Marine Corps University Communications Style Guide
CHAPTER TEN: GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION, AND MECHANICS
Grammar is another word for structure. We think of grammar as a set of rules that direct the ways in which we structure sentences in standard American English. While usage rules and conventions certainly differ across English-speaking cultures around the globe, they tend to be fairly consistent across U.S. academic institutions and disciplines. If you have not recently taken a grammar or composition course, or if you have spent more time in the operating forces than in the classroom during the past several years, this chapter will provide you with a condensed, user-friendly version of The Chicago Manual of Style guidelines for implementing principles of grammar and punctuation. Chapter 10 covers grammar basics, punctuation marks, italics, abbreviations, capitalization, quote marks, numerals, pronouns, prepositions, and adjective order.
CSG 10.1 Grammar Basics: Parts of Speech and Sentence Components
When we express ourselves in language, our goal is typically to be understood by our audiences, whether they are listening to what we say or reading what we have written. To be clearly understood, we want to follow the conventions of the language.
Specialized contexts—the military, the government, organizational workplaces, and academia—typically have specialized language (jargon) as well as usage conventions (specialized grammar) that direct the ways in which language is used in those contexts. Many of our readers are familiar with military jargon, and they struggle to mitigate its effects in their writing. The MCU Communications Style Guide offers guidance about using language effectively in academic contexts.
Language is structured according to usage conventions at the level of the word and the sentence; additional conventions govern use at the level of the paragraph and the document. These conventions—or rules—are what we think of as the grammar of a language. When we refer to grammar, though, we are usually referring only to the structure of sentences.
Sentences are composed of words and phrases. The structure of sentences in a particular language is controlled by practices or rules that speakers of that language follow when they speak or write. We combine words to make phrases, and we combine phrases to make sentences. You know the grammar rules of your language because you know what “sounds right” to you and what does not.
Words and phrases are sentence constituents or units. Our native speaker rules of English tell us how to combine words and phrases to create sentences. For example, the grammar rules inside your head tell you that sentences 1 and 2 are correct, but that sentence 3 is incorrect. We would never express an idea that way in English.
1. The active duty Marine deployed to Afghanistan in the spring.
2. In the spring, the active duty Marine deployed to Afghanistan.
3. Deployed to Afghanistan in the spring the active duty Marine.
English is a subject-verb-object language, which means that speakers begin sentences with subjects, which are followed by verbs, which are followed by objects. We know that the heart of a subject is a noun phrase, and the heart of a predicate is a verb phrase. If you are a native English speaker, you have internalized these rules, even if you do not know how to articulate them. Nouns and verbs are the two essential parts of speech that you use to create sentences. Other parts of speech are listed in table 19.
Table 19. Parts of speech
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Part of speech
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Definition
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Example
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Noun
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person, place, thing, idea, or entity
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The Marine took classes at Marine Corps University.
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Pronoun
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takes the place of nouns or other pronouns; often used to avoid excessive repetition and to build cohesion in writing
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She had previously taken classes online.
Note: pronouns have many different cases, and there are more than 70 pronouns used in the English language.
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Verb
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action word or word that indicates a state of being
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The Marine took classes at Marine Corps University.
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Adverb
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word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb in relation to a given place, time, situation, or degree
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She studied hard and kept up with her reading assignments diligently.
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Adjective
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word or phrase that acts to modify or qualify a noun
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The Marine’s favorite part of the year was February, when she took an interesting elective.
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Preposition
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a word (almost always a part of a phrase) that links nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence
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The Marine’s favorite part of the year was the elective session.
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Conjunction
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a word used to connect words, phrases, and clauses
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She studied hard, and she kept up with her reading.
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Interjection
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an exclamation made as a remark to something
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Wow! The Marine received honors as a distinguished graduate in June.
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Nouns are persons, places, things, ideas, and entities. They can do things, and they can have things done to them. A noun phrase often begins with a determiner (e.g., the) and contains words that modify the noun (words that give you more information about it, such as adjectives). A noun phrase usually serves as the subject of a sentence; it is who or what the sentence is about. Subject noun phrases are bold in the sentences below.
