Western States Lodging and Management

Style Guide

Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................................................ 2 Acronyms .................................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Capitalization ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Captions ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Headings ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Hyphenation .............................................................................................................................................................................. 5 Italics............................................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Numbers ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Punctuation ................................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Style Sheet ................................................................................................................................................................................ 11 Spelling ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Usage........................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Tables ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Index ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 15

Introduction
This style guide was created for Western States Lodging and Management(WSLM) and its subsidiary businesses. The guide lines in this book are based on The Chicago Manual of Style, sixteenth edition. When multiple options were available decisions on style were based on the preferences of WSLM. This style guide isnt a comprehensive collection of all style issues it covers basic issues that will keep documents consistent and readable; and all documents created by WSLM consistent with each other. If information is needed that is not found in this style guide, then The Chicago Manual of Style, sixteenth edition should be consulted to remain consistent with information in this guide. When examples were used that cited a dictionary, Websters Dictionary was used.

Abbreviations
When abbreviations are used in a document, they should first be spelled out first in a formal text as a courtesy to those readers who might not easily recognize them.

Acronyms
When acronyms are used in a document they are first introduced by the full name that the acronym stands for, with the acronym in parenthesis directly following the full name. After the acronym has been introduced, it is then used throughout the document. If an acronym is commonly used (FDA, IRS, US) then it does not need to be introduced by its full name first. Example: Adult Protective Services(APS) was contacted. APS deemed an
investigation was not necessary.

The following table lists commonly used acronyms and the full name that they stand for.
Acronym ADA APS CNA DR FDA FMLA HIPAA ICE IRS LPN MT PA RN WSLM Full Name Americans with Disabilities Act Adult Protective Services Certified Nursing Assistant Doctor Food and Drug Administration Family and Medical Leave Act Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Immigration and Customs Enforcement Internal Revenue Service Licensed Practical Nurse Med Tech Physicians Assistant Registered Nurse Western States Lodging and Management

Capitalization
The full names of institutions, companies, and the names of their departments, and often shortened forms of such names are capitalized. Generally, a the preceding name (the company), is lowercased unless referring to a specific company or when written in business documents, promotional materials, and the like. However written, it should be used in a consistent manner throughout the whole document. Example: Western States Lodging and Management; the Company Always capitalize specific job titles. Example: John Smith is the General Manager.

Captions
A caption is an explanatory note that accompanies an illustration. This caption can be on top of, below or to the side of a caption. A caption can consist of a few words, an incomplete sentence, a complete sentence or a mixture of these. If the caption consists of a few words or an incomplete sentence then no punctuation is necessary. If the caption consists of complete sentences then appropriate punctuation is needed; for consistency if a caption contains both complete and in complete sentences then punctuate both. Captions are capitalized like sentences: the first word and any proper noun are capitalized in the caption. Example:

This is our facility in Bountiful, Utah

Headings
General Formatting for Headings: Headings need to be in a larger font size than the body
of the text, centered, and bolded. Subheadings need to be the same size font as the body of the text, justified left, underlined, bolded, and off set in on separate line. Example:

New Employee Orientation

To Communicate Well, Learn to Listen Well

Punctuating a heading: Generally headings and subheadings do not to have periods. The
exception would be if the subheading runs into the text that it is introducing then a period is needed for separation.

Guidelines for Capitalization in a Heading: In a heading the first and last word along with
all major words in the heading need to be capitalized. Articles (the, a, an) and conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor) are not capitalized in a heading unless they are the first word of the heading. Prepositions (in, on, up, to, down, etc) are only capitalized when they are used as an adverb or adjective, otherwise they are lowercase. Example:

Requirement to Directly Record All Work in the Time Clock

Hyphenation
There are two uses for a hyphen the first is to use it as a separator, the second is used to form compound words.

Hyphen as separator: A hyphen is used to separate numbers that are not inclusive, such as a
telephone number or social security number. A hyphen can also be used to separate letters when a word is spelled out letter by letter. A hyphen is also used to show a line break. Example: (801)294-2925

Hyphen in compound words:

Category Adjective and Noun Age Terms Colors Combining Forms

The following table gives instances when a hyphen is used to create a compound word and some when hyphens are not needed.

Compass points and directions Fractions

Noun + Noun Noun + Noun (both nouns equal) Noun + Number or enumerator Number and Noun, including ordinal numbers.

