.. _words: Punctuation, Grammar and Spelling ################################# This chapter provides usage guidelines with regard to words, punctuation, and grammar. The guidelines are not meant to replace a review or the by a professional writer but rather Capitalization ************** The preferred capitalization style for all documentation is sentence case. Words should only be capitalized when: * They are proper nouns or adjectives. * They refer to trademarked product names. * When they are part of a heading using title case. .. important:: Do not capitalize a word to indicate it has a greater status than other words. Never change the case of variable, function or file names; always keep the original case. Capitalization styles ===================== We refer to several capitalization styles in this document: uppercase, title case, sentence case, and lowercase. Do not use uppercase capitalization for any passages, not even extreme warnings. Some legal disclaimers are written in all caps for emphasis; this is the only exception. The only paragraphs that shall use title case are the headings of the document. All items associated with tables and figures shall use sentence case capitalization: Only the first word and proper names are capitalized. The following list provides sample paragraph types with the correct capitalization style: * Headings: Title case - Widget Pro User Manual - Installing Widget Pro in a Distributed Environment * Table titles: Sentence case - MPEG profile/level matrix * Table column headings: Sentence case - First level of values; Second level of values, etc. * Figure titles, callouts and legends: Sentence case - Widget backplane connections - Edit icon - Date/time spinbox - Rate of acceleration - Color code explanation - Legend Menu Capitalization =================== When referring to software menu items by name, replicate the capitalization as it appears in the software menus the user will see. It is acceptable to refer to these items generically by using lowercase letters if it is clear that your reference is generic and not a specific name of a window or field on a menu, for example: * Click :guilabel:`Edit` to display the :guilabel:`Widget Configuration ` window. * The widget configuration window has several advanced widget configuration options. This second bullet could have capitalized the term "Widget Configuration window"; but there are times when you might want to refer to something with a generic descriptor and not its name. Observe the use of the |ReST| markup ``:guilabel:`` on the first bullet. A few other menu capitalization rules to keep in mind: * Use "Select :menuselection:`File --> New`." * Put the option to be selected last. "Select :menuselection:`View --> Side Bar --> Hide Side Bar`" * Do not include more than 3 navigation steps in a menu selection. If more than three steps are needed devide the steps using ``:guilabel:`` or ``:menuselection:``. For example: "Go to :guilabel:`File` and select :menuselection:`Print --> Print Preview --> Set Up`." Software Version Capitalization =============================== Do not capitalize the word version or letter v when listing software or hardware version numbers. The v is lowercase and closed with the number (no period). For example: * Widget Pro v5.0 * Widget Master v2.1.12 Hyphenated or Slashed-concatenated Terms ======================================== For hyphenated or slash-concatenated terms, capitalize only the first letter, even if they are headings. For example: * Day/night Menu * Follow-up Action Items Plurals and Possessives *********************** Because English plurals and possessives use the same /s/ and /z/ phonemes, they can create problems for even experienced writers. This section deals with these issues. Singular vs. Plural Possessives =============================== Here are some guidelines for singular and plural possessives: * Use only the apostrophe to show possession for a plural that ends in s: The boys' books. * Use apostrophe + s to show possession for a plural that does not end in s: The men's books. * Use apostrophe + s to show possession for a singular that ends in a silent sibilant: Illinois's capital. * Use apostrophe + s to show possession for a singular that ends in a sibilant; s, x, c, z, or others. The following table provides some examples with the correct and incorrect cases and the notes that accompanies them. +-------------------+------------------+---------------------------+ | Correct | Incorrect | Notes | +===================+==================+===========================+ | the boys' books | the boy's books | The books that belong to | | | | several boys. | +-------------------+------------------+---------------------------+ | the men's books | the mens' books | The books that belong to | | | | several men. | | | | | +-------------------+------------------+---------------------------+ | Arkansas's code | Arkansas' code | The s at the end of | | | | Arkansas