Chicago Manual of Style (Examples in brackets indicate contrary to the rule)DetailsWhat to do?Examples (Exceptions)

Description of a generic geographical nameDont capitalizethe island of Madagascar

Adjective or noun used in conjunction with geographical names to distinguish definite regionsCapitalizeWestern Hemisphere

Adjectives from geographical namesDont capitalizesouthern states

Generic terms of political divisions; with of only if minor division is indicatedCapitalizeDepartment of Education, German Empire

Political divisions standing alone or with ofDont capitalizekingdom of Belgium, empire of Russia

Numbered political divisionsCapitalizeFirst Ward

Names of locations (only if specific and not generic like library)CapitalizeWhite House

General designationsDont capitalizethe department, the council

Historical events, conventions, treaties, laws, bills, feast days, etcCapitalizeWorld War I, Hudaibiyyah Treaty, National Day

Titles for person, not preceded by name or theCapitalizePresident of India (the president of India)

Abbreviations, but not spelled outCapitalizePh.D.

Sentence after a colon, but should be independent of the previous sentence; or when colon means as follows, namely, for instanceCapitalizeIn conclusion I wish to say: It will be seen from the above (Two explanations present themselves: either he came too late or )

Nouns followed by a numeral, exclude minor subdivisionsCapitalizeGrade IV (chap. 2)

First word of a cited speech or thoughtCapitalizeWith the words, Never shall

Dont treat the as part of the title of a newspaperCapitalizethe Forum, the Chicago Tribune

Hyphenated compounds, only when they are nounsCapitalizeTwentieth-Century Progress (Lives of Well-known Authors)

Botanical, astronomical, zoological namesCapitalizeReptilia, Earth, Moon

Words or phrases of emphasis or importanceItalicizeThis was, however, not the case.

Words from foreign languages inserted in English text, and not incorporated into the English languageItalicizethe Darwinian Weltanschauung

Foreign titles preceding names, names of foreign institutions, foreign words in English but with same accentsDont italicizebona fide

Titles of books or documentsItalicizeTransactions of the Illinois Society for Child Study

Certain abbreviationsItalicizeidem, loc.cit., op.cit., (cf., i. e., e. g.)

Equations, special letters, legendsThe word ContinuedItalicizesubdivisions a), b), c), At the point A above (see diagram).

the letter u

Continued / To be continued

Citations from an author in his own words; mixing quotes from othersQuotations

A word or phrase with its definitionQuotationsDrop-folio means a page-number

An unusual, technical, ironical, etc within a text with or without a word like so-calledQuotationsHer five oclocks were famous

Translations of a foreign language word in English, or a passage from a foreign languageQuotationsWeltanschauung, world-view

A word of particular importanceQuotationsThe concepts good and bad

Reference to a title of a paperQuotationsJapan Its Past, Present, and Future

Reference to a part of a paper, like introduction, table of contents, No QuotationsThe Introduction contains

If there is omitted part in the quotationEllipses or etc.They can appoint . a number of people same as .

Double quote is the primary one; for a quotation within a quotation single; going back to double for a third; and so on.QuotationsThe orator then proceeded: The dictionary . .

Spell out civil and military titles, except Mr., Mrs., etc.Those following the name like Esq., should always be abbreviatedSpell out

All numbers of less than three digits, unless of a statistical or technical character, or occurring in groups of size or more following each other in close succession.For groups, be consistent in using figures or spell out.Spell outThere are twenty-nine states in India.Bandwidth is 1Gbps.

All numbers, no matter how high, commencing a sentence(if not possible to spell out, rephrase the sentence)Spell outThree hundred and thirteen men

Money represented in isolated cases, and not in a group.Spell outThe admission was two dollars

Time of day, in ordinary reading-matter(Statistics, connected with A.M. or P.M.)Spell outat four(at 4:15 P.M.)

Mentioning the ageSpell outeighty years and four months old

Number of centuries, political divisions, thoroughfares, etc.Spell outFifth Dynasty, Fifty-fourth Congress

References to particular decadesSpell outin the nineties

If you are in doubt whether to spell out or not, just spell out.

And, Company in names of CompaniesAbbreviateMannan & Rashid Co.

Writing volume, number, chapter, article, section, page, etc. in referencesAbbreviatechap. 2, Vol. 1, No. 2

Isolated instances of volume, article, etc.Spell outVolume II of this work contains

Common designations of weights and measures in the metric systemAbbreviate1 cm.

