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Last Seven DaysQuestion from Washington, District of Columbia, on Oct. 10, 2024
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From the possessives entry:
SINGULAR PROPER NAMES ENDING IN S: Use only an apostrophe: Achilles' heel, Agnes' book, Ceres' rites, Descartes' theories, Dickens' novels, Euripides' dramas, Hercules' labors, Jesus' life, Jules' seat, Kansas' schools, Moses' law, Socrates' life, Tennessee Williams' plays, Xerxes' armies.
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Question from Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 10, 2024
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Question from Saginaw, Michigan, on Oct. 10, 2024
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A bachelor degree's in mechanical engineering
A Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering
Question from Irvine, California, on Oct. 9, 2024
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Question from San Diego, California, on Oct. 9, 2024
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Question from Wadena, Minnesota, on Oct. 9, 2024
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Merriam-Webster doesn't list trunk or treat at all, either with or without the hyphens.
So, yes, it's a dilemma. We'd suggest that because the latter term is less familiar, adding the hyphens can add a bit of clarity. And then to be consistent, we'd hyphenate trick-or-treat as well. Our friends at Merriam-Webster may differ.
Question from Roselle, Illinois, on Oct. 9, 2024
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Question from Washington, District of Columbia, on Oct. 9, 2024
I'm working on an article that includes a quote from the director of a kayaking program that aims to engage people of color from the local community. The quote says: “Due to historical prejudices and exclusion, Black and brown folks may not know about the river, may believe that the river isn’t for them or a place for them, or may feel unprepared for paddling the river independently." It looks strange to me to cap "Black" but not "brown" and I feel like I could get backlash from readers on it. What are your thoughts?
Thanks!
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brown (adj.) Avoid this broad and imprecise term in racial, ethnic or cultural references unless as part of a direct quotation. Interpretations of what the term includes vary widely. Be specific.
Question from Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 9, 2024
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Here is the relevant section from the numerals entry:
Sequential designations: Generally use figures, but spell out ordinal numbers ninth and under. Capitalize the first letter for a single designation: Act 3, Exit 2, Game 3, Phase 1, Room 6, Size 12, Stage 3, Category 4, Type 2. Use lowercase for plurals: sizes 6 and 8, exits 4 and 5, acts 1 and 2, verses 2 and 9. It’s Verse 1 but the first verse; Game 4 but the fourth game.
Question from West Newton, Massachusetts, on Oct. 9, 2024
In the Wall Street Journal, I see the following: Savers can also simply withdraw excess 529 assets, and the withdrawals will come in two pro-rata pieces consisting of contributions and earnings.
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Question from Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 9, 2024
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Full guidance is in our hyphen entry.
Question from Dallas, Texas, on Oct. 8, 2024
Is "To" the last word and needs to be capped? Or is "How-to" considered one word (a noun that stands on its own), not two words coming together in hyphenation? In which case, the final word is "How-to" and we would not cap the "to"?
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From the composition titles entry:
- Capitalize all words in a title except articles (a, an, the); prepositions of three or fewer letters (for, of, on, up, etc.); and conjunctions of three or fewer letters (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet, etc.) unless any of those start or end the title.
Question from Cary, North Carolina, on Oct. 8, 2024
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Question from Worcester, Massachusetts, on Oct. 8, 2024
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Question on Oct. 8, 2024
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Question from Columbia City, Indiana, on Oct. 8, 2024
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But if you prefer to make it HandyPress's, that would be in line with some other styles.
Question from Salt Lake City, Utah, on Oct. 7, 2024
Is it ok to abbreviate state Route 201 as SR 201?
Is it ok to abbreviate state Route 201 to Route 201 on second reference?
Is it ok to abbreviate U.S. Route 905 to Route 905 on second reference?
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Is it ok to abbreviate state Route 201 to Route 201 on second reference? Yes.
Is it ok to abbreviate U.S. Route 905 to Route 905 on second reference? Yes.
Question from Boston, Massachusetts, on Oct. 7, 2024
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You might try rewording to avoid the issue, since either way, some readers will object. For instance, instead of Here is a/an FAQ to help ... you could write: This FAQ should help ...
Question from Boston, Massachusetts, on Oct. 7, 2024
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Question on Oct. 6, 2024
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Sequential designations: Generally use figures, but spell out ordinal numbers ninth and under. Capitalize the first letter for a single designation: Act 3, Exit 2, Game 3, Phase 1, Room 6, Size 12, Stage 3, Category 4, Type 2. Use lowercase for plurals: sizes 6 and 8, exits 4 and 5, acts 1 and 2, verses 2 and 9. It’s Verse 1 but the first verse; Game 4 but the fourth game.
Question from Edmond, Oklahoma, on Oct. 6, 2024
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