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Introduction
The purpose of the guide
Principles of writing
A guide to the principles of good written communication
Sharpen your style
A guide to common grammatical errors and how to
avoid them
Word classes
A brief glossary of types of words
A to Z guide
An A to Z guide of writing, punctuation and grammar
for staff at the City of Boroondara
The Writing Style Guide 2014 revised edition is prepared by
Communications and Engagement.
It is based on the Macquarie Dictionary , fourth edition and the Style
Manual for Authors and Printers, sixth edition.
It is also based on the Writing Style Guide 2005 and 2010 , which
were developed with assistance from Learning and Development as
well as feedback from City of Boroondara staff.
If you have any further feedback or suggestions, please call the
Internal Communications Officer on ext. 4420.
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Introduction
The Writing Style Guide helps with writing, grammar and punctuation at the City of
Boroondara. This second edition of the Writing Style Guide has been produced toaddress gaps in the 2010 version, and promote consistent branding and messages
internally and externally.
While each department is distinctive, we are all part of the one organisation. A
consistent style helps to unify us and strengthen our reputation.
We should write in plain English, and reduce 'local government speak' and jargon.
This guide covers all facets of writing style such as punctuation, spelling and
commonly used terms. However, it is not an exhaustive list and certainly won’t
replace a dictionary or thesaurus. It is a collection of the most common mistakesand a guide to correct usage at the City of Boroondara.
This is a living document. We encourage your continued feedback and questions.
Communications and Engagement
August 2014
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Principles of writing
Take time to think about and plan your writing before you start. This will help
you avoid confusion or misunderstanding in your final document, and will helpyour audience.
Start with a short brainstorming session
Decide your purpose.
Collect relevant information.
Put your ideas on paper.
Wait 10 minutes, then re-read your list.
Start to make connections between ideas or prioritise the items.
The framework for a writing plan, ask yourself who, why, what, where, when
and how? Your answers will confirm you have covered everything.
Put these ideas into a logical order: an introduction, discussion
and conclusion.
Communications and Engagement are here to help you. All departments are
encouraged to get in touch.
Now, ask yourself, “Who is my audience?”
Always keep the reader in mind and think about how your message is likely to be
received. Rarely will your audience have the same in-depth understanding of the
topic as you do.
Consider how to communicate
Keep sentences short (no more than 30 words).
Express only one idea in a sentence.
Avoid repetition.
Break up complex information.
Refine your topic.
Avoid the use of jargon, acronyms or abbreviations.
Think about how you would explain the matter to someone with no knowledge
of the topic.
Avoid using clichés or informal language.
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Use plain English in your writing. Plain English is simple language that helps
convey your message clearly. You should avoid complicated technical
language or jargon unless you are writing for a specialist audience.
People are generally more cooperative if they are told what to do rather than what
not to do.
Council will approve applications when it receives the required information
not
Council will not consider your application unless you supply all the required
information on the form.
Avoid using expressions such as not only to show a positive. Most often, people
will only hear the negative.The report states the date and time of the activity.
not
The report not only states the date, it also states the time of activity.
Proofread
There is no quick method of proofreading. Accurate proofreading requires good
organisation and close attention to detail.
Proofreaders should always begin by familiarising themselves with the particularpublication they are going to read and draw up a list of the special points for
particular attention.
Any questions about the spelling or meaning of terms specific to the document
subject matter should be referred to the appropriate work area for clarification.
Here is a suggested check list of items to check when proofing a document or
publication.
Proofreader’s check list: spelling and punctuation errors
wordbreaks
font 12pt Arial
orphans and widows*
spacing between lines and words
(including only one space between sentences)
*The single line or word left at the bottom or start of a page linked to a paragraph.
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page numbers/paragraph numbering
headings – headlines, chapter headings, subheadings
headers and footers table of contents
captions
Boroondara logo
tables, diagrams and figures
telephone numbers
addresses
email addresses
website addresses
index
footnotes and references
cross-references.
Rewriting
Try to avoid rewriting until after you have finished the first draft. If time permits, putthe document aside for a while and then re-read. A second draft allows you to
ensure that your message is clear and sentences are concise.
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Sharpen your style
Your purpose in writing is to communicate. You don’t have to announce what it is
you are about to do, such as, “I am writing to you today to…”
Similarly, words like plainly and obviously and the clause as we can plainly see
have no place in functional writing. If the writing is plain, the information will be
obvious.
Other suggestions
Avoid Use
such as like
upcoming forthcoming
whilst while
due to the fact that because; since; as
have the capacity to can
in relation to about
in the event that if
we would be grateful if please
as a result consequently
Simplify your language
The key to good communication is writing succinctly and avoiding clumsy language.
It’s important to find alternate words and avoid repetition.
Don’t say Say
accordingly so
adjacent to near
allows for allows
a number of several
a percentage of some
assistance help/aid
ascertain find out
as a result of because
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Don’t say Say
at an early date soon
at that time then
at the present time now
attempt try
behind schedule late
beverage drink
called a halt stop
centre around centre on/in
close proximity near
commence begin/start
concerning about
conflagration fire
constructed built
conveyed took
currently now
customary usual
demonstrate show
described as called
despite the fact that although
dispatched sent
dwell live
endeavour try
enquire ask
exceedingly very
filled to capacity full
gained entrance to got in
give consideration to consider
give rise to cause
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Don’t say Say
hails from comes from
hospitalised admitted to hospital
illuminated lit up
in addition also
in attendance present/there
in consequence of because
inform tell
in order to to
inquiry a court commission
in short supply scarce
in succession running
in the direction of towards
in view of the fact that since
lengthy long
less expensive cheaper
made an approach to approached
made use of used
manufacture make
members of the public public/people
merchandise goods
minimum least/smallest
numerous many
of the order of about
one of the reasons one reason
on a weekly basis weekly
on one occasion once
ordinance rule/law
outcome result
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Don’t say Say
was suffering from had
were required to had to
whole of all
with the result that so that
Vague qualifiers
Avoid using vague qualifiers, such as:
generally
in general
mostly
sometimes
usually.
