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English 202 Style Guide Updated Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Contents Format using styles, get rid of blank lines, don’t use text boxes, and use the caption and cross- reference tools ............................................................................................................................................ 2

Use styles for paragraph-level formatting (Document not accepted for grading if the required styles are not used) . 2 Do not add or keep blank lines (2 point deduction each occurrence) ........................................................................ 3 Do not manually indent the first sentence of a paragraph (2 point deduction each occurrence) ................................ 3 Do not use text boxes for document layout (document not accepted for grading) ..................................................... 4 Use the captioning tool to add captions (5 point deduction each instance)................................................................ 4 Add cross-references to illustrations using the cross-reference tool (5 point deduction each instance) .................... 5

Write to meet the needs of the reader ....................................................................................................... 6 Do not use back-to-back headings (2 point deduction each occurrence) .................................................................. 6 Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence, and keep paragraphs short (2 point deduction each occurrence)...... 6 Cite sources in the text using an (Author Year) citation (3 point deduction each occurrence) .................................. 7 List all cited sources in a References section (3 point deduction each occurrence) .................................................. 8 Choose good writing over bad (2 point deduction each occurrence) ......................................................................... 8 Use specific adjectives (2 point deduction each occurrence) ................................................................................... 10

Use standard conventions for grammar, punctuation, and spelling ................................................... 10 Introduce a list with a complete sentence that ends with a colon (2 point deduction each occurrence) ................... 10 Punctuate list elements as you would sentences or sentence fragments (2 point deduction each occurrence) ...... 10 Commas (2 point deduction each occurrence) ........................................................................................................ 11 Semicolons (2 point deduction each occurrence) .................................................................................................... 11 Dashes and hyphens (2 point deduction each occurrence) ..................................................................................... 11 Punctuation placed outside of quotations (2 point deduction each occurrence) ...................................................... 12 Sentence fragments used as sentences (2 point deduction each occurrence) ........................................................ 12 Subject-verb disagreement (2 point deduction each occurrence) ............................................................................ 12 Run-on sentences (2 point deduction each occurrence) .......................................................................................... 12 Comma splices (2 point deduction each occurrence) .............................................................................................. 13 No comma before the coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses (2 point deduction each occurrence) .............................................................................................................................................................. 13 Conjunctive adverb used as a conjunction (2 point deduction each occurrence) ..................................................... 13 Noun-pronoun disagreement (2 point deduction each occurrence) ......................................................................... 13 Faulty parallelism (2 point deduction each occurrence) ........................................................................................... 14 Misspelling (2 point deduction each occurrence) ..................................................................................................... 14

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This style guide defines standards for all writing done in this course.

Format using styles, get rid of blank lines, don’t use text boxes, and use the caption and cross-reference tools For all documents, you must apply paragraph-level formatting using styles, use Word’s captioning and cross-referencing tools when the document contains illustrations, and avoid features that make editing difficult.

Use styles for paragraph-level formatting (Document not accepted for grading if the required styles are not used)

Apply paragraph formatting using styles rather than by selecting text and then applying some characteristic. Selecting text and applying formatting directly must be limited to such simple actions as applying italics or boldface to a few words.

Use only the following styles in this course Unless the assignment specifies otherwise, use only the following paragraph styles1:

• Apply Title style to the title of a document2.

• Apply Heading 1 to all first-level headings. (Think of chapter titles in a book.)

• Apply Heading 2 style to all second-level headings. (Think of sections in a chapter.)

• Keep the structure of your document simple; do NOT use Heading 3 through Heading 93.

• Apply Body Text style to all body paragraphs in a document with the exception of vertical list elements.

• Apply List Bullet style to all unordered4 vertical list elements. If you need to create an indented list—a sub-list within a list—use List Bullet 2.

• Apply List Number to all ordered vertical list elements. Use List Number only for lists that imply a specific sequence. Do not create indented numbered lists.

Body Text, List Bullet, List Bullet 2, and List Number must share a common typeface, paragraph spacing, and line spacing.

• Add a References section heading (Heading 1 style) to the end of any document that cites sources, list your sources, and format each source item using Body Text style.

1 When you collaborate with others, as you do frequently when writing technical documents, you must work efficiently. Manual formatting, using the click and select method, is not efficient. 2 Because a document only has one title, there should be a single Title style paragraph. 3 Research tells us that readers struggle with documents that have more than four levels of headings. 4 Most lists are unordered. Unless your list is a sequence, or unless the items in the list are presented in a ranked order, use an unordered list.

