York University Writing Style Guide
Last reviewed: February 2024
Welcome to York University’s Writing Style Guide. This guide should be your first stop for English-language journalistic and promotional writing and communications to both the York University community and the general public.
Using a consistent writing style is an important part of building and maintaining the University brand. It’s a reflection of our culture and by using the writing style correctly it builds the reader’s trust in your content because you’re confirming it is a part of York’s content.
This guide isn’t intended to be comprehensive but rather cover style that is specific to the University’s context. Otherwise, we adhere to The Canadian Press (CP) Stylebook and The Canadian Press Caps and Spelling. If you can’t find what you’re looking for there then please refer to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary.
These guidelines are informed by subject matter experts at the University are founded on a number of sources including:
The Canadian Press Stylebook
The Canadian Press Caps and Spelling
The Canadian Oxford Dictionary
Talking Gender: A Guide to Nonsexist Communication
Elements of Indigenous Style
The CCAE English Language Style Guide
The “Spelling” section addresses frequent spelling questions and lists some of CP’s exceptions to Oxford spellings. This style guide also touches items of particular stylistic concern for anyone editors a York University publications or managing a York University communications channel. Cross references are included to help you find relevant information.
Revised table of contents:
Abbreviations:
Abbreviations
Acronyms
Academic language:
Academic subjects
Alumni
Campuses
Degrees
Emeritus
Faculty / Faculties
Grant Agencies
Professor
Titles
Capitalization:
Capitalization
Capitalizing academic subjects
Capitalizing departments and administrative units
Capitalizing government
Capitalizing job titles
Capitalizing titles of works of art
Capitalizing – other
Numbers:
Metric
Numbers
Ordinal indicators / superscript
Punctuation and formatting:
Accents (foreign)
Ampersands
Apostrophes
Brackets / parentheses
Colons
Commas
Dashes
Dates and times
Ellipses
Headlines
Hyphens
Italics
Lists: bullets, numbers, etc.
Possessives
Quotations
Semicolons
Underlining
Spelling:
Common problems
Dictionary
Other:
Additional resources
COVID-19
Sensitive subjects and preferred language
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Web addresses and hyperlinks
Abbreviations
Use only abbreviations and acronyms (abbreviations pronounced as words) on their own if they are very familiar to most readers. (See the Acronyms section.)
CBC, MPP, MP, RCMP
When in doubt, spell out. If you are using an abbreviation that is not well known, spell out the full name in the first reference with the abbreviation in parentheses. Then use the abbreviation or a short form of the full name in all subsequent references.
York is the home base for the World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre (WECT). Three volumes of WECT have already been published and the fourth volume of the series is scheduled for release in the Fall of 1998. (See the ACRONYMS section.)
For ease of reading or variety, a general term is often preferable to an abbreviation.
The encyclopedia headquarters is located at York University.
No more than one or two abbreviations or acronyms should be used within the same text. Otherwise, you get a sentence that reads like this:
AUCC voted that SCOTL should devote more time to publicizing SSHRC and NSERC awards to get CCAE’s attention.
Do not include an abbreviation in parentheses if the abbreviation is not repeated elsewhere.
When abbreviations follow indefinite articles, the way the abbreviation is pronounced determines whether “a” or “an” is used.
a WHO spokesman
an EKG
Abbreviations also include the shortening of items such as:
Inc.
Incorporated
etc. (use a comma before it in a series, but a comma is not necessary if there is no series)
et cetera (and so on)
e.g. (no comma after it)
exampli gratia (for example)
i.e. (no comma after it)
id est (that is to say)
Omit periods in all-capital abbreviations unless the abbreviation is geographical or refers to a person.
AD, CST, IPO, UBC, UFO, VIP, URL; B.C., P.E.I., N.W.T., U.S., T.O., L.A.; J.R. Ewing
Omit periods from currency abbreviations
US$500, C$800
Metric symbols are not abbreviations and take periods only at the end of a sentence.
Acronyms
Acronyms are abbreviations pronounced as words. They are useful for saving space, but the full name should be given on first reference unless the term is very well known. (See the Abbreviations section.)
Do not include an acronym in parentheses if the acronym is not repeated elsewhere.
Try to use general descriptive terms to vary the wording within a text.
A grant of $100,000 was awarded to the Centre for Research on Latin America & the Caribbean (CERLAC) at York University. Officials said CERLAC received the award for its work on the Guatemalan education system. The centre is currently developing an exchange program for faculty in Canada and Guatemala.
Academic subjects
Academic subjects or disciplines should be lowercased, except for languages or ethnicities, which are capitalized.
She is taking courses in mathematics and psychology, but her major is English.
The geography class took a field trip as part of its research.
He took an introductory Spanish course and a linguistics course.
York is one of the few universities in Canada to offer Jewish studies.
If you are writing about a specific department using the official name, capitalize the name of the department or research centre and use the full title for the first reference. On second and subsequent references, use the short version of the proper name also capitalized or the common noun element lowercased.
The Department of Sociology received nine significant grants. It was the highest number ever presented to the Sociology Department within a single semester. Additional department information can be found on their website.
If, when using the common noun element, e.g. “department” or “centre,” and other departments or centres are mentioned leading to possible confusion, capitalize the initial letter.
The Centre for Refugee Studies draws scholars from around the world. The Centre is one of 21 research centres at York University.
The Department of Psychology is one of the largest in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. The department includes cognitive, behavioural and linguistic psychologists.
(See the Capitalizing academic subjects and Capitalizing departments and administrative units sections for more information.)
Alumni
Use the word “alumni” to refer to a group of people who have graduated from York University. It is the most commonly used form and is the York preference.
Thousands of alumni from across the country arrived at the campus for homecoming weekend.
“Alumnus” refers to an individual male graduate.
“Alumna” refers to an individual female graduate.
"Alum" refers to a graduate, regardless of gender. Use specifically requested or if the graduate's preferred pronouns are not known.
“Alumnae” describes a group of graduates known to be comprised entirely of females. It is not commonly used. However, it should be used when the grads are known to be all female.
The Nellie Langford Rowell Library hosted alumnae from the first graduating class in women’s studies.
“Alums” is used as an informal substitute for “alumni” in spoken English but should rarely be used in written form.
Campuses
The official names of the campuses of York University are:
Keele Campus (not York campus)
Glendon Campus
Hyderabad Campus
LA&PS IBM Learning Space
Las Nubes EcoCampus
Markham Campus
YSpace Markham
TD Community Engagement Centre
Miles S. Nadal Management Centre
Osgoode Professional Development Centre
Degrees
It is acceptable to spell out the degree or to abbreviate it, depending on the context.
When describing and spelling out a degree, use lowercase and apostrophes.
There are many baccalaureate degrees.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics. She is working towards a master’s degree.
She has a bachelor of arts degree in English.
The Faculty of Graduate Studies conferred 97 master’s degrees in the fall convocation.
When abbreviating a degree, omit periods and punctuation marks.
BA, MA, PhD, LLB, LLD, LLM, DJur, DLitt, BJ, BSc, MES, MSW
Within the body of a text, details of a degree may be written out as follows.
Dale Smith earned her BA (Honours) in history.
Judy Shreiber graduated with a master’s degree last year.
Within a graduate profile, shorten degree information as much as possible, including the year of graduation.
Dale Smith (BA Hons. ’79) now works in Guam as a consultant.
July Shreiber (MA ’98) is now pursuing doctoral work at Harvard University.
When using articles with degrees, use the article appropriate when pronouncing the abbreviation.
an MA in political science (not a MA)
an MSc in theoretical physics (not a MSc)
a BA in philosophy
Honorary degrees should follow the same rules as above. When abbreviating an honorary degree, use Hon.
Indigenous law scholar John Borrows was recognized with an honorary doctor of laws degree from York University on June 22.
John Borrows (LLD [Hon.]) spoke at the convocation ceremony last night.
John Borrows, LLD (Hon.), spoke at the convocation ceremony last night.