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Word classes
Adjective
An adjective is a describing word ( Australian, green, small).
Adverb
An adverb is a word that gives additional information about how, when or where an
action takes place (He walked slowly. They arrive tomorrow.).
Noun, proper noun, collective nouns
A noun is the name of: a person (Tom), place (Hawthorn), thing (site), quality
(innocence), activity (leisure) or a concept or condition (reality).
A proper noun is a given name and usually starts with a capital letter (Boroondara,
Melbourne, Matthew).
Collective nouns are words that refer to groups of things (team, company, flock).
Prepositions and conjunctions
Prepositions are the little words that hold a sentence together often by showing
direction or location (from, for, by, in, beyond).
Conjunctions join parts of a sentence together (and, but, although).
Pronoun
Pronouns take the place of nouns (I, you, he, she, we, and they).
Verb
Verbs express action or a state of being (throw, catch, be, and have).Verbs are a
writer’s best friend and one of the best language tools. Where possible, use active
verbs.
For example:
the man wrote the story
not
the story was written by the man
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An A to Z guide to writing, punctuation and
grammar at the City of Boroondara
How to use this guide: search for the term or idea you are interested in
alphabetically.
Abbreviations (see Contractions)
Abbreviations consist of the first letter of a word, usually some other letters, but not
the last letter. Avoid the use of abbreviations. When words or phrases must be
abbreviated, the word should be spelled out in the first instance. A full stop should
be placed after the dropped letters.
December to Dec. Senator to Sen.
Reverend to Rev.
Aboriginal
Always capitalise Indigenous and Aboriginal when it refers to the original inhabitants
of Australia – as in Indigenous Australians, Australian Aboriginal people, Aboriginal
languages and Indigenous communities. The words don’t need an initial capital
when referring to the original inhabitants of other countries.
According to the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC)
the following forms should be used to designate the original inhabitants of Australia
and their descendants:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Aboriginal peoples
Australian Aborigines
Torres Strait Islanders
Indigenous Australians
These terms take account of the fact that there are two groups of
Indigenous Australians.
The word Koori, referring to the Aboriginal people of the east coast of Australia,
should be used with a capital K as it is referring to a specific group of people and is,
therefore, a proper noun.
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Acronyms
Acronyms are strings of initial letters pronounced as a word.
CDAC – Community Disability Advisory Committee
EBN – Event Briefing Notes
PREP – Performance Review and Enhancement Program
The possessive is shown by using an apostrophe in the conventional way.
For example:
MAV’s agenda
not
MAVs agenda
When referring repeatedly to an organisation or long official title, give its full title on
first mention, followed by its abbreviated form in brackets. Do not use acronyms in
headings, only within the body of text.
Senior Leadership Team (SLT)
The acronym alone may be used from then on.
When using acronyms in a large document, list the acronyms at the beginning of
the document on a separate page – even if there are only three used in the entire
document. This gives readers something to refer to. For the list, follow the format
above: acronym – full title (in alphabetical order).
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Active voice
Use the active voice when possible. This means using active rather than passive
verbs.
In the active voice the subject of the verb is performing the action.
Active Passive
Council found … not It was found
nor It was found by Council
VCAT heard the case not The case was heard
nor The case was heard by VCAT
The Manager of the Green Team assessed the tree
not
The tree was assessed
nor
The tree was assessed by the Manager of the Green Team.
Addresses
In sentences, spell words such as 'street' or 'road' in full, and capitalise except when
talking about two or more streets or roads.
The property, located at 113 Burke Road, Camberwell was for sale.
At the intersection of Riversdale and Camberwell roads
Postal service only:
Commas should not be used at the end of the lines in an address block and
there should be a double space between the name of the town/city, the state
abbreviation and the postcode when addressing mail. The last line should
include the place name or post office of delivery, state or territory abbreviationand postcode. This line should be printed in capitals to comply with Australia
Post’s addressing guidelines.
360 Burwood Road
HAWTHORN VIC 3122
or
Private Bag 1
CAMBERWELL VIC 3124
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Narrative:
Only include the postcode when referring to the postal service.
Commas are needed between road and suburb when used in narrative.
The workshop will be held at 8 Inglesby Road, Camberwell.
Advice or advise
Advice is a noun generally meaning an opinion about what could or should be done
in a situation or about a problem.
Advise is a verb meaning to counsel, to offer advice to.
I advise you to obtain professional advice.
Affect or effect
These words are different in meaning and cannot be substituted for each other.
Effect can be a verb (doing word) and a noun (naming word). Affect should never
be used as a noun.
Affect (verb) means to have an influence on.
Small business was affected by the downturn in the economy.
Smoking too much can affect your health.
Effect (verb) means to cause, bring about, result in, accomplish.
He effected a great improvement in working conditions.
Effect (noun) is a result or a consequence.
Her skills as a gardener had a great effect on Boroondara’s parks.
Ages (see Numbers or words and Hyphenation)
Alternative or alternate?
Alternative refers to a choice between two options, not several.
There are two alternatives is correct.
Americanisation (see Australian English)
Among or amongst
Use among, not amongst. Among means there are several options.
Use while, not whilst. While means a space of time.
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Ampersand (&)
Avoid using the ampersand. However, it may be used in tables and bullet lists
where space is tight.
Anticipate or expect
Anticipate means to realise or foresee events while expect means to look forward to
an occurrence that it is likely to happen.
Apostrophes
An apostrophe shows omission or possession.
An apostrophe used to denote omission will replace letters where informal or
modern language has seen two words become one.
Could have is the same as could’ve
Should have is the same as should’ve
Cannot is the same as can’t
Will not is the same as won’t
It is/has is the same as it’s
They are is the same as they’re
Confusion about correct usage of an apostrophe usually happens when anapostrophe is being used to denote possession.