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If you are not seeing all styles in Word, click Options at the bottom of the Styles pane and choose All styles:

Learn to use and modify Word styles Many guides and tutorials can teach you Word styles. Here are a few I found:

• Understanding styles

• How to modify styles in Microsoft Word

I know you can find other online resources just as good. I also provide tutorials.

Do not add or keep blank lines (2 point deduction each occurrence) When styles define the spacing between document elements, blank lines are not needed and should not be added or retained. Delete them! To more easily see blank lines in a document, click the pilcrow symbol:

Some blank lines are added by Word and cannot be easily deleted5, but try to do so before accepting any unnecessary spacing.

Do not manually indent the first sentence of a paragraph (2 point deduction each occurrence)

The transition from one paragraph to another is indicated by additional spacing specified before and after Body Text style. Outside of hardcopy books6, indents have given way to inter-paragraph spacing. Do not add indents.

5 For example, Word adds a space after a table of contents field that usually cannot be deleted without deleting the entire table of contents. 6 In the book publishing industry, the cost of paper is still important, so indents are still used.

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Do not use text boxes for document layout (document not accepted for grading) As implemented in Word, text boxes do not support collaborative editing and commenting tools. If you use text boxes, I will return your file and have you fix it. (If the returned file is late, the late penalty applies.)

Use the captioning tool to add captions (5 point deduction each instance) You must use the Word captioning tool to add captions to illustrations, such as figures, photos, charts, and tables. (Illustrations are also called graphics.)7

Course rules for captions For all writing in this course, captions must comply with the following (2 point deduction each):

• Captions go beneath figures and above tables:

• Captions must have a label, a number, and a title. Your word processor will automatically

add the label and number (for example, "Figure 3" or "Table 5"), but you must also add a descriptive title that describes the graphic.

Learn to use the Word captioning tool Many guides and tutorials available can show you how to add captions in Word. Here are a few I found:

• Add captions in Word

• How to Add a Caption to a Graphic in a Word 2010 Document

• Microsoft Word 2010 and 2013 for Dissertations

I also provide a tutorial.

7 The first time you edit a large document that includes many figures and tables, you will be grateful for learning how to make Word keep track of captions and cross-references.

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Add cross-references to illustrations using the cross-reference tool (5 point deduction each instance)

You must use the Word cross-reference tool to create cross-references to captions. A cross reference is a link between what is being said in the text and an associated illustration. Examples include the following:

Figure 1 shows an example of the Thingamajig II in operation. (The cross reference is the subject of the sentence.)

The Thingamajig II is an attractive machine (Figure 1). (The cross-reference is a parenthetical element.)

In the following example, the cross-reference (contained in parentheses because it is a parenthetical element) refers the reader to the caption.

The cross-reference can be either an element of the sentence or a parenthetical element, but it cannot stand alone because it is a sentence fragment.

Course rules for cross-references For all writing in this course, cross-references must comply with the following (2 point deduction each):

• Place the cross-reference somewhere in the text shortly before the illustration is presented.

• Make the cross-reference a part of the sentence8. A cross-reference is often a subject or a parenthetical element.

• Create cross-references that show only the label and number9:

Figure 6 shows the relationship between pH and disinfection effectiveness.

8 So, the cross-reference must be placed inside the end punctuation of the sentence. It cannot stand alone. 9 Don’t include the caption title in the cross-reference.

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• Do NOT add position indicators to cross-references. For example, do not add words such as “below” or “above” when making a cross-reference10.

• Insert the cross-reference as a hyperlink:

Learn to use the Word cross-reference tool Many guides and tutorials available online can show you how to add cross-references in Word. Here are a few I found:

• Microsoft Word 2010 and 2013 for Dissertations

• Creating cross-references in Word

I also provide a tutorial.

Write to meet the needs of the reader Write so that the reader rarely needs to work hard to understand what you are trying to say; adhere to the following rules.

Do not use back-to-back headings (2 point deduction each occurrence) Do not use back-to-back headings. Put an advanced organizer between levels of headings to illustrate how a section is structured. In other words, describe how a section is sub-divided before jumping into the first sub-division.

Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence, and keep paragraphs short (2 point deduction each occurrence)

Because you are learning how to write for readers who would prefer to not read, always do the following:

• Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence. Readers who skim documents—by which I mean all readers of technical documents—are looking at headings and first sentences to get

10 Yes, the cross-reference feature can add such indicators automatically, but, if you place your illustrations where the reader needs them, such indicators are not necessary.