Emeritus
emeritus (masculine)
emerita (feminine)
emeriti (plural)
(See Capitalizing job titles section.)
Faculty / Faculties
(See Capitalization sections.)
Grant agencies
Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
Natural Sciences & Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC)
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Professor
For captions or headings, abbreviate the word professor.
Prof. Gord Bennett named to the Order of Canada
Three York University profs appointed to the Order of Canada
In text, spell out the title in the first reference. Use the last name without the title in subsequent references.
Professor Karen Gough was honoured by the Canadian Psychological Association. Gough has been teaching at York for many years.
When the word is used descriptively (following a name, preceding a field of study or as a common noun) do not capitalize and do not use period for abbreviation.
Gord Bennett, a professor of chemistry, was named to the Order of Canada.
The professors met each week.
Karen Gough has been a professor of biology for eight years.
(See the Capitalizing job titles section.)
Use the term lecturer if appropriate, but do not distinguish between assistant professors, associate professors, full professors or adjunct professors, unless it is relevant to the story. Faculty members are treated equally within a story, even if Professor Jones has full tenure, Professor Smith is an associate professor and Professor Johnson is an assistant professor.
York University professors Jones, Smith and Johnson spoke at the symposium.
Do not capitalize "professors" when introducing a list of professors, like above.
Titles
(For rules on capitalization of titles, see the Capitalization section.)
With few exceptions, a title more than two words long should be set off from the name with commas.
Rhonda L. Lenton, president and vice-chancellor of York University
A title set off from a name by commas is lowercased.
The president and vice-chancellor, Rhonda L. Lenton, will represent York University at the talks.
Courtesy titles
Avoid using courtesy titles Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms.
Honorific titles
Honourable, right honourable, excellency, etc. are to be avoided, except in formal invitations and direct quotations.
Two exceptions to the above rule are the academic honorific titles Distinguished Research Professor and University Professor, which are always capitalized.
Professional titles
Avoid use of "Dr." title entirely, both for people with doctoral degrees and for medical doctors. Use academic titles instead, and/or explain the person's professional role without using the "Dr." title.
One exception to this is when "Dr." is used within a letter from the president or a senior administrator, or within a quote. Treat a letter as a long quote.
Capitalization
York University follows a modified lowercase style. The basic rule is to capitalize all proper names, trade names, government departments and agencies of government, names of centres, departments, Faculties, universities, associations, companies, clubs, religions, languages, nations, races, places and addresses. Otherwise, lowercase is favoured where a reasonable option exists. Uppercase slows down the readability and comprehensibility of a sentence.
This section has been subdivided into sections, including:
Capitalizing academic subjects
Capitalizing departments and administrative units
Capitalizing government
Capitalizing job titles
Capitalizing titles of works of art
Capitalizing other
The Canadian Press Caps and Spelling should be used for other items.
Capitalizing academic subjects
In general use, subjects should be listed in lowercase.
She is majoring in geography.
He enjoys his mathematics course.
Exception: When you are describing a subject that is also a language, culture or religion, capitalize it.
She is an English major.
He is doing well in his Spanish course.
York is one of the few universities in the country to offer Jewish studies.
When a subject is being described by its official or short-form name, course or program title, it should be capitalized.
She teaches in the Department of Geography at York.
He is taking a course called Elements of Discrete Mathematics.
Space & Communications Science is one of the specialized streams of study within Earth & Atmospheric Science.
Capitalizing departments and administrative units
Words such as department, division, centre and program are only capitalized when they are part of a formal or informal name. Proper names, titles of programs, names of Faculties, colleges and departments may be capitalized in the first reference but can be shortened and lowercased for subsequent reference.
First reference
Subsequent references
the Division of Humanities
or the Humanities Division
the division
the Department of Dance
or the Dance Department
the department
Calumet College
or Calumet
the college
the University Board of Governors
or
York University Board of Governors
the board
or
University Board of Governors
University Senate
the senate
Lowercase should be used when the context is general, or in the second and subsequent references to a department, college or body whose full name has already been given.
The humanities courses are popular among undergraduate students.
All departments must submit their budget projections next week.
The Department of Dance (uppercase on first reference) is part of the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design.
The Dance Department is unique in Canada. The department offers a wide range of courses related to different periods in dance history. (Lowercase in all subsequent references, where it is clear which department is being discussed, and where no other departments are mentioned in the same context.)
Calumet College is located at the west end of the campus. (Uppercase on first reference.) The college’s mandate is technology and the arts. (Lowercase on second and subsequent references.)
The York University Board of Governors held its first annual meeting. The board meeting ended at 7 p.m.
In plural use, when more than one department or division is being described, use lowercase for the common noun.
The departments of History and Political Science both offer …
Exceptions:
Faculty
In the case of the word Faculty, where there are two meanings, use the uppercase Faculty when you mean the academic division. When you mean a group of professors, use the lowercase: the faculty.
The Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies is the largest at York. The Faculty offers a wide range of courses in many subject areas.
The York faculty union is YUFA.
University
When referring to York, or when York University is implied, the “U” is always capitalized, even in subsequent references.
The University is located in Toronto
It was a pan-University event.
The “u” is lowercased when referring to another university or universities in general.
York University scientists attended a symposium at the University of Hong Kong. They said the university hosting the event was well equipped. (refers to U of HK)
The university today faces the challenge of declining government funds and escalating costs. (refers to universities in general)
The “u” is always lowercase in the plural, when more than one university is mentioned, including York University.
Rutgers, Yale and York universities were well represented at the conference.
Note: When a phrase refers to an administrative unit it should be capitalized. When it refers to an individual’s title it should be lowercased. (See Capitalizing job titles section.)
The Vice-President University Advancement produces the annual PBA document.
The vice-president university advancement chaired the meeting.
Capitalizing government
Capitalize specific international, national and provincial government departments, ministries, agencies, boards, etc., including short forms of the proper name.
Ontario Ministry of Education
B.C. Highways Ministry
Canada Post Corp. (on first reference), Canada Post (on subsequent references)
Liquor Control Board of Ontario
Capitalize cabinet portfolios only as part of a title directly preceding a name.
Health Minister Georgia Pape
but
Georgia Pape, federal minister of health
Lowercase the cabinet member’s title in subsequent reference and when it stands alone.
Finance Minister Bernard Hannon addressed the House of Commons yesterday. The finance minister spoke again about the budget he released last week.
Capitalize descriptions of the department or ministry that refer to their proper name, even when they stand alone.
The cuts will affect Justice and Communications.
Over 25 years, she worked in Archives, Housing and Natural Resources.
Lowercase common nouns related to government ministries standing alone and in a group (plural references), and in subsequent references.
the department, a ministry spokesperson, board members, the authority
The departments of Justice and Defence
Capitalizing job titles
Capitalize formal titles – academic titles and those that are an integral part of a person’s identity – when they directly precede the name.
York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton
Vice-President Academic and Provost Lisa Philipps
Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Dean Ananya Mukherjee-Reed
President Emeritus Jeffrey Davis is a member of the York University Founders Honour Society
When the title comes after the name, it should be lowercased (with the exception of the title “Chair”).
Rhonda L. Lenton, president and vice-chancellor of York University
Lisa Philipps, vice-president academic and provost
Ananya Mukherjee-Reed, dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Marshall McCall, Chair of the Department of Physics & Astronomy
Murray G. Ross, founding president emeritus of York University
When the title is written without the name, it should be lowercased (with the exception of the title “Chair”).
The president made a speech to the senate.
The dean spoke to the new students for the first time.
An exception to the above rules are the honorific titles Distinguished Research Professor and University Professor, which are always capitalized, even after a name.
When combining a job title with an academic subject, the subject or program should not be capitalized.
Adrienne Jones, professor of physics, led the seminar.
After the full name and title have been given once, use only the surname in subsequent references.
York University President Frank Johnson addressed the Canadian Club last week. In his speech, Johnson described his university sector experience, both as an administrator and as a former student.
