Punctuation
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Period (View Details)
- In general, do not use periods with abbreviations for academic degrees:
• He has a BA in economics, an MA in finance, and an MBA.
- Do not use periods with acronyms or initialisms:
• UNICEF works on behalf of children’s rights, survival, development and protection.
• The Hawks did very well in last year’s NCAA finals.
• RSVP
Note: The word “please” is already represented by the “P” in this French initialism—répondez s’il vous plaît (please respond). Do not say “Please RSVP.”
- Use only one space after a period or other end punctuation before starting the next sentence or clause:
• Hawk Hall is our brand-new dormitory. It is divided into five themed floors.
• You have a choice of two days: Tuesday or Thursday.
Comma (View Details)
- The comma may be omitted before the conjunction (“and,” “or”) in a simple series of one- or two-word elements:
• As a freshman, he took courses in writing, English, biology and math.
• Hmm, shall I have the grilled swordfish, barbecued spareribs, or Irish stew?
• After work, he picked up his shirts at the cleaners, went to the ATM, and met his wife.
- Place a comma after digits signifying thousands (3,400 students), except when referring to temperature or year (4600 degrees, in the year 2001).
- Transition terms, such as “however,” “namely,” “i.e.” (that is), and “e.g.” (for example), should be immediately preceded by a comma or semicolon and followed by a comma:
• Our evening class is three hours long; however, we do take a 15-minute break.
• We have a lengthy assignment, namely, chapters one, two and three.
- Do not use a comma in names ending in “Jr.” or a numeral (III):
• John Smith Jr.
• John F. Zeller III
- When writing a date or a location with city and state, place a comma after any element preceded by one:
• On July 4, 1976, the nation celebrated its 200th birthday.
• Located in West Hartford, Conn., the University of Hartford comprises seven schools and colleges.
- Do not place a comma between the month and year when the day is not mentioned:
• July 2007
Colon (View Details)
- Follow a statement that introduces a direct quotation of one or more sentences with a colon:
• This is what the message said: “Call your mother when you get in.”
- Use a colon after “as follows.” If the colon precedes two or more complete sentences, capitalize following the colon; if not, don’t:
• Please note as follows: Meetings are held on Tuesday mornings. Bring your ideas and an open mind with you.
• We were instructed as follows: bring your ideas and an open mind with you.
- Do not use a colon to introduce a list in running copy:
• The winners of the competition are John Brown, Mary White and Amy Tan.
• She went to pick up a few things, including coffee, cream, milk and muffins.
- Do not use a colon after a preposition to set off the copy that follows, whether horizontally or vertically laid out:
• E-mail any questions to Pamela Frazier, director of budget and financial analysis, frazier@hartford.edu.
• Send replies to
International Center
University of Hartford
200 Bloomfield Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06117
Semicolon (View Details)
- Use a semicolon to separate two independent clauses that are not joined by a conjunction:
• Boston is two hours northeast of Hartford; New York City is two hours south.
- Place a semicolon before an adverb used transitionally between independent clauses:
• Some students arrived late; however, they were still able to register on time.
- Separate items in a series with a semicolon when they contain internal punctuation:
• January consists of 31 days; February, 28; March, 31; and April, 30.
- A semicolon is not interchangeable with a colon. Check carefully which you have typed on the keyboard: the colon requires the shift key; the semicolon does not.
Apostrophe (View Details)
- In forming the plural of figures, do not use an apostrophe:
• the early 1900s
• the late ’60s
- Punctuate the year of college graduation with an apostrophe (curved and facing left, never straight and vertical):
• Class of ’86
• Carol Wanamaker Lenker ’57
• William ’56 and Carol Wanamaker Lenker ’57
- Master’s, bachelor’s, and associate’s degrees should always be written with an ’s.
Never write masters’ degrees. For PhD, use doctorate (noun) or doctoral degree (adjective).
