WRITING AND WRITERS: STYLE AND WRITING MANUALS : UNITED STATES: GOVERNMENT: NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION: NARA Style Guide
National Archives and Records Administration
NARA Style Guide
Preface
Clear writing conveys clear thought. NARA writers in all offices must strive for clear communication to explain their increasingly complex work. They write letters, memorandums, finding aids, web pages, blogs, leaflets, reports, articles, exhibit scripts, brochures, budget requests, speeches, forms, and email messages. This style guide establishes agency standards of punctuation, word usage, and grammar that will answer writers‘ most common questions and will, we hope, promote clear and effective writing
throughout NARA.
Style changes over time and even from place to place, depending on the intended audience. These differences do not necessarily make one choice
―wrong.‖ What is ―right‖ is consistency within your own work and using the appropriate language and usage for your audience.
The NARA Style Guide fills two needs. First, the section ―Writing for Plain Language ‖ will help us comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010. Second, it addresses many of the questions and issues unanswered by the Government Printing Office Style Manual (GPO manual). This guide is based on the GPO manual but includes modifications that reflect current usage.
The most notable difference from the GPO manual concerns the treatment of numbers. This style guide simplifies the rules. In most cases, writers will spell out numbers under 10 and use numerals for numbers 10 and over.
(See section 4.10.)
The GPO manual is still NARA‘s primary reference for style. For issues not covered in the NARA guide, continue to consult the GPO manual.
The appendix, ―Quick Reference,‖ may be particularly helpful to NARA writers. This list of words and phrases provides quick answers to common questions about capitalization, spelling, compound words, and plurals.
The NARA Style Guide took shape from the agency‘s specific language needs and will continue to change to reflect the needs and concerns of NARA writers. Use the NARA Style Guide for all NARA communications.
If you have questions about spelling, grammar, or usage that are not addressed by this guide, contact the Strategy and Communications staff
Helpful References
PlainLanguage.gov
http://www.plainlanguage.gov
Bremner, John B.
Words on Words.
New York: Columbia University Press, 1980.
The Chicago Manual of Style.
16th ed.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010.
Cormier, Robin.
Error-Free Writing:
A Lifetime Guide to Flawless Business Writing.
Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995.
Editors of EEI Press,
E-What?:
A Guide to the Quirks of New Media Style and Usage.
Alexandria, VA: EEI Press, 2000.
General Services Administration,
Standard and Optional Forms Procedural Handbook.
Washington, DC: GSA, July 2009.
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/SF
Gunning, Robert.
The Technique of Clear Writing.
New York: McGraw-Hill, rev. 1983.
Lauchman, Richard.
Plain Style:
Techniques for Simple, Concise, Emphatic Business Writing.
New York: AMACOM, 1993.
National Archives and Records Administration,
Guide for Preparing NARA Correspondence:
A Supplement to NARA 201 (June 13, 2005).
http://tinyurl.com/p9zmaol
National Archives and Records Administration,
Office of the Federal Register,
Plain Language Tools.
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/write/plain-language/
National Archives and Records Administration,
Office of the Federal Register,
Drafting Legal Documents
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/write/legal-docs/index.html
The New York Public Library
Writer’s Guide to Style and Usage.
New York: HarperCollins, 1994.
Redish, Janice (Ginny).
Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works.
San Francisco: Morgan Kaufman, 2007.
Strunk, William, Jr.
The Elements of Style. With revisions, an introduction,
and a chapter on writing
by E. B. White.
4th ed.
Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999.
(commonly known as ―Strunk and White‖)
United States Government Printing Office
Style Manual.
Washington, DC: GPO, 2008.