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the gist of what you are saying. Don’t try to create suspense by presenting the topic sentence at the end of the paragraph; you’ll simply annoy the reader.

Structure paragraphs as journalists do, as an inverted pyramid, with the key idea at the beginning. Avoid writing chronological paragraphs that end with a conclusion:

Avoid this type of paragraph:

I started with the initial prediction of temperature values. Then, I applied the filter to correct the predictions before comparing to the measured experimental results. The filtered predictions for temperature matched the experimental results.

Instead, flip the paragraph to put the key point at the beginning:

After filtering, the predicted temperature values matched the measured experimental values. I started with the initial temperature predictions, and I then applied the filter to these values. The values matched.

• Keep each paragraph focused and concise. If you cannot present an idea with a topic sentence and three supporting sentences (four at most), you need to rethink what you are trying to say:

• If the paragraph addresses more than a single topic, break the paragraph where the topic shifts.

• If the paragraph presents a list of items, format the paragraph as an introductory sentence and a vertical list.

Cite sources in the text using an (Author Year) citation (3 point deduction each occurrence) When you make a statement of fact that is not universal knowledge, you must cite a source by adding an (Author Year) notation close to where the fact is stated:

SI units were introduced in 1960 (Robinson 2007 p15).

More than half of the people living in the U.S. do so in places where the air is unhealthy (West 2010).

In Metal Evolution, Sam Dunn argues that modern metal has its roots in classical music (Fraser 2011).

Pay particular attention to the following requirements for citations:

• Author in the citation should closely resemble Author shown in the referenced sources. The reader is looking for Author in the reference list, so show the same Author in the citation.

• Place the citation inside the sentence end punctuation. A citation outside of the end punctuation is a sentence fragment.

• If you are citing a book, give a page number where the fact can be found.

• If you are citing a source published on the Internet, and no author is named, use the name of the organization11 as the author:

A style guide provides standards for writing and designing a document (Wikipedia 2016).

• Yes, you may cite Wikipedia as a source12.

11 Do not use the N.A. and N.D. elements in references. These elements tell the reader nothing useful.

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List all cited sources in a References section (3 point deduction each occurrence) In a References section, placed after the document body, list references, in alphabetical order by author. Use the following pattern for each reference:

Author last name, First initial. Year. Title of cited work. Publisher. Access information (for web-based sources).

I’ve made the item-separators large and red to emphasize that items in the reference are separated by periods rather than commas.

Here are a few examples:

Fraser, G. 2011. Metal Evolution Forges a New History of Hard Rock. Toronto.com. Available at http://www.toronto.com/article/705371.

Robinson, A. 2007. The Story of Measurement. Thames and Hudson Ltd., London.

West, L. 2010. More Than Half of U.S. Population Lives in Counties with Unsafe Air. About.com. Available at http://environment.about.com/od/healthenvironment/a/stateofair.htm.

Pay particular attention to the following:

• Author name must resemble the in-text citation name (3 point deduction each).

• Do not list any references that you have not cited in the document body (3 point deduction each).

• Year should be the publication year, if shown on the article. If you do not see a publication year, use the year you accessed it. Do not use N.D. (3 point deduction each).

• If two cited publications have the same author and the same year, distinguish between them by adding a lowercase letter after the year (2 point deduction each):

Smithers, L. 2010a. Citing Your Sources. Smith.com. Available at http://smithers.com/citing.

Smithers, L. 2010b. References in the Same Year. Smith.com. Available at http://smithers.com/references.

• If you are citing a source published on the Internet, and no author is named, use the organization name as the author (3 point deduction each):

Wikipedia. 2016. Style guide. Wikipedia. Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Style_guide.

• Use the exact spelling and capitalization used by the organization you are citing. If you are uncertain, go to the organization’s website and look for the About Us link, which is often located in the web page footer (3 point deduction each).

Choose good writing over bad (2 point deduction each occurrence) As I read your writing, I will look for the following:

• Clearly indicated main clauses. Long sentences that take forever to get to the point make for slow reading. Often, such sentences begin with long introductory phrases that are not set off from the main clause with a comma. In this course, I want you to always add a comma after an introductory word or phrase that precedes the main clause.

12 I use Wikipedia myself to quickly find information on many topics. However, I also double-check the information found in Wikipedia before accepting it as truth. I encourage you to do the same.

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• Sentences easy to follow on the first reading. Having to continuously backtrack is a major frustration. When I find myself backing up to re-read a sentence, the problem (and the corresponding solution) is usually one of the following:

What I thought was the main clause is an introductory phrase:

In troubling times such as these times we need a new copier.

