Grammar guidelines
Introduction
Using terms and grammar correctly allows readers to focus attention on your message, not your writing style or errors.
In order to produce a cohesive style throughout all our company communications (printed, digital, etc.), the following set of grammar guidelines were developed. Please refer to these as you are preparing internal and external communications.
All our materials are written following the Associated Press style (AP style).
This style guide will address proper grammar usage including abbreviations, punctuations and common mistakes. There are many aspects of grammar, spelling, punctuation and style that are not addressed in this guide. If you have a question or suggestion, please email [email protected].
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Abbreviations
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. These specific abbreviations are sometimes used incorrectly. Visit the abbreviations and acronyms page to see commonly abbreviated terms at Blue Cross.
Always abbreviate Company, Corporation, Incorporated and Limited, when using after an organizationâs name: Taylor Supply Co., Inc.
Always abbreviate Dr., Mr., Mrs. Ms., the Rev., Rep. and Sen., when using before a full name outside direct quotations. Spell out all (except Dr., Mr., Mrs. and Ms.) when they are used before a name in direct quotations.
Always precede "Rev." (when it comes before an individual's name) with the word "the" because, unlike the case with Mr. and Mrs., the abbreviation Rev. does not stand for a noun: The Rev. Jesse Jackson will lead the service.
Never place "Dr." before an individual's name (unless it is a direct quote), when first identifying someone as a doctor. Upon first reference, indicate the individualâs title with the designation after the name: John Norman, M.D.
âDr. James Lowery is one of the best in the network,â she said.
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Cents
Always write the word âcentsâ in text. In charts and lists, the symbol âÂąâ is acceptable.
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Contractions
Contractions may be used if the purpose of the communication is to be more conversational or personable: The group wouldnât want a premium increase.
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Dates and events
Do not write out the whole month when giving a date:Â Dec. 25, 2020.
It is not necessary to use -st, -nd, -rd, -d or -th in dates unless the day is written before or is separated from the month:Â April 1; 1st of April
Do not use âonâ or âheldâ with days and dates:Â The meeting will be May 1.
When announcing events, use the time-date-location sequence:Â The meeting will be at 10 a.m., Oct. 8, in Bldg. K.
Do not separate month and year with a comma:Â Construction in October 2020.
Use day and date when referring to an event:Â Deadline to sign up for the race is Tuesday, Dec. 4.
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Directions and regions
In general, lowercase compass points when they describe a section of a city or state: western Kansas, northeast Kansas. Capitalize compass points when part of a proper name (West Virginia) or when denoting widely known sections (Upper East Side of New York).
With names of nations, lowercase unless they are part of a proper name or are used to designate politically divided nations:Â western United States, South Korea.
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Dollars
Always write dollar sign-number for amounts less than a million. For amounts greater than a million, write dollar sign-number-word âmillion:â
$4, $25, $500, $1,000, $650,000, $1 million, $1.5 million.
Exception: exact amounts such as $4,535,123.
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Hyphenation
Hyphenations can be tricky. There are three general rules to follow to know when to hyphenate a word or not. Some examples are provided to help you out.
Hyphens are joiners. Use them to avoid ambiguity or to form a single idea from two or more words.
Use of the hyphen is far from standardized. It can be a matter of taste, judgment and style sense. Think of hyphens as an aid to readersâ comprehension. If a hyphen makes the meaning clearer, use it. If it just adds clutter and distraction to the sentence, donât use it.
Helpful hint:
Many compound modifiers that are hyphenated before a noun are not hyphenated when they appear after a noun:Â We sell long-term care insurance. The company will reach its sales goal in the long term.
Hyphenate | Do not hyphenate |
Bed-patient | Coinsurance |
Brand-name drug | Copay |
Cost-effective | Cost containment |
Co-worker | Inpatient |
First-dollar coverage | Lifestyle |
E-learning | Marketplace |
Kansas-based | Outpatient |
Level-funded | Prediabetes |
Long-term care | Precertification |
Multi-option plan | Prepaid |
Non-accident | Prepayment |
Non-covered | Vice president |
Non-duplication | Â |
Non-emergency | Â |
Non-obstetrical | Â |
Non-for-profit | Â |
Out-of-pocket | Â |
Physician-hospital organization | Â |
Pre-administration | Â |
Pre-enrollment | Â |
Self-funding | Â |
Self-insured | Â |
Value-based | Â |
Value-added services | Â |
Well-being | Â |
Year-end | Â |
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Name
People should be referred to in the manner they prefer, if their identities are clear. The designation of junior and senior should be used only with full names of persons and should be abbreviated as Jr. and Sr. Do not precede by a comma: Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
A nickname should be used in place of a person's given name in stories only when it is the way the individual prefers to be known:Â Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Babe Ruth, Tiger Woods, Magic Johnson.
