Writing style guide



Writing style guideAbbreviations/AcronymsSpell out on first mention, including the abbreviation or acronym in bracketsUse upper case for all abbreviations and acronyms. e.g. Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) or Director General (DG). After the first mention always use the acronym. e.g. COSLA, DGVAT, NHS and BBC are exceptions as they are so well knownDo not use full stops or include spaces between initials: BBC, DGUse lower case for standard measurements: kg; km; mph but use upper case for KB; GB; MB.Exception: spell out metres to prevent confusion with abbreviation for millionDo not include a space between the number and the unit: 20km; 50kph; 100KBNever add an 's' to measurements: 20km, not 20kmsUse lower case for i.e. and e.g. These should be limited or replaced by simpler alternatives:use 'that is' or 'for example'AccessibilitySee publishing a documentAct(s)As in '... of Parliament' always capped, whether fully identified or notActingAlways lower case: acting First Minister, acting committee chairmanAgesAre normally in digital form: Mrs Smith, 45...Alternatively: 45-year-old Mrs Smith...Children aged nine and under rendered as: Young Jenny, 7...But as:…seven-year-old Jenny (following numbers style) AddressesNo commas in 3 Regent RoadDo not abbreviate Road, Street, Avenue etc.Always leave a space (no hyphen) in postcodes: EH1 3DGStack over multiple lines, taking a new line for the postcode. Do not add commas. For example:Pentland House47 Robbs LoanEdinburghEH14 1TYAdverbsA joining hyphen is rarely needed when they are used to qualify adjectives e.g. Smartly dressed, heavily laden, beautifully formed. Hyphen to be used only when meaning would otherwise be ambiguousAdviserNot advisorAeroplaneNot airplaneAirbase, airstrip, airspaceNo hyphenAlternativeOf two, choice of three or moreAmidNot amidstAmongNot amongstAmpersand vs ‘and’Never use an ampersand in place of ‘and’ in text. It should only be used in logo designs.Where an ampersand is used in a directorate logo, replace this with ‘and’ in text. For example:Children and Families DirectorateEnergy and Climate Change DirectorateAn'An' precedes any word beginning with a vowel and any word beginning with an 'h' if the 'h' is silent, so 'a hotel' but 'an honour'ApostropheThe apostrophe has three functions:Function 1: To denote possessionThe Minister's speech (meaning the speech of the Minister)Think logically. If a phrase such as 'the Minister's speech' can be turned round as 'the speech of the Minister' then an apostrophe is required.If the word already ends in s then the apostrophe goes after the s that is already there. This applies mostly to plurals.?The dogs' bowls (meaning the bowls belong to some dogs) ?The boys' coats (meaning the coats belong to some boys) ?The cars' wheels (meaning the wheels belong to some cars)But it can also apply to the singular.James' dog (James's is also grammatically correct but James' is the preferred version)Possessive pronouns don't need apostrophes: his, hers, its, yours, ours.Function 2. To denote a missing letter or lettersIt's (meaning it is)Think logically. An apostrophe is required where a letter or letters are missing. Imagine the full version and put the apostrophe in the place of the missing letter or letters.Its and it's are two entirely separate terms. Its is a possessive pronoun (same as his and hers) while it's denotes a missing letter (it's pouring rain - it is pouring rain).Function 3. To denote the plural in cases when a letter is used as a word e.g. there are two l's in bell.Wrong: SME's, CD's, DVD's, MoT'sRight: SMEs, CDs, DVDs, MoTsBill(s)As in Parliamentary Bill always capped (as with Acts above)BlackspotOne word; similarly, troublespot, hotspotBracketsUse round brackets ( ). Square brackets [ ] should only be used to contain explanatory text inserted in quoted speech.BridgesCap when referring to name, as in Forth Bridge, Erskine BridgeBritish vs American EnglishUse British English throughout. You should also opt for ‘ise’ spellings over ‘ize’ versions (generally seen as an Americanism) – e.g. organise, supervise, advise, realise. Don’t use the Oxford (or serial) comma, unless adding a comma before the ‘and’/‘or’/’but’ in a series is essential to avoid confusion. BudgetCap the Scottish Budget, otherwise lower caseBulleted listsBullet points can be short phrases, single sentences or paragraphs.The general rule for punctuation is that the list is introduced by a colon but the points themselves do not begin with capital letters and are not ended by semi-colons or full stops (not even at the end of the final point)List important details using bullet points. You should: use a lead-in which all bullets make sense following on frominclude information common to all bullets in the lead-inbegin each bullet with lower case (unless a proper name)not follow a bullet with ‘or’/’and’avoid using a full stop in a bullet – use dashes to include more detailnot add a full stop at the end of the final bulletnumber bullet points only if describing a process involving stepsBurns NightCaps, no apostropheBurnedNot burntBy-electionWith hyphenBypassNo hyphenCabinetAlways capped up (as with Act and Bill)Cabinet secretaryCabinet secretaries and ministers should always have their titles written out in full on first mention.First Minister Joe Public then becomes the FM or Mr Public on second and subsequent mention.Secretary can be used on its own e.g. Justice Secretary.CS should not be used as an acronym of Cabinet Secretary.Only FM and DFM can be written as acronyms.Minister for Environment/Community Justice is interchangeable with Environment/Community Justice Minister.Ministers with more than one portfolio should use the element of their title relevant to the subject in question.Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs becomes Environment Secretary or Rural Affairs Secretary.Capital LettersAvoid setting text in all capital letters where possible as it can imply shouting and it makes it more difficult for visually impaired readers to recognise word shape.Only use capitals for proper nouns. For example:titlesjob titles (when used with an individual’s name)ministerial titles (when used in full)directorates and divisions (when used in full)buildings and place namesthe Earthbrands and business namesfaculties, departments, institutes and schoolscommittee, group and organisation namesnames of schemes or initiativesthe Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliamenttitles of acts or bills, when written in fullheaders used in tablespublication titles (enclosed in single quotes)All government departments and directorates should take title case when the name is used in full. For example:Scotland OfficePlanning and environmental Appeals DirectorateGeneric uses of ‘director general’, ‘minister’, ‘directorate’, ‘government’, ‘white paper’ and so on are not capitalised. CensusCap in specific cases, such as the 1901 Census, the 2001 Census, but lower case generallyCivil ListInitial capsCivil ServiceInitial caps, but civil servants (all lower case)co-A hyphen is required to separate vowelsColonsUse lower case after a colon, except where a colon is followed by a proper name.A colon introduces direct speech.He said: "Hello there …"Paragraphs within direct speech begin with inverted commas, but are only closed once the final paragraph is reached:"Hello there and how are you?"The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland and the First Minister has his official residence at Bute House."That is generally how it works."A colon can also be used to precede a list of items. There are five senses: sight, smell, touch, hearing, masAre punctuation marks used for indicating a division in a sentence.Think verbally. If you would pause during saying a sentence, that is when a comma is often required. Technically it indicates divisions within the grammatical structure of a sentence.Although sitting on the mat, the cat was nowhere to be seen.The people arrived, left their coats in the cloakroom, and went through the main hall.Wild horses, imported from the west, could not drag him away.Direct speech (quoting somebody) should always be contained within double inverted mission, CommissionerInitial capsCommitteeLower case unless referring to a named committee i.e. Health CommitteeCouncilsCap in full title e.g. Edinburgh City Council, otherwise lower caseCourts. Cap all courts when specific e.g. Dunfermline sheriff Court: always cap the High Court but lower case sheriff court or youth court etc.DatesDates in the format:Day month year21 March 2014... spoke at a conference on 21 March... regarding the 21 March eventDo not abbreviate days or months if space allows them to be spelt out in fullIf necessary, abbreviate days and months to three letters (exception: Thursday - use five letters)For date and time ranges, spell out ‘to’ or ‘and’ instead of using a dash. For example:Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pmfrom 2012 to 2014from 1pm to 5pmbetween 2004 and 2014a hyphen can be used when listing years in reports or titles: 2006-2007Do not add hyphens when listing inclusive dates, use ‘to’: 11 to 15 April, 2005-2006, 10 May to 10 JuneDo not use suffixes (st, nd, rd, th) with dates, e.g. 10 October 2014If abbreviating individual dates, use forward slashes: 01/12; 01/12/06 not 01-12; 01-12-06Do not use an apostrophe for decades, except when using the possessive form: the hospital was opened in the 1960s but it is a 1960's hospitalUse midday and midnight instead of 12am/12pm. DaytimeBut night-timeDesktopNo hyphenDirectorDirector is capped up when it is associated with a proper name e.g. Director Joe Public - otherwise lower caseDirectorateDirectorate is capped up when it is associated with its function e.g. Health Directorate - otherwise lower case if it is just a generic descriptionDirector GeneralDirector General (the plural of which is Directors General) is capped up when it is associated with a proper name e.g. Director General Joe Public - otherwise lower caseECIs the abbreviation for the European Commission, not the European Community. Cap the Commission throughout as a noun, but lower case when adjectival e.g. a