Put a comma after an introductory phrase to signal where the main clause begins.

In troubling times such as these times, we need a new copier.

I encounter an abbreviation or term that has not yet been defined.

Define all abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms on first use. Present the full term first, and then, in parentheses, present the shortened form you intend to use:

• The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the brain of the computer.

• The preferred option will weigh less than three pounds (lb).

• The software application (app) runs on most smartphones.

• I bought a new personal computer (pc).

I encounter a pronoun, and I’ve forgotten what it refers to.

Don’t continue using a pronoun more than a sentence away from its referent.

If the pronoun is a demonstrative pronoun (this, that, these, those), always convert the pronoun to an adjective by adding a noun:

The pipe had a longitudinal crack that opened under pressures above 50 psi. This crack accounted for the unexpected loss in fluid.

I encounter a slash used as a conjunction, and I have to figure out what it means.

Never use a slash (/) as a conjunction; specify what you mean. Do you mean “and,” or do you mean “or?” The conjunction and/or has no clear meaning and should never be used in a technical document.

Yes, I know the textbook uses slashes as conjunctions, but it should not. Technical writing should be precise.

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I encounter a list of items, and I am uncertain if the last two are separate or grouped together into a single item. Use the Oxford comma!

In technical writing, we always place a comma (known as the Oxford comma) after the next-to-last item in a series of more than two items:

• My heroes are my parents, Superman and Wonder Woman. (Incorrect, unless your parents are Superman and Wonder Woman)

• My heroes are my parents, Superman, and Wonder Woman. (Correct)

Use specific adjectives (2 point deduction each occurrence) Because many adjectives have no specific meaning without context, make sure you provide that context for the reader—or use a specific adjective:

High resolution images of the equipment were provided. (What is the definition of high resolution in this context?)

300 dots per inch (dpi) images of the equipment were provided.

Use standard conventions for grammar, punctuation, and spelling If you are a native English speaker, you spent the first eight years of your education learning the rules of English grammar and punctuation. Then, in high school, you forgot those rules. Here is a refresher of what you should know.

Introduce a list with a complete sentence that ends with a colon13 (2 point deduction each occurrence)

So that your writing is consistent with other writers in this collaborative setting, always introduce a list with a complete sentence that ends with a colon:

To complete the project, (Incorrect) • Draft the report

• Review the draft with a approving committee

To complete the project, we need to do the following: (Correct) • Draft the report

• Review the draft with a approving committee

By rule, the words to the left of a colon should form a complete sentence, except for a colon following a salutation (Dear Ms. Doe:).

Punctuate list elements as you would sentences or sentence fragments (2 point deduction each occurrence)

If all elements of a vertical list appear as sentence fragments, do not add any punctuation. (See the list example in the previous section.)

13 Technically, the introduction to a list can end with a period, but in the collaborative environment of this course, I want to be sure we all follow the same convention. Use a colon.

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If any element of a vertical list is a complete sentence, punctuate all elements as if they were sentences:

To complete the project, we need to do the following:

• We must create the draft report.

• We must review the draft with the approving committee.

Commas (2 point deduction each occurrence) The following comma errors are likely to catch my eye:

• No commas separating nonrestrictive modifiers from the main clause:

The iPhone one of the original smart phones is still popular. (Incorrect)

The iPhone, one of the original smart phones, is still popular. (Correct) The phrase between commas can be deleted, and the sentence would still make sense.

• A comma is placed between a subject and its verb:

A long document, is ten pages. (Incorrect)

A long document is ten pages. (Correct)

• A comma splits verbs or verb phrases in a compound predicate:

The plans meet state rules, and are approved. (Incorrect)

The plans meet state rules and are approved. (Correct)

The plans meet state rules, and they are approved. (Correct)

• Other comma gaffes listed by the Purdue OWL.

Semicolons (2 point deduction each occurrence) A semicolon cannot be used to introduce a list or end a salutation:

The following rules apply; (Incorrect)

Dear Mr. Curmudgeonly; (Incorrect)

A semicolon (;) is used to join two closely related independent clauses or to separate items in a list when those items already contain commas:

Some people are fastidious; he was not such a person. (Correct) State capitols represented at the conference included the following: Austin, Texas; Sacramento, California; and Boise, Idaho. (Correct)

Dashes and hyphens (2 point deduction each occurrence) Dashes and hyphens are not the same thing with different widths:

• A dash is used to set off information, in much the same way that parentheses do:

He drank too many cups of punch—a concoction consisting of fruit juice and some unknown liquor—for his stomach to handle.