When a nickname is inserted into the identification of an individual, use quotation marks:Â Sen. Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson, Paul "Bear" Bryant.
Capitalize without quotation marks such terms as Sunshine State, the Old Dominion, Motown, the Magic City, Old Hickory, Old Glory, Galloping Ghost.
Use first and last name upon first reference.
- For internal communications, use first name upon second reference.
- For external communications, use last name upon second reference.
- For external communications, when it is necessary to distinguish between two people who use the same last name, use the first and last name on subsequent references.
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Numbers
Write out all numbers one through nine. Use numerals for 10 and above. (See the âPercentâ section for exceptions to these rules.) The use of numerals is acceptable in charts and lists. Numbers beginning a sentence should always be expressed in words: The six examiners processed 200 claims today. Twelve claims were filed by the provider.
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Plurals
Most words: Add s:Â boys, girls, ships, villages.
Words ending in âch, âs, âsh, âsh, âss, âx and âz: Add âes:Â churches, lenses, parishes, glasses, boxes, buzzes. (Monarchs is an exception.)
Words ending in âis: Change is to es:Â oases, parentheses, theses.
Words ending in ây: If y is preceded by a consonant or qu, change y to i and add es: armies, cities, navies, soliloquies. Otherwise add s: donkeys, monkeys.
Words ending in âo: If o is preceded by a consonant, most plurals require es: buffaloes, dominoes, echoes, heroes, potatoes. But there are exceptions: pianos.
Words ending in âf: In general, change f to v and add es:Â leaves, selves. (Roof, roofs is an exception.)
Form change: man, men; child, children; foot, feet; mouse, mice; etc. Caution: When s is used with any of these words it indicates possession and must be preceded by an apostrophe: men's, children's, etc.
Words the same in singular and plural: corps, chassis, deer, moose, sheep, etc. The sense in a particular sentence is conveyed by the use of a singular or plural verb.
Words in plural form, singular in meaning: Some take singular verbs: measles, mumps, news. Others take plural verbs: grits, scissors.
Compound words: Those written solid add s at the end:Â cupfuls, handfuls, tablespoonfuls.
For those that involve separate words or words linked by a hyphen, make the most significant word plural:
- Significant word first:Â adjutants general, aides-de-camp, attorneys general, courts-martial, daughters-in-law, passers-by, postmasters general, presidents-elect, secretaries-general, sergeants major.
- Significant word in the middle:Â assistant attorneys general, deputy chiefs of staff.
- Significant word last:Â assistant attorneys, assistant corporation counsels, deputy sheriffs, lieutenant colonels, major generals.
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Proper word choice
Accept/except: | âAcceptâ means to agree or to receive something offered:Â The vendor does accept checks.
âExceptâ means excluding or with the exception of. The ex- of except can help you to remember that it means excluding:Â Everyone except Rita went to the movies. |
Access/excess: | âAccessâ is a noun meaning a way of approach:Â Gaining access to the healthcare system can be difficult for some individuals.
âExcessâ is a noun or an adjective meaning more than a specified amount:Â The excess provider directories will be stored in supply. |
Adapt/adept: | âAdaptâ is a verb meaning to make an adjustment:Â They will adapt the claim payment according to the new guidelines.
âAdeptâ is an adjective meaning thoroughly proficient:Â Customer experience representatives are adept at answering member questions. |
Adverse/averse: | âAdverseâ is an adjective meaning opposed, antagonistic, bad, and is applied to something that opposes or works against another thing or person:Â The company is sometimes adverse to legislative mandates.
