a, an Use the article a before consonant sounds: a historic event, a one-year term (sounds as if it begins with a w), a united stand (sounds like you). Use the article an before vowel sounds: an energy crisis, an honorable man (the h is silent), an NBA record (sounds like it begins with the letter e), an 1890s celebration.

academic degrees If mention of degrees is necessary to establish someone's credentials, the preferred form is to avoid an abbreviation and use instead a phrase such as: John Jones, who has a doctorate in psychology. Use an apostrophe in bachelor's degree, a master's, etc. Use such abbreviations as B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. only when the need to identify many individuals by degree on first reference would make the preferred form cumbersome. Use these abbreviations only after a full name, never after just a last name. When used after a name, an academic abbreviation is set off by commas: Daniel Moynihan, Ph.D., spoke. Do not precede a name with a courtesy title for an academic degree and follow it with the abbreviation for the degree in the same reference: Wrong: Dr. Pam Jones, Ph.D. Right: Dr. Pam Jones, a chemist.

accept, except Accept means to receive. Except means to exclude.

acknowledgment

Act Capitalize when referring to a specific piece of legislation: Oil Pollution Act. Act also may be capitalized on second reference if necessary to avoid grammatical confusion in the sentence.

action-oriented

addresses Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd. and St. only with a numbered address: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Spell them out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a number: Pennsylvania Avenue. Lowercase and spell out when used alone or with more than one street name: Massachusetts and Pennsylvania avenues. All similar words (alley, drive, road, terrace, etc.) always are spelled out in text. Capitalize them when part of a formal name and lowercase when used alone or with two or more names. Always use figures for an address number: 9 Morningside Circle. Spell out and capitalize First through Ninth when used as street names; use figures with two letters for 10th and above: 7 Fifth Ave., 100 21st St. Abbreviate compass points used to indicate directional ends of a street or quadrants of a city in a numbered address: 222 E. 42nd St. Do not abbreviate if the number is omitted: East 42nd Street, K Street Northwest.

Administration Program

adopt, approve, enact, pass Amendments, ordinances, resolutions and rules are adopted or approved. Bills are passed. Laws are enacted.

Advisor

affect/effect Affect, as a verb, means to influence: The game will affect the standings. Affect, as a noun, is best avoided. It occasionally is used in psychology to describe an emotion, but there is no need for it in everyday language. Effect, as a verb, means to cause: He will effect many changes in the company. Effect, as a noun, means result: The effect was overwhelming. He miscalculated the effect of his actions. It was a law of little effect. The plan was very effective.

Air Toxics Emissions Inventory Protocol

all right Never alright. Hyphenate only if used colloquially as a compound modifier: He is an all-right guy.

all time, all-time An all-time high, but the greatest runner of all time. Avoid the redundant phrase all-time record.

allot, allotted, allotting

Alternate Commissioner

a.m., p.m. Lowercase, with periods. Avoid the redundant 10 a.m. this morning.

annual An event cannot be described as annual until it has been held in at least two successive years. Do not use the term first annual. Instead, note that sponsors plan to hold an event annually.

annual meeting Lowercase unless used in a headline or as part of a proper name: Annual Meeting of the Great Lakes Commission, 1995 annual meeting, annual meeting highlights.

annual report Lowercase unless part of a proper name: Annual Report of the Great Lakes Commission, He read the annual report.

ANS Update

area contingency plan ACP on second reference; ACPs, plural.

Areas of Concern AOCs on second reference; AOC program.

Associate Commissioner(s) An appointed delegate from Ontario or Québec.

Associate Member(s) Refers to the province of Ontario or Québec, not its delegates.

basin Lowercase in most uses: Great Lakes basin.

basinwide

benefit, benefited, benefiting

best management practices BMP on second reference.

bi- In general, no hyphen. Some examples: bifocal, bimonthly, bilateral, binational, bipartisan, bilingual.