1. The active duty Marine deployed to Afghanistan in the spring.
2. Continued development of missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads further threatens security for the United States and its allies.
Verbs are action words or terms that indicate states of being. Verb phrases typically follow subject noun phrases and precede object noun phrases. They may be modified by adverbs that provide information about manner or degree. Where a noun phrase serves as the subject of a sentence, a verb phrase serves as its predicate, providing information about what the subject did or what happened to the subject. Verb phrases typically mark the time of an event (e.g., past, present, or future). Table 20 provides examples of the different verb tenses used to denote these time periods or you can practice verb tense knowledge with worksheet 9.
Table 20. Verb tenses
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Present
used when referring to something currently happening, state of being
I study.
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Past
used when referring to something that happened prior to the present
I studied.
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Future
used when referring to something anticipated that has not happened
I will study.
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Present perfect
used when referring to something that started in the past and continues into the present
I have studied.
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Past perfect
used when referring to something that started and ended at a point in the past; used when referring to the earlier of two events in the past
I had studied before I ate dinner.
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Future perfect
used when referring to something that will have occurred by a particular point in the future
I will have studied for two hours by 1600.
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Present continuous
used when referring to an ongoing action
I am studying.
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Past continuous
used when referring to something that was ongoing at a time in the past
I was studying when they called.
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Future continuous
used when referring to an ongoing action that will be occurring at a point in the future something that will occur for a period of time
I will be studying when they arrive.
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Present perfect
continuous
used when referring to an ongoing action that began in the past and continues in the present
I have been studying.
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Past perfect continuous
used when referring to something that continued until a particular time in the past but is now over
I had been studying when they called.
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Future perfect
continuous
used when referring to an ongoing action expected to occur in the future
I will have been studying.
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Worksheet 9. Now You Try It! Verb Tense Quiz
1. As the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) sailed through the South China Sea, the commander receives a call for help from one of the Americans on the oil rig.
In the above sentence, are the verbs correctly or incorrectly used?
2. Since 1948, Sri Lanka is independent from the British.
In the above sentence, is the verb correctly or incorrectly used?
3. The Marine Corps capitalize on this concept by maintain the Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned (MCCLL).
In the above sentence, are the verbs correctly or incorrectly used?
ANSWERS
Predicate verb phrases are bold in the sentences below.
1. The active duty Marine deployed to Afghanistan in the spring.
2. Continued development of missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads further threatens security for the United States and its allies.
Our grammar rules tell us how to combine words into noun phrases and verb phrases to communicate ideas in sentences. When we read or listen to someone else, we use those same grammar rules to understand (to interpret, decode, or parse) the message that person is communicating. Our usage rules of punctuation and mechanics give us tools to clarify the relationships between and among sentence constituents such as noun phrases and verb phrases.
The most basic sentence pattern in English is subject-verb-object (with the verb-object sometimes referred to as the verb phrase or as a predicate).
Example: The Marine wrote a paper.
“The Marine” is the subject of the sentence that performs the action of the verb “wrote.” “Paper” is the direct object and receives the action of “writing.” Such a subject-predicate forms an “independent clause,” which simply means a grammatically complete thought or a sentence that can stand on its own. The independent clause is the basis for almost all sentences. Conventional punctuation will help your readers understand when you are deviating from this pattern and how the other parts of your sentence relate to the core idea of who is doing what in your writing.
CSG 10.2 Punctuation Marks:
Commas, Semicolons, Colons, Question Marks, Hyphens, Dashes, Parentheses, Ellipses, and Apostrophes
You can think of each punctuation mark as a sort of traffic signal: punctuation works with the structure and content of your sentence to help the reader understand your message. At Marine Corps University, in other PME institutions, and throughout the U.S. military, clear communication is essential. The way in which you use punctuation in your writing may change the entire meaning of a specific command, request, response, or persuasive effort. Following are several guidelines for using punctuation marks.
