NovaRoma:Style Guide
From NovaRoma
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*Do not use a comma before the conjunction of a simple list: The senator, the consuls and the praetor | *Do not use a comma before the conjunction of a simple list: The senator, the consuls and the praetor | ||
*Use a comma to set off hometown or age: Cicero, 31, was elected praetor. Plato, Athens, was the writer of several books. | *Use a comma to set off hometown or age: Cicero, 31, was elected praetor. Plato, Athens, was the writer of several books. | ||
| + | *Use a comma between adjectives, only if you could safely insert and in its place: It was a black and blue car '''BUT NOT''' It was a large and reference book | ||
*Use commas to enclose a parenthetic expression: The best way to explore Carthage, short of by chariot, is by litter. | *Use commas to enclose a parenthetic expression: The best way to explore Carthage, short of by chariot, is by litter. | ||
*Do not use a comma to separate a noun from an identifying term: Pompey the great was in the lead. Cato the elder was wise. | *Do not use a comma to separate a noun from an identifying term: Pompey the great was in the lead. Cato the elder was wise. | ||
*Use commas in the following date formats: January to February, 2007; January 15, 2006; Tuesday, September 7, 2001 '''but''' omit the comma in 14 March 2002 | *Use commas in the following date formats: January to February, 2007; January 15, 2006; Tuesday, September 7, 2001 '''but''' omit the comma in 14 March 2002 | ||
*Use a comma before a conjunction to join two independent clauses: Caesar will march from the north, but Pompey will march from the south | *Use a comma before a conjunction to join two independent clauses: Caesar will march from the north, but Pompey will march from the south | ||
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===Dashes=== | ===Dashes=== | ||
| + | *Use a dash to note a break in thought of a sentence or a major deviation in the course of the sentence: The legion fought against and crushed the larger barbarian force -- miraculously. | ||
| + | *Use the dash to separate the final clause of a sentence for emphasis: Caesar aspired to be emperor -- and achieved it. | ||
| + | *Quote attributions: "Veni, Vidi, Vici" -- Gaius Julius Caesar | ||
| + | *Do not use more than one dash or pair of dashes in a sentence | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Ellipsis=== | ||
| + | *Should be avoided when possible. It is better to reword or select different quotes that do not need omission of segments | ||
| + | *If used after a complete sentence, there should be a period preceding the ellipsis: "No, Hannibal has not been seen since he left the gates. ..." | ||
===Exclamation Points=== | ===Exclamation Points=== | ||
| + | *Use sparingly, a period is often the better choice | ||
| + | *When used as part of a quote, including the exclamation mark in the quotation marks: The ship master roared, "row your oars!" | ||
===Hyphens=== | ===Hyphens=== | ||
| + | *"If you take the hyphen seriously, you will surely go mad." -- Oxford Style Guide | ||
| + | *May be used with compound adjectives --compound nouns used as adjectives-- such as: Small-business owner | ||
| + | *Should be used with certain compounds that result in a double vowel or a triple consonant: anti-inflationary policies, bell-like sound | ||
| + | *With numbers: The century was 60-70 strong; 20-20 vision; twenty-four years old | ||
===Parenthesis=== | ===Parenthesis=== | ||
| + | *Do not use with random information, work this information into the sentence: The great city of Carthage (in North Africa) was once a powerful empire '''should be''' The North African city of Carthage was once a powerful empire | ||
| + | *Translation of foreign or complex terms: The uncivilized barbarian dared to wear the Pratexta (Senatorial Robe) through the streets of Rome. | ||
| + | *To clarify a persons position or title: The senate demanded that (Tribune) Gracchus make a report of his actions. | ||
===Periods (Full Stops)=== | ===Periods (Full Stops)=== | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
===Question Marks=== | ===Question Marks=== | ||
Revision as of 03:54, 30 January 2007
The Nova Roma Style Guide is a collection of punctuation and grammar guidelines to standardize the development of the Nova Roma Wiki. The style guide, once completed and approved for linking into the community portal, should be used as the standard for publishing on the Nova Roma wiki site.
Important note: Do not edit or remove without first contacting Ti Octavius Avitus or M Octavius Gracchus
Contents |
Punctuation
Apostrophes
- For plural nouns ending in s, form the possessive with an apostrophe: the girls' book
- For a singular common noun ending in s, form the possessive with 's: the hostess's invitation
- For singular proper names ending in s, form the possessive with an apostrophe: Tullius' speech
- For singular proper names ending in s sounds, form the possessive with 's: the prince's table
- For plurals of a letter, use 's: the class had four A's, two B's and ten C's
- Do not use 's for plurals of numbers or letter combinations: the 700s, four hundred RBIs
Colons
- Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence: The senator guaranteed this: The Republic would endure for all time. BUT The consul listed three concerns: the economy, the barbarians and the shortage of food.
- Colons should remain outside of quotation marks unless the colon is part of the quotation
Commas
- Do not use a comma before the conjunction of a simple list: The senator, the consuls and the praetor
- Use a comma to set off hometown or age: Cicero, 31, was elected praetor. Plato, Athens, was the writer of several books.
- Use a comma between adjectives, only if you could safely insert and in its place: It was a black and blue car BUT NOT It was a large and reference book
- Use commas to enclose a parenthetic expression: The best way to explore Carthage, short of by chariot, is by litter.
- Do not use a comma to separate a noun from an identifying term: Pompey the great was in the lead. Cato the elder was wise.
- Use commas in the following date formats: January to February, 2007; January 15, 2006; Tuesday, September 7, 2001 but omit the comma in 14 March 2002
- Use a comma before a conjunction to join two independent clauses: Caesar will march from the north, but Pompey will march from the south
Dashes
- Use a dash to note a break in thought of a sentence or a major deviation in the course of the sentence: The legion fought against and crushed the larger barbarian force -- miraculously.
- Use the dash to separate the final clause of a sentence for emphasis: Caesar aspired to be emperor -- and achieved it.
- Quote attributions: "Veni, Vidi, Vici" -- Gaius Julius Caesar
- Do not use more than one dash or pair of dashes in a sentence
Ellipsis
- Should be avoided when possible. It is better to reword or select different quotes that do not need omission of segments
- If used after a complete sentence, there should be a period preceding the ellipsis: "No, Hannibal has not been seen since he left the gates. ..."
Exclamation Points
- Use sparingly, a period is often the better choice
- When used as part of a quote, including the exclamation mark in the quotation marks: The ship master roared, "row your oars!"
Hyphens
- "If you take the hyphen seriously, you will surely go mad." -- Oxford Style Guide
- May be used with compound adjectives --compound nouns used as adjectives-- such as: Small-business owner
- Should be used with certain compounds that result in a double vowel or a triple consonant: anti-inflationary policies, bell-like sound
- With numbers: The century was 60-70 strong; 20-20 vision; twenty-four years old
Parenthesis
- Do not use with random information, work this information into the sentence: The great city of Carthage (in North Africa) was once a powerful empire should be The North African city of Carthage was once a powerful empire
- Translation of foreign or complex terms: The uncivilized barbarian dared to wear the Pratexta (Senatorial Robe) through the streets of Rome.
- To clarify a persons position or title: The senate demanded that (Tribune) Gracchus make a report of his actions.
Periods (Full Stops)
Question Marks
Quotation Marks
Semi Colons
Single Quotes (Inverted Commas)
Sources
This is a tentative list of sources that will be used, it will be updated as sources are added or not used.
The AP Stylebook / ISBN 0465004881
The Economist Style Guide / ISBN 1861979169
The Elements of Style / ISBN 020530902X
