Capitalization and Punctuation

Punctuation

Ampersands

Writing in English

Only use ampersands in page headlines and site navigation, not in running text.

Exceptions: Always use the ampersand if it is part of the formal title of a published work or the name of a department or an organization. (Example: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). Also, PB&J is acceptable in all references to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

In Spanish, ampersands (&) are used only in graphics, proper names or trademarks. The use of the ampersand is not part of Spanish writing. The ampersand was used during the Roman Empire as an abbreviation of “et,” in Latin, which means “and” (y in Spanish).

Per a RAE statement: “En español, solo es admisible el uso del signo & (…) en nombres comerciales; no debe usarse como equivalente de «y» en otros casos.”

Example:

  • Brown & Haley Almond Roca®

References

  • Fundéu RAE
  • Real Academia Española (RAE), [Royal Spanish Academy]

Brackets

Writing in Spanish

In Spanish, in addition to the usage of brackets described in the section on ellipsis, brackets can also be inserted into the text to provide the translation for titles or proper names that are in languages other than Spanish, in our work, mostly from English. It is important that the titles of books, media and other resources appear in the language in which they are published and can be found, followed by the translation in brackets. The same usage applies to websites, organizations, and trademarks.

Examples:

  • Making Faces: A First Book of Emotions [Haciendo muecas: Mi primer libro sobre las emociones] de Abrams Appleseed
  • Cultivate Learning [Cultivar el aprendizaje]

Brackets are also used for translators’ notes, when necessary.

Example:

  • Apoyo al comportamiento positivo, [Positive Behavior Support, PBS, por sus siglas en inglés]

Bullet Points

Writing In English

Things to consider when using bullet points:

  • Use a period after every bullet point that is a sentence and begin each bullet with a capital letter.
  • Use a period after every bullet point that completes the introductory stem (see below). The introductory stem needs no colon.
  • Use no punctuation after bullets that are not sentences and do not complete the stem. When a complete sentence introduces the bullets, use a colon before beginning the bulleted list.
  • Use all sentences or all fragments, not a mixture.

Example of bullet points that complete the introductory stem:

I like living in Seattle because of its

  • access to culture, natural beauty, and work opportunities,
  • moderate climate—not too hot or too cold, and
  • liberal politics and social attitudes.

Example of bullet points that are not sentences and do not complete the stem, so no period is used. Here are the things I like about living in Seattle:

  • access to culture, natural beauty, and work opportunities
  • moderate climate—not too hot or too cold
  • liberal politics and social attitudes

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

Using bullets points in writing has the same purpose in both English and Spanish, which is typically to list two or more specific items, ideas, etc. As in English, there are two types of introductory phrases or sentences which require different punctuation.

If the introductory phrase is the stem and the items listed make it into a complete sentence, then there is no punctuation after the introductory phrase. Each item will have a comma after it, and there will be a period after the last item.

Example:

Necesito ir a la tienda para comprar

  • cinco huevos,
  • leche para hacer galletas,
  • mantequilla sin sal, y
  • azúcar moreno.

If there is an introductory sentence (a complete or stand-alone sentence), then it should have a colon (dos puntos) at the end, and no other punctuation is needed in the bullet points.

Example:

Aquí está la lista de útiles escolares:

  • 3 cuadernos
  • 5 lápices
  • 5 bolígrafos o plumas
  • 1 caja de lápices de color

References

Colons and Semicolons

Writing In English

Colons and semicolons always go outside quotation marks (e.g., Two-year-olds are so “helpful”: leaving toys out where they can be found and removing items from cupboards where they can be seen more easily.)

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

In Spanish, the colon is called dos puntos [two dots]. It stops the flow of the text to call attention to what will follow, which is always closely related to that text and helps explain it further.

Example:

  • Ayer me compré dos libros: uno de Carlos Fuentes y otro de Isabel Allende.

 A colon is also used to add subtitles to titles in books, articles, slide presentations, etc.

Example:

  • El Modelo de la Pirámide: promoviendo el desarrollo social y emocional saludable

 Avoid using a colon more than once in the same sentence. Replace it with a comma or semicolon.