CSG 10.2.1 Commas
Commas separate sentence constituents or sentence parts from each other so that readers can more easily understand meaning. Simple separations use one comma, and complex separations use a pair of commas. See the following example:
The student wrote an excellent paper, and the instructor gave it an “A.”
In this case, two independent clauses are joined by the coordinating conjunction “and.” Therefore, a comma appears before the “and” to tell the reader that the first thought is finished and a new but closely related thought is beginning. Consider the following example:
The colonel, said the general, has tremendous integrity.
In this case, “said the general” interrupts the relationship between the subject of the sentence “colonel” and the verb “has.” Therefore, the interrupting element “said the general” is set off by a pair of commas to indicate to the reader that the normal order of the sentence (subject-verb-object) is being interrupted with additional information. In terms of content, this sentence indicates that the general said the colonel has integrity. Now, consider how the lack of commas changes the meaning in the following example:
The colonel said the general has tremendous integrity.
With no commas, the sentence indicates that the colonel referred to the general as someone who has tremendous integrity. By contrasting these two sentences, which are identical except for the commas, you can easily see that punctuation plays a vital role in conveying your meaning accurately. Table 21 lists some of the most common simple and complex comma usages.
Table 21. Comma usage
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Rule
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Example
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Simple separations (one comma)
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Commas separate two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction (e.g., and, but, for, so, yet, or).
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These obstacles were often self-imposed, and they created unnecessary confusion in planning that continued into the operation.
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Commas separate parallel adjectives. Note: if the order of adjectives can be reversed or if the word “and” can stand between them, the adjectives are considered parallel.
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The Command and Staff College student found an old, dusty copy of a Civil War soldier’s journal to use in their research.
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Commas separate a series of phrases, letters, or numbers. The last of these commas is referred to as the serial comma or Oxford comma. While some stylesheets view this comma as optional, CMOS recommends using the serial comma for clarity.
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Faculty members will review papers for conference groups 1, 10, and 11 today.
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Commas separate quoted material in the text of an academic paper from the rest of the sentence, unless a quotation is introduced by a word such as “that,” “whether,” or other similar words/ conjunctions. For more information on when not to use a comma to introduce a quotation, see section 8.4.7.
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In the foreword to Warfighting (MCDP 1), General Krulak writes, “Our philosophy of warfighting, as described in the manual, is in consonance with joint doctrine, contributing to our ability to operate harmoniously with the other Services.”
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Introductory words and phrases that begin a sentence are usually separated from the main clause by a comma.
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In General Pratt’s first month as president of MCU, The Marine Corps University Communications Style Guide was revised.
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Commas are used to separate city and state names from each other and from the rest of the sentence.
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The train stops in Quantico, Virginia, where Marine Corps University is located.
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Commas separate words or phrases that are missing easily understood contextual information.
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In the United States Marine Corps, there are 195,129 servicemembers; in the Navy, 317,464; and in the Air Force, 334,157.
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While this list does not cover every rule for using a comma, it does provide you with a basic set of usage conventions that you can use to keep your writing clear. Below are a few common errors that you should avoid when using commas in your writing.
1. Do not link two independent clauses (sentences) with only a comma. This is known as a comma splice and is incorrect. You can correct a comma splice by replacing the comma with a semicolon, using a coordinating conjunction, or restructuring the sentence.
Incorrect example: The professor was disappointed, the student turned in their thesis late.
Correct example: The professor was disappointed; the student turned in their thesis late. OR The professor was disappointed because the student turned in their thesis late.
2. Do not fuse two sentences together. A fused sentence, also known as a run-on sentence, occurs when a writer fuses two sentences and neglects to add punctuation to clarify meaning or separate unconnected phrases. The sentences run together, forcing the reader to figure out what they mean. You can repair a fused sentence with a conjunction or with a semicolon.
Incorrect example: The Air Force needed a more significant portion of the defense budget the Navy’s aircraft carrier request was denied.
Correct example: The Air Force needed a more significant portion of the defense budget, so the Navy’s aircraft carrier request was denied. OR The Air Force needed a more significant portion of the defense budget; the Navy’s aircraft carrier request was denied.