Professor Robert Darnell is teaching an undergraduate psychology course. Darnell is a visiting lecturer from Australia.
Chair – Always capitalize Chair when you are referring to someone’s title to distinguish it from other meanings.
The Chair of the board of governors officially opens the meetings.
A new Chair of the Philosophy Department was appointed.
But lowercase it when you are using it as a verb.
He chaired the meeting.
He will chair this important meeting.
Lowercase occupational titles. Titles of officials of companies, unions, political organizations and the like are also lowercased.
Widget president Barbara Sansom, CAW secretary Margaret Wilson, defenceman Patrick Keenan, general manager Art Simpson, commissioner Bert Nobby, coach Guy Lebrun, astronaut John Young
Note: When a phrase refers to an administrative unit it should be capitalized. When it refers to an individual’s title it should be lowercased. (See also Capitalization departments and administrative units section.)
The Vice-President University Advancement produces the annual PBA document.
The vice-president university advancement chaired the meeting.
(See The Canadian Press Stylebook for more information on titles.)
Capitalizing titles of works of art
In titles of plays, books, etc., capitalize the first and last words and all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives. Avoid capitalizing the prepositions, conjunctions and articles, unless they are the first or last word of the title.
The Merchant of Venice
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
To the Lighthouse
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Capitalizing – other
Honours
When one is referring to a title or degree, always capitalize the “H.”
The Specialized Honours program is very attractive to students.
He earned a BA (Honours) in philosophy.
When referring to someone being “honoured” with an award, use the lowercase.
Professor Manbeck was honoured by the Canadian Psychological Association.
Names of races
Capitalize the proper names of nationalities, peoples, races and tribes.
Indigenous Peoples, Arab, Caucasian, French Canadian, Inuit, Latin, Asian, Cree, etc.
Joint nationalities/identities are not hyphenated.
French Canadian
(See Sensitive subjects and preferred language section.)
The
The word “the” is capitalized at the start of titles of books, magazines, movies, TV programs, songs, paintings and other compositions.
The is not capitalized at the start of names of such works as almanacs, the Bible, directories, encyclopedias and handbooks.
When “the” is capitalized in a geographical name, retain the capitalization: The Pas, The Hague, El Salvador. But the Netherlands, the Congo.
For consistency, lowercase “the” in all other names: companies, associations, institutions, newspapers, documents, laws, awards, ships, trains, nicknames, rock groups and so on.
Metric
The names of metric units are usually spelled out.
A 20-kilogram sack, not a 20-kg sack
He ran 10 kilometres, not he ran 10 km
There are no abbreviations in metric, only symbols. These symbols take periods only at the end of a sentence, never take an s in the plural and are separated from a number by a space. Metre is m, kilometre is km, kilogram is kg, Celsius is C, metric tonne is t, hour is h. Only Celsius is capitalized as C.
He drove 10 km to the store.
The weather was a sunny 23 C on Wednesday.
Use a hyphen when indicating a metric quantity as an adjective.
a 10-kilogram sack
C (for Celsius) can be used on first reference. Other common symbols such as km/h, mm and KB should be written out on first reference but may be used on second reference when preceded by a number at 70 km/h, a 105-mm cannon, a 112-KB file.
A number less than one has a zero before the decimal.
Symbols may be used in charts, graphics, tables and the like, as well as in coverage of certain sports.
Numbers
Write the numbers one to nine as words. The same goes for first to ninth.
Write the numbers 10 and up as numerical figures.
3,500 26 99th 10th
When the number is four digits or longer, separate with commas rather than spaces or periods.
100,000 not 100 000 or 100.000
There are 1,200 students.
A $430,000 grant
For large numbers, it is better to use words or a combination of words and numbers. Write 1.4 million rather than 1,400,000. Write one million rather than 1,000,000.
For the plural of numbers, including decades, do not use an apostrophe before the “s.”
The 1960s were exciting.
Give me all the 10s and 20s.
For numbers in official names, follow the organization’s spelling style:
7Up
Do not use commas with dimensions, measurements and weights consisting of two or more elements.
A woman is five feet 11 inches tall; a trip of six months three weeks two days; in two hours 21 minutes 45 seconds
When to use figures:
In addresses, in ages standing alone after a name, in dates and years, in decisions, rulings, scores, votes and odds, in monetary units preceded by a symbol, in temperatures, in times, for latitude and longitude.
When to spell out:
At the start of a sentence, if you must start with a number.
In headlines:
Use numerals for numbers under 10.
Use numerals – 8 instead of eight, 1st instead of first, etc. – for numbers under 10.
Use M, capped, for million after numeral.
$2M in funding.
(For percentages, see the Spelling section. For more on headlines, see Headlines section.)
Ordinal indicators / superscript
Don’t use ordinal indicators (the suffixes "st," "nd," "rd," "th") when writing dates.
Oct. 12 not Oct. 12th or Oct. 12th
Spell out if below 10.
She placed eighth in the spelling bee
He finished 15th in the race
Don’t use superscript unless as a design element.
24th not 24th
Accents (foreign)
Use the appropriate accents if a non-English word is being used.
Étienne Bök, professor in the Schulich School of Business
François Rhéaume, professor of linguistics at Glendon
Professor Harpin was raised in Trois-Rivières, Que.
French studies Professor Véronique Duval
Groupe de recherches en études francophones is the name of the French-language press based at Glendon College.
York professors attended a conference at the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie in Germany.
Ampersands
Use when part of an official name: H&R Block, AT&T and in expressions such as B&B (bed and breakfast).
Use when part of the name of a Faculty, school, department, program or centre. Write out “and” in all other instances, including job titles.
Apostrophes
Use the apostrophe before an “s” to indicate the possessive (i.e. something that is of or belonging to something else – the graduating class of York).
York’s graduating class.
If something is descriptive rather than possessive, it does not take an apostrophe (the guide for students, the college for teachers, the outfielder for the Jays).
students guide
teachers college
Jays outfielder
Singular and plural nouns not ending in "s" take an apostrophe and "s" to form the possessive case.
father's pipe, women's health, people's food
Plural nouns ending in “s” take an apostrophe alone.
teachers' apples, the two peoples' history, the Joneses' daughter
The students’ grades will be posted.
Singular nouns and names ending in "s" (or an s sound) normally take an 's.
Chris's sandwich, Burgess's novel, the witness's testimony
The Schulich School of Business’s faculty members
But names of two or more syllables that end with a "z" or "eez" sound often take only an apostrophe.
Lansens' foot, Socrates' plays
Professor Bridget Jenkins’ research
Note: “s” followed by an apostrophe reads awkwardly, so it might be better to rewrite the sentence.
Grades will be posted.
Research by Professor Bridget Jenkins.
Use an apostrophe with plurals of lowercase letters.
Mind your p’s and q’s.
Dot the i’s and cross the t’s.
Capital letters and numbers have no apostrophe before plural “s” (unless you need one to avoid ambiguity).
She got straight As.
We teach the three Rs.
The 1960s was a decade of rapid growth for York University.
A’s in math and physics are hard to come by.
(See the Numbers and Dates and times sections.)
Do not use an apostrophe with the possessive pronoun “its.”
The program is in its third year.
Use an apostrophe with the contraction meaning “it is.”
It’s a difficult course.
Use an apostrophe to indicate the omission of letters of figures.
she'd, couldn't, rock 'n' roll, the early '30s, the class of '80
Brackets / parentheses
Use brackets sparingly when other punctuation won’t do the job.
Use regular brackets (parentheses) to indicate a separate thought or expression within a sentence.
She taught the statistics course (one of the toughest in the curriculum) for 15 years.
Regular brackets can be used to offer an explanation or definition of a term or an acronym that is to be repeated within the text.
The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) has honoured two York professors. This year’s teaching award recipients were announced by OCUFA officials at the spring meeting.
Use regular brackets to enclose a York grad’s degree details.