âAverseâ means disinclined, reluctant, loath, and is a personal feeling:Â She was averse to approving the overtime without having proper documentation for the need. |
Advice/advise: | âAdviceâ is a noun.â
Adviseâ is a verb. When you give suggestions, you advise. The suggestions themselves are the advice. |
All right/alright: | Never use âalright.â |
Alternate/alternative: | âAlternateâ can mean to go back and forth from one to another, or to change at intervals.
âAlternativeâ indicates a choice among two or more possibilities. |
Among/between: | Use âamongâ with more than two objects:Â The members talked among themselves.
Use âbetweenâ with only two:Â The child chose between a plain or peanut cookie. |
Anybody/any body: | âAnybody,â in the sense of any person, should not be written as two words: Did anybody turn on my computer?
âAny bodyâ means any corpse or any human form or any group. The same rule holds true for everybody, nobody, somebody, for the same reason. In the sense of a person, they are best written as one word:Â Is anybody interested in donating to Project Topeka? |
Anymore/any more: | The compound word âanymoreâ means now or hereafter or further and is properly used with a statement that has a negative connotation, or sometimes with a question:Â I donât need help anymore.
âAny moreâ means any additional:Â Do you have any more work to send to the document processing center? |
A while/awhile: | âA whileâ is an article and a noun meaning a period of time. Use it with the prepositions âforâ and âin.â It is always two words: In a while I will send the memo.
âAwhileâ is an adverb meaning for a short period of time. It is never used with a preposition, since âforâ is already included in its meaning and is written as one word: I will be in the meeting awhile. |
Benefits/covered services: | âBenefitsâ are paid at.
âCovered servicesâ are paid at. No other words besides benefits and covered services should be used. |
Call/phone/contact: | âCallâ or âphoneâ should be used when providing only a telephone number.
Use âcontactâ when providing a telephone number along with an email or mailing address. |
Capital/capitol: | âCapitalâ is either wealth, an uppercase letter, or a city or town that is the seat of a government.
âCapitolâ is a building in which a legislative body meets. The U.S. Capitol is always capitalized. |
Can/may: | âCanâ means am able.
âMayâ means have permission. |
Cite/site/sight: | âCiteâ is a verb meaning to refer to:Â Please cite your source of information provided for literature.
âSiteâ is a noun meaning place, scene or point of something: Bldg. B is the site for Blueâs CafĂ©. âSightâ refers to vision: My sight is better since they adjusted my monitor. |
Complement/compliment: | âComplementâ is both a noun and a verb, meaning the completion of something or to enhance something:Â Your letter will complement the package we mail to new members.
âComplimentâ also functions as both a noun and verb, but means to praise, or an expression of praise: Â Thank you for the compliment on my presentation. |
Confidently/confidentially: | Both are adverbs, but âconfidentlyâ means self-reliantly:Â She confidently authorized the claim payment.
âConfidentiallyâ means secretly: Â He confidentially filed the report. |
Continual/continuous: | âContinualâ means repeatedly. If something is âcontinual,â it goes on and on, but stops in between, like rain. If something is âcontinuous,â it goes on and on without stopping, like life:Â The member made continual phone calls about her prescription allowances.
âContinuousâ means without any interruption:Â As long as the premiums are paid, the insurance coverage remains continuous. Â |
Contracting providers/contracting healthcare providers: | âContracting providersâ and âContracting healthcare providersâ refer to hospitals or doctors who agree to contract with BCBSKS. |
Different: | âDifferentâ is followed by âfrom,â not âthan.â |
Disinterested/uninterested: | âDisinterestedâ means impartial:Â The facilitator was disinterested during the team meeting.
âUninterestedâ means not interested:Â The insurance commissioner was uninterested in hearing excuses. |
Either/each: | âEitherâ means one or the other:Â Either lead or follow but keep going.
âEachâ means more than one, but as individuals:Â Each time you lead a team, more things are accomplished. |
Ensure/insure: | âEnsureâ is used to mean guarantee:Â We ensure our product is the best for the money.
âInsureâ is used in reference to insurance:Â Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas insures many members. |
Everyday/every day: | âEverydayâ is an adjective and must modify a noun:Â Her computer crashing is an everyday occurrence.
âEvery dayâ is an adverbial phrase that tells when something happens:Â She seems to be learning more every day. |
Farther/further: | âFartherâ is used to speak of distance:Â He must drive farther than the other representatives.
