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May 29, 2003: issue 60
SIM STYLE: In quotes, shouldn’t I write out words that would be abbreviated elsewhere in copy?
No. SIM style should be applied to all copy, even if it’s part of quoted material.
incorrect: “Granite was our number one choice,” he says.
correct: “Granite was our No. 1 choice,” he says.

The same is true for numbers: Use words or numerals as appropriate.
incorrect: “We insisted on nine-foot ceilings,” she says.
correct: “We insisted on 9-foot ceilings,” she says.
incorrect: “I love the three-eighths-inch molding along the edge,” he says.
correct:“I love the 3/8-inch molding along the edge,” he says.

Note: SIM style should also be applied to previously published material excerpted in our magazines. Don’t change wording, but do apply appropriate spelling and punctuation.
original passage: “The golden orange, ochre and red walls create a warm ambiance.”
correctly excerpted in an SIM: “The golden-orange, ocher, and red walls create a warm ambience.” (Apply SIM style by hyphenating “golden-orange,” changing spelling of “ocher,” adding serial comma, and changing spelling of “ambience.”)

For more information, see Issue 19.

GRAMMAR: Sometimes an arch is just an arch.
We throw around the word “Palladian” an awful lot, but we don’t always get it right. Just because a window is arched doesn’t mean it’s Palladian. A true Palladian window consists of a large arch-top window flanked by two smaller vertical sidelights. Without the sidelights, it’s simply an “arch-top window.”

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January 12, 2006: Issue 122

When you use parentheses, make sure the rest of the sentence—grammar, punctuation, and context—makes sense without the parenthetical information.
incorrect: Jake (and his three horticulturally inclined daughters) spend all winter dreaming up garden plans. [Subject and verb don’t agree.]
correct: Jake (and his three horticulturally inclined daughters) spends all winter dreaming up garden plans.

incorrect: This fabric repels even the toughest stains (tomato juice, red wine, blood.) [There’s no end punctuation.]
correct: This fabric repels even the toughest stains (tomato juice, red wine, blood).

Don’t use initial caps or periods for a complete sentence embedded parenthetically in another sentence.
incorrect: They desperately wanted a place for family meals (The house has no dining room.) and a media room.
correct: They desperately wanted a place for family meals (the house has no dining room) and a media room.

When a complete-sentence parenthetical falls at the end of a sentence, it’s best to break it apart.
acceptable: He’s a champion bargain hunter (his favorite trophy is a $3 armchair).
preferred: He’s a champion bargain hunter. (His favorite trophy is a $3 armchair.)

In many cases, the sentence works just as well without parentheses.
correct: Jake and his three horticulturally inclined daughters spend all winter dreaming up garden plans.
correct: This fabric repels even the toughest stains: tomato juice, red wine, blood.
correct: He’s a champion bargain hunter; his favorite trophy is a $3 armchair.

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September 29, 2005: Issue 107

Some rules to keep in mind about hyphenation in body copy:

• Don’t end a line on a hyphen in rag-right or centered text, unless the word that’s breaking is a hyphenated compound that breaks at the grammatical hyphen.

• Don’t let two lines in a row end in hyphens.

• Don’t break words within a hyphenated compound.

• Don’t let a word break at the end of a column.

• When a word breaks, make sure at least three letters appear on the second line. When possible, keep a prefix or suffix from breaking from the rest of the word.

• Don’t hyphenate proper nouns.

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When should I use ellipses in quotes? – Issue 22

May 9, 2002: Issue 22

SIM STYLE: What is a “pie-shape” lot?
When this phrase crops up, we usually mean a somewhat triangular parcel of land shaped like a PIECE of pie. “Wedge-shape” is a more logical and understandable description; use it instead.

GRAMMAR: When should I use ellipses in quotes?
Use ellipses (option-semicolon, with a thin space on either side) to indicate omission WITHIN quoted material. There is generally no need for ellipses at the beginning or end of a quote, because most quotes are simply snippets of longer conversations. Ellipses can be distracting, so use them sparingly. It’s often preferable to use partial quotes or paraphrase instead.

full quote:“The choice was obvious: The slate tiles, which we imported from a quaint little quarry in Micronesia, provide just the look we were after—sleek, but not cold.”
correctly edited quote: “The slate tiles … provide just the look we were after.” (It’s OK to drop the text at the beginning and end, but ellipses are needed to show that we’ve dropped text within the quote itself.)