David Coombs (BA ’72, PhD ’78) retired in 2004 after 27 years as a stockbroker.
If a punctuation mark applied to the whole sentence, put the mark after the closing bracket. If a punctuation mark applies only to the words inside the parenthetical section, put the mark inside the closing bracket.
In general, a parenthetical sentence takes a capital only if it is a direct quotation.
Use brace or square brackets within a direct quote to indicate words of explanation that are not actually part of the original quotation.
“Those enrolling in it [the master’s program] should know that the requirement is six full credits and a thesis,” said Jones.
Avoid nested parentheses ([ ]), square brackets inside round brackets, whenever possible. (The exception being honorary degrees.)
Colons
Use a colon, rather than a comma, to introduce a direct quotation longer than a short sentence.
Use a colon to introduce a list, an example or a question.
Use colons in question-and-answer formats and for interviews. Quotation marks are not used.
Generally, do not capitalize the first letter of a sentence that follows a colon, unless it’s a word that would always be capitalized.
Commas
In a short series (list), use commas after each item but not before the final conjunction unless that avoids confusion.
Students will need books, pencils and rulers.
With a long or complex series (list), use semicolons.
His main research areas include: 20th century literature and criticism; aesthetics of criticism in the postmodern era; deconstructionist criticism and French literature; and theatre history for set designers.
(See the Lists section.)
In a quotation, commas and periods always go inside quotation marks; colons and semicolons outside. The question mark and exclamation mark go inside the quotations when they apply to the quoted matter only; outside when they apply to the entire sentence. (See Quotations section.)
“We need to recruit the best students we possibly can,” he said.
The Registrar’s Office announced that the changes would be “retroactive.”
With a long, descriptive title, put commas after the name and job description.
EJ Janse van Rensburg, interim dean of the Faculty of Science, spoke at the meeting.
Patrice Blanchard, federal minister of immigration, visited York.
With degrees and long descriptive phrases, put a comma between the name, the degree and the phrase.
George Nelson, BA, MA, PhD, won a gold medal.
Alice Johnson, PhD, a pioneer in genetic engineering, is a York graduate.
When writing a specific date that includes the day of the week, put a comma between the weekday and the month.
Friday, Aug. 5
If abbreviating the weekday (but avoid), remove the comma.
Fri. Aug. 5
Use a comma before a list beginning in e.g. and before etc. at the end of a list. If there is no list, there is no need for a comma before etc.
The walls were painted in a variety of colours, e.g. blue, green, peach, ivory, etc.
The abbreviated form ibid. is in more general use in bibliographies etc.
Use a comma before a list or clause beginning with i.e.
Abbreviations are helpful when taking notes in a lecture, i.e. they can save you time and space.
Dashes
The dash should not be confused with the hyphen. A hyphen is used to break a word over two lines, or to join two compound words.
At York, we do not use the em-dash (long dash). For typesetting purposes, we use the en-dash (middle-length dash) as an em-dash, to set off mid-sentence lists or explanations. This dash can be used instead of a pair of commas, or instead of a colon.
Anything that would typically require an en-dash (joining inclusive numerals, attaching a prefix or a suffix to an unhyphenated compound or joining the names of two or more places) will get a hyphen instead.
ABLE York – an organization that promotes the rights of students with disabilities – is hosting the event.
or
ABLE York, an organization that promotes the rights of students with disabilities, is hosting the event.
Use dashes to set lists apart from the rest of the sentence.
The visitors will discuss common problems – trade, tourism, immigration and defence – before the conference is over.
Use dashes when commas (generally preferable) would create confusion.
The pies – meat and fruit – were cheap.
Use a dash to mark a sharp break in a word or sentence
“I’ve been laughed at, ignored – but I’m boring you.”
Write dashes with a space before and after.
Dates and times
Write specific dates within the body of a text as follows, abbreviating the month.
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2018
When writing specific dates, omit the year when referring to the year we’re in.
Wednesday, Nov. 25
Do not change the order of construction, e.g. do not use “Saturday, 19 Sept.”
For dates that are distant, omit the weekday.
Feb. 20, 2028
Note: The months of March, April, May, June and July are never abbreviated because the words are so short. They are instead written out in full.
May 9, 1985
Thursday, July 3, 1997
Don’t use ordinal indicators (the suffixes "st," "nd," "rd," "th") when writing dates.
Oct. 12 not Oct. 12th or Oct. 12th
(See Ordinal indicators / superscript section.)
When writing approximate dates within the body of a text, spell out the month in full.
During December (month only)
Avoid commas when you are referring to a specific month within a specific year.
Starting in September 1999 (no comma, month spelled out in full, year listed numerically.)
The target for completion of the project is August 1999.
Use commas when you are referring to a specific month, day and year within a sentence.
Oct. 1, 2012, was a Friday. January 2015 was wet.
When writing about decades, use numbers.
The 1920s, the 1980s, the ’80s, the mid-1960s, the mid-’60s.
When writing about periods of time over years, a hyphen is used to connect dates except when preceded by “from” or “between.”
The 1982-83 tax year, from January to May (not from January-May), between 1970 and 1976 (not between 1970-76)
NOTE: Don’t drop the first two digits if the numbers are not the same: 1998-99, but 1998-2002.
When writing about centuries, as with numbers spell out the first nine as words, and use digits for 10 and above.
the fifth century
the 19th century
Hours are written numerically with no zeros.
9 a.m. (not 9:00 a.m.) 11 p.m. but 11:45 p.m.
noon (not 12 noon. The 12 is redundant.)
A range of times is written using the word “to” in text, but with a hyphen in tables.
The reception is scheduled from 8 to 11 p.m.
Reception, 8-11 p.m.
Note: The above rules for dates and times apply within the body of text. In calendars, tables, forms or graphs where space is extremely tight, short forms and figures can be used.
Nov. ’98 Dec. ’98 Jan. ’99
Ellipses
Also known as dot, dot, dot or …
Three periods (…) comprise an ellipsis, with the addition of a fourth period to end a sentence. Ellipses are used to indicate omission of text. Put spaces before and after the periods.
In her letter of nomination, McDougall wrote, “Lynda Hoffer is one of the most exceptional chemistry students I have ever had … exhibiting a keen love of learning.”
In condensing text, use an ellipsis at the beginning, inside or at the end of a sentence. If it is at the end, put the punctuation before the ellipsis. Hence four periods ends a sentence.
“The decision is clear…. The elected representatives have reached a concensus.”
“What is the answer?… We must strive harder.”
Headlines
Headlines for websites should typically be about six words (fewer than 45 characters), intriguing readers into clicking into the story. A strong, active verb can help create a mental picture. Put it in the present tense.
Don't use a name-only reference with people who aren't well known.
Only the first letter in the first word of the headline is uppercase. All other words in the headline follow normal Canadian Press style for capitalization. However, the principal words of headlines are capped when they are quoted within the body of a story.
The usual rules on abbreviations apply, with some additions.
For Canadian provinces, it is OK to use B.C., P.E.I., N.B., N.L., N.S. and N.W.T. in all references (nouns and adjectives).
Sask., Alta., Ont., Man., Nvt. and Que. can also be used, but only if space constraints require it.
Don't shorten Yukon.
Do not load up a headline with numerous abbreviations.
Use numerals – 8 instead of eight, 1st instead of first, etc. – for numbers under 10.
Use % instead of per cent.
Use M, capped, for million after numeral.
$2M in funding.
Use single, not double, quotation marks in headlines. Only use quotation marks in a headline if it includes a direct quote.