Rule Hyphenate before a noun, but not after Hyphenate in both noun and adjective forms. Hyphenated before but not after a noun. Closed if the combination is permanent, hyphenate if the combination is temporary Only hyphenate when three directions are used, two directions create one word. Hyphenate nouns, adjective, or adverbs unless a secondary element is already hyphenated. Hyphenate only when it is acting as an adjective. Hyphenate in both noun an adjective form. Do not hyphenate in any form. Hyphenate before a noun, otherwise no hyphen is needed.

Example the full-time employee the employee is full time a ninety-year-old a ninety-year-old resident blue-green wall the wall is blue green non-exempt firewall northwest west-northwest one-half one twenty-fifth

nurse-practitioner investment-property type 1 diabetes type A blood The three-page report The report is three pages The second-floor room The room on the second floor

Ordinal number and superlative Phrase, adjective

Phrase, noun

Written out number

Hyphenate before a noun, otherwise no hyphen is needed. Hyphenate before a noun, after a noun no hyphenation is needed. Consult a dictionary for hyphenation, if it isnt in the dictionary then do not hyphenate. Hyphenate twenty-one through ninety-nine

The second-largest facility The facility is second largest on-the-clock employee employee on the clock See Websters Dictionary

Twenty-three Three thousand

Italics
Italics type is generally used to place emphasis on words or phrases. When using italics for emphasis it should be done sparingly, if too much of the document is italicized then the purpose (placing emphasis) is lost because too much emphasis has been placed. Italics is also used to offset titles of books, entire periodicals, works of art, ship names and legal cases. Examples: Moby Dick(book title)

The Desert News(periodical) Plessey v. Ferguson(legal case)

Numbers
Zero Through One Hundred: Numbers zero though one hundred need to be spelled out. Ordinals
from first to one hundredth need to be spelled out as well. Example: fifty-seven

third floor

Hundreds, Thousands and Hundred Thousands: Numbers above one hundred are expressed
in numerals. However, any whole number followed by hundred, thousand, or hundred thousand need to be written out. This rule also applies to ordinals. Example: 258

350th two hundred twenty-three thousand

Large numbers: Millions, Billions, and so forth: For large number such as millions,
billions, and so on, the whole number is written out followed by million, or billion. If the number is a mixed fraction before the large number then a mixture of numerals and written out numbers will be used.
Example: four million

5.5 million

Fractions: Simple fraction are spelled out, this makes the document more readable and
consistent. When the fraction is spelled out it needs to be hyphenated. If the fraction is complex, then it can be expressed in numerals. Examples: one-half two-thirds
34/57

Decimals: For readability decimals are expressed in numerals. If the number is less than one, a zero and
decimal point needs to precede the number; this increases readability and ensures that ia number isnt miss read.

Examples: 4.677 3.124 0.342

Percentages: Unless at the beginning of a sentence percentages are expressed in numerals. If

the percentage begins the sentence then it needs to be spelled out. Generally the word percent follows the number, however, in scientific and technical context the symbol % is used. Examples: The building is 95 percent full. Sixty-seven percent of our residents are women.

Telephone Numbers: Telephone numbers are expressed in numerals. If the telephone number
has an area code, the area code is enclosed in parentheses and the rest of the telephone number is separated a hyphen. Examples: (801)294-2925
294-1703

Punctuation
Periods: A period marks the end of a declarative sentence and can follow a word or phrase that
stands alone. One space follows a sentence before beginning a new one. No period should follow titles, headings, column heads in tables and other display lines.
Example:

Commas: Commas indicate the smallest break in a sentence.

Example: I want to go to the basketball game, but I cant because I am sick. Serial Commas are used when a list of items is grouped in a series, they are normally separated by commas. When a conjunction is used in a series, a comma is places before it. Example: My favorite things to do during summer include swimming, camping, reading, and playing the guitar. When sentences are very long, complex, and stand in need of internal punctuation, semicolons may need to separate the series instead of commas. Example: Our family went camping the other weekend, but I had the worst time because my flashlight ran out of batteries and I couldn't see how to pitch the tent; I couldn't sleep because the ground was rocky and I had forgotten the padding to put under the sleeping bags; and I sprained my ankle while going on a hike. Commas are usually unnecessary when using phrases like not only...but and not...but. Example: Not only did The Beatles create music but they were in movies as well.