commission ruling: cap the commissioner only when referring to a specific person (e.g. Mario Monti, the Competition Commissioner; thereafter, the commissioner). The President of the European Commission is capped throughout (as with all foreign Presidents).e.g.With points - not egElectionsgeneral election always lower case; similarly by-election, European election etc.Email addressesAll email addresses should be written:in fullin lower caseas active linksEmbassySame style as for Ambassador e.g. the French Embassy in Rome, thereafter the embassy.Etc.With a point, not etc EuroThe European single currency, takes lower case (as euro, pound etc.)FAQsAcceptable abbreviation for frequently asked questionsAvoid the common error of adding an apostrophe: (FAQ's). Avoid FAQs when writing web content.FiguresNever start a sentence or title with a figure. If a sentence or title begins with a number, it must be spelled outAlso see numbersFirst Minister's QuestionsInitial caps. Same for Question Time etc, but questions (lower case) to the First Minister, etc.FocusedHas only a single 's'GeographyNote the difference between the United Kingdom (includes Northern Ireland) and Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales only).Use UK/United Kingdom over Britain/British wherever possible. But note exceptions, e.g. British citizen, British embassy.Regions and compass directions use lower case, e.g. the north, north-east Scotland, western Europe.Capitals are used for East Dunbartonshire, North Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Lothian, ernmentUse upper case only when referring to a specific government: we work for the Government. Use lower case when referring to local government or when using in an adjectival context: government expenditure; government fundingHeadersAll page headers (whatever level) should be sentence case. Only the first word and any proper nouns included should have a leading capital letter. For example, the header ‘Flexible Working Hours Policy’ refers to a proper name, whereas ‘Flexible working’ is a generic description (and so takes sentence case).Use a colon in headers that feature a sub-clause or are lengthy. This will help you to front-load the header with eye-catching keywords and keep it compact.The first word after the colon should begin with a lower case letter (unless it’s part of a proper name).Holyroodhouse, Palace ofOr Holyrood Palace (interchangeable)HonoursPeople are appointed Privy Counsellor, Baronet, KBE, CBE, OBE, MBE etc; never say made, received, were awarded, or got the OBE etc. Peers and above (viscounts etc) are created, not appointed etc. At investitures, those honoured receive the insignia of the award, not the award itself.HyphensUse hyphens to form compound adjectives: five-year plan, air-conditioned posite words require a hyphen when the two joining letters in the middle are the same: pre-empt, co-operate, co-ordinate, re-elect, film-maker.No hyphen when there is a double r in the middle: override, overrule.Other composite words should not be hyphenated:Grandmother, takeover, knockoutAlways use a hyphen in preference to a slash (/) in dates: 2009-10Do not use hyphens after adverbs ending in 'ly'There is no hyphen in:emailreapplyredesignredorefitrejoinreopenreorderreshapereuseHyperlinksHyperlinks are an essential feature of the web, allowing users to move directly to different pages and different websites instantly. Virtually all web pages contain hyperlinks.Hyperlinks are identified on a page by blue text that is underlined. The cursor changes when you hover over a link. Links should be used wisely.Don't overuse hyperlinks - keep them relevant. For example, you don't have to create a link to the Scottish Government 'About' section every time you refer to the Scottish Government!There are a couple of other rules to remember when you are creating hyperlinks:Never use 'click here' - it is unnecessary and can be confusing for assisted technologies that read out links on the page.Links must be specific and explicit to be accessible. For example: ‘Find out more’ is useless to someone using a screen reader. But ‘Apply for flexible working’ or ‘Download our Flexible Working policy’ tell you exactly where the link will take you. Always spell out what the link is about and do not use urls for links.For example: more information on child protection issues NOT points - not ieInpatientsNo hyphenInquire, inquiryNot enquire, enquiryinternetLower case - not InternetIntoIs one word but 'on to' are two separate wordsintranetLower case - not IntranetInverted commasSee quotation marksImagessee images section-ise endingsUse 'ise', not 'ize': emphasise, realise (not emphasize, realize). The only exceptions are capsize and proper nouns (e.g. company names)italicsAvoid setting text in italics as it makes it difficult for visually impaired readers to recognise word shapeJob titlesUse upper case when referring to a specific role or named person: the Director; Joe Bloggs, Marketing Manager.Use lower case if writing generally: catering staff, site managers.When quoting a named individual, no comma is