Possessive of proper names ending with s or another sibilant (s, z, ch, zh): if monosyllabic, add apostrophe and s; if more than one syllable, just add apostrophe aloneApostropheBurnss poems; Marxs theories

Jesus birth

for convenience sake

Before the sound of h and long u, use a as the form of the indefinite articleUsing a or ana hotel, a union, a historical

Farther: more remote, at a greater distanceFurther: moreover, in additionFarther or furtherthe farther end, he went still farther; further he suggested

Punctuation follows the type of the immediate preceding word or letter. If word italicized, punctuation italicized.PunctuationWith the cry of Bansai! the regiment stormed the hill;

Add a period after all abbreviationsper cent. and metric symbols are ended with a period, but chemical symbols, well-known technical words are not.PeriodMacmillan & Co.

Use no period after Roman numeralsNo PeriodVol. IX

Title; incomplete sentences; signatures; date in top of pageNo Period

If the matter within parenthesis or quotes forms no part of the preceding sentence, the period is placed insidePeriod(This is a rule without exception.) When the parenthesis forms part .

Exclamation is placed inside the quotation mark when part of the quotation; otherwise outside.ExclamationGood!The subject of his lecture was "The Thisness of the That"!

Interrogation is used as a query or to express a doubt; Indirect questions dont have interrogation pointInterrogationWho is this?

He asked whether he was ill.

Interrogation point is placed inside the quotation mark only when it is part of the quotationInterrogationWho is who, and what is what?

Were you ever in Chennai?

Marks discontinuity of grammatical construction greater than semicolon and less than period.Showing closeness of sentences without period; giving meanings; colon is used without thatColonHe said that .India has many states: Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, etc.

Colon implies namely, as follows, for instance when what follows is a complete clause grammatically. Otherwise, use commaColon and dashIndia has many states for instance, Tamil Nadu, Kerala which .

Colon is used to separate chapter and verse in scripturesColonVerse 112:3

Colon is used between place of publication and the publishers name in referencesColonClement of Alexandria (London: Macmillan)

Colon is placed outside the quotation if not part of itColonUnder Discussion: author indicates

Sentences separated by semicolon are more independent than that marked by a commaSemicolonIt is so in war; it is so in the economic life

Use semicolon in enumerations were more than few words are connected and especially if punctuation mark of less value than a period or exclamation mark is present in the individual clausesSemicolonFive IITs were started: Kolkatta, 1951; Mumbai, 1958; Delhi, 1959; .

Semicolon is always placed inside the quotation marksSemicolon

Smallest interruptions in continuity of thought or grammatical construction; used mainly for clearnessComma

Separate proper nouns belonging to different individuals or placesCommaTo India, Malaysia played well .

Put comma to the and, or, and nor that connects the last two links in a sequence of three or more; put a comma before etc.Comma(Not a general rule)One, two, and three .

Dont use comma if and, if, but, though and others are used to connect all of the links in a brief and close-knit phraseNo commaa man good and noble and trueI would not if I could

Add comma after and, but, if, while, as, whereas, since, because, when, after, although, etc. if there is a change of subjectCommaWhen he arrived at the railway station, the train had gone.

Dont use comma if the sentence before and, but, etc. is logically incomplete No commaa cheap but valuable book

now, then, however, indeed, therefore, though, in fact, in short, for instance, that is, of course, on the contrary, on the other hand, after all, to be sure, etc. should be followed by comma when beginning a sentence. If in middle of sentence, then place them between commas.CommaIndeed, this was exactly the point .This, then, is my position

If the sentences are close and no need for pausing while reading, dont use commaNo commaTherefore I say unto you

No comma is used if therefore, nevertheless, etc. follows a verb; indeed follows an adverb; just following perhaps, also, likewise, etc.No commaThis is likewise true of the army.He was a scholar and a sportsman too.

In several adjectives preceding a noun, if the last bears a more direct relation to the nounNo commathe admirable political institutions of the country

Participial clause, especially explaining the main clauseCommaBeing asleep, he did not hear him.

Add a comma before not introducing an antithetical clauseCommaMen addict themselves to inferior pleasures, not because .

Comma: Structurally disconnected, but logically integral, interpolationsDash: both structurally and logically disconnected insertionsComma and dashSince, from the naturalistic point of view, mental states are the .

