old.She is the oldest woman alive at 112 years old.The 2-year-old is living up to the reputation of the terrible twos.

However, for months, spell out under ten, write numerals for 10 and above.David is three months old and his cousin is 11 months old.

Time should be formatted like so:1:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m., etc. Make sure to include all zeros, then a space between the time element and the a.m. and p.m., which should always include periods. Never write 12:00 p.m. or 12:00 a.m., instead write noon or midnight. Do not write “12 noon.”

Use of o’clock is generally discouraged, but if used, it must be for on-the-hour times only.4 o’clock, 4 o’clock in the afternoon (never 4 o’clock p.m.)

Telephone NumbersTelephone numbers should be written like so: 509-963-1111. Use dashes, not parenthesis or periods. It’s recommended to always use the area code whenever possible. Putting a

“1” in front of a number is not necessary, even for 800 numbers.

Make sure to always call the number you are printing or publishing as part of the proofing process to ensure you do not give out an incorrect or disconnected phone number.

See also phone numbers

Commas between digitsIn numerals of 1,000 or more, commas are used. None are used in page numbers, addresses, and years.

OObserver, TheThe CWU campus weekly newspaper is known as the Observer. Although the article “the” is part of the newspaper’s formal name, the word “the” should be lowercased in running text.She was a reporter for the Observer.

Off-campus, off campusHyphenate as an adjective before the noun; otherwise, it is two words.He lives in an off-campus apartment building.His house is off campus.

Office namesCapitalize formal, full office names at all times, unless the name is used generically, which should only happen on second reference and beyond; never on first reference.The Cashiers Office had a line out the door. One student left the office line in a huff.

Old Heating Plant

On-campus, on campusHyphenate as an adjective before the noun; otherwise, it is two words.She has an on-campus job.She works on campus.

OnlineOne word, lowercased unless in a title or at the beginning of a sentence.

OrientationLowercased unless part of a title or at the beginning of a sentence.

Outdoor Pursuits and Rentals

PPamphlets, reports, brochures, etc.These titles are in italicsAlso see composition titles

Part-time, part timeHyphenate as an adjective before the noun; otherwise, it is two words.He has a part-time job.His job is part time.

Passive VoiceIt’s best to avoid passive voice in all writings whenever possible. Pieces that are meant to sell something, whether it be a program, an event, etc., will interest people more if passive voice is avoided.

Passive voice means something is happening to the subject, versus active voice, where the subject is doing something.

Here’s an example of passive voice, which is followed by a rewritten example in active voice:

Students will be able to participate in numerous hands-on activities.

Students will participate in numerous hands-on activities.

It’s a simple yet effective way to make text livelier. When writing, go over your text and find the passive voice. Change it to active whenever possible.

Percentages (Also see numbers)

Percentages are given in numerals, even numbers nine and below. In normal text, the word percent is used. In scientific and statistical text, or in normal text that includes many percentage figures, the % symbol is used.

Only five percent of the student body voted.When 10% of the mice were observed over a 30-day period, 5% showed signs of

improvement.

Note that percent is not interchangeable with the noun percentage. Note also that no space appears between the numeral and the symbol %.PeriodsA period follows a complete sentence in running text. Headlines have no periods. Bulleted items in a list that are incomplete sentences also have no periods. Put a period after a URL if it comes at the end of a sentence.There is only one space between a period and the next sentence, not two. Please check your text for double spacing between sentences and delete the extra space.See also abbreviations Periods of TimeNames of prehistoric cultural times are capitalized.The Bronze Age, the Ice AgeNames of modern periods are lowercasedThe information age, the nuclear ageDecades are either spelled out or written in numerals with no apostropheThe nineties, the 1990sCenturies are spelled outThe twenty-first centuryPeterson Hall

Phone Numbers(Also see numbers)

Telephone numbers should be written like so: 509-963-1111. Use dashes, not parenthesis or periods. It’s recommended to always use the area code whenever possible. Putting a “1” in front of a number is not necessary, even for 800 numbers.