Slashes: To prevent ambiguity, slashes used in dates (4/12/11) should be avoided in formal
publications. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recommends a year, month, date format in the form YYYY-MM-DD for all-numeral formats. Example: 2011-04-24 Slashes may be used to replace the word per. Example: $400/week

Apostrophe: The apostrophe has three main functions:

1. To represent a possessive case. Example: Jacob drove his dads car. 2. To create a contraction, or rather, to stand in place of missing letters. Example: I dont want to go.
3. To represent a plural case.

Example: I received all As and one B this semester.

Lists: Vertical lists are best introduced by a complete sentence, followed by a colon. If numbers
are going to be used to list the items in the list, then a period should follow the number. If the items in the list are complete sentences, then a period should be used, otherwise, period would be unnecessary for phrases and words. Example: Before the doctor sees his patient, he asks the nurses to: measure the patients height and weight check the patients pulse check the patient's blood pressure

Vertical lists with subdivided items may be identified with both numerals and letters. Example: Many style guides address the following areas of punctuation: 1. Commas a. The basic function of a comma b. When to use a series comma c. When to use semicolons instead of commas 2. Apostrophes a. When representing the possessive case b. How to use an apostrophe with a contraction c. How to represent a plural case

When vertical lists are punctuated and complete a sentence, they should be have the listed items followed by a semicolon, with the last item ending with a period. Example: Before traveling to a foreign country, one must 1. make sure he/she has a current passport; 2. apply for a VISA; and 3. consider purchasing travelers insurance

Style Sheet
A style sheet is an abbreviated version of a style guide that lists only the things that appear in the document that the writer is working on. The style sheet can contain a brief explanation of the rule and examples that are in the text, or just examples of rules that apply to the text. A style sheet insures that a single document remains consistent with usage according to the style guide that is approved by the company.

Sample Style Sheet:

Acronyms: When an acronym is used it must first be introduced by the full name followed by the
acronym in parenthesis. After the acronym has been introduced then only the acronym is used in the document.

Examples: Western States Lodging and Management(WSLM)

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act(HIPAA)

Capitalization: The full names of intuitions, companies, and the names of their departments, and often shortened forms of such words are capitalized. When referring to a specific company in a document the word Company can be capitalized but should be throughout the entire document. Examples: The Company Nursing Department Numbers: Numbers and ordinals zero though one hundred are spelled out. Decimals are expressed in numerals. Examples: Fifty-seven 3.143

Spelling
Below is an alphabetical list of commonly misspelled words:
A Accidentally achieve address advice affect a lot apparent beginning believe committee conscience conscious criticize definitely desperate disappoint effect exaggerate excellence fiery fulfill immediately intelligence knowledge maintenance maneuver mischievous necessary noticeable occasionally opportunity optimistic parallel performance possession practically preferred prejudice principal

B C

F I K M

N O

P (continued) R

T U

privilege procedure receive recommend referring sincerely specifically surprise tendency undoubtedly unnecessary

These commonly misspelled words were extracted from Websters New World Pocket Misspellers Dictionary. For a much more comprehensive list of commonly misspelled words, please see Websters New World Pocket Misspellers Dictionary.

Usage
When creating documents, establishing a norm for certain terms is important to allow for consistency. For example, one may write email, e-mail, or E-mail. They are all correct, but whichever is version is used, it should be written in the same manner throughout all of the documents.

Tables
Titles: Titles should be as compact and precise as possible, and should not suggest an
interpretation of the data. Example: Southern racism during the sixties instead of High amounts of racism in the South during the sixties Titles may be capitalized as a sentence would be capitalizes Example: Interpretation of financial data

Style: Matrixes should be formed in a tabular structure designed to show mutual relationships
within the group of items, concepts, or individuals being prepared.
Alignment- Usually, columns consisting of words, phrases, or sentences follow a left-right alignment. Columns with entries that do not run over lines, may be centered. Longer entries usually look better when flushed left.

Index
Abbreviations, 3 Acronyms, 3 Apostrophe, 11 Capitalization, 4 Captions, 4 Commas, 10 commonly misspelled words:, 13 Decimals, 9 Headings, 5 Hyphenation, 6 Italics, 7 Lists, 11 Percentages, 9 Periods, 10 Punctuation, 10 Slashes, 10 Spelling, 13 Style Sheet, 12 Tables, 15 Telephone Numbers, 9 Titles, 15 Usage, 14