BRIDGES project Use for all references to the project at large. Use Great Lakes Brownfields Regional Information and Greenfields System for first references to the web site produced by the project. Use BRIDGES for subsequent references to the web site.

brownfields

by- The rules in prefixes apply, but in general, no hyphen. Some examples: bylaw, byline, byproduct, bypass.

cancel, canceled, canceling, cancellation

cannot

Carol A. Ratza Memorial Scholarship

CD-ROM

century Generally lowercase, spelling out numbers less than 10: the first century, the 21st century. For proper names, follow the organization's practice: 20th Century Fox, Twentieth Century Fund.

chair Commission-preferred term over chairman, chairwoman or chairperson. Capitalize as a formal title before a name: Chair Irene Brooks. Do not capitalize after a name or as a casual, temporary position: meeting chairman Robert Jones; Irene Brooks, Commission chair.

Circle Tour

clean up (v.) cleanup (n. and adj.)

co- Retain the hyphen when forming nouns, adjectives and verbs that indicate occupation or status: co-author, co-host, co-worker. Generally, a hyphen is used if a prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows begins with the same vowel. Use no hyphen in other combinations: coexist, cooperate, coordination.

coast Lowercase when referring to the physical shoreline: Atlantic coast, east coast. Capitalize when referring to regions of the United States lying along such shorelines: the Atlantic Coast states, the West Coast. Do no capitalize when referring to smaller regions: the Virginia coast. Capitalize the Coast when standing alone only if the reference is to the West Coast.

Coast Guard Capitalize when referring to the U.S. force: the U.S. Coast Guard, the Coast Guard, Coast Guard policy, the Guard. Do not use the abbreviation USCG. Use lowercase for similar forces of other nations.

coastline

combat, combated, combating

Commission Capitalize only when referring to the Great Lakes Commission.

Commissioner

committee Do not abbreviate. Capitalize when part of a formal name: the House Appropriations Committee. Do not capitalize committee in shortened versions of long committee names: the Pollution Control and Risk Management Committee, for example, becomes the pollution control committee.

Communications and Information Management Program

compose, comprise, constitute Compose means to create or put together. It commonly is used in both the active and passive voices: She composed a song. The United States is composed of 50 states. Comprise means to contain, to include all or embrace. It is best used only in the active voice, followed by a direct object: The United States comprises 50 states. The jury comprises five men and seven women. Constitute, in the sense of form or make up, may be the best word if neither compose nor comprise seems to fit: Fifty states constitute the United States. Five men and seven women constitute the jury. Use include when what follows is only part of the total: The price includes breakfast. The zoo includes lions and tigers.

confined disposal facility CDF on second reference.

Congress Capitalize U.S. Congress and Congress when referring to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

congressional Lowercase unless part of a proper name: congressional salaries, the Congressional Quarterly, the Congressional Record.

Congressional Breakfast

congressman, congresswoman Use only in reference to members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

consensus-based

co-sponsored

cost

cost-effective

county Capitalize when an integral part of a proper name: Dade County, Macomb County. Capitalize the full names of county governmental units: the Dade County Commission, the Orange County Department of Social Services. Retain capitalization for the name of a county body if the proper noun is not needed in the context; lowercase the word county if it is used to distinguish an agency from state or federal counterparts: the Board of Supervisors, the county Board of Supervisors. Avoid county of phrases where possible, but when necessary, always lowercase: the county of Westchester. Lowercase plural combinations: Westchester and Rockland counties.

cut back (v.) cutback (n. and adj.) He cut back spending. The cutback will require frugality.

cut off (v.) cutoff (n. and adj.) He cut off his son's allowance. The cutoff date for applications is Monday.

database, data set

dates When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out the month when using it alone or with a year alone: January 1972 was a cold month. Jan. 2 was the coldest day of the month. She was born on Feb. 28, 2000. See months.

decisionmaker, decisionmaking

Declaration of Indiana, Declaration staff

delegate, delegates, delegation Do not abbreviate. Capitalize only before a person's name. Always lowercase in other uses.

department Avoid acronyms when possible. A phrase such as the department is preferable on second reference because it is more readable and avoids alphabet soup. Lowercase department in plural uses, but capitalize the proper name element: the departments of Labor and Justice. Lowercase the department whenever it stands alone. Do not abbreviate department in any usage.

directions and regions In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction; capitalize these words when they designate regions. Some examples: the western United States, the storm will bring showers to the East Coast by morning and to the entire Northeast by late in the day, western Texas, he drove west.

distances Use figures for 10 and above, spell out one through nine: He walked four miles.

dollars Always lowercase. Use figures and the $ sign in all except casual references or amounts without a figure: The book cost $4. For specified amounts, the word takes a singular verb: He said $500,000 is what they want. For amounts of more than $1 million, use the $ and numerals up to two decimal places. Do not link the numerals and the word by a hyphen: It is worth $4.35 million. He proposed a $300 billion budget. It is worth $650,000.