Make sure to always call the number you are printing or publishing as part of the proofing process to ensure you do not give out an incorrect or disconnected phone number.

Physical Education Building

Place Names(Also see capitalization)

Capitalize names of places, lowercase all articles and prepositions if they are part of the place name. An example would be: I’m headed to the Department of History. (Note the preposition “of” is lowercased.) She used to work at the New York Times. (Note the article “the” is lowercased even though it is part of the newspaper’s official name.)Always use the full title of a place’s name on first reference. If you are unsure of its title, look it up. For example, write Central Washington University on first reference, not CWU, Central or the university.

On second reference it is acceptable to shorten the place and lowercase some words if they are being used generically. An example would be: Central Washington University is located in Ellensburg, Washington. The university is only 90 miles from Seattle. (Note that the word university is lowercased on second reference.) Other examples:The university is home to hundreds of pieces of public art.The registrar’s office is on the third floor. The Office of the Registrar is on the third floor. (In the first sentence, registrar’s office is lowercased because it is not the office’s official title.)A common error is capitalizing generic nouns when used in the plural. An example of this mistake: The newspaper circulates in both Yakima and Kittitas Counties.The word “counties” should be lowercased because it is plural and not part of a formal name, like so: The newspaper circulates in both Yakima and Kittitas counties.Another example:Central Washington and Western Washington universities are public, state schools. (Note the word “universities” is lowercased.) Plays, operas, etc.Titles of plays, operas, etc. are italicized. Divisions of plays are lowercased, with no italics or quotes.act 3, scene 3Also see composition titlesPossessivesMake singular nouns possessive by adding an ’s. Make regular plural nouns ending in s possessive by adding only an apostrophe. Plurals that have no s are treated like singular nouns.A student’s right (singular), students’ assignments (plural ending in s), women’s lounge (a plural word not ending in s)

Certain singular nouns that look like plurals, such as “series” and “species” are treated like plurals to form the possessive: series’, species’

Some words end in an s and may appear as if they should have an apostrophe. These words are actually not possessive, but instead are simply describing something else. Here are some examples:Visitors CenterFounders DayPresidents DinnerThese three words—visitors, founders, and presidents—are being used in the plural sense. Many visitors use the Visitors Center.The university’s founders deserve recognition, which is why Founders Day was founded.Four past presidents will be honored at the Presidents Dinner.

Nouns that are closely linked are considered one unit under the possessives rule. The second noun takes the possessive form.My aunt and uncle’s house

New York and Boston’s transportation system

When the entities are different, both nouns take the possessive form.My mother’s and father’s heritagesNew York’s and Boston’s transportation systemsOur friends’ and neighbors’ childrenWith names ending in s or z, add an ’s to the end.I’m going to the Jones’s house.Chavez’s Bar and Grill

The possessive is formed without an additional s for a name of two or more syllables that ends in an eez sound.Euripides’ tragediesThe Ganges’ sourceXerxes’ armies

When writing the possessive of an italicized noun, do not italicize the apostrophe or the s.My New York Time’s subscription has expired.The same rule applies when it’s plural.Two New York Times were left on my doorstep.Also see composition titles

Possessive adjectives and pronouns never have apostrophes: His, hers, ours, yours, its, theirs …

Power Technology Lab

PresidentCapitalize the word president when it appears before a person’s name, lowercase it after their name, and lowercase it when used without a name. This rule applies to all other profession titles as well.CWU President James L. GaudinoJames L. Gaudino, CWU presidentThe CWU president

ProfessorLowercase the title when used after someone’s name, capitalize it before a name. Check titles carefully when updating lists. Faculty members are promoted from assistant professor to associate professor and then to professor. Emeritus or emerita status is granted after retirement to many faculty members.Also see job titles

ProvostTreated the same as any other job title, uppercased before a name, lowercased after. Also see job titles

Psychology BuildingPublic Safety Building

QQuigley Hall

Quotation marksPlace quotation marks around dialog and include punctuation inside the marks.

