When to use words or numerals for numbers In business writing, a generally accepted rule is to spell out numbers from one to nine and use numerals for 10 and above. Some organisations change at 11 rather than 10. Numerals are usually used in scientific and technical writing, and increasingly I am seeing some organisations […]
No universal style for writing dates The style you use varies depending on where you live In Australian, New Zealand and British business writing, the order of dates is day of the week (optional), day, month, year (dd/mm/yyyy). There is no need for any punctuation, but some writers put a comma after the day of […]
Some hyperlink conventions have changed Reader’s question: Are there any conventions for writing web addresses, i.e. should you try and get the whole address on one line and should you use http or www or both? My answer: I have updated my original response to this question because some styles have changed. How you write web addresses […]
Use italics for the full reference of an Act Reader’s question: Does the date in legislation need to be in italics? Online grammar answer: The Australian style is to use italics for the full reference of an Act. According to the Australian Style manual: For authors, editors and printers: ‘Most Acts and Ordinances have a short formal […]
Where should you put the reference number for footnotes? Reader’s question: When using footnotes, where should the number link be located – before or after the punctuation mark (e.g. comma, semicolon)? Answer: The Australian government Style manual (2002) says: ‘Superscript placement: Place superscript note identifiers: at the end of a sentence or clause rather than immediately after the words to […]
Use modern and consistent writing styles Using modern business writing styles is part of a business’s branding. First impressions count and we usually judge a piece of business writing on its visual appearance before we’ve even read a word. Many visual aspects are taken care of in a well-written document, as good writing makes use of […]
Use one space between sentences In the days of typewriters we used double spaces between sentences. Modern style guides recommend one space According to modern style guides, including the Australian Style manual and the American AP Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style, you should use a single space after a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark. Style […]
Use consistent styles when writing about money Some aspects of writing about money are universal, and other aspects are style choices. In business writing, currency is usually expressed in symbols and numerals (e.g. $10). Writing about different currencies When writing about different currencies that use the dollar, you can use: A letter or letters symbolising the […]
When to use quotation marks and what style to use When to use quotation marks Style guides differ on when to use quotation marks or italics, but generally we use quotation marks for short titles and italics for longer titles. Use quotation marks for direct speech, quotes, emphasis and the titles of articles, songs and […]
Can you use acronyms, subheadings and bullets in a summary? Reader’s question: Should you use abbreviations and acronyms in an executive summary? My answer: As a general rule, do not use abbreviations or acronyms in an executive summary, but use your common sense. I would use an an acronym or abbreviation if it were more common […]