Hyphens
Use a hyphen when you join two words to form an adjective. This eliminates confusion.
first-year course
full-time equivalent
third-year students
part-time studies
the government-mandated budget cut
Don’t use a hyphen when the meaning is clear and there is no ambiguity.
one half course
a full course
one half of the students
A hyphen should not be used to join a prefix to a root/base except to avoid doubling a vowel, tripling a consonant, duplicating a prefix or when the context is confusing or causes ambiguity.
antibiotic
antivirus
antiwar
antisemitic
ebook
postdoctoral
postgraduate
but
anti-inflation
anti-intellectual
anti-ageism
anti-racism
e-learning
e-reader
post-secondary
Use a hyphen with the prefix “re” where the word would otherwise be confusing.
re-entry
re-coiled the rope (as opposed to recoiled in horror)
re-covered a chair (as opposed to recovered from an illness)
re-examine
Adverbs ending in "ly" are not followed by a hypen. The "ly" alerts readers that the word that follows is modified: a brightly lit room, an eagerly awaited speech.
Italics
Italicize the titles of books, journals, periodicals, newspapers, pamphlets, proceedings, collections, theses, dissertations, plays, movies, operas, oratorios, paintings, drawings, sculptures and other works of art.
YFile, York University's newsletter
The York University Magazine
Margaret Atwood’s novel Alias Grace
Jack Granatstein’s book Who Killed Canadian History?
The Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, the Edmonton Journal, the Toronto Sun.
Note: When the full title is not used, “the Sun” it is not italicized.
Some of the publications produced at York University include: Canada Watch, produced by the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies; Canadian Woman Studies, produced by the Centre for Feminist Research; and The York University Magazine, published by the Department of Strategic Communications.
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Frank Capra’s movie It’s a Wonderful Life, starring James Stewart
Handel’s Messiah
Rodin’s sculpture The Thinker
Voice of Fire, a painting by Barnett Newman
Ralph Beninger’s dissertation is titled Freud: The Dream Maker.
Note: When it comes to poetry, only epic poems are italicized. Regular short poems are set in quotation marks in the usual roman type.
Milton’s Paradise Lost (an epic poem) was written well after “On His Blindness.” (a short poem)
Do not italicize titles of articles, chapters in books, research project titles, short stories, regular poems, radio and television programs, lectures, papers read at meetings, manuscripts in collections. Instead, type them in roman type and set them inside quotation marks.
Peter Gzowski hosted his last episode of “Morningside” in 1997.
“My Son at the Seashore, Age Two” is one of the poems in the collection Forests of the Medieval World by York Professor Don Coles.
CBC Television’s program “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” is enormously popular.
Do not italicize songs, ships, aircraft or trains. Set in roman type and capitalize initials.
The song Sudbury Saturday Night is a classic by Stompin’ Tom Connors.
The staff party will take place on the Empire Sandy, which is docked at the foot of Bay Street.
Italicize foreign words and phrases, including Latin phrases.
Staff members gathered to say grazie and obrigado to the governments of Italy and Portugal for funding scholarships at York.
He received a doctor of laws honoris causa from York University.
York’s motto is tentanda via. (Note: do not capitalize the first letter except at the beginning of a sentence.)
Lists: bullets, numbers, etc.
There are three basic types of lists:
lists that contain only a few words in each item, not containing a full verb phrase;
lists of items that combine to form one giant sentence, each item completing the partial sentence interrupted by a semicolon; and
lists of items that are each at least one independent sentence.
Bullets are preferred except when the items in the list are to give the basic points that will be explained later in full. In this second case numbers or letters can be used, which will also be re-used consistently within the body where the explanation/expansion of each appears.
Type 1 – must be introduced by a grammatically complete sentence that introduces the coming list of nouns, noun phrases, etc. Items are brief, of only a few words (not a clause containing a verb). Each item begins with a lowercase and no punctuation follows.
York University has introduced several new programs for the academic year 1999-2000:
information technology
business and society
business economics
international studies
Type 2 – must be introduced by a grammatically incomplete sentence, and all items end with a semicolon except the final one, which has a period to end the sentence.
The students demanded that the government:
take steps to end corruption among party officials;
institute political reforms leading to more democracy and less authoritarianism; and
end martial law in the capital.
Type 3 – must be introduced by a grammatically complete sentence, often containing an anticipatory word tipping off the reader that a list is to follow.
The students made these demands:
The students listed several demands:
The students presented a long list of objectives:
These items are each at least one complete sentence. They can contain more than one sentence, but cannot run more than one paragraph, except possibly the final one. Each item begins with uppercase and ends with a period.
The students demanded the following of the government:
A meeting will be arranged between the student executive and the administration within the next two months.
Faculty and student executives will co-ordinate bimonthly meetings to continue developing funding initiatives.
Note: If the items are each too long and/or too complicated to match with either Type 2 or 3, the information is not suitable for bullets or numbered lists.
When to use bullets, numbers and letters:
Each item should be identified with a number if the list is introduced with a phrase such as: "There are three reasons…"
Items should be identified with numbers or letters if they will be expanded on and referred to in the text following. They must be consistent and clear when referencing the items given earlier.
For all other occasions, bullets should be used to identify each item.
Possessives
Singular and plural nouns not ending in “s” take an apostrophe and “s” to form the possessive case.
Father’s pipe, women’s health, people’s food
Plural nouns ending in “s” take an apostrophe alone.
Teachers’ apples, the two peoples’ history, the Joneses’ daughter
Singular nouns and names ending in “s” (or an “s” sound) normally take an ’s.
Chris’s sandwich Burgess’s novel, the witness’s testimony
But names of two or more syllables that end with a “z” or “eez” sound often take only an apostrophe.
Lansens’ foot, Mars’ laws, Socrates’ plays
Names ending in a silent “s” or “x” take an ’s.
Duplessis’s cabinet, Francaix’s symphony
For company and institutional names, follow the organization’s preference.
If something is descriptive rather than possessive, it does not take an apostrophe.
hitchhikers guide
students council
teachers association
(See the Apostrophes section.)
Quotations
Always use double quotation marks for speech except for in headlines and quotes within a quote.
Double quotation marks frame direct quotes. Anything inside them is assumed to be exactly what was said or written. Anything else inserted inside for clarification or explanation should be framed in square brackets. (See the Brackets section.)
He said, “We are working to improve it [the curriculum] over the summer.”
Periods and commas always go inside closing quotation marks; colons and semicolons go outside. The question mark and exclamation mark go inside the quote marks when they apply to the quoted matter only; outside when they apply to the entire sentence.
Single quotation marks indicate a quote or saying within a direct quotation.
“I don’t want the phrase ‘Those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach,’ to be seen to apply to the Faculty of Health,” said the new dean.
Do not use quotation marks to enclose slogans and headlines.
Do not use quotation marks around single letters.
Use single, not double, quotation marks in headlines. Only use quotation marks in a headline if it includes a direct quote.
Do not italicize titles of articles, chapters in books, research project titles, short stories, regular poems, radio and television programs, lectures, papers read at meetings, manuscripts in collections. Instead, type them in roman type and set them inside quotation marks.
Peter Gzowski hosted his last episode of “Morningside” in 1997.
“My Son at the Seashore, Age Two” is one of the poems in the collection Forests of the Medieval World by York Professor Don Coles.
CBC Television’s program “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” is enormously popular.
Semicolons
Use a semicolon to separate statements too closely related to stand as separate sentences.
Use a semicolon to separate phrases that contain commas.
Use a semicolon to precede explanatory phrases introduced by “for example,” “namely,” “that is” and the like when a comma is too weak.
Semicolons go outside quotation marks.
Underlining
(See the Italics section.)
Spelling
Common problems
centre (not center, unless part of a proper name, usually a U.S. organization) in past tense is spelled centred
per cent (two words; not percent or % in text)
focused, focusing (not focussed, focussing)
program (not programme)
University (cap “U” when referring to York University)
its (possessive pronoun) – The department cut its budget.
It’s contraction / abbreviation for “it is”) – It’s going to be a busy semester.
presently – means in the future, soon or after a short time, as in “He will arrive presently.” It means soon. It should not be used to mean now. (Use currently if you mean now.)
entitle – means to give or to render, as in “The claim entitles Canadian Indigenous peoples to fish on the land.” This word should not be used in reference to a book, unless one is speaking of the author’s act of giving the book a name, as in “He decided to entitle his book A Life in Progress.” But the book is titled or called A Life in Progress.
in regard to – not “in regards to”
irregardless – this is not a word. Please don’t use it. The word is regardless.