The semicolon, in Spanish, punto y coma [period and comma] is like other punctuation marks that signify a pause in writing. Semicolons represent a longer pause than a comma but shorter than a period. Semicolons separate complete sentences that are related.

Example:

  • “El juego de campeones de futbol americano no salió muy bien para nosotros; pero aún estoy orgullosa de mi equipo.”

Semicolons also separate the elements in a list that contain complex expressions that already include commas:

Example:

  • Cada grupo irá por un lado diferente: el primero, por la izquierda; el segundo, por la derecha; el tercero de frente.

References

Commas

Writing In English

We use the serial comma. For example: The flag is red, white, and blue. (A comma is used before the conjunction “and.”)

Use a comma after i.e., (in other words) or e.g., (for example).

Do not use a comma when a date is given simply by month and year (e.g., June 2016 not June, 2016). See also Dates.

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

English and Spanish use commas [comas] similarly, but there are some differences. For example, in Spanish, we do not use the serial or Oxford comma before the conjunction “y” (which means “and”) when writing the last element in a list.

Example:

  • “Necesito empacar la computadora, la ropa, el cargador y los zapatos”.

However, the use of a comma before the conjunction “y” is frequent but not obligatory when there are two coordinated sentences. It is used especially if the first part is long, and when the second part has a different subject.

Example:

  • La mujer salía de casa a la misma hora todas las mañanas, y el agente seguía sus pasos sin levantar sospechas.

Furthermore, in sentences in Spanish, there should always be a comma before the following conjunctions that are considered adversative (that is, they show opposition): pero, aunque, excepto, salvo y menos.

Example:

  • “Gracias por pedir disculpas, pero necesito tiempo para calmarme”.

In Spanish, we also use a comma before and after an appositive. An appositive is a phrase that provides more information or explanation about a noun.

Example:

“Javier, el mayor de todos los sobrinos, ya consiguió su licencia de conducir”.

References

Contractions

Writing in English

Per federal Plain Language: Contractions are generally acceptable; as PlainLanguage.gov points out, using them is a good example of the dictum to write as you speak. But, as always, consider your audience.

Contractions may prove a challenge for struggling readers to decipher. If your intended audience includes struggling readers, try to stick to the most common forms – “I’m, can’t, don’t,” and even the troublesome “you’re.”

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

In comparison to English, which uses many contractions that appear in both oral speech and written text, Spanish has only two obligatory contractions. Known as contracciones in Spanish, they combine a preposition and an article (singular masculine form): del = de + el and al = a + el. No apostrophes are used, as the two words are combined into one new word.

The exceptions to this usage are when the article el is part of a proper name or title, in which case it is capitalized and does not combine with the prepositions.

Examples:

  • Voy a El Paso, Texas.
  • El autor de El laberinto de la soledad es Octavio Paz.

The other exception is when the prepositions de or a and the article el are separated by punctuation, such as quotation marks.

Example:

  • Ella habla mucho de “el mundo de los sueños”.

There are other contractions that may commonly be used in oral speech in many different Spanish-speaking countries or in their specific regions; however, these contractions are not considered acceptable for written materials, except as a direct quote from oral speech. In this case, apostrophes are used to show where letters and their sounds have been eliminated.

Example:

  • “Va pa´l norte.” = Va para el norte.

 References

Dashes: Em dash

Writing in English

The em dash (—) takes the place of commas or parentheses, each with a slightly different effect.

  • When used to indicate an interruption, particularly in transcribed speech:
    • The chemistry student began to say, “An organic solvent will only work with—” when her cell phone rang.
  • When used as a substitute for it is, they are, or similar expressions. In this way em dashes function like colons but are not used for lists of multiple items. They are used less frequently in formal writing situations:
    • There was only one person suited to the job—Mr. Lee.
  • When used as substitutes for parentheses:
    • Mr. Lee is suited to the job—he has more experience than everybody else in the department—but he has been having some difficulties at home recently and would probably not be available.

