Content

--Do not begin sentences with expletives “there” and it.”

It was band class in high school that instilled the love for music that I have today.

Band class in high school instilled the love for music that I have today.

There are many aspects that make up the person who I am today.

Many aspects make up the person who I am today.

Avoid use of passive voice

The motion to give the raise to part-time city employees was approved by the council members with a 4-3 vote.

The council members approved the motion to give the raise to part-time employees with a 4-3 vote.

Council members voted 4-3 to give the raise to part-time employees.

Punctuation

--Do not use serial commas: commas before “and” in a series

--Use commas to separate parenthetical expressions

--Use commas after introductory time elements.

--Do not use commas with most prepositional phrases.

Compound Sentences

Connect independent clauses with:

--a coordinate conjunction and a comma

Council members approved funding for the project, but they agreed to put the funding in the budget for the next fiscal year.

--a semi-colon

Council members approved funding for the project; they agreed to put the funding in the budget for the next fiscal year.

--a conjunctive adverb

Council members approved funding for the project; however, they agreed to put the funding in the budget for the next fiscal year.

Style

--State names

--Country names

--Dates

--Numbers

Spell out numerals for “one” to “nine,” use numerals for 10 and greater numbers,

but ages and percentages always are numerals

--Titles

Capitalize no titles unless they appear before names.

--Composition titles

Use quotation marks

--Regions

Capitalize regions

--Academic departments and majors

Use lower case unless a proper noun such as English or unless part of an official and formal name: MTSU Department of Economics

Double-check verb forms of words that end in “l.”

traveling

patrolling

Grammar

--“that” is restrictive

This is the only time that we can register for classes.

--“which” is non-restrictive and requires use of commas to set off phrase

The office, which has five employees, provides information about living off-campus.

--Use parallel construction

I met a lot of nice people, opened up more, and it challenged me academically.

I met a lot of nice people and opened up more, and it challenged me academically.