“I can’t make it,” she said. Note the comma after the word “it”.“I can’t make it!” she yelled.If there is no attribution after the quote, it would look like this: “I can’t make it.”

Most other punctuation marks go outside of the quotation.The cover band will start the show with the song “Shattered”; then it will perform “Anybody Seen My Baby?”; after that—will it finish with “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”?

Quoted material that runs four lines or longer is formatted as an indented block of text. Do not use quotation marks in this case, unless there is a quote in the text. Use “curly” quotation marks (also known as smart quotes) in your publications in most cases. The “straight” quotation mark ("), also called the double prime, is used for denoting inches.

Questions (courtesy)A courtesy question does not require a question mark.Would you kindly respond by May 1.

An indirect question never needs a question mark.He wondered what would happen to her.

RRadio programsTitles of radio programs are italicized.See also composition titles

Rainbow Center

Randall Hall

RegistrarLowercase in informal usage.She took a walk to the registrar’s office. Capitalize as part of the official name.The Office of the Registrar will be closed over the holiday.

ResNetBig N in ResNet

RoomsCapitalize the word room when it comes before a number. Also capitalize the name of a room.The party will be held in the Department of English’s Heritage Room. The meeting is next door, in Room 412.

Running textThe term, running text, simply means the words that make up the majority of text on a page. It usually applies to sentences.

SSamuelson Union Building

Sarah Spurgeon Gallery

Science Building

SeasonsAll seasons—fall, autumn, winter, summer, and spring, are lowercased, unless they are part of a title or at the beginning of a sentence.All students returning during fall quarter will be registered in time.

SemicolonThe semicolon (;) can be used in place of either a period or a comma when it’s needed. Its most common use is between two independent clauses not joined by a conjunction.My brother still plans to get married; his wedding plans, however, are not clear.The highly offensive and one-sided newspaper story was pulled at the last minute; in its place was a story about free pony rides. Also see colons

Senior

Lowercased unless at the beginning of a sentence or in a title.

Shaw-Smyser Hall

SophomoreLowercased unless at the beginning of a sentence or in a title.

SpacingOnly one space should be entered after a period and before the next sentence, not two. Sparks HallSpecial Education Technology CenterSpring, spring quarterAlways lowercase unless it’s at the beginning of a sentence or part of a title.Also see seasons

States (Abbreviations of)

Always spell out state names in running text, whether there is another place name in front of it or not.

I’m from Ellensburg, Washington.I’m from Washington.

Washington, DC is abbreviated, no periods.

The two-letter, no-period state abbreviation is used for all US Postal Service addresses.

State of WashingtonIn running text, the word “state” in state of Washington is lowercased, unless in a title or at the beginning of a sentence. However, in Washington State, the s is capitalized.

Stephens-Whitney Hall

StreetsSee addresses

Student Union and Recreation CenterSURC acceptable on first reference.

Student Village

Sue Lombard Hall

Summer, summer quarterLowercase summer in all cases unless it is part of a title or at the beginning of a sentence.Also see seasons

Surplus Property Warehouse

TTelephone NumbersTelephone numbers should be written like so: 509-963-1111. Use dashes, not parenthesis or periods. It’s recommended to always use the area code whenever possible. Putting a “1” in front of a number is not necessary, even for 800 numbers.

Make sure to always call the number you are printing or publishing as part of the proofing process to ensure you do not give out an incorrect or disconnected phone number.

The (When used in newspaper or other periodical titles)Lowercase the word “the” in running text, even if it is part of the title.She solved the New York Times’ crossword puzzle to pass the time.

TheatreThis is the common spelling for the word when using it regarding a CWU theatre-related subject. For example, CWU’s Department of Theatre Arts is spelled this way, as is the Central Theatre Ensemble, Summer Institute for Theatre Arts, Musical Theatre Summer Conservatory, and MA in Theatre Study.

ThesesTitles of unpublished works, including theses, dissertations, speeches, etc., are capitalized and enclosed in quotation marks. Manuscript collections take no quotation marks.