required if referring to a person by title: First Minister Alex Salmond said: "…" However, commas must be used to separate a descriptive title: Alex Salmond, First Minister said: "…"KBAcceptable abbreviation for kilobyte. Do not include a space between the number and the measurement: 120KBLearnedNot learntLegal RequirementsWhen writing about a legal requirement, use ‘must’. For example: ‘To waive the 48-hour limit, you must complete the Working Time waiver form’. For more emphasis, you can use ‘legal requirement’, ‘legally entitled’, ‘legal obliged’ or similar. But this is generally only necessary where failure to take action, for example, might result in an offence being committed. ‘Need to’ should be used in place of ‘must’ where a legal requirement is purely administrative, e.g. ‘You need to submit a copy of your passport with your application’. (The worst that can happen if instructions are ignored is a failed application.)Legal TermsScottishEnglishAccusedAlimentArbiterCo-accusedCulpable homicideDefender (civil)ExpensesFire-raisingHousebreakingInterdictContinued (judgement)ConfirmationPursuerResetUttering (presenting)DefendantAlimonyArbitratorCo-defenderManslaughterDefendantCostsArsonBurglaryInjunctionReservedProbate (wills)PlaintiffReceivingForgeryLog inVerb: you will need to log inLoginNoun/adjective: you will be issued with a loginMBAcceptable abbreviation for megabyte. Do not include a space between the number and the measurement: 2.2MBMeasurementsUse lower case for standard measurements: kg; km; mph but use upper case for KB; GB; MBException: Spell out metres to prevent confusion with abbreviation for millionNote: Do not include a space between the number and the unit: 20km; 50mph; 100KBNever add an 's' to measurements: 20km, not 20kmsMetresWrite out in full to prevent confusion with millionMidday, midweekNo hyphensMinistersSee naming conventionsMillionSpell out million and billion in full unless it's being used in a headlineMoneyWhen referring to round sums of money, do not add '.00': ?3, not ?3.00Thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands of pounds Use internal comma:?2,500 or ?10,678 or ?650,400Spell out million and billion in full unless it's being used in a headline?25,000,000 or ?25 millionNever start a sentence with a monetary amount unless it can be prefixed by:More than ?5 million…Around ?13 million will be spent…MultimillionNo hyphensNaming conventionsUse upper case for named departments, initiatives, networks, organisations, projects and schemes: Group IT Services; Edinburgh Tram Initiative; Low Emission ZoneCabinet secretaries and ministers should always have their titles written out in full on first mention.First Minister Joe Public then becomes the FM or Mr Public on second and subsequent mention.The terms Cabinet Secretary and Minister should always begin with upper case initials even when the mention is without a name.The only time lower case initials would be used is in generic non-Scottish Government references (e.g. There were cabinet secretaries and ministers from 10 different countries at the conference).Secretary can be used on its own e.g. Justice Secretary. CS should not be used as an acronym of Cabinet Secretary. Only FM and DFM can be written as acronyms.Minister for Environment/Community Justice is interchangeable with Environment/Community Justice Minister.Ministers with more than one portfolio should use the element of their title relevant to the subject in question. Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs becomes Environment Secretary or Rural Affairs Secretary.NumbersSpell out numbers one to nine in full. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine …Use numerals for numbers 10 and above. ‘There were 15 people present …’Exceptions include if you’re describing:a stepa numbered examplea point in a list a series of numbers (follow the rule of the largest number for all numbers in the series)Add a comma for numerals of 1,000 or more:2,500 or 10,678 or 650,400Exception: To start a sentence with a number convert it to letters:Ten thousand people met … NOT 10,000 people met ...Millions (and billions) as combination of letters and digits:25 million NOT 25mFollow same style for money references:?25,000,000 or ?25 millionNever start a sentence with a monetary amount unless it can be prefixed by:More than ?5 million …Around ?13 million will be spent …Always use a hyphen (-) in preference to a slash (/) in dates: 2009-10 Do not use an apostrophe when referring to decades or plurals as this makes them possessive: 1980s not 1980's; under-16s not under-16'sUse numerals with measurements, including hours and minutes (e.g. 11 hours 6 minutes)Spell out common fractions, like two thirdsUse the ? symbol for money (use decimal places only if necessary, e.g. ?55.25 but ?56)Spell out ordinal numbers up to ninth, then use 10th etc. Exceptions include descriptions of floor numbers, for example, ‘1st to 7th floors’.Use the % symbol rather than spelling out ‘per cent’ in full.For number ranges, spell out ‘to’ or ‘and’ instead of using a dash. For example: ‘500 to 1,000’, ‘between 