“That” versus “which”: Use "that" before a restrictive clause and "which" before everything else. If removing the words that follow would change the meaning of the sentence, use "that." Otherwise, "which" is fine.
“Comprise” versus “compose”: “To comprise” means “to contain.” “Compose” means “to make up.”
Dictionary
The following includes words from the Canadian Oxford Dictionary and The Canadian Press Caps and Spelling with troublesome spellings. Also included are some academic words often used at York University.
For anything that is not included below, refer to The Canadian Press Caps and Spelling first, followed by the Canadian Oxford Dictionary.
2SLGBTQIA+ (stands for: Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans/transgender, queer/questioning, intersexual, asexual, and additional people who identify as part of sexual and gender diverse communities; acronym is OK on first reference)
3D (not 3-D)
Aboriginal (uppercase in all uses; but Indigenous preferred in Canada)
abscess
accommodate
acknowledgment
adviser (not advisor)
aging (not ageing)
allotted
alumnae (rarely used. See Alumni section)
alumni (most commonly used. See Alumni section)
alumna (avoid gendered form unless pronouns are known; can use "alum" instead)
alumnus (avoid gendered form unless pronouns are known; can use "alum" instead)
analyze
BA
bachelor’s degree
bachelor’s degrees (not “bachelors’ degrees” and not capitalized)
benefited
Bethune College
biannual, biennial, bimonthly, biweekly
Black (uppercase for race)
board or board of governors (uppercase only when using formal name of the board. See Capitalization section)
BSc
buoy
caffeine
Calumet College
Canada Research Chair
carburetor
cemetery
centre (in past tense, centred)
CEO (OK on first reference for chief executive officer)
chair (a verb, as in “she will chair the meeting”)
Chair (a noun, when referring to a title, capitalized to avoid confusion with other form of the word. See Capitalization section)
co-curricular
college (in general use. See Capitalization section)
colour, colourize, colourist, colouration
colorific
compatible
confectionery
connoisseur
consensus
co-ordinate
co-operate
deductible
defence (not defense, but defensive)
deterrent
dilemma
disappoint
DLitt
doctor of letters, doctor of laws, doctor of medicine (avoid use of Dr. unless chiropractor, physician, psychologist, dentist, optometrist, podiatrist)
doctoral degree (not capitalized)
doctorate (not capitalized)
EcoCampus
ecstasy
e.g. (meaning “for example.” Avoid using, but if you must, use a comma before the abbreviation and not after)
email, ebook
e-cigarette, e-commerce, e-learning, e-reader
embarrass, embarrassment
emeritus (masculine. See Emeritus section)
emoji (singular), emojis (plural)
English (uppercase. See Academic subjects section)
enrol, enrolled, enrolling, enrolment
ensure (make sure of; not insure, except when referring to insurance)
aesthetic
etc. (meaning “and so on.” Use a comma before the abbreviation if it is part of a series)
faculty (as in, a group of professors, the professoriate)
Faculty (as in, an academic division, the Faculty of Science. See Capitalization section)
favour, favourite, favourable
fellow (not capitalized, unless part of an honorific title like Distinguished Fellow in Learning and Teaching Excellence)
first-hand
First Nation(s)
First World War (not World War I)
focused, focusing
Founders College
fulfil, fulfilled, fulfilment
full time (as an adverb, e.g. She works here full time. Modifies a verb or sentence)
full-time (as an adjective, e.g. He is a full-time student. Modifies a noun)
fundraiser
fundraising
gauge
Glendon Campus (location); but Glendon College (as a Faculty)
Governor General (no hyphen; capitalize in all references to the Canadian incumbent, otherwise only as a title preceding a name)
grey
harass, harassment
Harry W. Arthurs Common
health care (noun), health-care (adjective)
hemorrhage
high school (noun), high-school (adjective)
honour, honourable but honorary and honoree
Honours BA
honours degree
honorary degree
honoris causa (put in italics, indicating Latin words. See Italics section)
Hyderabad Campus
hygiene
hypocrisy, hypocrite
idiosyncrasy
i.e. (meaning “that is to say” – prefer that is. Do not use a comma after the abbreviation)
impostor
impresario
Indigenous (capitalize in all uses when in reference to Indigenous people in Canada)
Indigenous Peoples (when referring to all First Nations, Inuit and Métis people in Canada)
infallible
innocuous
inoculate, inoculation
in regard to (not “in regards to”)
install
installation, installed
instalment
instil
instilled
interdisciplinary (no hyphen)
internet
Inuit (plural noun and adjective)
Inuk (singular noun and adjective)
iridescent
jeweller, jewelry
judgment
Keele Campus
khaki
labour but laborious
Las Nubes EcoCampus
lead (noun, as in “pencil lead” or type of metal)
lead (verb, present tense of “to lead”)
led (verb, past tense of “to lead”)
literature (not a synonym for English)
Libraries (as in York University Libraries, the academic library system at York; capitalize when in reference to library system)
library (in general terms, or in subsequent reference)
Library (as in the Scott Library; capitalize on first reference with full name)
licence (noun; as in driver’s licence, fishing licence)
license (verb; to grant a permit to, to authorize the use of; as in, he is licensed as a chiropractor)
lieutenant
lieutenant-governor (with hyphen; uppercase only when it precedes a name)
lifelong
litre or l (no period; spell out unless in a table or if used repeatedly)
livestream
LLD: doctor of laws
LLB: bachelor of laws
LLM : master of laws
long-standing
loonie (dollar coin)
MA: master of arts
Markham Centre Campus
master’s degree (not capitalized)
master’s degrees (not “masters’ degrees,” and not capitalized)
McLaughlin College
medallist
metre or m (no period; spell out unless in a table or if used repeatedly)
mid-’90s
midday
midsummer
midterm
midway
midyear
Mi'kmaq (not Micmac; plural for First Nation from Atlantic Canada; singular is Mi'kmaw)
mileage (not milage)
Miles Nadal Management Centre
millennium
MSc: master of science (see Degrees section)
multilingual (no hyphen)
multidisciplinary
newsfeed
non-profit
numbers (write one through nine as words; depict 10 and up as figures. See Numbers section)
occur, occurred, occurrence, occurring
off-site (adjective)
OK (not okay), OK’d, OK’ing
online
on-site (adjective)
Order of Canada (recipients may use initials: CC for companion of the Order of Canada; OC for officer; CM for member)
organization, organize
Osgoode Hall Law School (on first reference. (In subsequent references, use Osgoode or the law school. Don’t use Osgoode Hall – it confuses the school with the court in downtown Toronto.)