âFurther âis used for intangible measurements, like time, degree or quantity:Â She can stretch her abilities further than he can. |
Fewer/less: | âFewerâ indicates things that can be counted. Generally, use âfewerâ before a plural noun, âlessâ before a singular noun:Â Document processing received fewer requests for copies this year.
âLessâ indicates things that cannot be counted:Â Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas is less of a competitor for high-risk prospects. |
Health care/healthcare: | Use "healthcare" when speaking broadly, but "health care" when referencing a specialty such as mental health care, behavioral health care, etc. |
Infer/imply: | âInferâ means to conclude from the evidence:Â You can infer from the crime scene that a gun was used.
âImplyâ means to express indirectly:Â He implied that he was in a hurry to leave. |
Its/Itâs: | âItsâ is the possessive form of âit:â Marketing gains its contracts through the sales representatives of BCBSKS.
âItâsâ is a contraction for âit is:â Itâs a good morning to stay at home. |
Long term/long-term: | "Long term" is a noun that is used when talking about what happens over a long period of time or in the future.
"Long-term" is an adjective that describes something that has or will continue for a length of time:Â A full recovery is expected in the long term. BCBSKS sells long-term care insurance. You should hyphenate these words when they are used to describe a noun that follows them. |
Lose/loose: | âLoseâ is a verb meaning to suffer the loss of; it is the opposite of win:Â You will lose your coverage if you fail to pay your premium on time.
âLooseâ is an adjective meaning not tightly fastened, or a verb meaning to free: Loose-fitting hospital gowns often result in embarrassing moments. |
Over/more than: | âOverâ refers to spatial relationships:Â I keep my employee handbook on the shelf over my desk.
âMore thanâ is used with numbers:Â BCBSKS employs more than 1,600 people. |
Payer/payor: | Per legal and compliance, always use the term âpayerâ. âPayerâ is used to designate one who pays, or should pay, a bill or note, etc.: He is a prompt bill payer. |
Personal/personnel: | âPersonalâ is an adjective signifying individuality:Â Remove your personal items from your car.
âPersonnelâ is a noun meaning persons employed:Â The credit union personnel are available to help members with their banking needs. |
Proceed/precede: | âProceedâ means to go or move forward: We will proceed to process your claims after receiving written documentation of  your referral.
âPrecedeâ means to go before. Remember that the correct spellings of the participles are âproceedingâ and âpreceding.â |
Proved/proven: | Both forms of the past participle are acceptable, but âprovedâ is preferred as the verb:Â Test results proved the diagnosis of the medical staff was correct.
âProvenâ is usually used as the attributive adjective (one that comes ahead of the noun):Â The drug in question is a proven treatment for this condition. |
Secondly, thirdly: | Leave off the âlyâ and use "Second, third." |
Since/because: | âSinceâ refers to time:Â There have been no claims filed since your last dental appointment.
âBecauseâ refers to a reason for doing something or for an occurrence: Â The reason your ambulance claim was denied is because it wasnât considered a medical emergency. |
Sit/set: | âSitâ is an intransitive verb requiring no action and having no object:Â Because he was late to the meeting he had to sit in the back.
âSetâ is almost exclusively a transitive verb â conveying action from the subject to the predicate â so it must have an object. Like âlay,â âsetâ can be replaced with âput:â The leader had the chairs set. |
Sometime/some time: | As one word, âsometimeâ means at some indefinite or undefined time in the future:Â We will revise the claim form sometime this year.
As two words, âsome timeâ means just an indefinite or undefined period:Â There hasnât been a premium increase for some time. |
There/their/theyâre: | âThereâ is an adverb indicating direction:Â We went there for a meeting.
âThereâ is also used with the force of a pronoun for impersonal constructions in which the real subject follows the verb: There are no papers on the table. âTheirâ is an adjective meaning belonging to them: The providers feel their needs are being met. âTheyâreâ is a contraction of âthey are:â Theyâre all going to the workshop together. |
Two/to/too: | âTwoâ is a number:Â The two of us will attend the provider workshop.
âToâ is a preposition showing direction: All interoffice mail is to be delivered promptly. âTooâ means also: She too believed coverage was denied in error (additionally, also, further, excessively). |
Use/utilize: | As a verb, the word âuseâ means to put or bring something into action or service; to handle or consume something.