Separate two identical or closely similar wordsCommaWhatever is, is good; What he was, is not known

In adjectival phrases, a complementary, qualifying, delimiting, or antithetical adjective added to the main epithet preceding a noun should be preceded and followed by a commaCommaThis harsh, though perfectly logical, conclusion

A clause ends with a word governing or modifying another word in following clauseCommaHe was as tall as, though much younger than, his brother

Separate numbersComma In 1905, 347 teachers

Avoiding the repetition of something for convenienceComma or

no commaIn Illinois there are seventeen such institutions; in Ohio, twenty-two.One child may resemble the father, another the mother, and a third some distant ancestor.

Comma before of in connection with residence of positionCommaDr Khamis, of KAU.

If Place name has practically become a part of the persons nameNo CommaSultan of Brunei Darussalam.

Comma to indicate two consecutive pages, verses, etc.Commapp. 5, 6

Separate month and yearCommaApril, 1974

Comma is always inside the quotation marks.

Mark the omission of a letter or letters in the contraction of a wordApostrophedont; the class of 96

Possessive case of nouns, common and proper ( use apostrophe or apostrophe and sApostrophea mans horses tails

A sudden break, stop, or transition in a sentence, or an abrupt change in its construction, a long or significant pause, or an unexpected or epigrammatic turn of sentimentDashDo we can we send out educated boys and girls from the high school at eighteen?

Clause added to lend emphasis to, or to explain or expand, a word or phrase occurring in the main clause, which word or phrase is then repeatedDashTo him they are more important as the sources of history the history of events and ideas

namely is implied before a parenthetical or complementary clauseDashThese discoveries gunpowder, printing-press, compass, and telescope were the weapons.

Connecting two words or numbersDashMay-July, 1906

Dash precedes the reference following a direct quotationDash . Thirty years.

Place between parentheses figures or letters used to mark divisions in enumerations run into the text.ParenthesisThe reasons: (1) (2) .

Use parenthesis only if a confusion might arise from the use of less distinctive marks or the contents of the clause is wholly irrelevant to the main argumentParenthesisI take this to be the (somewhat obscure) sense of his speech.

Used for explanation or note, to indicate an interpolation in a quotation, to rectify mistake, to supply a omission, and for a parenthesis within a parenthesisBracketsThese [the free-silver Democrats] asserted that the .

Continued, To be continued, etc. at the beginning and end of articlesBrackets[To be continued]

Omission of one or more words not essential to the idea.At beginning or middle or end, four periods separated by space, except in very narrow measures.

If preceding line ends in a point, this should not be included in the four.

If a whole paragraph or paragraphs or poetry or complete line or lines are omitted, insert a full line of periods separated by spaces.Ellipses (Nowadays, we use three consecutive dots without spaces)The point . . . . is that the same focus . . . .

Considered as part of citation and enclosed in the quotation marks.Ellipses

Insert at the end of a line terminating with a syllable of a word, remainder of which is carried to the next lineHyphens

Hyphenate two or more words (except proper names forming a unity in themselves) combined into one adjective preceding a nounHyphensso-called Croesus, well-known author, first-class investment, . . . .

Do not connect by a hyphen adjectives or participles with adverbs ending in -lyNo hyphenhighly developed spices

Nouns formed by combination of two nouns standing in objective relation to each otherHyphenmind-reader, story-teller (lawgiver, taxpayer, proofreader, bookkeeper, stockholder)

New noun formed by uniting a present participle with a noun; has different meaning when they are separateHyphenboarding-house, dining-hall

Preposition used absolutely (i.e., not governing a following noun), to form a nounHyphenstarting-point

Compounds of book, house, mill, room, shop and work should be as one compact word

If prefixed noun contains only one syllable, dont hyphenate. If prefixed noun contains two, hyphenate.

If prefixed noun contains more than two, dont hyphenate.Hyphen and no hyphenschoolbook, textbookpocket-book, story-book

cornmill, handmill

tinshop, workshop

(source-book, wheat-mill, lunch-room, head-work, field-work)

Compounds of maker, dealer and other words denoting occupationHyphenharness-maker, book-dealer(bookmaker, dressmaker)

Nouns denoting different occupations of the same individualHyphena soldier-statesman

Compounds of store when prefix contains only one syllableHyphendrug-store, feed-store (bookstore, grocery store)

Compounds of fellow, father, mother, brother, sister, daughter, parent, foster, masterHyphenfather-love, fellow-man, fellow-beings, mother-tongue, foster-son (fatherland), master-builder (masterpiece)

great indicating the fourth degree in a direct line of descentHyphengreat-grandfather, great-grandson