Osgoode Professional Development Centre
panel, panellist, panelling
parallel
paralleled
paraphernalia
Parliament (capitalized when referring to the national legislature; not capitalized when referring to provincial or regional legislature)
parliamentary
Parliament Buildings (Ottawa)
part time (as an adverb, e.g. She works here part time. Modifies a verb or sentence)
part-time (as an adjective, e.g. He is a part-time student. Modifies a noun)
a part-timer
pavilion
perseverance, persevere, persevering
per cent (spell out, e.g. six per cent increase. No hyphens)
percentage
PhD (no periods; stands for doctor of philosophy)
policymaker
postdoctoral
postgraduate
post-secondary
pow wow
practice (noun or adjective), practise (verb)
prerequisite
prerogative (not perog-)
Pride (capitalized in all references to 2SLGBTQIA+ events and symbols)
principal (noun or adjective, meaning first in rank or importance, as in the principal of Glendon Campus, the principal investigator in the research project or the principal objective of the union)
Principal (uppercase only when followed by a name, as in Glendon Principal Donald Ipperciel. See Capitalization section)
principle (noun, meaning fundamental truth or law, as in the moral principle or they have no principles)
privilege
program (not programme), programmer, programming
Q-and-A, question-and-answer (not Q&A)
questionnaire
rarefy, rarefied
reconnaissance
restaurateur (note the absence of an “n”)
resuscitate
rhythm
sacrilegious
Schulich School of Business
Second World War (not World War II)
self-care
semi-annual, semi-automatic
semicircle, semifinal (but quarter-final)
Senate (national legislature)
senate (state legislature; in second and subsequent references to the University Senate or general use. See Capitalization sections)
shepherd
siege
smartphone
smoky (not smokey)
startup (noun and adjective)
stationary (not moving), stationery (writing materials)
Statistics Canada (StatCan acceptable in headlines; not StatsCan)
Stong College
supersede
surmise
surprise
TD Community Engagement Centre
tipi (not teepee), the York Tipi
textbook
text message, messaging
theatre (not theater, unless part of a proper name, especially in the U.S.)
theatregoer
thesis, theses
TikTok
ton (2,000 pounds, U.S. ton; use in colloquial references like “he weighed a ton”)
long ton (2,240 pounds, British ton)
tonne (1,000 kilograms or 2,204.62 pounds, a.k.a. metric ton)
toonie, toonies ($2 coin)
trade-off (noun and adjective), trade off (verb)
travel, traveller
Two-Spirit
University (referring to York University)
university (referring to all others, or to universities in general. See Capitalization sections)
University Board of Governors (in first reference. See Capitalization section)
University Senate (in first reference. See Capitalization section)
U.K. (use periods)
US (use only with dollar figures: US$550)
U.S. (all other instances)
valour but valorous
Vanier College
vapour, vapourish but vaporous, vaporize
versus (use long form in text)
vs. (use short form only in sports schedules and law cases)
Vice-President (capitalize only when it precedes a name, as in Vice-President Advancement Susana Gajic-Bruyea)
vice-president (lowercase in all subsequent references. See Capitalization section)
vigorous, vigour
voice mail
volano, volcanoes
web page
website
well-being
well-known
Wi-Fi (prefer description such as wireless network in first reference)
wilful (not willful)
Winters College
world-renowned
worldwide
worthwhile
Yom Kippur
York University (avoid York U and YorkU; York or the University are OK on second reference only)
YSpace Markham
YU-card
YU Learn
YU Link
zigzag
zero, zeros
Additional resources
Grammar guides:
Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips
University College London's The Internet Grammar of English
Grammarly
Plain language reference:
Clear Language and Design
Further guidance on sensitive subjects and equitable/inclusive language:
York University's Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DEDI) Glossary
COVID-19
An epidemic occurs when a disease moves rapidly among a specific region or population, while a pandemic indicates a wider spread, typically among countries and continents.
Avoid both, unless and until they are declared by public health authorities. And don’t write “global pandemic” – it’s redundant.
SARS-CoV-2 is the virus; COVID-19 is the disease it causes. It is acceptable to use COVID (dropping the “-19”) when referring to the disease.
With variants, avoid stigmatizing regions or countries. Not: the Brazil variant; instead: the variant first detected in Brazil.
Greek names for variants are capitalized. Example: the Delta variant.
Other notes:
Active cases represent the currently sick versus total cases.
Isolation (those in hospital) versus quarantine.
Resist referring to “physical distancing” as “social distancing.”
Use variants of concern for those that are identified as dangerous; use variants of interest for those that are being monitored for potential danger. Avoid using abbreviations VOCs and VOIs.
The use of “anti-vaxxer” is generally not recommended. It is a colloquial term for someone opposed to vaccines. Avoid unless in a quote. Preferred language is "person opposed to vaccines or vaccinations."
Sensitive subjects and preferred language
As society develops, preferred language around sensitive subjects evolves with it. Age, race, sex, disabilities, religion and more are sometimes pertinent in communications but must be handled thoughtfully. The following suggestions are currently appropriate. They may not have been acceptable in the past, nor may they remain the best usage in the future.
Addiction and dependence
Use person-forward language to de-emphasize the condition and to reduce stigmas and negative characterizations.
Addiction: treatable disease, causing compulsive yet self-destructive behaviour (substance abuse disorder)
Dependence: physical or mental, often a symptom of addiction, which usually involves both
Do not use pejoratives like "a junkie,” “a crackhead" or “a drunk,” and don’t independently characterize the condition as a problem or the behaviour as abuse. Risky, heavy, excessive and unhealthy are all permissible, and misuse can be suitable in circumstances involving prescribed medications.
Example: Alcoholism is acceptable for an addiction to alcohol, but don’t call someone an alcoholic. Words like user, addict and abuser are best avoided unless a person self-identifies on the record as such.
Age and long-term care
Often age is relevant as part of a personal description or for identification but should be used only if relevant. In general, give a person’s age rather than imprecise and possibly derogatory terms such as senior citizen, retiree, elderly or middle-aged. When a precise age is unavailable:
Avoid euphemisms such as: senior citizen, retiree, elderly, middle-aged
Instead use: older adult
Take care to avoid stigmatizing individuals live in long-term care homes:
Avoid: patients in long-term care facilities/institutions
Instead use: residents in long-term care homes
Disability
When talking about people with disabilities, mention the disability only if it is relevant. If uncertain what term to use, ask the individual his or her preference. Be accurate, clear and sensitive when describing a person with a disability, handicap, illness or disease. Use people-first approach: unless a person declares otherwise, don’t define a person by their disability.
Preferred language: A woman with autism
Avoid using: An autistic woman
Lowercase deaf or capitalize Deaf depends on subject’s preference (e.g. Deaf culture)
Don’t presume suffering and avoid the use of emotional descriptives, such as “afflicted,” “stricken” and “confined.” The rule of thumb is: put the person before the disability. Use “persons with disabilities”, “people with disabilities,” etc., rather than “the disabled” or “the handicapped.”
Note: “disability” is the correct term when referring to the Ontario Human Rights Code. The code prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.
Avoid cliches: Fell on deaf ears, turned a blind eye, etc.
Learn the preferences of your sources and subjects and proceed accordingly.
Race and ethnicity
Identify a person by race, colour, national origin or immigration status only when it is truly pertinent to the story. Coverage that deals with matters of race must reflect and showcase the ethnic diversity of the country in a natural, organic way that is free of bias.
Joint nationalities/identities are not hyphenated.
French Canadian
African American
BIPOC: Resist the abbreviation, but if unavoidable, explain it: Black, Indigenous and people of colour.
Take care when writing about diverse communities to avoid “othering” – fostering the implicit sense that a person or group is extrinsically different or doesn’t belong. For instance:
Not: Iranian Canadian community in mourning after place crash
But: Canadians with loves ones in Iran grieve crash victims
Respect labels preferred by specific racial or ethnic groups and only use if necessary. For example:
Black people
people of African descent
Africans
First Nation(s) people
Indigenous people
South Asian
East Asian
South East Asian
Middle Eastern
North African
Avoid using words like “gestapo,” “concentration camp” and “Hitler” casually. Try to use these words only in reference to the Second World War.
Capitalization of Black:
Use Black as a proper name for a person’s race
However, white remains lowercase because: that group lacks a similar shared culture and experience
The broad term brown remains lowercase and is best avoided except in a quote
Avoid equating bad, depressing or negative things with blackness. For example, avoid such terms as:
a black mood
blackball
blackmail
black magic
black market
black sheep
a dark/black day
a black heart
blacklisted
the pot calling the kettle black
Indigenous Peoples
In Canada there are three distinct Indigenous groups under Sec. 35 of the Constitution: First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The Canadian Press outlines the preference for Indigenous people when speaking about these groups collectively. Indigenous Peoples is also accepted as an term that includes all First Nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada. The word Indigenous is capitalized in all references.
When writing about a specific Indigenous nation, make an effort to use the specific name of the nation, e.g. Anishinaabe.