TimeTime should be formatted like so:1:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m., etc. Make sure to include all zeros, then a space between the time element and the a.m. and p.m., which should always include periods. Never write 12:00 p.m. or 12:00 a.m., instead write noon or midnight.

Use of o’clock is generally discouraged, but if used, it must be for on-the-hour times only.4 o’clock, 4 o’clock in the afternoon (never 4 o’clock p.m.)

Titles of People

Capitalize a title before a person’s name, lowercase it after a name. If it’s used in a generic sense (such as a professor of geology), lowercase it in all circumstances.

The university welcomed Professor John Smith. The university welcomed John Smith, professor of biology.A professor of biology for ten years, John Smith…

Treat the title of trustee the same way.Judy Yu has been a CWU trustee since 1998.CWU Trustee Judy Yu works at Shoreline Community College as director of the College of Communications.

This rule also applies to administrative titles.Executive Secretary Barbara Rhodes is arriving today.The executive secretary is arriving today.Rhodes, who has been executive secretary of State University since 2002, arrived today.

A “named” title is capitalized no matter where it’s placed in a sentence.Mary Ludin was named the latest Robert Elliott Professor of Business Administration. (Note the word “professor” is capitalized despite being after the person’s name in this circumstance.)

Do not capitalize a qualifying word (such as the word “former”) in a capitalized title.Today the community honored former President Jerilyn S. McIntyre for her years of service.

Social titles, such as mister, miss, misses, doctor, etc., should always be abbreviated in text, whether preceding the full name or the surname only.

Titles (What Types of Words to Capitalize When)The formatting of a title is dictated by three things: aesthetics, emphasis, and grammar. While some words are always capitalized and some are always lowercased, others are not set in stone either way.

Here are a few rules as per the Chicago Manual of Style:

“(1) Always capitalize the first and last words both in titles and in subtitles and all other major words (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and some conjunctions—but see rule 4). (2) Lowercase the articles the, a, and an. (3) Lowercase prepositions, regardless of length, except when they are stressed (through in A River Runs Through It), are used adverbially or adjectivally (up in Look Up, down in Turn Down, on in The On Button, etc.), are used as conjunctions (before in Look Before You Leap, etc.), or are part of a Latin expression used adjectivally or adverbially (De Facto, In Vitro, etc.). (4) Lowercase the conjunctions and, but, for, or, nor. (5) Lowercase the words to and as in any grammatical function, for simplicity’s sake. (6) Lowercase the second part of a species name, such as lucius in Esox lucius, or the part of a proper name that would be lowercased in text, such as de or von. All the following examples illustrate rule 1; the numbers in parentheses refer to rules 2–6.

Mnemonics That Work Are Better Than Rules That Don’tSinging While You WorkA Little Learning Is a Dangerous Thing (2)Four Theories concerning the Gospel according to Matthew (3)Taking Down Names, Spelling Them Out, and Typing Them Up (3, 4)Tired but Happy (4)The Editor as Anonymous Assistant (5)From Homo erectus to Homo sapiens: A Brief History (3, 5, 6)Sitting on the Floor in an Empty Room, but Turn On, Tune In, and Enjoy (3)Traveling with Fido, but A Good Dog to Travel With (3, 5)Voting for the Bond Issue, but Voting For and Against the Bond Issue (3)Ten Hectares per Capita, but Landownership and Per Capita Income (3)Progress in In Vitro Fertilization (3)

If you are not sure what grammatical function a word is performing (or even if you are), try reading the title aloud: if you would stress the word, capitalize it; if not, lowercase it.”

Tomlinson Field

That vs. WhichThese are both relative pronouns. That is used restrictively to narrow a category or identify a particular item being talked about.

Any dog that is dangerous must be handled with care.

Which is used nonrestrictively—not to narrow a class or identify a particular item but to add something about an item already identified.

The house, which was built in 1660, often housed George Washington as a guest.

Which should be used restrictively only when it is preceded by a preposition.

The situation in which we find ourselves…

Otherwise it is almost always preceded by a comma, a parenthesis, or a dash.

