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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