Ecosystem Charter for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Also, the Ecosystem Charter; but the charter (not italicized or capitalized).

effect/affect Effect, as a verb, means to cause: He will effect many changes in the company. Effect, as a noun, means result: The effect was overwhelming. He miscalculated the effect of his actions. It was a law of little effect. The plan was very effective. Affect, as a verb, means to influence: The game will affect the standings. Affect, as a noun, is best avoided. It occasionally is used in psychology to describe an emotion, but there is no need for it in everyday language.

e.g., exempli gratia, for example; always lower case, followed by a comma.

e-mail Avoid using as a verb.

Emergency Preparedness Task Force

ensure, insure Use ensure to mean guarantee: Steps were taken to ensure accuracy. Use insure for references to insurance: The policy insures his life.

entitled Use it to mean a right to do or have something. Do not use it to mean titled. She was entitled to the promotion. The book was titled "Gone With the Wind."

Environmental Protection Agency U.S. EPA on second reference.

Executive Committee Capitalize only when referring to the Commission’s Executive Committee. Lowercase in other uses.

executive director Only capitalize if the title precedes a person's name: Executive Director Mike Donahue; Michael Donahue, executive director of the Great Lakes Commission.

fact sheet

far-ranging (adj.)

farther, further Farther refers to physical distance: He walked farther into the woods. Further refers to an extension of time or degree: She will look further into the mystery.

fax Avoid using as a verb.

federal Lowercase when used as an adjective to distinguish something from state, county, city, town or private entities: federal assistance, federal court, the federal government, a federal judge. Capitalize for corporate or governmental bodies that use the word as part of their formal names: Federal Express, the Federal Trade Commission.

fiscal year FY1995 also acceptable, no spaces or hyphens.

follow up (v.) follow-up (n. and adj.)

forward Not forwards.

fractions Spell out amounts less than 1 in text, using hyphens between the words: two-thirds, four-fifths, seven-sixteenths. Use figures for precise amounts larger than 1, converting to decimals whenever practical.

freshwater (n. and adj.)

full time, full-time Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: He works full time. She has a full-time job.

government Always lowercase, never abbreviate: the federal government, the state government, the U.S. government.

governor Capitalize and abbreviate as Gov. or Govs. when used as a formal title before one or more names in regular text. Capitalize and spell out when used as a formal title before one or more names in direct quotations. Lowercase and spell out in all other uses.

Great Lake Avoid this usage. Instead use one of the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes (basin, Congressional Delegation, governors, state, states).

Great Lakes Areas of Concern AOCs on second reference.

Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Great Lakes Basin Program or Basin Program on second reference.

Great Lakes Circle Tour Words following are generally not capitalized: Great Lakes Circle Tour workshops.

Great Lakes Commission (Semiannual Meeting, Annual Meeting, Strategic Plan, staff) Also the Commission, but never the GLC.

Great Lakes Congressional Breakfast

Great Lakes Dredging Team Dredging Team or GLDT on second reference. Lowercase the team.

Great Lakes GIS Formerly Great Lakes GIS Online.

Great Lakes Greenfields Exchange

Great Lakes Information Network GLIN on second reference.

Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species ANS Panel or Great Lakes Panel on second reference. Lowercase the panel.

Great Lakes Regional Air Toxic Emissions Inventory

Great Lakes Sediment Management Program

Great Lakes Spill Protection Initiative GLSPI on second reference.

Great Lakes-St. Lawrence (basin, Seaway system, ecosystem, interests) Exception: International Great Lakes St. Lawrence Mayors’ Conference (no hyphen).

Great Lakes Toxic Air Emissions Inventory

groundwater

hard copy

high-tech

home page

host Avoid using host as a verb.

i.e., id est, that is; always lowercase, followed by a comma.

Illinois Abbreviate Ill. in text, IL in mailing addresses. See state.

in- No hyphen when it means not: inaccurate, insufferable. Often one word in other cases: inbound, indoor, infield. A few combinations take a hyphen, however: in-depth, in-house.

incur, incurred, incurring

Indiana Abbreviate Ind. in text, IN in mailing addresses. See state.