If the noun is singular, the apostrophe comes before the s.
This is Steve’s PC.
This is Council’s policy
When referring to more than one council follow this format:
Victorian councils are working together on the plan.
When referring to the City of Boroondara the C is capitalised and there is anapostrophe before the s.
Council’s Plan has been approved.
If the noun is plural, the apostrophe comes after the s.
The councillors’ name badges are on order.
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If the word’s plural form is achieved by changing internal letters
(instead of adding s), the apostrophe comes before the s. These words include
children, men, women and people.
The children’s playground is being redeveloped.
Other exceptions to watch for are his, hers and theirs as they do not have an
apostrophe.
Do not use apostrophes in a period such as a decade.
The 1930s
not
the 1930’s.
For acronyms and initialisms, the possessive is shown by using
an apostrophe in the conventional way. For example:
MAV’s agenda
Not
MAVs agenda
Most shortened words and phrases are made plural by simply adding s withoutan apostrophe.
For example:
MPs
not
MP’s
FAQsnot
FAQ’s
Appendix (see Attachments)
Approximately
Do not use approx. Use approximately in its full form.
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Australian English
Avoid Americanisms in your writing. The most common of these is the substitution
of s with z. Use colour or neighbour, not color or neighbor. Ensure your online
dictionary is set to Australian English.
Attachments or appendix?
Use attachment and not appendix. This is the traditional reference used for Council
papers and reports.
Boroondara (pronounced as Boo-roon-dar-ah)
Boroondara is an Aboriginal word meaning darkness or shade.
In 1854, Boroondara was the original name of the area later to be divided into the
cities of Camberwell, Hawthorn and Kew. The name was restored in 1994 when the
three cities came together again.
Boroondara, City of
Refer to the City of Boroondara, not Boroondara City Council* or Boroondara
Council. After making it clear that you are referring to Boroondara, you can then use
Council or City further on in your text.
City of Boroondara
not
Boroondara City Council
In general, Council is used to describe the organisation or collective of councillors,
while City is used to describe the geographic area.
*Please note: Council’s legal name is Boroondara City Council. It may be
necessary to use this name where legal wording is required, such as contracts,
leases or licences.
BracketsUse round brackets to mark off any explanatory or qualifying material from the main
sentence.
Boroondara (located in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs) has a large population.
Bullet points
First ask yourself if you need to use bullet points, or if the information you are trying
to convey may work better as a sentence – give it a go.
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There are generally two types of bullet points – sentence fragments and full
sentences.
Sentence fragments after each dot point are not capitalised. The sentence ends
with a full stop.
Example of sentence fragments in bullet points:
Assistance is available in several forms:
monetary assistance
equipment modifications
advisory services.
With lists comprising full sentences, normal sentence rules apply including
beginning with a capital letter and concluding with a full stop.
Example of full sentences in bullet points:
The committee came to two important conclusions:
Officers from the department should investigate the matter.
Research should be funded in three priority areas.
There is no semicolon or and at the end of bullet points.
Capitals
Capital letters are used to begin sentences, for proper nouns, and names. Overuse
of capital letters can confuse your audience. They can also be referred to as
uppercase letters. Use capitals when referring to:
national and religious groups and religions
days of the week, months, special holidays (not seasons)
deities
geographical names
titles of publications (all words in a title other than articles, prepositions
and conjunctions)
titles of programs, strategies, projects, plans
names
position titles.
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The Health and Aged Services Department takes initial capitals but when you are
talking about health and aged services in general, it does not require capital letters.
The words group, department and team should also have capitals when used
directly after the name but not when alone in the text.
Health and Aged Services Department achieved several important targets
during the year. The department acquired a new community bus.
Capitalising job titles references will depend on the context. For example, when
referring to the Statutory Planning Officer (singular) the reference should be in
upper case.
When referring to the City of Boroondara's planning officers (plural) the reference to
the official department should be in upper case and the collective reference to
officers should be in lower case. For example:
The Statutory Planning Officer presented a case to VCAT.
A meeting was held with several Statutory Planning officers at Council.
When referring to statutory planning officers more generally, the reference need
only be in lower case. For example:
Currently we face the challenge to recruit statutory planning officers.
Always cap Council when referring to the City of Boroondara.
Capitalise the C in Council officers or Council staff , when referring to officers or staff
at Boroondara or use lower case C in council officers or council staff when referring
to more than one council.
Some nouns used in connection with government are capitalised to distinguish
them from their generic meaning.
Include a capitalised abbreviation following full names in brackets in the first
instance for Plan, Budget and Act.
For example:Community feedback has been received on the Draft Glenferrie Structure Plan
(the Plan). Feedback about the Plan will be discussed at a later date.
not
Community feedback has been received on the Draft Glenferrie Structure
Plan. Feedback about the plan will be discussed at a later date.
Childcare
There is no need to hyphenate or separate this word.
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City
Use a capital C for City when the reference is to the City of Boroondara or our
former cities and when referring to the official name of other councils. For example:
The City of Stonnington is one of our neighbouring cities.
The reference to City-wide should only be capitalised when referring to a specific
Council like the City of Boroondara. When using the reference more generally it
need only be in lower case. For example:
The Boroondara postal ballot will be distributed City-wide.
Most councils have introduced a city-wide policy.
Clichés
A cliché is a tired, overused phrase, adjective or expression that people have used
so often, it no longer has any meaning or has become a vague term that disguises
a lack of facts.
For example, speculation was rife tells us nothing. The writer has invented the
speculation or rumour.
Clichés should be avoided in your writing.
Here are some examples:
At the end of the day
Foregone conclusion
All walks of life
Paramount importance
Back to square one
In this day and age
Beat around the bush
Call it a day
Do or die
Throw in the towel
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Collective nouns and names
Collective nouns are nouns that signify groups of people or things. Use collective
nouns and the names of companies as singular.