Here is an em dash between words: job—Lee. (To get an em dash, after job, type: hyphen, hyphen, Lee, then press enter/return or the space bar.) Or you can use the following keyboard tricks:

  • On a PC, simultaneously hold the CTRL and ALT keys while typing the minus sign on the numeric keyboard to the right; this shortcut will not work with the hyphen key at the top of the keyboard.
  • On a Mac, simultaneously hold the Option and Shift keys while typing the minus/hyphen sign.

There should NOT be a space before or after an em dash.

For accessibility, do not use an em dash or an en dash to show a range, such as 5–10 minutes or 2–3 p.m. Instead use 5 to 10 minutes, 2 to 3 p.m.

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

The “em dash” is the longer dash (about the length of the letter M), known as raya in Spanish. It is used in similar ways as in English, especially to make clarifications or provide emphasis in the middle of a sentence.

Example:

  • Esperaba a Emilio―un gran amigo―que lamentablemente, no vino.

However, there is a difference from the usage in English where one dash within a sentence is acceptable. In Spanish, we always need to use two dashes, one before and one after the words that are inserted, as shown in the example above. Notice that there are no spaces between the dashes and the words.

Another use of the dash or raya in Spanish is to introduce dialogue when the speaker’s name does not appear.

Example:

—¿Cuándo volverás?

—No tengo ni idea.

Notice that there is no space between the dash and the first word or punctuation mark.

Reference

Real Academia Española: Diccionario panhispánico de dudas – raya

Dashes: En dash

Writing in English

The en dash (–) connects things that are related to each other by distance (May–September magazine issue or parent–child relationship). Also use the en dash for date spans, as in May 5–December 31.

Here is an en dash between words: July–Aug. (To get an en dash, type: July, space, hyphen, hyphen, space, Aug.) Or, you can use the following keyboard tricks:

  • On a PC, hold the Control key and type the minus sign (the one on the numeric keypad to the right; this shortcut will not work with the one at the top of the keyboard).
  • On a Mac, hold the Option key and type the minus/hyphen sign (the one on the top of the keyboard).

There should NOT be a space before or after the en dash.

For accessibility, do not use an em dash or an en dash to show a range, such as 5–10 minutes or 2–3 p.m. Instead use 5 to 10 minutes, 2 to 3 p.m.

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

Written text in the Spanish language does not usually differentiate between the use of the hyphen and the en dash.

Both are called guion in Spanish. See the section under “Hyphen” for the Spanish usage.

Reference

Real Academia Española: Diccionario panhispánico de dudas – raya

Dates

Writing in English

Avoid using th or st after numerals in dates. For example: April 8, not April 8th. Write out all month names in full. Include a comma after the day if a full date is given (e.g., Teachers met on October 11, 2017.). No comma is needed when only the month and year are used (e.g., The instructors conference will take place September 2005.).

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

Dates [fechas] in Spanish are expressed differently than in English. They follow the ascendent format that is predominant internationally: day/month/year.

Example:

  • To write October 6, 2021 with numbers, in Spanish write 6/10/2021 or 6-10-2021.

If a combination of words and numbers are used, then the month will be written out and the day and the year will use Arabic numbers in their same location as with only numbers.

Example:

English Text Spanish Text
November 22, 2023 22 de noviembre de 2023.

(Note: It is also acceptable to use del instead of de before the year: 22 de noviembre del 2023.)

 

Some exceptions may be seen in materials destined for Spanish speakers in the United States. At Cultivate Learning, this may be project specific. If the authors or translators decide to follow the English format, it is preferable to use the name of the month to avoid confusion in the order of the numbers, especially when the days in question are from 1-12 and could be confused with the months.

Example:

English Text Spanish Text
December 8, 2023 diciembre 8, 2023

 However, whenever possible, our goal is to follow the Spanish format to be culturally responsive and accurate, unless it is requested otherwise.

When the day of the week is added to the date, it is written with a comma separating the name of the day and the number, similar to English.

Example:

English Text Spanish Text
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, January 9, 2024. La próxima reunión será el martes, 9 de enero del 2024.

 Note that neither the days of the week nor the months are capitalized in Spanish.