- Use ’s to form the possessive of singular nouns; use only an apostrophe for plural nouns ending in s:
• student’s dorm
• women’s rights
• the United States’ wealth
• regents’ meeting
• Dickens’s life
Hyphen (View Details)
- In general, the move in printed materials is away from hyphenated words, whether used as nouns or adjectives:
• fundraising
• groundbreaking
• bestseller
- Do not hyphenate the term “vice president.”
- Generally, do not hyphenate words beginning with “non” or other common prefixes. Consult Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary for lists of specific examples.
• nonacademic, reelect, nontechnical, subtotal, premedical, antiwar
• But: non-German (proper noun), pre-dentistry, pre-veterinary
- Do not hyphenate African American, Asian American, etc.
- Do not hyphenate “grade point average.”
- Hyphenate “part time” and “full time” only when used as adjectives:
• He is a part-time instructor in the English department.
• She works full time in the computer laboratory.
- Hyphenate any modifying word combined with “well” only when it precedes its subject:
• She is a well-qualified instructor for the course.
• The dean is well qualified to handle that issue.
• BUT: They care about our psychological well-being also. (noun)
- Do not use a hyphen to connect an adverb ending in “ly” to the adjective it modifies in such phrases as “highly qualified student” or “elegantly furnished home.”
- When omitting the second part of a hyphenated term, retain the hyphen and follow with a space:
• 10- to 12-year-olds
• Hartford- or Greenwich-bound lane
- Generally, in a title, capitalize all elements in a hyphenated word, unless the first element is a prefix or other form that cannot stand by itself:
• Under-the-Counter Transactions
• Medium-Sized Classes
• Concerto in F-flat
• Has E-mail Altered Our Written Language?
• Semi-retired and Busier Than Ever
Dash (View Details)
- Use an em dash instead of two hyphens to indicate a longer break between copy elements (see Insert/Symbol/Special Characters in MS Word toolbar). Do not leave a space on either side of the dash:
• She likes all kinds of music—classical, jazz, country and rock.
- Use an en dash for inclusive dates (see Insert/Symbol/Special Characters in MS Word toolbar):
• The president’s term was 1960–64.
• Parents Weekend will be held Oct. 1–4.
• BUT: Spring semester is from Jan. 23 to May 6.
Quotation Marks (View Details)
- Use single quotation marks for quotations printed within other quotations:
• “When I was a student,” she reminisced, “someone said to me, ‘Be sure to enjoy this time of your life.’”
- Use single quotation marks in headlines:
• Team Finds ‘Hawk’ Heaven
- Periods and commas should be set inside quotation marks; colons and semicolons should be set outside. Exclamation points and question marks that are not part of a quotation also go outside.
• The instructor said, “Good morning, everyone,” but the fire alarm went off before he could say another word.
• The coach said to “print Sports Center hours at the bottom of the brochure”; I don’t know what they are, though.
• Didn’t you hear her say, “Reading assignments are due every Friday”?
- Indicate an omission within a quotation by using an ellipsis (three periods evenly spaced between words):
• “I…tried to do what was best.”
If the omission occurs at the end of a complete sentence, add a period at the end of the ellipsis, followed by a space:
• “At the University we are committed to a liberal arts education…. We develop our degree programs with this in mind.”
- Titles of songs, articles, book chapters, poems, photographs, lectures, individual titles from a series, unpublished works, etc., should be set in quotation marks:
• “Drops of Jupiter,” sung by Train
• Stieglitz’s “The Steerage,” 1907 (photogravure on vellum)
• “Video Provocateur” from the Distinguished Teaching Humanist Series
- Italicize titles of books, films, magazines, newspapers, journals, television and radio programs, major musical compositions, plays, gallery exhibitions, and works of art:
• Blackboard Jungle
• New England Journal of Medicine
• American Idol
• Madama Butterfly
• Arrangement in Grey and Black: The Artist’s Mother
- Refer to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary for more information.