500 and 1,000’, ‘56 to 64 Leith Walk’. For 1,000,000 and greater, use the style ‘1 million’. Add a decimal point if necessary: ‘2.6 million’.OnlineOne word when referring to the internet or a website. Do not use 'on-line' or 'on line'ParagraphOnly use left aligned text (not fully justified)ParliamentAlways cap, parliamentary lower casePeople and teamsAvoid referring to ‘staff’, ‘employees’ or even ‘individuals’. Use ‘colleague’ where necessary. Don’t refer to the ‘HR team’. Use ‘People Directorate’ or name the specific policy team instead.Per centUse the % signPluralsAvoid the common error of adding an apostrophe when making a word or abbreviation plural as this makes it possessive: under-16s not under-16's; DVDs not DVD's; 1990s not 1990'sPracticeNoun: it is standard practice; piano practicePractiseVerb: he practises playing the piano every day; she is a practising doctorPrivate Member's BillUse initial capsPublic holidayAlways use lower caseQueenInitial cap. HM the QueenQuotation marksAlso known as inverted commas.Direct speech (quoting somebody) should always be contained within double inverted commas. A colon introduces direct speech: He said: "Hello there …"Paragraphs within direct speech begin with inverted commas, but are only closed once the final paragraph is reached:"Hello there and how are you?"The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland and the First Minister has his official residence at Bute House."That is generally how it works."Single inverted commas are used to denote a short quote within a sentence of text.The Minister said the situation was 'unacceptable'. Single quotation marks are also used to enclose publication titles and also unfamiliar terms that require further explanation. re-Where possible, run the prefix on to the word it qualifies e.g. readmission, remake, rework, etc: but there are two main classes of exceptions:where the word after re- begins with an 'e' e.g. re-election, re-emerge, re-examine, re-enter etc where there could be serious ambiguity in compounds such as re-creation (recreation), recover (recover)Register of Members' InterestsUse initial capsRoyal AssentUse initial capsRoadsM8 not 'the M8 motorway' as 'the A91 road', but correct to say 'the M8 Edinburgh to Glasgow motorway'Royal, royaltyLower case for royalty but cap the Royal Family; royal is usually lower case when an adjective; royal approval, the royal wave, but takes the cap in titles such as Royal Assent, Royal Collection, Royal Household, Royal Yacht etc.Semi-colonA semicolon is a strange beast. It is used to bind together two closely related sentences that would otherwise be two separate sentences.Or it can be a kind of 'super comma' to mark a division in a sentence where commas are also included.Sentence spacingUse a single space at the beginning of sentences as double spaces can be problematic for visually impaired readers and readersSpeech marksSee quotation marksStage 1, Stage 2Of a Bill etc, caps also with Section 2, Article 8, etcStateCap in context of the State as a wide concept, but not in the welfare state, or used adjectivally such as state benefitsThird WorldInitial capsTitles of documents etc.Avoid initial caps for every word (e.g. do not write The Hound Of The Baskervilles). Use lower case for prepositions, conjunctions, definite and indefinite articles (e.g. The Hound of the Baskervilles)ToneIt is important to strike a balance between a tone that is authoritative and formal, and one that is friendly and engaging.Make sure it sounds like it comes from an individual, not an anonymous organisation.Write as if you are speaking.Use plain English, avoid jargon, technical language or 'management speak', don't waffle, be gender neutral, avoid ambiguity and be precise.All correspondence, for both internal and external audiences, should be in the first person rather than the third person. For example 'we' or 'us' rather than 'the Scottish Government'.Your communications should adopt a tone that shows we care about improving people's experiences on Saltire/SG website:when talking about improvements, be proud of what we're doing if we're celebrating our successes, write in an upbeat styleType sizeUse a minimum of 12pt for all printed documentsType styleDon't use capitals for whole sentencesAvoid using italicsAvoid using underlining to prevent confusion with hyperlinksAlways use the heading styles available (not bold)URLAccepted abbreviation for 'uniform resource locator'. It refers to the web address of a particular pagewebLower caseWebsiteOne word - not web-site or web siteWeights and measuresAbbreviations: context will determine when to shorten kilometres, grams, feet, etc. 'He was 6ft 7in' (not ins, and no space between number and abbreviation), but 'she stood two feet from the kerb'. Similarly, 'she weighed 8st 12lb' (not lbs), but 'he was several pounds overweight'.Who, whomWhich of these to use is determined solely by its function in the relative clause. Remember that whom has to be the object of the verb in the relative clause. ................
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