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/stylemanual/browse.html
Contents
1. Writing in Plain Language
1.1 Think about your audience
1.2 Organize your material
1.2.1 Use headings and subheadings
1.2.2 Limit heading levels to three or fewer
1.2.3 Write short sections
1.3 Verbs
1.3.1 Use the active voice (unless passive makes more sense)
1.3.2 Use the simplest form of the verb
1.3.3 Don‘t hide the verb
1.3.4 Don‘t use ―shall‖
1.3.5 Avoid the false subjects It is and There are
1.3.6 Use contractions when appropriate
1.4 Nouns and pronouns
1.4.1 Use everyday words
1.4.2 Avoid ―noun strings‖
1.4.3 Use pronouns
1.5 Omit unnecessary words
1.5.1 Write with a word, not a phrase
1.5.2 Avoid redundancy
1.5.3 Avoid intruding words
1.5.4 Don‘t ―double‖ terms
1.5.5 Beware basis, manner, fashion, and way
1.6 Sentences
1.6.1 Write short sentences
1.6.2 Place words carefully
1.6.3 Use idioms
1.6.4 Minimize the use of ―not‖
2. Formatting for Readability
2.1 Understand that isolation is emphasis
2.2 Don‘t hesitate to use headings in any document
2.3 Isolate lead sentences
2.4 Feel free to write one-sentence paragraphs
2.5 Use standard typefaces for the text
2.6 Leave the right margin ragged
2.7 Leave plenty of white space
2.8 Use discretion with graphics
2.9 Use tables to present comparisons
2.10 Use vertical lists
2.11 Use footnotes and endnotes for explanatory or peripheral information iv
2.12 Adjust established formats when necessary
3. Writing and Formatting Email
3.1 Think before sending
3.2 Use the subject field
3.3 Be cautious about using special type styles
3.4 Be judicious when capitalizing words
3.5 Keep paragraphs short
3.6 Maintain a businesslike tone
4. Usage and Style
4.1 Abbreviations and Symbols
4.1.1 Geographic locations
4.1.2 United States / U.S.
4.1.3 Personal titles
4.1.4 Citations
4.1.5 Typographic symbols
4.2 Acronyms
4.3 Addresses
4.4 Capitalization
4.4.1 Geographic terms
4.4.2 Military terms
4.4.3 NARA forms, directives, and notices
4.4.4 Organizations
4.4.5 Personal titles
4.5 Compounds
4.5.1 Prefixes
4.5.2 Compound adjectives
4.5.3 Compound nouns
4.5.4 Suspended compounds
4.5.5 References to ethnicity
4.6 Computer-related terms
4.7 Dates
4.8 Grammar reminders
4.8.1 Subject/verb agreement
4.8.2 Prepositions and pronouns
4.9 Gender-neutral language
4.10 Numbers
4.11 Plurals
4.12 Possessives
4.13 Problem words and phrases
4.14 Punctuation
4.14.1 Apostrophe
4.14.2 Colons and semicolons
4.14.3 Comma
4.14.4 Dash
4.14.5 Ellipses
4.14.6 Parentheses
4.14.7 Quotation marks
4.15 References to NARA
4.16 Titles of works: italics or quotation marks
Appendix: Quick Reference
Content Sample:
1. Writing in Plain Language
Writing in plain language means writing clearly. It means writing so that readers can
find what they need, understand what they find, and use what they find to meet their needs. The more clearly you communicate, the more likely your readers will grasp what you want them to grasp and do what you want them to do, from filling out a form correctly to complying with a regulation.
And the less likely it is that your readers will
call or write you to ask questions or express
frustration.
Ultimately, your job will be easier and more pleasant if you take the time to communicate clearly.
http://www.archives.gov/open/plain-writing/style-guide.pdf
Preface
.
Clear writing conveys clear thought. NARA writers in all offices must
strive for clear communication to explain their increasingly complex work.
They write letters, memorandums, finding aids, web pages, blogs, leaflets,
reports, articles, exhibit scripts, brochures, budget requests, speeches,
forms, and email messages. This style guide establishes agency standards
of punctuation, word usage, and grammar that will answer writers‘ most c
ommon questions and will, we hope, promote clear and effective writing
throughout NARA.
.
Style changes over time and even from place to place, depending on the
intended audience. These differences do not necessarily make one choice
―wrong.‖
What is ―right‖ is consistency within your own work and using the appropriate
language and usage for your audience.
.
The NARA Style Guide fills two needs. First, the section ―Writing for Plain
Language‖ will help us comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010. Second,
it addresses many of the questions and issues unanswered by the Government
Printing Office Style Manual (GPO manual). This guide is based on the GPO
manual but includes modifications that reflect current usage.
.
The most notable difference from the GPO manual concerns the treatment of
numbers. This style guide simplifies the rules. In most cases, writers will
spell out numbers under 10 and use numerals for numbers 10 and over.
(See section 4.10.)
.
The GPO manual is still NARA‘s primary reference for style. For issues not
covered in the NARA guide, continue to consult the GPO manual.
.
The appendix, ―Quick Reference,‖ may be particularly helpful to NARA writers.
This list of words and phrases provides quick answers to common questions a
bout capitalization, spelling, compound words, and plurals.
.
The NARA Style Guide took shape from the agency‘s specific language needs
and will continue to change to reflect the needs and concerns of NARA writers.
Use the NARA Style Guide for all NARA communications.
.
If you have questions about spelling, grammar, or usage that are not addressed
by this guide, contact the Strategy and Communications staff
.
(SC, Mary Ryan: mary.ryan@nara.gov, telephone 202-357-5482).
.
Helpful References
.
PlainLanguage.gov
http://www.plainlanguage.gov
.
Bremner, John B.
Words on Words.
New York: Columbia University Press, 1980.
.
The Chicago Manual of Style.
16th ed.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010.
.
Cormier, Robin.
Error-Free Writing:
A Lifetime Guide to Flawless Business Writing.
Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995.
.
Editors of EEI Press,
E-What?:
A Guide to the Quirks of New Media Style and Usage.
Alexandria, VA: EEI Press, 2000.
.
General Services Administration,
Standard and Optional Forms Procedural Handbook.
Washington, DC: GSA, July 2009.