Staff, family, committee, majority, crew, squad
The committee has (not have) met and it has (not they have) rejected the
amendment.
The Hawthorn Football Club owes its (not their) success to the local
community.
When a company name ends in s (and looks like a plural word), it still takes singular
agreement:
Leader Newspapers is running the same article.
not
Leader Newspapers are running the same article.
Colons (see Semicolon)
The colon introduces further information to a sentence. This can include a list or
series of items, an explanation or a quotation.
The City of Boroondara funds and manages five libraries: Ashburton Library,
Balwyn Library, Camberwell Library, Hawthorn Library and Kew Library.
Use a colon to introduce a list or group of bulleted points (see Bullet points).
Commas
Commas can improve the readability of your text. Commas are often omitted and
their absence can blur the meaning of your sentence. Some writers overuse
commas and they confuse their audience.
The most frequent uses of commas include:
Between items in a list or series:
The City of Boroondara’s organisational structure is divided into five
directorates: City Planning, Community Development, Environment and
Infrastructure, Corporate Services and Communications and Engagement.
In pairs when separating elements that are not part of the main statement:
Hawthorn and Kew, which are both now part of Boroondara, were once
separate municipalities.
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Compare to or compare with
Compare to is used to note similarities or to liken to.
Compare with is used when noting the differences.
Compliment or complement
As a noun, compliment is an expression of praise or admiration.
The staff member was happy to receive the compliment.
As a verb, compliment is the act of offering such an expression:
The Mayor complimented the councillor on her ability to build rapport with
constituents.
As a noun, complement (with an e) is something that completes or makes perfect:His garden was a complement to his Kew home.
As a verb, complement is the act of achieving that completion or perfection:
His garden complemented his Kew home.
Conjunctions (see Word classes page 12)
Contact
Internal contacts
When directing others to contact another staff member, include the person’s name,
role and extension number.
For example:
For more information phone Joe Bloggs, Communications Coordinator, on ext.
4444.
Contact panels on the website
When writing for the web, use the following format:
More information:
contact: Joe Bloggs, Coordinator Communications
phone: 9278 4444
email: [email protected]
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Contact panel
All publications need to have consistent reliable contact details. Here is our
preferred contact panel at the City of Boroondara.
Contact us
Telephone: 9278 4444
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.boroondara.vic.gov.au
Postal address:
Private Bag 1
Camberwell VIC 3124
Customer Service centres:
Camberwell office
8 Inglesby Road, Camberwell
Hawthorn Arts Centre
360 Burwood Road, Hawthorn
Kew Library
Corner Cotham Road and Civic Drive, Kew
ContractionsContractions are different to abbreviations (see Abbreviations). They consist of the
first and last letters of a word and sometimes other letters in between. For example:
Road becomes Rd
Queensland becomes Qld
Department becomes Dept
Councillor becomes Cr
Unlike abbreviations, they do not require a full stop at the end of theshortened word.
Copyright symbols
The definition of copyright is: exclusive right, granted by law for a certain term of
years, to make and dispose of copies, and otherwise to control a literary, musical,
dramatic or artistic work.
You must obtain the permission of the copyright owner and pay any required
licence or royalty fee before including copyright material in a work intended
for publication.
http://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/http://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/
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To insert a copyright symbol use the following keyboard shortcut:
© Copyright Symbol: Alt + Ctrl + C
Coordinator, not co-ordinator (see Hyphenation)
Coordinator should be written as one word with no hyphen.
Correspondence (see Letters)
It is preferable to use Yours sincerely as a sign-off rather than Yours faithfully,
which is a more formal, old-fashioned term. However, if you are writing without
knowing the name of the correspondent, for example, Dear Business owner, Yours
faithfully is appropriate. Avoid commas after Dear Name or Yours sincerely.
Council, councillors, councillor
Write Council not the Council or our Council.
Council takes its responsibility for upgrading and renewing our City’s sporting
assets seriously.
Use a capital C when referring to a specific councillor. When discussing the role
(councillor ) or making collective references (councillors) use the lower case c.
Remember that these references are distinct from Council, which refers to an
elected decision-making body. It should carry a capital C when referring to aspecific council but a lower case c when making collective references.
Councillor Smith attended a conference with other councillors from
Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
City of Boroondara (see Boroondara, City of)
Dash (see Hyphenation)
Use the unspaced em dash (—) (Ctrl+Alt+ dash) to signify abrupt change, introduce
an amplification or explanation or set apart parenthetic elements.
For example:
The main cause of foodborne illness is inadequate cooking — but this is not
what we came here to talk about.
or
Policies may change the decision-making environment — water licensing
reform is one of them — or provide guidance on suitable areas for investment.
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Use the en dash ( –) (Ctrl + dash) as a linking device for figures, time and distance.
Also use to show association between words that retain separate identities, linking
prefixes and some types of compound adjectives.
For example:
Pages 31 –33
April –June
Sydney –Melbourne trains
When linking more than one word on one or both sides, a spaced en rule
should be used.
For example:
a Commonwealth – New South Wales agreement
the Alice Springs – Darwin railway project
Dates and times (see Time)
Dates should be expressed as a figure, a month and a year, in that order, without
commas. For example:
1 October 2005 (not 1st)
Friday 1 October 2005
01/10/05
When referring to something in text which spans several days use the words from
and to.
The conference will be held from 2 June to 4 June.
not
The conference will be held 2 –4 June.
However, as a booking device use:Date: 2-4 June
Time: 2pm to 3pm
Venue: 8 Inglesby Road, Camberwell
For ranges of years use an en dash (Ctrl + dash) without a space before and after.
1991 –95
Do not repeat the century.
2001 –02
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But when the centuries are different include both centuries:
1997 –2002
References to decades should always be made in figures. There is no apostrophe
before the s.
the 1980s, the mid-1980s
not
the nineteen-eighties, the eighties or the 80s
Refer to centuries in numerals.
