Style Guide | Common Grammar & Style Issues
Life University Brand Standards
City Capitalization Use greater Atlanta , metro Atlanta and metro area ( do not capitalize modifiers ).
Seasons are lowercase spring , summer , fall , winter UNLESS part of a specific title : Winter Quarter 2011
Directions are lowercase north , south , east , west UNLESS they refer to a specific region : The heart of the South , or are part of a proper name : West Coast
Titles Always capitalize the first word , and every word that is four letters or more , UNLESS a short word or preposition is significant to the title ’ s meaning : Lights of LIFE Silence of the Lambs A Bridge Too Far
Time of Day Abbreviations are always lowercase with a space between the number and the abbreviation , and with periods punctuating the letters :
6:00 a . m . 10:42 p . m .
Composition Titles Magazine and newspaper titles aren ’ t italicized ; just capitalized . For composition titles such as books , video games , films , TV shows , works of art , speeches , etc ., use quotation marks . She read The New York Times before she watched “ Inception ” and “ Friends .” My favorite book is “ The Kite Runner .”
Quotations When quoting someone ’ s actual words , use double quotes (“...”): Abraham Lincoln famously said ,“ Four score and seven years ago ...” When using a colloquial phrase , word or saying , use the single (‘...’):
This is the very definition of our ‘ Lasting Purpose .’ When writing a letter or memo containing a long quote ( more than a sentence or two ), make the quote its own paragraph within the body of the text .
For a quote within a quote , use double quote (“…”) to begin and end the larger quote and use single quote (‘…’) for the internal quote : “ When I graduated from chiropractic school ,” she says ,“ my father said ,‘ I ’ m so proud of you .’”
Final punctuation always comes before the end quote : “ What ’ s the deal ?” he asked . Says Riekeman ,“ This is what Life University is all about !”
State Abbreviations AP style no longer accepts state abbreviations . When writing the name of a state , always spell it out completely .
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