is silent and | | | | Arkansas is not a plural. | +-------------------+------------------+---------------------------+ | the boss's office | the boss' office | We say: "the /BOSS-iz/ | | | | office" not "the/BOSS/ | | | | office." | +-------------------+------------------+---------------------------+ | the box's lid | the boxe's lid | One could say "the box | | | the box' lid | lid," avoiding the | | | | possessive. | +-------------------+------------------+---------------------------+ | Lopez's average | Lopez' average | We say "/LO-pez-iz/ | | | | average," not "/LO-pez/ | | | | average." | +-------------------+------------------+---------------------------+ | business's sales | business' sales | If you pronounce another | | | | syllable to show | | | | possession, it must have | | | | the apostrophe-s. | +-------------------+------------------+---------------------------+ Apostrophe-s Anomalies ====================== If a company name ends in s, x, c, or a sibilant sound, use the apostrophe-s ending for possessives: Traktronix's oscilloscopes Exception: If the company name is intended as a plural, we allow the apostrophe-only ending: Tejada Instruments' calculators In many cases, it is actually best to avoid the possessive form altogether for s-ending singular possessives, such as for company names and use the company name as a nonpossessive modifier instead: Traktronix oscilloscopes Tejada Instruments calculators We say "Intel equipment" when discussing Intel-branded products, not "Intel's equipment", which implies that we own it, not that we produce it. "Intel's equipment" sounds like the equipment that Intel employees use. Plural modifiers ================ Avoid plural modifiers. For example, it should be a system administrator, not a systems administrator. It doesn't matter how many systems this person manage, we don't typically use the plural of a word to modify a noun. Here a list of exceptions: * operations manager * sales department * graphics team There are always exceptions, especially when the plural form is generally considered to be singular: sales, physics, operations. It is best to adhere to this rule and ask if you are unsure. Parenthetical plurals ===================== Do not parenthesize optional plurals, whether added to the end of a word, typically with the letter s, or internally. In general, think in plurals when you write, assume that the user understands that a plural could mean a singular as well. A typical user who has only one unit will not be confused if you say "connect the units." On the contrary, using parenthetical plurals often creates more confusion. Correct Men, women, children, college alumni, moose, and even desert plants such as cacti should not use parentheses around plurals. Incorrect A m(e)n, wom(a)n, a child(ren), college alumn(i), (moose), and even a desert plant(s) such as a cact(i) should not use a parenthes(e)s around a plural(s). Internal Plural Acronyms ======================== Some abbreviated terms can cause trouble, particularly when the pluralized portion does not fall at the end of the phrase. These internal-plural words should follow standard English pluralization rules when abbreviated: The plural goes at the end of the term. * Alarms acknowledged and logged: AAL, AALs. * Attorneys-general: AG, AGs. * Regions of interest: ROI, ROIs. Plurals of Acronyms and Capitalized Product Names ================================================= Pluralize acronyms, initialisms, and capitalized product names by adding a lowercase s; do not use an apostrophe. If the term ends in a sibilant (s, x, z, sometimes c and others), pluralize it by adding a lowercase es. Examples: Use TVs, DVDs, CDs, DVMRs not TV's, DVD's, CD's, DVMR's. Use OSes not OSs, OS's. Use TRAXes, iBOXes not TRAXs, TRAX's, iBOX's, iBOXs. Use FAACes not FAAC's, assuming it is pronounced "face". Use FAACs not FAAC's Assuming it is pronounced "fake". Whenever you hear the extra syllable in the plural, add the -es suffix for the plural; if you do not hear the extra syllable, add the -s suffix for the plural. Latin plurals ============= Pluralize Latin terms in body text as shown: * Use appendixes not appendices. * Use matrixes not matrices. * Use indexes not indices. * Use vertexes not vertices. .. note:: Some Latin plurals, such as parentheses, phenomena, alumni, and crises, are widely used and accepted in English. Contractions ************ Use contractions wherever they seem appropriate, but consider how some of them might be ambiguous and confusing to nonnative English-speaking audiences. Some contractions can cause confusion for nonnative English-speakers because these contractions stand for more than one construction. For example, there's can be a contraction of there is or there has. The same applies to where's, it's, that's, and others. Also, avoid contractions of the word is, especially when combined with company or product names: Say, WidgetPro is an awesome product; not