20th century
not Twentieth century
Except if first word of a sentence – then spelling out as “Twentieth” is preferred.
Different from or to
One thing is different from another, not different to it.
Discreet and discrete
Discreet refers to self-restraint or carefulness.
I told her to be discreet about her inter-office romance.
Discrete means consisting of separate or distinct parts.
The course will cover three discrete models.
Distances (see Measurements)
Dot points (see Bullet points)
'E' as in electronicHyphenate 'e' references:
e-newsletter
e-book
e-audio
e-resources
e-reader
e-bike
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e-waste
Do not hyphenate the word “email” as this is widely used, and use a capital letter
after “e” with no hyphen for proper nouns such as “eCommunications”.
E.g. and i.e. (see Abbreviations)
Although there is a trend to omit the full stops in these abbreviations, the unstopped
forms are not widely accepted; they also contradict the general principle of using full
stops for abbreviated words.
e.g. – for example
i.e. – that is
etc. - etcetera, so forth and so onWhere space permits, write these out in their full form –
for example, that is, etcetera.
Either … or (see Neither … nor)
Either is not the same as neither and is followed by or.
Residents can apply for either a blue permit or a green permit depending on
their needs.
Elicit or illicit
Elicit is to draw out facts, information, a response or reaction.
By question and answer he elicited the information that he required for his
sales report.
Illicit refers to actions or goods that are illegal.
The police raid uncovered a large cache of illicit drugs.
Ellipsis [ … ]
Use to indicate text which has been removed, or a hesitation in speech: there is a
space before and after the ellipsis.
For example: “He was … well, interesting.”
email (see ‘E’ as in electronic)
Do not hyphenate the word email.
email addresses (see Contact)
Add these as live links with just the name of the officer visible on the website.
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For example:
Joe Doe
not
Don’t use brackets to enclose email addresses as they can cause confusion if the
email address is to be used in a database.
When referring to an email address use capitals for initials.
For example:
ELT (see Acronyms)
The City of Boroondara, Executive Leadership Team (ELT) comprises the CEO,
four directors and the Executive Manager.
Exclamation marks
These should not appear in any corporate document. They add nothing. In fact,
they often detract from the impact of a phrase or sentence.
Facsimile or fax
Use fax and not facsimile. Today, people more commonly understand and use theterm fax.
Focused or Focussed
Use focused and not focussed. This is the preferred reference.
Font
The official Council font is Arial.
We use a minimum of 12pt font when producing all documents. This size font is
recommended by Vision Australia.
There are however circumstances when an alternative font can be used for
externally designed documents like posters and brochures, (see Boroondara
Design Style Guide for more information).
For more information (see Contact)
To conclude an article when there is an intention to provide readers with further
information use the following format:
For more information, phone [insert phone number]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
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or
For more information visit [insert external website address]
or
For more information email [insert name, job title] at [insert email]
The exception is writing for our web where we can hyperlink names:
For further information, email Joe Bloggs or phone 9278 4444.
Full stops (see Contractions)
Full stops are used to mark the end of a sentence. Use one space after a full stop
for all written material – letters, reports, publications or on the website/intranet.
Today, we no longer place full stops after abbreviations of the names oforganisations.
Do not place a full stop:
after headings or sub-headings
after Mr, Mrs, Ms, St, Rd, or in other commonly used abbreviations such as
WA, SA
in abbreviations for honours such as OAM, AM, OBE, MBE
when using the Hon for politicians
between initials for people’s given names – for example Mr J K Smith.
Gender
Try to avoid being gender specific if possible. The word man is often used
generically to describe both males and females. Avoid this by using gender, non-
specific nouns such as people, candidates, they or you.
Business people or business community
not
Businessmen
Chairperson, the chair or convenor
not
Chairman
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Geography
north, east, south, west
the South (part of the world, country)
to the south (in a southerly direction)
southbound
south-east, South-East Asia
south-eastern
south pole, north pole – when referring to celestial, magnetic or electric poles
South Pole, North Pole – when referring to geographical location
Government (see Council)
The word government is generally capitalised as part of a formal title or abbreviated
specific title, but lower case is generally appropriate elsewhere. For example:
The government has complex issues to manage.
The Australian Government is providing the City of Boroondara with a grant.
There are interchangeable terms used for the different tiers of government,
however, the following is recommended:
Australian Government
not
federal government
Victorian Government
not
state government
local government
not
Local Government*
City
not
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city
*Local government is not capitalised as it is not directly related to a specific name or
title. Unlike City of Boroondara or Victorian Government, local government is not a
single entity, it is plural, and should not be capitalised.
Headings (see Capitals)
There is no need for capitalised headings except for the first letter of the first
headline word.
Capital assistance for community agencies and services
The exception is when a proper noun is used in the heading.
Capital assistance for Glenferrie Road Precinct announced
Headings should not include a full stop at the end.
Hyphenation (see dash)
Use hyphens sparingly, only where they are needed to avoid ambiguity. Try not to
use floating hyphens as in part- or full-time positions. Use fuller wording such as
full-time and part-time positions.
There should be no spacing between two hyphenated words: minimum-maximum
input, not minimum - maximum input.
A hyphen should always be used after a prefix if its omission changes the meaning:
recover, re-cover; relent, re-lent.
Use hyphens for:
fractions (noun or adjective) – two-thirds
most words with Latin prefixes – non-existent, neo-conservative
separating identical letters or two vowel sounds (where the compound has
more than one stress – co-owner, re-evaluation, inter-regional)
points of the compass – north-east
ages – nine-year-old Joe
Because of their common usage, cooperation and coordination are spelled without
a hyphen.
Indigenous (see Aboriginal)
Inquiry or enquiry
Inquiry relates to an investigation. Enquiry is a formal word for ask.
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The director enquired where the court of inquiry was to meet.
Italics
A general rule of thumb is to use italics and appropriate capital letters for the titlesof published materials.