Their, There, They’re Their is a pronoun used to identify the possessive form of they.Their house was a mess.

There can be used as an adverb, pronoun, noun, or adjective.

Adverb: She is there now. (Used to identify a place.)Pronoun: There is no hope. (Used to introduce a sentence or clause in which the verb comes before its subject or has no complement.)

Noun: I’ll introduce you, but you’re on your own from there on. (Used as a state or condition.)Adjective: Ask that man there. (Used for emphasis.)

They’re is a contraction of the phrase “they are.”They’re not coming to the party.

Titles of WorksPlease see the entries on composition titles, instrumental titles, artwork

TrusteesCentral Washington University Board of Trustees is its formal name. It should also be referred to as the Board of Trustees, with a capital B and T. Board member in the generic sense is lowercased. When referring to “a trustee,” trustee is lowercased.The Central Washington University Board of Trustees is composed of eight members.Each trustee board member serves a six-year term, except for one student, which changes annually.The Washington State governor appoints each trustee.

Tunstall Commons

UUnderliningDo not underline to emphasize a word or sentence. Never underline titles. Please see Composition titles.

United States, USUse United States as the proper noun, US as the adjective.

UniversityWhen used in the generic form, the word university is always lowercased. The only times it appears uppercased is when it’s being used with the full university’s name (Central Washington University), in a title, or at the beginning of a sentence.

University-wideHyphenate this term.

University Math Center

University Writing Center

Upperclassmen

Try not to use this term. Use the terms freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors instead.

URLSThe university asks that when writing out a URL, you avoid using http://, and instead start the URL with www, unless the Web site does not work without the http://. If that is the case, then include it. If a URL is the last part of a sentence, a period should follow it.

The department can be found online at www.cwu.edu/generalstudies.com.

VVita, vitaeThe full name for a listing of one’s academic and professional accomplishments is a curriculum vitae (plural: curricula vitae), or CV (plural: CVs). The term vita (plural: vitae) is a synonym.

WWashington State, state of WashingtonCapitalize the word state when it follows Washington, lowercase it when it precedes it.

Web, Web site, World Wide WebUppercase the word Web in all cases. The phrase Web site is two words, as is Web page. Lowercase other terms that use Web as a root, such as webmaster and webinar.

Web addressesSee URL

Whale Apartments

Who, whom, whoseFor the complete explanation of these three words, see the Chicago Manual of Style, or check a dictionary. Here’s a very simple way to know when to use who or whom. Whose is possessive.

Whose shoes are these? (These shoes belong to whom?)

Here is a simple trick to remind yourself when to use who or whom:When trying to decide which to use, ask yourself if the answer to your question would be

him or he (her or she).

If your answer is him, use whom (both pronouns end in “m”.)If your answer is he, use who.

Examples:Whom do you love? I love him.Who came to the party? He did.

This same rule can be applied to the feminine.

He = sheHim = her

Whom to do you love? I love her.Who came to the party? She did.

The bottom line is: who and whom is exactly the same as I and me, he and him, she and her, etc. Who, I, he, and she, is a subject—the person performing the action of the verb. Whom, me, him, and her, is an object—the person to/about/for whom the action is being done.

WildcatsThe Wildcat is CWU’s official athletic affiliation. All teams are known as Wildcats.

Wildcat Wellness Center

Wilson Hall

Work-studyLowercase work-study when used in general terms, capitalize it with an official name (Federal Work-Study).

X

YYearsPlease see datesIf beginning a sentence with a year, spell it out.

Two thousand and four was a big year for Central Washington University.

Year in schoolDo not capitalize the words freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate when they refer to the year in which a course is to be taken or to the classification of the student.

Your, You’reYou’re is the contraction of you are. The rule for you’re is similar to its and it’s. If you are using a sentence (like this one!) that requires an “are”, you’d use you’re.

You’re not going to like this! (You are not going to like this!)

Your is the possessive form of you.

Your dog won’t stop barking.

ZZip codeTry to use the full, nine-digit zip code whenever possible for mailing addresses.