Indians American Indian is the preferred term for those in the United States. Where possible, be precise and use the name of the tribe: He is a Navajo commissioner. Native American is acceptable in quotations and names of organizations.

information/education campaign

in-kind For example: in-kind contributions.

interbasin, interstate

interjurisdictional

International Great Lakes St. Lawrence Mayors' Conference Mayors’ Conference on second reference.

Internet

intrabasin, intrastate

it's, its It's is a contraction for it is or it has: It's up to you. It's been a long time. Its is the possessive form of the neuter pronoun: The company lost its assets.

judgment Not judgement.

Keeping it on the Land

keynote address Also: keynote speech.

key word

lake Capitalize as part of a proper name: Lake Erie, Canandaigua Lake, Otter Lake. Lowercase in plural uses: lakes Erie and Ontario; Canandaigua and Seneca lakes.

land use (n.), land-use (adj.) Examples: Land use is a major issue. Land-use planning will be discussed.

laws Capitalize legislative acts but not bills: the Taft-Hartley Act, the Kennedy bill.

legislative and appropriations priorities

legislative titles Use Rep., Reps., Sen. and Sens. as formal titles before one or more names in regular text. Spell out and capitalize these titles before one or more names in direct quotation. Spell out and lowercase representative and senator in other uses. Add U.S. or state before a title only if necessary to avoid confusion: U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassebaum spoke with state Sen. Hugh Carter. Spell out other legislative titles in all uses. Capitalize formal titles when they are used directly before a name; lowercase in other uses.

lieutenant governor Capitalize and abbreviate as Lt. Gov. or Lt. Govs. when used as a formal title before one or more names in regular text. Capitalize and spell out when used as a formal title before one or more names in direct quotations. Lowercase and spell out in all other uses.

like- Follow with a hyphen when used as a prefix meaning similar to: like-minded, like-natured. No hyphen in words that have meanings of their own: likelihood, likewise, likeness.

long term, long-term Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: We will win in the long term. He has a long-term assignment.

long time, longtime They have known each other a long time. They are longtime partners.

-ly Do not use a hyphen between adverbs ending in -ly and adjectives they modify. Examples: a badly damaged ship, a federally funded project, a fully informed constituency.

Mackinac Bridge, Mackinac Island

Mackinaw City

magazine names Capitalize the name but do not place it in quotes. Lowercase magazine unless it is part of the publication's formal title: Harper's Magazine, Newsweek magazine, Time magazine. Check the masthead if in doubt.

manageable

media In the sense of mass communication, such as magazines, newspapers, the news services, radio and television, the word is plural: The news media are resisting attempts to limit their freedom.

memo, memos

Merit Network, Inc.

Michigan Abbreviate Mich. in text, MI in mailing addresses. See state.

Michigan Areas of Concern NEWS

mid- No hyphen unless a capitalized word or a figure follows: mid-America, mid-September, midsemester, midyear, mid-30s.

mile Use figures for amounts under 10 in dimensions, formulas and speeds: The farm measures 5 miles by 4 miles. The car slowed to 7 mph. The new model gets 4 miles per gallon. Spell out below 10 in distances: He drove four miles.

military title abbreviations
ARMY
general: Gen.
lieutenant general: Lt. Gen.
major general: Maj. Gen.
brigadier general: Brig. Gen.
colonel: Col.
lieutenant colonel: Lt. Col.
major: Maj.
captain: Capt.
first lieutenant: 1st Lt.
second lieutenant: 2nd Lt.
sergeant: Sgt.
corporal: Cpl.
private: Pvt.

NAVY, COAST GUARD
admiral: Adm.
vice admiral: Vice Adm.
rear admiral: Rear Adm.
captain: Capt.
commander: Cmdr.
lieutenant commander: Lt. Cmdr.
lieutenant: Lt.

millions, billions Use figures with million or billion in all except casual uses: I'd like to make a billion dollars. But: The nation has 1 million citizens. I need $7 billion. Do not go beyond two decimals: 7.51 million people, $256 billion, 7,542,500 people, $2,565,750,000. Decimals are preferred where practical: 1.5 million. Not: 1 ½ million. Do not mix millions and billions in the same figure: 2.6 billion. Not: 2 billion 600 million. Do not drop the word million or billion in the first figure of a range: He is worth from $2 million to $4 million. Not: $2 to $4 million, unless you really mean $2. Note that a hyphen is not used to join the figures and word million or billion, even in this type of phrase: The president submitted a $300 billion budget.