Italics should be used for the following:
books, periodicals and newspapers
films, television and radio shows
media releases
plays
poems
musical compositions
works of art
legislation and legal cases (including Acts of Parliament)
scientific names of plants and animals.
When quoting legislation, the name of the act or regulation and year are italicised,followed by name of the state or Commonwealth in brackets.
Local Government Act 1989 (Vic)
Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)
Building Regulations 2006 (Vic)
Italics is not used for the names of:
reports
studies
plans
policies
master plans
projects
programs
art exhibitions.
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It’s or its
Be careful to use it’s and its correctly. It’s, short for it is or it has, does have an
apostrophe, but its, meaning something belonging to a thing (it) does not.
If in any doubt, read the sentence aloud and check whether it is/it was/it has could
be inserted instead. If it can, then put in the apostrophe.
It’s certain to come before Council.
Council has approved its financial result.
Jargon
If we refer to a responsible authority, does that mean somewhere exists an
irresponsible authority?
Terms like this become such a part of our day-to-day language that we forget others
might not understand their specific meaning. Unless the term or word has a specific
technical meaning that cannot be otherwise explained, replace jargon with plain
English words.
If a word cannot be replaced because it would confuse the meaning of the
sentence, provide an explanation in footnotes or a glossary.
Job titles
The name of the person you are referring to should come before their job title.For example:
Joe Bloggs, Chief Executive Officer, City of Boroondara
Justification
As a general rule, text should be left justified as it makes a document easier to read
(as English is written and read from left to right). This is most important with letters.
Full justification makes documents/letters very hard to read and comprehend, due
to the inconsistent spacing between words. (Vision Australia guidelines have more
details, visit www.visionaustralia.org for more information.)
Less than or more than
If you are trying to express a lesser quantity or amount, use less than instead of
under . Use under to mean physically below.
If you are trying to express a greater quantity or amount, use more than instead of
over . Use over to mean physically above.
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Letters
Refer to BAZ (the staff intranet) for guidance on letter and email templates.
Licence or licenseLicence is a noun and refers to formal permission from a regulatory authority to do
something. For example, I have a licence to drive.
License is a verb and means to grant authoritative permission to undertake an
action. For example, I am licensed to sell alcohol.
Lists (see Bullet points)
Local government (see Government)
Use lower case for local government.
The City of Boroondara is a local government authority.
Map references
In Melbourne we use Melway . This is the name of the street directory – it is not
Melways. References should be written … Melway 45 H8. And, as they are usually
provided as additional information, it’s better to put the reference in brackets after
the street address.
For example:Venue: Hawthorn Arts Centre, 360 Burwood Road, Hawthorn (Melway 44 J6)
Master Plan
Use an upper case M when you are referring to a specific Master Plan, but a lower
case m when you are referring to master plans generically.
For example:
Council has adopted the Good Times Master Plan. All master plans are
produced by working groups.
Mayor
Use a capital M when referring to a specific mayor. When discussing the role of
mayor or making collective references, use the lower case m.
Use the name of the mayor before their role as mayor. For example:
Cr Joe Bloggs, Mayor of Boroondara
not
Mayor of Boroondara, Cr Joe Bloggs
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Measurements
Use abbreviations for all measures except tonne and litre.
No space between number and abbreviation.
No full stop after an abbreviation, except at the end of a sentence.
All abbreviations are expressed in the singular, so 30km not 30kms.
Fractions should be expressed as decimals, so 1.5km not 1½km.
Follow this list of units and abbreviations:
Length: metre - m, millimetre - mm, centimetre - cm, kilometre - km
Mass or weight: kilogram - kg, gram - g
Area: hectare - ha, square metre - sq m, square centimetre - sq cm
Volume (fluids): millilitre - ml, cubic centimetres - cc, kilolitre - kl
Speed: metres a second - m /s, kilometres an hour - km/h, knot - knot,
Force: newton - N
Energy: joule - J
Power: watt - W
Pressure: pascal - Pa, millibar - mb
Electric current: ampere - A
Electromotive force: volt - V
Frequency: hertz - Hz
Revolutions per minute: rpm
Temperature: celsius - C, fahrenheit - F, kelvin - K
Style for temperature is 25C. Convert all Fahrenheit and Kelvin to Celsius.
Clothing sizes are given in numerals: Size 8 (dress); Size 6 (shoes).
Melburnians or Melbournians?
Use Melburnians.
Money
When referring to Australian dollars use the following format:
$50.15
Use the following for amounts that are less than a dollar:
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10c or $0.10
not
$.10
When referring to millions use $1,000,000 or $1 million.
Commas are introduced at five digits (a different rule applies for numerals, where
commas start at four digits). When referring to thousands use $1000, $10,000 or
$500,000 instead of referring to these as parts of a million.
For example:
$500,000
not
$0.5m
When using tables and graphs use a lower case m instead of an upper case M.
Only use k when referring to 000s in tables.
$1m, $1bn, or $500k
not
$1M
When referring to figures with zero cents use the following format:
$12
not
$12.00
$1000
not
$1000.00
Names and titles
Refer to the current organisational chart on BAZ (the staff intranet) for spelling and
hyphenation of senior staff members’ names and titles.
Joe Bloggs, CEO
not
Joe Bloggs CEO
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Neither ... nor (see Either … or)
Neither is not the same as either , and it is followed by nor . Nor is a negative
conjunction and should not be used on its own.
The City of Boroondara is neither in Sydney nor in Brisbane.
Numbers or words (see Money)
Numbers one to nine should be spelled out. Numerals should be used from number
10 onwards. The same principle applies to first, second … ninth, 10th … 25th, etc.
Try to avoid starting sentences with numerals, unless you wish to draw attention to
a very large number, in which case start the sentence with A total of … or More
than …If you do start with a numeral, write it out in full.
Seventy people celebrated the fifth annual event, including a five-year-old girland her 80-year-old grandmother. We give it a nine out of 10!
