Punctuation

Brackets

Use brackets when adding or substituting words in quotes for clarity (should be done sparingly).

·        “We didn’t expect [the DNA] of the two subspecies to be so different.”

Commas

In general, omit Oxford commas when listing items.

·        While the species once ranged throughout the mountainous forests of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala states, habitat destruction has relegated it to Bandipur National Park.

However, include an Oxford comma if not doing so will cause the meaning of the sentence to be unclear, or if the list includes a complex series of phrases.

·        Conservationists believe the biggest threats to the population are habitat destruction from the proliferation of logging roads, poaching for food by local groups impoverished by decades of conflict, and drought-fueled forest fires.

Use a comma before a one-sentence quote.

·        The study concluded, “Our results indicate improved management practices have reduced poaching in the reserve.”

Don’t use a comma to introduce a quote that’s a partial sentence.

·        According to Abrams, ocean acidification is “one of the biggest problems our world faces today.”

Conclude a quote with a comma if attribution immediately follows. Exceptions include if the quoted statement ends with a question mark or exclamation point.

·        “The images captured by the camera traps provide definitive proof that the species still exists,” Glazer said. 

·        “But how many are there?” Glazer said. “We just don’t know.”

Colons

In general, capitalize the first word after a colon.

Use a colon to introduce quotes consisting of more than one sentence.

·        Thompson continued: “Local communities should be involved in management decisions. Their rights to the land should also be formally recognized and considered when proposing development projects.”

Em dashes

These tend to be overused, when in most cases commas are fine. From the AP Guide to News Writing: “The comma indicates a slight break in the thought of a sentence; the semicolon a rather larger one, and the dash an abrupt, dramatic turn. Dashes, therefore, should be used sparingly; overuse weakens their effect. They often add a jarring note to an otherwise smooth sentence.”

If working in MS Word, form an em dash with ctrl-alt-minus on the numerical keypad (shift-option-minus on Mac). Remember to offset with a space before and after.

Use an em dash to indicate a sudden change in thought.

·        They trudged wearily along the trail — dozens had died on it, and they knew it — until they make camp utterly exhausted.

·        But not: He said his grandmother — who had just reached 93 — was a “very vigorous old lady.”

Em dashes can also be used to set off and emphasize a particularly important part of a phrase.

·        The forest lying above Cipaganti is ostensibly a protected forest — but the sign declaring that lies in a carrot field.

Ellipses

Construct an ellipsis as three periods with a space before and after ( … ).

Use ellipses to condense text from quoted sources.

·        “Our findings indicate the population … has remained stable over the past decade.”        

Hyphens

Use hyphens for compound modifiers (two words that together act as one adjective).

·        load-bearing walls

·        second-degree burn

·        sharp-shinned hawk

Do not use hyphens after adverbs.

·        strongly worded statement

·        highly regarded ecologist

Hyphens are generally not used to link words that are all nouns.

Use suspended hyphens in lists where portions of compound modifiers are used only once.

·        The group stayed in two-, three- and four-star hotels

Hyphens should be used for ages expressed as adjectives.

·        A more recent round of research overturned the results of the 8-year-old study

See Prefixes for more on hyphen usage.

Percent

Use the symbol %. The only exception is when starting a sentence, in which case write out “percent.”

·        The rate of deforestation increased by 12%

·        Twelve percent of the territory has been invaded by outsiders

Percentages must always be given in numerals and not written out, even for figures of one to nine, except when starting a sentence.

They take on a singular form when used alone or when following a singular word, and a plural form when following a plural word.

·        The researchers estimate 32% of the original population remains in the region

·        The researchers estimate 78% of the monkeys have been extirpated

Use decimals, not fractions, with percentages.

·        The data show 8.5% of the park’s tree cover was lost in 2011

Precede a decimal with a zero when dealing with numbers less than one.

·        Tree cover loss in the park rose at an average annual rate of 0.5% between 2001 and 2012

Quotation marks

When including part of a quote in a headline, use single rather than double quotation marks.

Use single quotation marks to express quotes within quotes.

·        “I thought, ‘This may be the first time anyone has seen this species in 100 years.’”

Commas and periods always go inside quotation marks, as do question marks when part of the quote. Other punctuation like colons and question marks when not part of the quote should be placed outside.

·        A lingering ‘legacy’: Deforestation warms climate more than expected

·        “The results were shocking,” Huang said

Headlines

Colons and semicolons in headlines are accepted. However, avoid the statement or quote that sometimes precedes a colon that adds nothing to the context of a story but takes up space.

Subheadings

If there are quotation marks in subheadings, use single quotations.