As a verb, the word "utilize"Â means to make use of something in a new, practical, or profitable way. |
Who/whom/that/which: | Use âwhoâ and âwhomâ for references to human beings and to animals with a name. Â Use âthatâ and âwhichâ for inanimate objects and animals without a name. âWhoâ is the word when someone is the subject of a sentence, clause or phrase:Â The person who answered the phone said she was from the customer service center.
âWhomâ is the word when someone is the object of a verb or preposition: The person to whom you spoke is an employee. âThat:â The claim for the hospital admission that youâre referring to has been paid at 100% of the maximum allowance. âWhich:â The new employee didnât know on which floor the office was located. |
Whose/whoâs: | âWhoseâ is the possessive form of who:Â Whose claim are you working on?
âWhoâsâ is a contraction of âwho is:â Whoâs the representative working on the claims problem? |
Your/youâre: | âYourâ is the possessive form of you:Â The claim for your visit to Dr. Smith is being processed.
âYouâreâ is the contraction of âyou are:â Youâre going to be promoted to supervisor of the unit. |
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Punctuation
Incorrect punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence. It can also cause the reader to lose track of what is being said and make the sentence hard to understand.
As a general rule, if punctuation does not help make clear what is being said, it should not be there.
Ampersand [&]: Never use the ampersand in copy, unless it's part of a company's formal name or in a composition title.
a.m., p.m.:Â Lowercase, with periods
- When writing the time in body copy, do not use minutes unless it falls on something other than the top of the hour (Examples: 8 a.m., 9 a.m. or 9:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m.)
- When writing time as part of an agenda or list, always display the minutes (Example: 8:15 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m.)
Apostrophes (â)
Add ââsâ to plural nouns not ending in âs.â
Add only an apostrophe to plural nouns ending in âs:â the girlsâ toys, the VIPsâ entrance.
Add only an apostrophe to nouns plural in form, yet singular in meaning:Â the measlesâ effects.
Apply the same principle when a plural word occurs in the formal name of a singular entity:Â The United Statesâ wealth or Kansasâ industry.
For nouns which are the same in singular and plural, treat them the same as plurals, even if the meaning is singular:Â one corpsâ location, the two deerâs tracks.
Add ââsâ to singular nouns not ending in âs:â the churchâs needs, the girlâs toys.
Add ââsâ to singular common nouns ending in âs,â unless the next word begins with âs:â the hostessâs invitation, the hostessâ seat.
Use only an apostrophe for singular proper names ending in âs:â Achillesâ heel, Kansasâ schools.
Personal interrogative and relative pronouns have separate forms for the possessive. None involves an apostrophe:Â mine, ours, your, yours, his, hers, its, theirs, whose.
Caution: If you are using an apostrophe with a pronoun always double-check to be sure that the meaning calls for a contraction: youâre, itâs, theirâs, whoâs.
Use a possessive form after the last word if ownership is joint:Â Fred and Sylviaâs apartment.
Use a possessive form after both words if the objects are individually owned:Â Fredâs and Sylviaâs books.
Do not add an apostrophe to a word ending in âsâ when it is used primarily in a descriptive sense: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas employees, BCBSKS customers.
Bulleted list
Put a space between the dash or bullet and the first word of each item in the list. Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet.
Use parallel construction for each item in a list:
- Start with the same part of speech for each item (in this example, a verb).
- Use the same voice (active) for each item.
- Use the same verb tense for each item.
- Use the same sentence type (statement, question, exclamation) for each item.
- Use just a phrase for each item, if desired.
Introduce the list with a short phrase or sentence:
Our partners:
These are our partners:
Our partners are:
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Best practices for bullet points:
- Emphasize the beginning of the bullet point, when the first few words capture the main idea. That way, readers can skim easily.
- Make bullet points consistent in structure. Use parallel structure. For instance use the same verb tense at the beginning of each bullet.
- Punctuate bullets consistently.
- If all bullets are sentences, end each one with a period.
- If all bullets are phrases or fragments, use no end punctuation.
- If the lead in sentence and the bullet make a complete sentence, end each bullet with a period.
- Avoid ending bullet points with semicolons.
- Number bullet points when you have more than five.