Numerals from 1 to 999 do not have a comma. Commas within numerals begin with
1,000 (except when referring to money). Numerals in millions should be taken to
two decimal places followed by the word million (with the exception of financial
reports)
4.51 million
not
4,510,000
Commas should not be used in street addresses.
1400 Toorak Road not 1,400 Toorak Road
When using a number as a prefix ensure that you use a hyphen to connect it to the
word. For example:
30-bed
not
30 bed
Ongoing
Use ongoing, not on going or on-going.
Oral reports
An oral report or presentation should be written in active language.
If you are preparing notes, always double space the text and use Arial font
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- a font which is easy to read (16pt minimum for a presentation). Always practise
your oral report.
Over than
Use
more than 700 people
or
some 700 people
Don’t use
in excess of 700 people
or
over 700 people
Page numbers (see Dash)
Although numbers under ten should be spelt out, it is recommended that when
referring to page numbers numerals are used instead of words.
Percentages
Spell out the words per cent and use the percentage symbol (%) where there is
limited space, such as tables and charts.
The percentage symbol should only be used with numerals, while the words per
cent can be used with either words or numerals.
Note also that per cent is two words, percentage is one word.
Phone (see Contact)
Always use phone when referring to a contact number for an event.
Booktalks October
11am, Monday 13 October
Balwyn Library – 336 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn
Phone: 9278 4666
When referring to a telephone number in a sentence, adopt the following standard:
For more information, phone 9278 4770.
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When referring to telephone numbers, please follow these examples:
Phone: 9278 4444 – normal landline – or for different formats:
(03) 9278 4444
1300 000 000
13 12 14
1800 111 111
Mobile: 0411 121 121
Phone: (insert name), Internal Communications Officer, on ext. 4420 or x4420 when
short on space. Use (03) for interstate correspondence.
Plants and animals
For animals, the scientific names at the genus, species and sub-species levels are
italicised. While with botanical names, italics are used for the genus, species,
sub-species variety, sub-variety, form and sub-form levels.
Generally common names are capitalised only if they contain proper names, for
example: Japanese maple, French daliahs.
While common names should be in lowercase, for example, hydrangea, conifer,
cocker spaniel.
Plural/singular
A team or the City of Boroondara itself is a single item, and therefore is treated in
the singular.
The department (team/group/City) is…
not
The department (team/group/City) are…
The Economic Development Department is completing a draft.
Plurals can cause problems, especially with nouns that end with o (hero) or ey
(monkey), and of Latin-based and French-based nouns that keep their original
plurals. Watch out for these:
Singular Plural
addendum addenda
bureau bureaux or bureaus
consortium consortia
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criterion criteria
die dice
hero heroes
memorandum memoranda
person people
tomato tomatoes
The simple rules to follow are: for nouns ending in ey (storey) simply add an s
(storeys). For nouns ending in y (folly), change the y to i and add es (follies). For
most short nouns ending in o, add es.
Principal or principlePrinciple (noun) means standard or rule of personal conduct.
Lilly Loop is a woman of good principles.
Principal (adjective) means the first or highest in rank or importance.
John Smith was the principal spokesperson.
Principal (noun) refers to the head of a group.
The Principal spoke at the school assembly.
Program not programme
Always use program. Over time, this spelling has gained the most popular use,
replacing the former spelling programme.
Pronouns (See Word classes)
Pronouns take the place of nouns (I, you, he, she, we, they).
Quotes and quotation marks
The main purpose of quotation marks (inverted commas) is to show direct speech
or the quoted work of other writers.
Use double quotation marks (“) for quotes, and single quotation marks (‘) for quotes
within quotes. For example:
“My manager said, ‘We must make sure we meet our budget requirements’.”
Enclose the following in single quotation marks when first mentioned in a text:
technical terms in non-technical writing
colloquial words in formal writing
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nicknames
slang or humourous words and phrases.
Economists described this as the ‘gross national product’.
Adding or omitting words in quotations:
If you add a word or words in a quotation, you should put square brackets around
the words to indicate that they are not part of the original text.
Jan Harold Brunvand, in an essay on urban legends, states: “some individuals
[who retell urban legends] make a point of learning every rumour or tale”.
If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word
or words by using ellipsis marks, which are three periods (…) preceded and
followed by a space. For example:
"In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that some
individuals make a point of learning every recent rumour or tale … and in a
short time a lively exchange of details occurs."
When quoting large chunks of text separate them from the rest of the text using
indents. Bullet point style remains the same when quoted.
Referencing
Follow the author-date system.
Examples of entries in a reference list or notes:
A book
Merry, G 1997, Food poisoning prevention, 2nd edn, Macmillan Education
Australia, Melbourne.
Article in a journal
Marchelier, PM & Hughes, RG 1997, ‘New problems with foodborne diseases’,
Medical Journal of Australia, vol. 275, 1997, pp. 771-5.The Boroondara Library Service has an elaborate source of reference materials that
you may refer to for further information.
Seasons
All seasons are to be written in lower case – spring, summer, autumn, winter .
Semicolons (see Colons)
Semicolons indicate shorter pauses than colons or full stops, but longer pauses
than commas and join closely related clauses.
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Council will discuss the playground issue at the next meeting; start dates
depend on the resolution.
This single sentence could have been broken into two single sentences, but could
not have been broken by a comma instead of the semicolon. Do not use a capital
letter after the semicolon.
Semicolons can also be used when one or more items in a series or list within a
sentence contain internal commas, for example, councillors came from Stonnington,
Victoria; New Farm, Queensland; Blue Mountains, NSW.
Slashes
It is unnecessary to place a space before or after a slash.
For example use
male/female
not
male / female
State Government (see Government)
Stationary or stationery
Stationary refers to a fixed object while stationery refers to writing materials (think ofgoing to the stationers to buy paper).