References

Ellipses

Writing in English

Use ellipses (. . .) as little as possible. Ellipses are most often needed to indicate the omission of one or more words from a direct quotation.

Use three spaced ellipsis points (. . .) within a sentence to indicate that you have omitted material from the original source.

Use four points to indicate any omission between two sentences. The first point indicates the period at the end of the first sentence quoted, and the three spaced ellipsis points follow.

Do not use ellipsis points at the beginning or end of any quotation unless, to prevent misinterpretation, you need to emphasize that the quotation begins or ends mid-sentence.

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

An ellipsis, known in Spanish as elipsis or more commonly puntos suspensivos [literally, suspension dots] is a punctuation mark with three dots (…) that shows an omission of words from a quoted text, represents a pause, or suggests there’s something left unsaid.

Note: In English, ellipsis is singular because a single ellipsis is one group of three dots. The plural form is ellipses, which refers to multiple ellipses which are two or more groups of three dots. In Spanish, the plural form is invariable or the same as the singular: elipsis.

Usage with additional punctuation: If the last words of a quoted sentence are omitted and the original sentence ends with punctuation other than a period, the end punctuation often follows the ellipsis points, especially if it helps clarify the quotation. The same usage applies in Spanish.

Example:

English Text Spanish Text
Workshop attendees are presented with a series of questions beginning “What advice would you offer someone who has experienced …?” Se les presenta a los asistentes al taller con una serie de preguntas que empiezan “¿Qué consejos le ofrecería a alguien que ha experimentado…?”

Usage with brackets: In formal writing and journalism, the ellipsis is placed between brackets when used within a quote […] to show that the editors added the ellipsis, not the original speaker. The same usage applies in Spanish.

When using an ellipsis to omit words leaves the sentence grammatically incorrect, it is necessary to add a word or words in brackets, so it continues to make sense.

Example:

English Text Spanish Text
“They are symbols … [which] surely worked as a bond between men and community.” “Son símbolos … [que] seguramente funcionaron como una liga entre los hombres y la comunidad.”

 References

Exclamation Points

Writing in Spanish

Spanish uses a set of two different exclamation points: one to open the exclamation (¡) and one to close it (!). Both must be used in any given sentence.

Exclamations can consist of one or more words, and can be independent sentences, in which case the first word following the initial exclamation point will be capitalized.

Examples:

  • ¡Alto!
  • ¡Qué bonito día!

Exclamations can also form part of a longer sentence, in which case the first word following the initial exclamation point will not be capitalized.

Example:

  • Toda mi familia va al concierto, ¡y yo no puedo ir!

Reference

Real Academia Española: Español al día – Ortografía de los signos de interrogación y exclamación

Hyphens

Writing in English

The hyphen (-) connects two things that are intimately related, usually words that function as a single concept or work together as a joint modifier (two-year, day-to-day). The hyphen is also used when a compound modifier precedes the word it modifies (high-quality program).

Here is a regular hyphen: in-text. Simply type the hyphen key.

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

A hyphen, known as guion in Spanish, is used in various ways. A hyphen combines two adjectives or two nouns to form a compound word. However, the same expressions are not always hyphenated in both languages.

Example:

English Text Spanish Text
Spanish-speaking person persona de habla hispana
Einstein is a physicist and a mathematician Einstein es un físico-matemático.

 A hyphen also helps when two adjectives are used to describe the same noun.

Example:

English Text Spanish Text
Arab-Israeli conflict conflicto árabe-israelí
Portuguese-Spanish film película portuguesa-española

(Note: Note that nationalities are not capitalized in Spanish.)

Hyphens are also used when connecting two proper nouns.

Examples:

  • the first two names of an individual: Ana-María
  • or surnames: Sánchez-Avila

Note that this may be used more in the U.S. to show composite first or last names, so they are not lost in English, which many times only uses one first and one last name.

Hyphens are also used when merging two independent or different geographical locations.

Example:

English Text Spanish Text
Mexican-Guatemalan border frontera México-Guatemala
Slovakian-Ukrainian film película eslovaca-ucraniana

(Note: While the nationalities of people, places or things are not capitalized, the names of nations are.)