Avoid stereotypes, generalizations or assumptions about ethnic or racial groups.
Avoid using phrases such as “on the warpath,” “Indian giver,” etc.
Gender
Avoid male or female pronouns when referring to groups composed of both men and women or of unspecified gender. Also try to avoid the use of word combinations such as him and her, his/her, and s/he. Use of the plural form of the noun with the relevant pronoun is often the simplest way to avoid sexist language. There are many alternatives to gender-biased language.
See also Talking Gender by Ruth King et al., and Handbook of Nonsexist Writing by Casey Miller and Kate Swift.
Chris Ratchford is the Chair (not Chairman) of the board of governors.
Professor Sam Latimer worked in the fishing industry (not was a fisherman) before deciding on an academic career.
When referring to two groups of opposite sexes, use parallel language.
men and women/husband and wife (not man and wife)
men’s and women’s varsity basketball teams (not men’s and girls’)
Unless the role of wife, mother, sister or daughter is important to the context, avoid identifying women in these terms. Marital status should also not be noted, unless pertinent. Gender neutral terms for marital status include partner, spouse, significant other.
Gender identity / expression
2SLGBTQIA+ stands for: Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans/transgender, queer/questioning, intersexual, asexual, and additional people who identify as part of sexual and gender diverse communities.
transgender or trans (not “transgendered”): an individual whose own personal sense of their gender does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. Avoid using “trans” except in a direct quote.
transsexual: clinically defined as someone who identifies as a member of the sex opposite to that assigned at birth and seeks to transition to the gender with which they identify, often with medical assistance.
non-binary/gender non-conforming/genderqueer: Use such lesser-known terms advisedly and always with a definition.
Two-Spirit (not “two-spirited”): often used to represent various gender identities and sexual orientations within the Indigenous community. It is a broad term with numerous definitions. Seek clarity from the subject before using this term.
cisgender: an individual whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth.
Whenever possible, confirm with the person being written about how they wish to be described, including their pronouns.
Physical descriptions should not be included unless they are relevant to the story. Neither men nor women should be stereotyped. For instance, avoid describing women only in terms of physical attributes if men are described by mental attributes or career status.
Don’t write:
James Carrera is a respected geologist, and his wife Anna is a striking blonde.
Rather, write:
Both the Carreras are highly respected in their fields. Anna is a well-known musician and James is a respected geologist.
Avoid stereotyping careers or jobs.
Don’t write:
Housewives are paying more.
Write:
Shoppers are paying more.
Depict men and women equally in terms of physical prowess or mental ability. Don’t automatically ascribe particular emotions or feelings to women and actions to men, or vice versa; men can be sensitive and women physically active. Depict men and women equally in the workplace.
Sexual orientation
A person’s sexual orientation should never be mentioned unless relevant to the story.
There are common acronyms that refer to sexually diverse communities, including 2SLGBTQIA+. Ensure you are accurately representing the community you are writing about and including explanations when using acronyms.
Don’t use “gay” as a noun.
Use “sexual orientation,” not “sexual preference.”
Commonly used words to avoid and suggested alternatives
Avoid: blackball
Alternatives: ostracize, disapprove, reject
Avoid: blacklist
Alternatives: condemn, ostracize, boycott
Avoid: blackmail
Alternatives: extort, threaten, demand
Avoid: black sheep
Alternatives: reprobate, backslider
Avoid: black market
Alternatives: underground economy, deals on the side
Avoid: businessman
Alternatives: business person
Avoid: chairman
Alternatives: Chair, co-ordinator, convenor
Avoid: cleaning woman
Alternatives: cleaner
Avoid: clergyman
Alternatives: clergy, deacon, minister, pastor, priest, rabbi
Avoid: coloured people
Alternatives: Black peoples, people of African descent, African people, South Asian peoples
Avoid: common man
Alternatives: average person, members of the public
Avoid: craftsman
Alternatives: artisan, craftsperson
Avoid: crippled
Alternatives: person(s) or people with a disability
Avoid: the disabled
Alternatives: persons or people with disabilities
Avoid: East Indian
Alternatives: South Asian
Avoid: fair sex
Alternatives: women
Avoid: fireman
Alternatives: firefighter
Avoid: forefathers
Alternatives: ancestors
Avoid: gentleman/gentlemen
Alternatives: man/men
Avoid: girl/girls (referring to adult females)
Alternatives: woman/women
Avoid: the handicapped
Alternatives: persons or people with disabilities
Avoid: housewife
Alternatives: homemaker
Avoid: lady/ladies (referring to adult females)
Alternatives: woman/women
Avoid: layman
Alternatives: layperson, average person
Avoid: low man/woman on the totem pole
Alternatives: lowest rung of the ladder
Avoid: man in the street
Alternatives: person in the street, public, member of the public
Avoid: man the phones
Alternatives: staff the phones, handle the phones
Avoid: man hours
Alternatives: working hours
Avoid: manpower
Alternatives: personnel, staff, staffing requirements, workers, workforce
Avoid: mankind
Alternatives: civilization, humanity, people
Avoid: man-made
Alternatives: synthetic, artificial
Avoid: master/mistress of ceremonies
Alternatives: host, MC
Avoid: middleman
Alternatives: wholesaler, go-between
Avoid: newsman
Alternatives: journalist, reporter
Avoid: non-whites
Alternatives: people of colour
Avoid: orientals
Alternatives: Asian peoples, East Asian peoples, Southeast Asian peoples
Avoid: physically challenged
Alternatives: person with a physical disability
Avoid: policeman
Alternatives: officer, police officer
Avoid: postman
Alternatives: postal worker, mail carrier
Avoid: primitive societies
Alternatives: non-industrial societies
Avoid: right-hand man
Alternatives: assistant
Avoid: salesman
Alternatives: clerk, sales representative
Avoid: spokesman, spokesperson
Alternatives: representative, speaker, official
Avoid: stakeholder
Alternatives: collaborator, partner, associate, shareholder (if appropriate)
Avoid: stewardess
Alternatives: flight attendant
Avoid: tribes
Alternatives: ethnic groups
Avoid: West Indian
Alternatives: Caribbean
Avoid: wives and children
Alternatives: families/family
Avoid: workman
Alternatives: worker
(For more information, see York University's Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Glossary.)
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, all countries in the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It sets out 17 goals, which include 169 targets. York University is internationally recognized for its contributions to addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) through teaching, research, stewardship and partnerships.
When referencing these goals in writing, it is important to spell out United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in full on first reference, followed by "UN SDGs" in parentheses. The abbreviation UN SDG or UN SDGs can then be used on all following references.
Use the below style when referencing individual SDGs:
UN SDG 1: No Poverty
UN SDG 2: Zero Hunger
UN SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
UN SDG 4: Quality Education
UN SDG 5: Gender Equality
UN SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
UN SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
UN SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
UN SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
UN SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
UN SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
UN SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
UN SDG 13: Climate Action
UN SDG 14: Life Below Water
UN SDG 15: Life on Land
UN SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
UN SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Web addresses and hyperlinks
Use judgment when linking full URLs. Consider users who must speak it out loud and who must listen to a screen reader announce it.
If providing a web address (URL), omit the “http://” and “www.” Follow uppercase and lowercase exactly.
If a company uses a variation of its internet address as its corporate name, capitalize the first letter, e.g. Amazon.com.
For accessibility purposes, link text should make sense without the surrounding sentences or content. The text and context of links must clearly identify their purpose or where they will lead.
Make the link text meaningful. Don't use "click here" or "read more." These kinds of links can be confusing when a screen reader reads them out of context.
Be as explicit as you can. Too long is better than too short. It is OK to link a full sentence, but avoid longer.
Use unique link text where possible.
Occasionally, it may not be possible to make link text alone convey the link’s purpose out of context. In those cases:
The link together with the surrounding sentence, paragraph or list item should be enough to convey a link’s meaning or purpose.
You may give more context through the link’s title attribute.