• A hyphen is used to create compound adjectives or to express a range:

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Her ex-husband turned out to be a small-time crook.

He spent time in the prison from 1999-2005.

Writers frequently add spaces before and after dashes and hyphens, but there should be no such spaces14.

To create a dash in Word, type two hyphens immediately after a word, and continue typing. When you complete the word following the hyphens, Word replaces them with an em-dash15.

You can also use the Insert > Symbol function to add a dash. Select More Symbols, go to the Special Characters tab, select Em Dash, and click Insert.

Punctuation placed outside of quotations (2 point deduction each occurrence) In American English, punctuation is placed inside of quotations:

According to Markel (2012), “a topic sentence states, summarizes, or forecasts the main point of the paragraph”. (Incorrect)

According to Markel (2012), “a topic sentence states, summarizes, or forecasts the main point of the paragraph.” (Correct)

Sentence fragments used as sentences (2 point deduction each occurrence) Oxford Dictionaries defines a sentence as follows:

A set of words that is complete in itself, typically containing a subject and predicate, conveying a statement, question, exclamation, or command, and consisting of a main clause and sometimes one or more subordinate clauses.

Although sentence fragments are frequently used by professional writers, in this course, only a sentence can pose as a sentence.

Subject-verb disagreement (2 point deduction each occurrence) A subject and its verb must agree in number:

June and Edward is coming to dinner.

June and Edward are coming to dinner.

Run-on sentences (2 point deduction each occurrence) A writer strings two complete thoughts together without connective punctuation, creating a run- on sentence:

He kicked the ball the ball bounced back. (Incorrect)

He kicked the ball, and the ball bounced back. (Correct)

He kicked the ball. The ball bounced back. (Correct)

He kicked the ball; the ball bounced back. (Correct)

14 Some Word templates, such as resume templates, show spaces before and after dashes. If you use such a template, you will need to remove these spaces. 15 The em-dash is the width of the letter “m.” Can you guess how wide an en-dash is?

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Comma splices (2 point deduction each occurrence) A writer uses a comma to join two independent clauses, creating a comma splice. The fix is to add a coordinating conjunction (and, or, so, but):

The sun came up, it was a new day! (Incorrect)

The sun came up, and it was a new day! (Correct)

No comma before the coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses (2 point deduction each occurrence)

She hit the ball and she ran to first base. (Incorrect)

She hit the ball, and she ran to first base. (Correct)

Conjunctive adverb used as a conjunction (2 point deduction each occurrence) A conjunctive adverb (accordingly, also, additionally, however, moreover, and so forth) cannot connect two clauses in the same manner as a conjunction. Place a semicolon or period before the adverb, and a comma after:

You must do all the assignments, otherwise you will not score well. (Incorrect)

You must do all the assignments; otherwise, you will not score well. (Correct)

The assignment was due on Monday, however James did not turn it in. (Incorrect)

The assignment was due on Monday; however, James did not turn it in. (Correct)

Noun-pronoun disagreement (2 point deduction each occurrence) A pronoun and the noun to which it refers should agree in number, person, and gender. When this agreement is not achieved, the results look funny:

Every student should work hard if they want a good grade. (Incorrect)16

Every student should work hard if he or she wants a good grade. (Correct)

16 If you routinely use non-binary pronouns, I will accept this usage, provided you add an embedded comment explaining your intentional usage for the first non-binary pronoun in each document. I need to know that your usage is intentional and not a mistake.

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Faulty parallelism (2 point deduction each occurrence) A consistent (parallel) grammatical form should be used throughout coordinated elements. I most often see a break in parallelism in vertical lists in which the writer begins list elements differently:

Non-parallel (most items begin with verbs)

Parallel (all items begin with verbs)

The following are essential: The following are essential: Reset the gizmo. Reset the gizmo. Consistent pressure is important. Prime the pressurizer.

Prime the pressurizer. Consistent pressure is important.

Activate the startup sequence. Activate the startup sequence.

Misspelling (2 point deduction each occurrence) Check your spelling. Poor spelling shouts, “This writer doesn’t care!” In the era of spell-checkers and Internet access, it adds, in a whispered aside, “This writer is also incredibly lazy.” Don’t be that writer.

Make sure your word processor is set up to automatically check spelling as you type. A red squiggly line beneath a word tells you to check the spelling.