 Hyphens can also unite expressions that have a repetition of elements.

Examples:

  • “Row-row-row your boat…” (a song in English)
  • “Sana-sana-sana…” (a saying about healing in Spanish)

Hyphens are also present in the combination of numbers and letters, as in apartment numbers.

Example:

English Text Spanish Text
Apt. M-505 Depto. M-505

Not all hyphenated expressions in English require the use of hyphens in Spanish. Examples are elements of syntactic/grammatical structures that translate as separate words that are not compounded in Spanish.

Example:

English Text Spanish Text
Mother-to-be futura madre
son-in-law yerno

 And lastly, another usage for the hyphen is the same as in English: to separate words by syllables, when necessary, at the end of a line of text. It is important to note that a hyphen [guion] (-) is the short horizontal line, not to be confused with the longer dash [raya] (–).

Reference

Real Academia Española: Diccionario panhispánico de dudas – guion

Italics

Writing in English

Use italics to introduce words that would normally be put in quotes. For example: Assessment means the action or an instance of making a judgment about something.

Titles of books, journals, films, television shows, websites, plays, poems, operas, lectures, and works of art in text are italic, not in quotations. (This aligns with non-citation use in APA style.)

This reduces the amount of quotations and makes the copy cleaner. Articles cited in text are in quotes rather than italics

Book titles, movie titles, student or instructor play-by-play video titles, television program titles and titles of lectures, speeches, and works of art should be italicized. When referring to activities or handouts, italicize the document’s title, e.g., “Distribute the Our Schedule: Infants learning activity handout.

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

In Spanish, italics are referred to as “letras itálicas o cursivas.” Italics have several different usages.

When a word or phrase is in a language other than Spanish, they are called “extranjerismos,” meaning they come from a foreign language.

Example:

Spanish Text English Text
En las escuelas hoy en día, hay mucho bullying. In today’s schools, there is a lot of bullying.

Italics are also used for titles of books and other media. Note that only the first word of the title is capitalized.

Example:

Spanish Text English Text
Ella vio la película clásica de Pedro Infante, llamada Nosotros, los pobres. She watched the classic film with Pedro Infante, called “We, the Poor”.

References

Periods

Writing in English

There should be one space between a period and the beginning of the next sentence.

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

As in English, a period’s main function is to signal the end of a statement or sentence. To begin a new sentence after a period, ensure there is a space between the period and the first word of the next sentence.

When using quotation marks in Spanish, the placement of the period goes outside the quotation marks, which differs from English.

 Example:

English Text Spanish Text
“Education is an important and powerful tool.” “La educación es una herramienta importante y poderosa”.

Avoid combining a period with another form of punctuation, unless it’s separated by parentheses or quotation marks.

Example:

Incorrect Correct
¡Me alegra tanto!. Complete la tarea asignada (¡no se olvide de enviarla solamente por correo electrónico!).

Reference

Real Academia Española: Diccionario panhispánico de dudas – punto

Question Marks

Writing in Spanish

Similar to the use of exclamation points, Spanish also has a set of two different question marks: one to open the question (¿) and one to close it (?). Both must be used in any given sentence.

If the question is an independent sentence, the first word after the initial question mark will be capitalized.

Example:

  • ¿Cuándo es el último día de clases?

Questions can also be part of a longer sentence, in which case the first letter of the word after the initial question mark will be in lowercase.

Example:

  • Después de que lleguen tus amigos, ¿adónde vamos a ir?

Reference

Real Academia Española: Español al día: Ortografía de los signos de interrogación y exclamación

Quotation Marks

Writing in English

Quotation marks should be used to indicate verbatim speech (e.g., The child said, “I’m sorry.”). Quotation marks are also used to indicate a word being used ironically or in a non-standard way (e.g., Two-year-olds are so “helpful.”). Periods and commas, when needed, are placed within the quotation marks.

To emphasize a word or phrase, use italics or bold rather than quotation marks.