Minnesota Abbreviate Minn. in text, MN in mailing addresses. See state.

monthlong

months Capitalize the names of months in all uses. When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. Spell out when using alone, or with a year alone. When a phrase lists only a month and a year, do not separate the year with commas. When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, set off the year with a comma. Examples: January 1972 was a cold month. Jan. 2 was the coldest day of the month. His birthday is May 8. Feb. 14, 1987, was the target date. In tabular material, use these three-letter forms without a period: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.

more than, over Over generally refers to spatial relationships: The plane flew over the city. Over can, at times, be used with numerals: She is over 30. I paid over $200 for this suit. But more than may be better: Their salaries went up more than $20 a week. Let your ear by your guide: More than 300 people sounds better than over 300 people.

multi- In general, no hyphen. Some examples: multifaceted, multicolored, multimillion, multidisciplinary, multijurisdictional.

nationwide

nearshore

New York Abbreviate N.Y. in text, NY in mailing addresses. Use New York state when a distinction must be made between state and city. See state.

non- In general, no hyphen when forming a compound that does not have special meaning and can be understood if not is used before the base word. Use a hyphen, however, before proper nouns or in awkward combinations, such as non-native. Other examples: nonfederal, nongovernmental.

none It usually means no single one. When used in this sense, it always takes singular verbs and pronouns: None of the seats was in its right place. Use a plural verb only if the sense is no two or no amount: None of the consultants agree on the same approach. None of the taxes have been paid.

nonpoint source pollution

noon Do not put 12 in front of it.

numerals LARGE NUMBERS: When large numbers must be spelled out, use a hyphen to connect a word ending in y to another word; do not use commas between other separate words that are part of one number: twenty; thirty-one; one thousand one hundred fifty-five.
SENTENCE START: Spell out a numeral at the beginning of a sentence. If necessary, recast the sentence. There is one exception: a number that identifies a calendar year. Wrong: 993 freshmen entered the college last year. Right: Last year, 993 freshmen entered the college. Right: 1976 was a very good year.
FIGURES OR WORDS? For ordinals:
-Spell out first through ninth when they indicate sequence in time or location: first base, the First Amendment, he was first in line. Starting with 10th use figures.
-Use 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. when the sequence has been assigned in forming names. The principal examples are geographic, military and political designations such as 7th Fleet and 1st Sgt.
SOME USAGE EXAMPLES:
-a 5-year-old girl
-the 1980s, the '80s
-the House voted 230-205. (Use a hyphen if fewer than 1,000.)
-Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford 40,827,292 to 39,146,157. (Use to if more than 1,000.)
-0.6 percent, 1 percent, 6.5 percent
-a pay increase of 12 percent to 15 percent. Or: a pay increase of between 12 percent and 15 percent.
-a ratio of 2-to-1, a 2-1 ratio
OTHER USES: For uses not covered by these listings: Spell out whole numbers below 10, use figures for 10 and above. Typical examples: They had a fleet of 10 station wagons and two buses. They had 10 dogs, six cats and 97 hamsters. However, use figures for amounts under 10 in dimensions, formulas and speeds.

Observer, Observer agency

occur, occurred, occurring, occurrence

off-, -off Usually hyphenated. Some examples: off-season, off-white, send-off, stop-off. Some combinations without a hyphen: cutoff, offhand, offset, offshore, offstage, takeoff.

Ohio Do not abbreviate in text. Abbreviate OH in mailing addresses. See state.

ongoing

online Example: The announcement is now available online via GLIN.

on-site

Ontario Do not abbreviate in text or mailing addresses.

out- Some frequently used words: outdated, output, outpost. Follow Webster’s New World Dictionary. Hyphenate if not listed there.

-out Some frequently used nouns: fade-out, hide-out, washout, pullout, fallout, walkout. Frequently used verbs: fade out, hide out, pull out, walk out, wash out. Follow Webster’s New World Dictionary. Hyphenate nouns and adjectives not listed there.

over It generally refers to spatial relationships: The plane flew over the city. Over can, at times, be used with numerals: She is over 30. I paid over $200 for this suit. But more than may be better: Their salaries went up more than $20 a week. Let your ear by your guide.

over- A hyphen is seldom used: override, overrate.

