Roman numerals should be used when referring to wars and personal sequence with regard to people .
 • Were apples scarce during World War II ?
 • Jonathan Groff originated the role of King George III in " Hamilton ", which has nothing to do with apples .
 PERCENTAGES
 In long-form content , write out the word " percent ." The % symbol may be used in scientific , technical , and statistical copy , on flyers and digital promotions , and to call out numbers on websites .
 • We have seen an 8 percent increase in website traffic .
 • The atmosphere is comprised of approximately 78 % nitrogen .
 • 95 % Completion Rate
 PUNCTUATION
 APOSTROPHES
 Use apostrophes to indicate possession , typically by adding an apostrophe and the letter " s " to the end of a word .
 • Steve ’ s pencil ( the pencil belonging to Steve ) If the word already ends in " s " ( whether singular or plural ), the apostrophe should be placed at the end of the word .
 • Dickens ’ novels ( the novels belonging to Dickens )
 • Students ’ bags ( the bags belonging to multiple students )
 COLONS 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 all the losses .
 • There were three considerations : expense , time , and feasibility .
 • He had only one hobby : eating .
 COMMAS
 Use commas to separate elements in a series , including before the conjunction in a simple series ( the Oxford / serial comma ). Note : While the Oxford comma is used on the EFSC website design after 2023 , it may not be used in news releases because they follow AP Style , which does not use the Oxford comma .
 • The flag is red , white , and blue . Learn more about when to use commas . EXCLAMATION POINTS
 Avoid using exclamation points in multiple sentences within the same paragraph of text . Always use a single exclamation point , rather than multiples ; this is especially important for individuals using screen readers .
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