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

Quotation marks, known as comillas in Spanish, are used like they are in English, but with some additions. Quotation marks are used to reproduce direct words and/or thoughts. They are also used to call attention to a word or expression in the text that belongs to another person or another language. The most common form are the ones known as English quotation marks or las inglesas (“  ”), followed by single quotation marks or las simples (‘  ’). These forms are used in the English language and in Spanish in most Latin American countries. There is also another form called the angular or latinas o españolas (« »), that are widely used in Spain.

When there are quotations within other quotations, the recommended usage in countries on the American continents is first the English quotation marks, then the single ones, and only if necessary, the angular or Spanish ones.

Example:

  • “Antonio me dijo: ‘Vaya « cacharro » que se ha comprado Julián’”.

It is important to close the quotation marks, especially if using more than one set in the text. When combining double forms inside the quotation marks, the one opened last will be closed first. Note the punctuation at the end of the sample sentence above (… Julián’”.)

References

Slashes

Writing in English

Use slash marks as sparingly as possible. Instead of flip charts/poster paper use, flip charts or poster paper.

Writing in Somali

Somali writing employs common punctuation marks similar to English, including periods, question marks, exclamation marks, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, and parentheses.  In informal written communication, such as text messages and social media, some people may diverge from formal punctuation rules. Nevertheless, in formal writing, adhering to standard punctuation is the norm.

Writing in Spanish

A slash (/) is known in Spanish as un diagonal o una barra. It can be used similarly to English to indicate options. However, this special character is not included in accessibility software, making it not accessible to people who rely on that option. To be more equitable, it is preferable to use parentheses to show options, or the words “o” or “y” [“or” OR “and” in English].

Example:

Instead of: Use:
You can use a pencil/pen to write your answers.

=

Se puede usar un lápiz/una pluma para escribir las respuestas.

 You can use a pencil or a pen to write your answers.

=

Se puede usar un lápiz o una pluma para escribir las respuestas.

There is another usage of the slash that is particularly important in Spanish translations, to indicate the possibilities of different genders in specific words in Spanish which are gender-neutral in English. For accessibility purposes, this can also be done using parentheses instead of slashes.

Example:

Instead of: Use:
Children need to be physically active for healthy growth.

=

Los/as niños/as necesitan ser físicamente activos/as para el crecimiento saludable.

 Los(as) niños(as) necesitan ser físicamente activos(as) para el crecimiento saludable.

 Slashes are also used to present alternative translations to accommodate regional differences in Spanish usage. This can also be done by using words or parentheses, for accessibility purposes.

Example:

Instead of: Use:
José put on his glasses to read the label. = José se puso sus lentes/anteojos/gafas para leer la etiqueta. José se puso sus lentes o anteojos o gafas, para leer la etiqueta.

 

or

 

José se puso sus lentes (anteojos o gafas) para leer la etiqueta.

Note: A note with an explanation to the reader might be needed, saying that we are offering alternative translations to accommodate regional differences in Spanish usage.

Reference

Real Academia Española: Diccionario panhispánico de dudas – barra

Trademark and Registration Symbols

Use a trademark symbol ™ or registered trademark ® after the first instance of a trademarked word in a document. Using the symbol on a title page is a sufficient first instance. After the first instance, neither symbol is necessary. Any punctuation should go after the symbol.

Circle Time Magazine™

Classroom Assessment Scoring System® (CLASS®)

Coaching Companion™

EarlyEdU Alliance® (EEdU acronym is preferred for in-house use only)

Environment Rating Scale® (ERS®)

Meaningful Makeover™

STEAM Trunk™

Teaching Strategies GOLD™ (Do not abbreviate as TS GOLD)

Web Links

In general, avoid spelling out long URLs, or naked links. Instead, embed the link within the title or other descriptive words in the text. Learn more in the APA style guide.

Spelling out simple web addresses is OK. (www.uw.edu.)

If spelling out the URL is necessary, omit the http:\\ or https:\\. Begin with www. and do not make the text a hyperlink.

License

Cultivate Learning Content Development and Style Guide Copyright © by Cultivate Learning. All Rights Reserved.