- Avoid bullet points when you want to build rapport or deal with a sensitive issue.
Colons (:)
The most frequent use of a colon is at the end of a sentence to introduce lists, tabulations, texts, etc. Do not capitalize the first word after a colon unless if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence.
Commas (,)
- Commas are always inside quotation marks.
- Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series: The flag is red, white and blue.
- Put a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series; however, if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction, a comma before the concluding conjunction may be desirable for clarity in a series of phrases:Â I had orange juice, toast, ham and eggs, and cereal for breakfast.
- Use a comma before the concluding conjunction in a complex series of phrases:Â The main points to consider are whether the athletes are skillful enough to compete, whether they have the stamina to endure the training, and whether they have the proper mental attitude.
- Use a comma between two adjectives (of equal rank) that describe the same noun:Â The sad, tired traveler barely caught her flight.
- An essential clause must not be set off from the rest of the sentence by commas: Employees who do not read the handbook should not criticize their supervisors. (The writer is saying that only one class of employees, those who do not read the handbook, should not criticize their supervisors.)
- A comma normally is used to separate an introductory clause or phrase from a main clause:Â When he had finished the project in New York, he moved back to Kansas.
Dashes (â)
Use em dashes to denote an abrupt change in thought in a sentence or an emphatic pause:Â We will fly to New York â if I get a raise.
Em dashes are longer than a hyphen. Put spaces on both sides of an em dash in all uses except the start of a paragraph.
Parentheses ()
Use sparingly.
Place a period outside a closing parenthesis if the material inside is not a sentence (such as this fragment).
(An independent parenthetical sentence such as this one takes a period before the closing parenthesis.)
When a phrase placed in parentheses (this one is an example) might normally qualify as a complete sentence but is dependent on the surrounding material, do not capitalize the first word or end with a period.
Percent:Â Always use the % sign
- Use figures for percents and percentages (Example: 1%, 2.5%)
- For amounts less than 1%, precede the decimal with a zero (Example: The cost of living rose 0.6%.)
- Always use numerals with percentages, except at the beginning of a sentence. (See âNumbersâ section)
Periods (.)
Periods are always inside quotation marks.
Quotation marks (â)
If a full paragraph of quoted material is followed by a paragraph that continues the quotation, do not put close-quote marks at the end of the first paragraph. Do, however, put open-quote marks at the start of the second paragraph: "I am so horrified; in fact, I will ask for the death penalty."
When using quotes within quotes, alternate between double quotation marks (âorâ) and single marks (âorâ):Â She said, âI quote from his letter, âI agree with Kipling that âthe female of the species is more deadly than the male,â but the phenomenon is not an unchangeable law of nature,â a remark he did not explain.â
Use three marks together if two quoted elements end at the same time: âHe told me, âI love you,ââ she said.
Use âsaidâ or past tense verb when identifying attribution:Â "Now that I've worked with a dietitian I'm more aware of portion control," Hillary said.
For placement with other punctuation, follow these rules:
- The period and comma always go within the quotation marks.
- The dash, the semicolon, the question mark and the exclamation point go within the quotation marks when they apply to the quoted matter only. They go outside when they apply to the whole sentence.
- Use double quotation marks for quoted words, phrases and sentences.
- Use single quotation marks for quotations within quotations and when emphasizing a word under discussion
Semicolons (;)
- In general, use the semicolon to indicate a greater separation of thought and information than a comma can convey, but less than the separation that a period implies. A semicolon is used before the final âandâ in a series:Â Katie likes prime rib; Fred is a vegetarian.
- Place semicolons outside quotation marks.
- Use a semicolon when a coordinating conjunction such as âand,â âbutâ or âforâ is not present:Â The package was due last week; it arrived today.
- Use semicolons to separate elements of a series when the items in the series are long or when individual segments contain material that also must be set off by commas:Â He is survived by a son, John Smith, of Chicago; three daughters, Jane Smith, of Wichita, Kansas, Mary Smith, of Denver, and Susan, of Boston; and a sister, Martha, of Omaha, Nebraska.
- If you're using "however" to indicate a shift in perspective, place a semicolon before and a comma after the word "however:"Â The movie got good reviews; however, I did not like it.
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Sentence spacing
Never double space after any punctuation. Always use a single space.