-over Some frequently used words: carry-over, holdover, takeover, stopover. Follow Webster’s New World Dictionary. Hyphenate if not listed there.

parallel, paralleled, paralleling

part time, part-time Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: She works part time. He has a part-time job.

party affiliation When political party designation must be given, use one of these approaches: Democratic Sen. Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota said...; Sen. Hubert Humphrey, D-Minn., said...; Sen. Hubert Humphrey also spoke. The Minnesota Democrat said...

pass-through (arrangements, money)

patrol, patrolled, patrolling

peninsula Capitalize as part of a proper name: the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas.

Pennsylvania Abbreviate Pa. in text, PA in mailing addresses. Legally a commonwealth, not a state. See state.

percent One word, spelled out (never %). It takes a singular verb when standing alone or when a singular word follows an of construction: The teacher said 60 percent was a failing grade. He said 50 percent of the membership was there. It takes a plural verb when a plural word follows an of construction: He said 50 percent of the members were there.

percentages Use figures (use decimals, not fractions): 1 percent, 2.5 percent, 10 percent. For amounts less than 1 percent, precede the decimal with a zero: The cost of living rose 0.6 percent. Repeat percent with each individual figure: He said 10 percent to 30 percent of the electorate may not vote.

permissible

phosphorus, phosphorous Note spelling. Phosphorus is a noun. Phosphorous is an adjective.

p.m., a.m. Lowercase, with periods. Avoid the redundant 10 p.m. tonight.

policymaker, policymaking

possessives Follow these guidelines:
PLURAL NOUNS NOT ENDING IN S: Add 's: women's rights.
PLURAL NOUNS ENDING IN S: Add only an apostrophe: states' rights.
NOUNS PLURAL IN FORM, SINGULAR IN MEANING: Add only an apostrophe: mathematics' rules, the United States' wealth.
NOUNS THE SAME IN SINGULAR AND PLURAL: Treat them the same as plurals, even if the meaning is singular: one corps' location, the two deer's tracks.
SINGULAR NOUNS NOT ENDING IN S: Add 's: the ship's route, the VIP's seat.
SINGULAR COMMON NOUNS ENDING IN S: Add 's unless the next word begins with s: the hostess's invitation, the witness's answer, the witness' story.
SINGULAR PROPER NAMES ENDING IN S: Use only an apostrophe: Achilles' heel, Dickens' novels.
QUASI POSSESSIVES: Follow the rules above in composing the possessive form of words that occur in such phrases as a day's pay, two weeks' vacation, three days' work, your money's worth.
Frequently, however, a hyphenated form is clearer: a two-week vacation, a three-day job.

potato, potatoes

pre- A hyphen is generally used if a prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows begins with the same vowel: pre-election, pre-establish, pre-exist. Other common examples: prearrange, prehistoric, prejudge, pre-dawn.

president Capitalize president only as a formal title before one or more names: President Clinton, Presidents Ford and Carter. Lowercase in all other uses: He is running for president. Lincoln was president during the Civil War. Do not abbreviate.

principal, principle Principal is a noun and adjective meaning someone or something first in rank, authority, importance or degree: She is the school principal. He was the principal player in the trade. Money is the principal problem. Principle is a noun that means a fundamental truth, law, doctrine or motivating force: They fought for the principle of self-determination.

provinces Names of provinces are set off from community names by commas, just as the names of U.S. states are set off from city names: They went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on their vacation. Do not capitalize province: They visited the province of Nova Scotia. The conference was held in the province of Ontario. The names of provinces should not be abbreviated (generally not even in mailing addresses).

Québec Accent should be included. Do not abbreviate in text or mailing addresses.

questionnaire

ranges Correct: $12 million to $14 million. Incorrect: $12 to $14 million.

ratios Use figures and hyphens: the ratio was 2-to-1, a ratio of 2-to-1, a 2-1 ratio. As illustrated, the word to should be omitted when the numbers precede the word ratio.

re- The general rule is that a hyphen is used if a prefix ends in a vowel and word that follows begins with the same vowel. Some examples: re-elect, re-emerge, re-employ, re-enact, re-enter, re-establish, re-examine.