Compounds of life, self and worldHyphenlife-history, life-principle (lifetime), world-power, world-problem,

self-evident, self-respect

Compounds of skin, fold with words of one syllable, no hyphen. With words of more than one syllable, separate wordsNo hyphencalfskin, sheepskin; alligator skintwofold, tenfold; fifteen fold, a hundred fold

Half, quarter, etc. combined with a nounHyphenhalf-truth, half-tone, quarter-mile

semi, demi, bi, tri, etc. No hyphenSemiannual, demiurge, biweekly (semi-centennial, demi-relievo)

Adjectives formed by suffixation of like with noun of one syllable, no hyphen, except when ending with l. With words of more than one syllable or is a proper noun, hyphen.Hyphen or

no hyphenchildlike, homelikeeel-like, bell-like, woman-like

Vice, ex, elect, general, and lieutenant, constituting parts of titles, should be connected with the chief nounHyphenVice-Consul, ex-President

Compounds of by-Hyphenby-product, by-laws

Prefixes co, pre-, and re-, when followed by the same word as that in which they terminateHyphenco-operation, pre-empted, re-enter (coequal, coeducation, prearranged)

Use hyphen even if the end word of co, pre, and re and start word are not same, if meaning changeHyphenre-cover (= cover again)re-creation

Negative particles un-, in-, and a-No hyphenunmanly, undemocratic, inanimate

Negative particle non, except in commonest wordsHyphennon-aesthetic, non-subservient, non-interference, non-ability, non-membership, non-contagious, non-unionist (nonage, nondescript, nonessential, nonplus, nonsense, noncombatant)

Quasi prefixed to a noun or an adjectiveHyphenquasi-corporation, quasi-historical

Over and under prefixed to a wordNo hyphenoverbold, overemphasize, overweight, underfed, underestimate, undersecretary (over-soul, under-man, over-spiritualistic)

Latin prepositions ante, anti, inter, intra, post, sub, and superNo hyphenantedate, antechamber, antidote, antiseptic (anti-imperialistic, intra-atomic), postscript, postgraduate, interstate (anti-Semitic, ante-bellum, inter-university, ante-Nicene, post-revolutionary)

Extra, infra, supra, and ultraHyphenextra-hazardous, infra-mundane, supra-temporal (ultramontane)

Connect numerator and denominator of spelled out fractions, unless either already contains a hyphenHyphentwo-thirds, five-sevenths(One half of his . . . . )

Two or more compound words occurring together, which have one of their component elements in common, this element is frequently omitted from all but the last wordHyphenone-, five-, and ten-cent pieces

To indicate the syllables of a wordHyphendi-a-gram, pho-tog-ra-phy

Hyphenated words of common usageafter-years bas-relief bee-linebill-of-farebirth-rateblood-feudblood-relatjons

common-sense cross-examine

cross-reference

cross-sectionman-of-war subject-matter

field-work

object-lesson terra-cottafolk-song page-proof thought-processfood-stuff

pay-roll title-pagefountain-head poor-law

trade-uniongood-will post-office view-pointhigh-priest price-list wave-length

horse-power sea-level well-beingice-cream sense-perception well-nighill-health son-in-law will-power

Do not divide proper nouns; Avoid unnecessary division of wordsNo division

Do not divide initials of a name or combinations like A.D., P.M. etc. into separate linesNo division

Divide according to pronunciation (American system), not according to derivation (English system)Divisiondemoc-racy, not: demo-cracy

As far as compatible with pronunciation and good spacing, divide on etymological linesDivisiondis-pleasure is better than displeas-ure

Dont terminate a line in a soft c or g, or in a j.Divisionpro-cess, not: proc-ess

Divide on a vowel wherever practicableDivisionsepa-rate, not: sep-arate(carry able and ible to next line)

Coalition of two vowel-sounds into one (i.e., a diphthong) should be treated as one letterNo divisionpeo-ple (either syllable makes a bad division), ail-ing

If a word ends with t, move t to next line with the suffix if the accent has been shifted; if the derivative has retained the accent of the parent-word, the t should be in the first lineDivisionobjec-tive(from object); defect-ive (from defect)

Addition of plural s, adding a new syllable to words ending in an s-sound.No divisionhor-ses and circumstan-ces are impossible divisions

Adjectives in ical should be divided on the iDivisionphysi-cal

Dont divide nothingNo division

Where references to the same work follow each other closely and uninterruptedly, use ibid. instead of repeating the title.References