WidgetPro's an awesome product. Hyphenation *********** The hyphen is often used to join words together to form a compound noun . Compoundnouns often go through this progressions: * open compound: health care * hyphenated compound: health-care * closed compound: healthcare The English language is trending away from hyphenated compounds to closed compounds. Prefix Hyphenation ================== Do not hyphenate the prefixes listed below. Join the prefix to the term being modified, even if this results in a double vowel or double consonant: ante, counter, intra, mini, pro, super, anti, extra, meta, non, pseudo, trans, bi, by, infra, micro, post, re, ultra, bio, inter, mid, pre, sub, un. Here are some words that are often inappropriately hyphenated; do not hyphenate these words either: antitheft device, multicamera, multiscreen, prepackaged, reuse, submenu, autofocus, multifamily, multiuser, pseudoscience, semiannual, subtotal, autoiris, multimedia, nonprofit, reengineered, semicircle, superuser, microarchitecture, multiposition, predefined, reevaluate, subfolder, superscript, microorganism, multiprotocol, predrilled, reinvent, submarine. .. note:: Question whether the pre- prefix is needed at all and consider leaving it off the word entirely if the meaning is the same. Exceptions ---------- One overriding exception to the prefix rule is when the prefix is prepended to a proper and capitalized noun: * Non-European * Mid-April (but: midweek) Another exception is when the second word of a compound is a numeral: * Pre-1914 Some prefixes, such as self-, half-, quasi-, and ex-, when meaning "formerly", usually need a hyphen: * Self-control, half-truth, quasi-corporation, ex-governor Suffix Hyphenation ================== In general, do not hyphenate suffixes. Here are some examples. The suffix -wide is usually not hyphenated: * Nationwide, worldwide, systemwide, campuswide, statewide, companywide, etc. The suffix -wise is usually not hyphenated: * Otherwise, businesswise, revenuewise, clockwise, counterclockwise Commas, Semicolons, and Colons ****************************** Here are the most common problems encountered with commas, semicolons, and colons. Please refer to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary when in doubt. Serial Commas ============= When writing a series or items, use the serial comma before the coordinating conjunctions and and or to avoid confusion and ambiguity. For example: * Mom, Dad, and I are going to the game. * Mom, Dad and I are going to the game. The first example uses the serial comma. It is clear in this sentence that three people are going to the game. The second example does NOT have a comma preceding the and. The reader may interpret this as meaning the same thing as the first sentence, namely that three people are going to the game, or that the speaker is addressing "Mom" and telling her that only two people are going to the game. Commas in Numbers ================= Use commas to divide large numbers into sets of three digits. Use periods for decimal points. Do not divide decimal digits into sets of three. Do not use a comma to separate four-digit bit/byte numbers. Do not use a comma to separate four-digit page numbers. Do not use a comma or other punctuation to separate decimals. Semicolons ";" ============== Here are some rules governing the use of semicolons: * Use semicolons in long, sentence-style bulleted phrase lists. * Use semicolons when two equal clauses are joined because of similarity of construction or meaning. * Use semicolons in a series of items when at least one of the items itself includes a comma. Examples of semicolon usage: Similar construction: The prewidget comes before the widget; the postwidget comes after it. Comma-inclusive series: We traveled through Casper, Wyoming; Boise, Idaho; and Eugene, Oregon. Colons ":" ========== If the text following a colon is a sentence, capitalize the first word after the colon. If the subsequent text is not a sentence, do not capitalize the first term unless it is a title. For example: * This is a capitalization example: Donuts do not cause holes. * These is a noncapitalization example: colons, semicolons, and commas. * In a title, use title case following the colon. Example: Tires: How to Fix a Flat. * Use a colon at the end of a sentence or phrase that introduces examples, a list, a path, user input, or code. * Don't use a colon to introduce graphics, tables, or sections. * Don't use a colon at the end of a task title or any heading. Quotation marks *************** Follow these guidelines for quotation marks: * Restrict use of quotation marks to terms as terms. * Do not use quotation marks for emphasis; use *italics* for emphasis. * Avoid using single-quote marks. * In terms of punctuation: commas and periods typically go inside the end-quote; semicolons, colons, question marks, and exclamation points typically go outside quotation marks. Unless they are part of the actual quotation.