Regional Air Pollutant Inventory Development System RAPIDS on second reference.

Regional Coordination Program

Regional Online Brownfields Information Network ROBIN on second reference.

regionwide

Remedial Action Plan RAP on second reference; RAPs, plural

Rep., Reps. Use these abbreviations as formal titles before one or more names in regular text. Spell out and capitalize before names in a direct quotation. Spell out and lowercase in other uses. See legislative titles.

request for proposals RFP on second reference.

rescission Not recision.

Resource Management and Environmental Quality Program

river Capitalize as part of a proper name: the Mississippi River. Lowercase in other uses: the river, the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

St. Lawrence Economic Development Council SODES on second reference.

St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (U.S. office)

St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (Canadian office)

Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.; Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario The abbreviation is Ste. instead of St. because the full name is Sault Sainte Marie.

seaway Not capitalized unless part of a proper name: The seaway traffic was increasing. The St. Lawrence Seaway is a popular shipping route.

semiannual, semiannual meeting Capitalize only when used in a proper name: Semiannual Meeting of the Great Lakes Commission.

senate Capitalize all specific references to governmental legislative bodies, regardless of whether the name of the nation is used: the U.S. Senate, the Senate, the Virginia Senate, the state Senate. Lowercase plural uses: the Virginia and North Carolina senates.

Sen., Sens. Use these abbreviations as formal titles before one or more names in regular text. Spell out and capitalize before names in a direct quotation. Spell out and lowercase in other uses. See legislative titles.

set up (v.) setup (n. and adj.)

shall, will Use shall to express determination: We shall overcome. You and he shall stay. Either shall or will may be used in first-person constructions that do not emphasize determination: We shall hold a meeting. We will hold a meeting. For second- and third-person constructions, use will unless determination is stressed: You will like it. She will not be pleased.

sign-on (n.), sign on (v.)

sizable

socio-economic

spill, spilled, spilling Not spilt in the past tense.

spokesman, spokeswoman But not spokesperson. Use a representative if you do not know the sex of the individual.

staff Lowercase and use singular verb: The Great Lakes Commission staff is dealing with the issue.

startup

state Lowercase in all state of constructions: the state of Michigan, the states of Ohio and Illinois. Do not capitalize state when used simply as an adjective to specify a level of jurisdiction: state Rep. William Smith, the state Transportation Department, state funds. Spell out the names of states when they stand alone in text. Most state names should be abbreviated when they appear in conjunction with a city or county. The following state names are never abbreviated in text: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah. Punctuation: Place one comma between the city and the state name and another comma after the state name, unless ending a sentence: He was traveling from Nashville, Tenn., to Austin, Texas, en route to his home in Albuquerque, N.M. She said Cook County, Ill., was Mayor Daley's stronghold.

state abbreviations in text Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kan., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Neb., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.M., N.Y., N.C., N.D., Okla., Ore., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.D., Tenn., Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.

State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference SOLEC on second reference.

statewide

Statewide Public Advisory Council SPAC on second reference.

stationary, stationery To stand still is to be stationary. Writing paper is stationery.

strategic plan Lowercase unless part of a proper name: the Great Lakes Commission Strategic Plan.

sub- In general, no hyphen. Some examples: subcommittee, subtotal.

sub-area contingency plan

subcommittee Lowercase when used with the name of a legislative body's full committee: a Ways and Means subcommittee. Capitalize when a subcommittee has a proper name of its own: the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

task force Not capitalized unless used as part of the full name of a task force.

teambuilding exercise

that Generally not preceded by a comma. Generally a comma does precede which.

timeline

titles In general, only capitalize formal titles used directly before an individual’s name. Lowercase and spell out titles when they are not used with an individual’s name or appear after the name: President Clinton; Bill Clinton, president of the United States; the president issued a statement. For Advisor article titles, only the first word and proper nouns should be capitalized: Commission speaks out in Washington.

Transportation and Economic Development Program

travel, traveled, traveling, traveler

United States Always spell out as a noun. Abbreviate U.S. as an adjective.

U.S. EPA Typically spell out on first reference.

U.S. EPA-GLNPO Preferred reference to U.S. EPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office. Spell out on first reference.