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/SF
.
Gunning, Robert.
The Technique of Clear Writing.
New York: McGraw-Hill, rev. 1983.
.
Lauchman, Richard.
Plain Style:
Techniques for Simple, Concise, Emphatic Business Writing.
New York: AMACOM, 1993.
.
National Archives and Records Administration,
Guide for Preparing NARA Correspondence:
A Supplement to NARA 201 (June 13, 2005).
http://www.nara-at-work.gov/nara_policies_and_guidance/
directives/0200_series/word/corrguide.doc
OR
http://tinyurl.com/p9zmaol
.
National Archives and Records Administration,
Office of the Federal Register,
Plain Language Tools.
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/write/plain-language/
.
National Archives and Records Administration,
Office of the Federal Register,
Drafting Legal Documents.
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/write/legal-docs/index.html
.
The New York Public Library
Writer’s Guide to Style and Usage.
New York: HarperCollins, 1994.
.
Redish, Janice (Ginny).
Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works.
San Francisco: Morgan Kaufman, 2007.
.
Strunk, William, Jr.
The Elements of Style. With revisions, an introduction,
and a chapter on writing
by E. B. White.
4th ed.
Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999.
(commonly known as ―Strunk and White‖)
.
United States Government Printing Office
Style Manual.
Washington, DC: GPO, 2008.
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/stylemanual/browse.html
.
.
Contents
1. Writing in Plain Language
1.1 Think about your audience
1.2 Organize your material
1.2.1 Use headings and subheadings
1.2.2 Limit heading levels to three or fewer
1.2.3 Write short sections
1.3 Verbs
1.3.1 Use the active voice (unless passive makes more sense)
1.3.2 Use the simplest form of the verb
1.3.3 Don‘t hide the verb
1.3.4 Don‘t use ―shall‖
1.3.5 Avoid the false subjects It is and There are
1.3.6 Use contractions when appropriate
1.4 Nouns and pronouns
1.4.1 Use everyday words
1.4.2 Avoid ―noun strings‖
1.4.3 Use pronouns
1.5 Omit unnecessary words
1.5.1 Write with a word, not a phrase
1.5.2 Avoid redundancy
1.5.3 Avoid intruding words
1.5.4 Don‘t ―double‖ terms
1.5.5 Beware basis, manner, fashion, and way
1.6 Sentences
1.6.1 Write short sentences
1.6.2 Place words carefully
1.6.3 Use idioms
1.6.4 Minimize the use of ―not‖
2. Formatting for Readability
2.1 Understand that isolation is emphasis
2.2 Don‘t hesitate to use headings in any document
2.3 Isolate lead sentences
2.4 Feel free to write one-sentence paragraphs
2.5 Use standard typefaces for the text
2.6 Leave the right margin ragged
2.7 Leave plenty of white space
2.8 Use discretion with graphics
2.9 Use tables to present comparisons
2.10 Use vertical lists
2.11 Use footnotes and endnotes for explanatory or peripheral information iv
2.12 Adjust established formats when necessary
3. Writing and Formatting Email
3.1 Think before sending
3.2 Use the subject field
3.3 Be cautious about using special type styles
3.4 Be judicious when capitalizing words
3.5 Keep paragraphs short
3.6 Maintain a businesslike tone
4. Usage and Style
4.1 Abbreviations and Symbols
4.1.1 Geographic locations
4.1.2 United States / U.S.
4.1.3 Personal titles
4.1.4 Citations
4.1.5 Typographic symbols
4.2 Acronyms
4.3 Addresses
4.4 Capitalization
4.4.1 Geographic terms
4.4.2 Military terms
4.4.3 NARA forms, directives, and notices
4.4.4 Organizations
4.4.5 Personal titles
4.5 Compounds
4.5.1 Prefixes
4.5.2 Compound adjectives
4.5.3 Compound nouns
4.5.4 Suspended compounds
4.5.5 References to ethnicity
4.6 Computer-related terms
4.7 Dates
4.8 Grammar reminders
4.8.1 Subject/verb agreement
4.8.2 Prepositions and pronouns
4.9 Gender-neutral language
4.10 Numbers
4.11 Plurals
4.12 Possessives
4.13 Problem words and phrases
4.14 Punctuation
4.14.1 Apostrophe
4.14.2 Colons and semicolons
4.14.3 Comma
4.14.4 Dash
4.14.5 Ellipses
4.14.6 Parentheses
4.14.7 Quotation marks
4.15 References to NARA
4.16 Titles of works: italics or quotation marks
Appendix: Quick Reference
.
.
1. Writing in Plain Language
.
Writing in plain language means writing clearly.
It means writing so that readers can
find what they need, understand what they find,
and use what they find to meet their needs.
The more clearly you communicate, the more likely
your readers will grasp what you want them to grasp
and do what you want them to do, from filling out a
form correctly to complying with a regulation.
And the less likely it is that your readers will
call or write you to ask questions or express
frustration.