Suburbs
The following suburbs should be referred to in publications as they are written in the
Melway . The suburbs’ first letters and compass point references should be
capitalised and their compass point references should follow the suburb. Note,
while the North Balwyn traders refer to themselves as such, the suburb should be
referred to as Balwyn North. For example:
Camberwell East, Hawthorn East, Balwyn North and Kew East
not
East Camberwell, East Hawthorn, North Balwyn and East Kew
Tables (see Ampersand (&); Money; and Percentages)
The same rules apply for capital letters and full stops for words in tables as they do
for words in narrative.
Initial capital letter and if proper nouns form part of the heading they are
capitalised too.
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Tautology
A tautology says the same thing twice and should be avoided. For example:
4pm in the afternoon – pm tells us it is in the afternoon
added bonus – a bonus is something added
descend down – to descend is to go down
four hectares of land – hectares tells us it is land
invited guest – a guest is someone invited
new innovation – an innovation is new
final outcome – an outcome is final
first and foremost – if something is foremost it is obviously first
return back – to return is to go back
rise up – to rise is to go up
temporary reprieve – a reprieve is temporary
reason why – the reason is why
Tel, Telephone, ph or phone (see Phone)
That or which?Many reports have so many ‘that’s’ in them that it’s hard to read the facts.
Be aware of your writing style and delete repetitions of “that”.
That is a demonstrative pronoun, and which implies which one.
Use that if what comes after it defines or specifies the noun.
The book that came from the library was useful.
Use which, when the words after it are only incidental to the sentence and could be
removed without drastically changing the meaning.
The book, which can be borrowed from the library, is the best source of
information on the topic.
Their, there, they’re
Their is a possessive pronoun. It always describes a noun.
Their house, their permit, their department
Note the spelling of their ; the e comes before the i.
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There is an adverb meaning that location. It is spelled like here which means this
location.
They’re is a contraction of they are. Note the spelling: the a from are is replaced by
an apostrophe.
Their dog has fleas. (possessive of they)
I put the collar right there. (that location)
There are five prime numbers less than ten. (to be)
They’re 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. (contraction of they are)
Time (see Dates and time)
Time should be expressed in numerals, with the abbreviation am or pm following orthe alpha expression using noon and midnight.
12noon or 12midnight
Divisions of hours should be shown by a full stop, not a hyphen or a colon.
8.15pm
not
8-15pm
There should be no space between the end of the numbers and the am or pm.
Use ‘to’ not ‘until’ or a dash.
8pm to 9.30pm
Eight pm, 8 PM, 8:00 pm and 8.00pm are incorrect.
Use discretion when using the 24-hour clock. This is mainly used for rosters.
When referring to a time and date together use commas between the time and date.
For example:
7.30pm to 9pm, Thursday 5 July.
To, too and two
To, too and two are not interchangeable.
To refers to intent or direction.
I am planning to go to the library.
Too refers to an addition or inclusion – a substitute word for also.
I too am planning to go to the library.
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Two is the word used to express the numeral two (2).
The two of us are planning to go to the library.
Trademark symbols (also see Copyright symbols)
A trademark is the name, symbol, figure, letter, word or mark adopted and used by
manufacturers or merchants in order to designate the goods they manufacture or
sell, and to distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others. Any mark
entitled to registration under the provisions of a statute is a trademark.
To insert trademark symbols use the following keyboard shortcuts:
™Trademark Symbol: Alt + Ctrl + T
® Registered Trademark Symbol: Alt + Ctrl + R
Ward (see City)
Wards of our City should be spelled with a lower case w, unless following directly
after the name of the ward.
The actual ward names should always be spelled with a capital
For example:
Solway Ward
The 10 wards of the City of Boroondara are:
Bellevue Ward
Cotham Ward
Gardiner Ward
Glenferrie Ward
Junction Ward
Lynden Ward
Maling Ward
Maranoa Ward
Solway Ward
Studley Ward
Web addresses
When writing web addresses for print publications, ask the Communications team to
set up a short URL for your page reference. Contact them on ext. 4446.
For example:
Use www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/farmers-market
not
http://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/our-city/markets-restaurants/farmers-market
URLs used in electronic publications can be hyperlinked.
http://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/farmers-markethttp://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/our-city/markets-restaurants/farmers-markethttp://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/our-city/markets-restaurants/farmers-markethttp://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/farmers-market
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When a URL ends a full sentence, add a space then a full stop to end the sentence.
For more information on the guide visit www.boroondara.vic.gov.au .
Do not use a full stop after a URL when it’s not part of a full sentence.
More information: www.boroondara.vic.gov.au
Website
Website is one word, it is not hyphenated.
Wellbeing
Use wellbeing, not well-being or well being.
Which or that (see That or which?)
Who or whom
The correct use of who and whom is often confusing.
They are both pronouns but who is used as the subject of a sentence or phrase
and whom is used as the object of a verb.
Use whom when referring to the object of a verb.
To whom it may concern.
To whom did you talk to today?
Whom does Jane love?
Use who when referring to the subject of a sentence or phrase.
Who brought the paper inside?
Who talked to you today?
Who went to dinner?
wi-fi
If you start a sentence with wi-fi, use a capital (Wi-fi) but otherwise use lowercase.
Your or you’re
Your is a possessive pronoun and indicates possession of something.
This is your community.
You’re is a contraction of the words you and are.
You’re on the way to Kew.
http://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/http://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/http://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/http://www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/
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Bibliography
Burchfield, RW 2004, Fowler’s Modern English Usage, Oxford University Press.
Kaplan, B 2003, Editing Made Easy , Penguin Books Australia.
Public Affairs Group AusAID, 2002, AusAID Style Guide (inhouse), Goanna Print.
Butler, S 2006, The Macquarie Dictionary , 4th edn, Macquarie Dictionary Publishers.
McLeod, C, and Lockwood, K 2001, Style, a Guide for News Limited Journalists,
Griffin Press.
Australian Government, 2002, Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers, 6th
edn, John Wiley & Sons Australia.