U.S.-Canada, U.S.-Mexico (adj.) For example: U.S.-Canada border crossings.

user friendly Avoid. For example: The system is easy to use, not the system is user friendly.

vice chair Capitalize as a formal title before a name: Vice Chair Nat Robinson. Do not capitalize after a name or as a casual, temporary position: Nat Robinson, Commission vice chair.

Washington, D.C.

watershed Only capitalize if part of a proper name.

web site

well- Hyphenate as part of a compound modifier: She is a well-dressed woman. Also: well-targeted, well-suited, well-coordinated, well-being.

which Generally preceded by a comma. Generally, no comma precedes that.

-wide No hyphen. Examples: basinwide, industrywide, nationwide, statewide, systemwide.

Wisconsin Abbreviate Wis. in text, WI in mailing addresses. See state.

workplan

World Wide Web Web as a noun; web as an adjective (e.g., web-based survey).

Bullet (•) No end punctuation is required between bulleted items. Capitalization of the first word of each bulleted item is optional. Example: She stressed three major points:
• water quality is a serious issue
• immediate action is needed to protect the Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair and the St. Lawrence Seaway
• successful Great Lakes basin protection must be collaborative.

Colon (:) The most frequent use of a colon is at the end of a sentence to introduce lists, tabulations, texts, etc. Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence: He promised this: The company will make good on all the losses. There were three considerations: expense, time and feasibility.

Comma (,) IN A SERIES: do not put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series: The breakfast will include eggs, toast and orange juice. However, do put a comma before the concluding conjunction if there is a conjunction within the series: The breakfast will include ham and eggs, toast, and orange juice. Use a comma before the concluding conjunction in a complex series of phrases: The main points to consider are whether the project will receive funding, whether we have the expertise to carry it out, and whether we will be able to meet the deadline.
WITH CLAUSES: Use a comma to separate two independent clauses (phrases that could stand alone as complete sentences): He attended the meeting in Calgary that morning, and he faxed the report to the Toronto office in the afternoon. Also correct (notice there is no longer a subject in the second clause): He attended the meeting in Calgary that morning and faxed the report to the Toronto office in the afternoon.

Dash (–) Use dashes to denote an abrupt change in thought in a sentence: Smith offered a plan – one more daring than I’d speculated – to raise revenues. Also use dashes to set off a phrase that normally would be set off by commas, but which contains a series of words that must be separated by commas: She listed the animals – clams, crayfish and frogs – that she preferred to study. Put a space on each side of a dash.

Hyphen (-) Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity or to form a single idea from two or more words. When two or more words that express a single concept precede a noun, use hyphens to link all the words except the word “very” and all adverbs that end in -ly: full-time employee, bluish-green water, federally funded project, very sunny day. Many words that are hyphenated before a noun are not hyphenated when they occur after a noun: The water, a bluish green, sparkled in the sunlight. However, when words that would normally be hyphenated before a noun occur after a form of the verb to be, the hyphen is usually retained to avoid confusion: The water is bluish-green.

Parentheses (( )) Parentheses are jarring to the reader, so avoid using them. Do not use parentheses to denote a political figure’s party affiliation and jurisdiction. Instead, set them off with commas: Sen. Hubert Humphrey, D-Minn., said...

Quotation Marks (“ ”) Quotation marks should be used for direct quotations. Periods and commas always go within the quotation marks: Wilma said, “Come over here.” Dashes, semicolons, question marks and exclamation points go within the quotation marks when they apply to the quoted matter only. They go outside when they apply to the whole sentence: Were you in the room when Wilma said, “Come over here”? He asked, “Why do I have to go over there?” Do not use quotation marks to emphasize or highlight words that are not part of a direct quotation. Exception: A word being introduced to readers may be placed in quotes on first reference: The agency endorses the “ecosystem approach” for Great Lakes management. Do not put subsequent references to ecosystem approach in quotation marks.

Semicolon (;) Use semicolons to separate elements of a series when one or more elements contain material that must be set off by commas (such as a series within a series). Note that the semicolon is used before the final conjunction in such a series: Participants came from Milwaukee, Wis.; Orlando, Fla.; and Lansing, Mich. Use a semicolon to link independent clauses (clauses that could stand on their own as complete sentences) when a coordinating conjunction such as and, but or for is not present: The package was due last week; it arrived today.

Slash (/) Avoid using whenever possible.