In rare cases, ellipses may be used at the end of a quote to indicate speech that trails off.
correct: “Maybe tar wasn’t the best surface material for the patio,” Betsy said as rescue workers freed the last party guest. “It’s just that it was so economical …”

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January 10, 2002: Issue 5

SIM STYLE: A little (or big) dash will do ya
All dashes are not equal, and it’s SIM style to recognize their differences.
A standard “em dash” (shift-option-hyphen) is used within a sentence to
add emphasis or definition. Em dashes are not set off with spaces.
incorrect: The copy editors-all of them-are on vacation.
correct: The copy editors—all of them—are on vacation.

The slightly smaller “en dash” (option-hyphen) represents the word “to” between figures. (Many non-SIM publications simply use a hyphen in this instance.) One exception: If numbers are preceded by the word “from,” use “to” rather than an en dash.
incorrect: See pages 5 to 15.
correct: See pages 5-15.
For more information, see dashes section of in the SIM stylebook.

GRAMMAR: History revisited
Is the renovated house historic or historical? There’s a difference.
An event of significant importance, or the place it occurred, is “historic.”
Anything else that simply pertains to the past is “historical.”
incorrect: The home’s historic facade reflects the architecture of the day.
correct: The home’s historical facade reflects the architecture of the day.
correct: Abraham Lincoln once lived in the historic house.

For more information on these and other easily confused words, see Problem Words section in the SIM stylebook.

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August 5, 2004: Issue 79

SIM Style: Adding some comma sense to directionals

Confused by the SIM style rule that explains when to set off photo directionals with commas? You’re not alone. So we’re simplifying things:
All photo directionals will now be set off with commas in all uses.
correct: The chair, left , is covered in blue toile.
correct: Refrigerator drawers, below , keep snacks handy.
correct: This secluded corner of the garden, opposite , draws visitors.

The new rule is effective for issues with service bureau dates on or after 9/10. Continue to use the old style for issues closing before 9/10.

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Issue 265 November 20, 2008

An appositive is a word or phrase that explains or amplifies another element in the sentence.
example: Master woodworker Jim DuBois carved the corbels.
In this sentence, Jim DuBois is the appositive of master woodworker.

Writers often wonder whether they should set off appositives with commas.

When the appositive is essential to understanding the name or term it modifies, then no, you don’t need commas. The example above has no commas because there are many master woodworkers in the world; his name is essential information.

When the appositive offers nonessential information, however, you should set it off with commas.
example: Her father, master woodworker Jim DuBois, carved the corbels.
Her father has already narrowed the subject down to one person. The information between the commas gives us more information about him, but it could go away without altering the meaning or structure of the sentence.

Contest: We’re close to having 100 users in the new production database. When we reach 100, we’ll randomly draw five users’ names for prizes. If you’re already using the database, you’re eligible. If not, log in soon to make sure your name is included. And remember, you’ll no longer receive SIM production or publishing schedule updates; all that information and much more is available in the new database. If you need help launching or using the database, talk to a CE.

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September 20, 2007: Issue 205

Remember to use commas in numbers bigger than 999:
$7,245
16,500 square feet
1,240 pages

The one exception is calendar years:
a house built in 1975
the 2004 election

Why the distinction? Consider the difference between these two phrases:
the 2,000 participants
the 2000 participants

For numbers in the millions and up, spell out million, billion, etc., when possible:
$2.3 million
more than 7 million people

Just for fun: Find names for ridiculously large numbers.

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April 13, 2006: Issue 134

Use commas to set off the year in a complete date (month, day, and year):
The museum will open April 14, 2007, in Minneapolis.

When you don’t specify a day, you don’t need the commas:
The museum will open in April 2007 in Minneapolis.

The same goes for seasons. You don’t need commas to set off the year:
The museum will open in spring 2007 in Minneapolis.

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March 7, 2002: Issue 13

SIM STYLE: How do I handle dates in copy?
Always spell out the full names of days and months, except in rare instances where space is a concern (such as charts or tables). Set off the year with commas in full dates but not when used only with a month.
correct: Her birthday is September 23.
correct: The tornado on May 15, 1992, devastated their house.
correct: They bought the house in March 1994.

GRAMMAR: When do I capitalize a word following a colon?
If the word begins an independent clause (one that could stand on its own as a sentence), cap it. If not, lowercase it.
correct: The design yields a dramatic result: a dining area bathed in warm, golden-red sunlight every evening.
correct: The design yields a dramatic result: The dining area is bathed in warm, golden-red sunlight every evening.

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