3. Do not separate a subject noun phrase and verb with a comma. Sometimes students think that if they have a very long subject noun phrase, they should insert a comma to give the reader a little pause before the verb. That is not correct. We never separate subject noun phrases from verb phrase predicates. Note the sophisticated subject noun phrases below.
Incorrect example: The history of North Korea’s nuclear weapons development and the response by the United States, is a roller coaster of brinkmanship and negotiation.
Correct example: The history of North Korea’s nuclear weapons development and the response by the United States is a roller coaster of brinkmanship and negotiation.
You can test your comma knowledge with worksheet 10.
Worksheet 10. Now You Try It! Commas Quiz
1. Global responsibilities drive the United States to maintain maritime power to protect its trade interests, ensure its access to natural resources, and support its treaty obligations.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of commas?
2. A challenge from a potential adversary would necessitate a robust capable amphibious assault capability.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of commas?
3. Provision of equipment in peacetime for the contingency of war is beneficial in many ways but it will be costly.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of commas?
4. Provision of equipment in peacetime for the contingency of war is beneficial in many ways, however it will be costly.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of commas?
ANSWERS
CSG 10.2.2 Semicolons
The semicolon is a stronger mark of separation than the comma, but it is not as strong as the period. Where the period denotes a complete separation of two ideas, the semicolon indicates that, while the two ideas could technically stand alone as complete thoughts (independent clauses), they are being joined because they are related. Table 22 describes semicolon usage guidelines or test your knowledge with worksheet 11.
Table 22. Semicolon usage
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Rule
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Example
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A semicolon may be used to connect two complete, related sentences.
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A sergeant ran 12 marathons in the last five years; he was running in memory of his twelve fallen comrades.
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A semicolon is used before a conjunctive adverb (e.g., therefore, however, thus, hence, besides, nevertheless) when it connects two complete, related thoughts. The conjunctive adverb is followed by a comma.
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The writing assignment deadline is January 5; therefore, I should have time to revise the paper during my holiday break.
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A semicolon is used to separate multiword items in a series if at least one item contains internal punctuation.
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The awards ceremony was attended by Dr. Jones, the company’s CEO; Mr. Davis, the project engineer; and Mrs. Beck, the project manager.
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Worksheet 11. Now You Try It! Semicolons Quiz
1. Students at the School of Advanced Warfighting arrive and begin classes in early July; Command and Staff College students arrive later in the summer.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of semicolons?
2. Small wars are defined as; “operations undertaken under executive authority.”
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of semicolons?
3. It is safe to state that even humanitarian assistance; disaster relief; and peace support operations are covered by the term small wars.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of semicolons?
4. Armies have become smaller, and in most cases fully professional; however, their weapons and equipment remain largely the same.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of semicolons?
ANSWERS
CSG 10.2.3 Colons
The colon is generally used to call attention to an idea or to signal a list of items. While both colons and semicolons can separate independent clauses, a colon is used to indicate that the second clause exemplifies or highlights the preceding clause. You should not use more than one space to separate a word or phrase from the colon. Table 23 describes guidelines for colon usage or test your knowledge with worksheet 12.
Table 23. Colon usage
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Rule
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Example
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A colon is used after an independent clause to signal a list, an appositive (related/defining word or phrase), or a quotation.
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The desired candidate for the position should possess the following qualifications: advanced computer skills, the ability to communicate clearly, and a strong work ethic.
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A colon is used between independent clauses if the second clause summarizes or explains the first.
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The Falkland Islanders had an interest in this situation: they identified with the British and did not want to fall under Argentine rule.
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Colons can sometimes be used to set off a series of complete, related sentences.
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The Marine faced a challenge: he could marry his high school sweetheart before deploying to Afghanistan; he could wait until returning to wed; or he could petition leadership for a later start to his deployment.
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A colon is used after the salutation in a formal letter.
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To whom it may concern:
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Worksheet 12. Now You Try It! Colons Quiz
1. LCSC instructors provide the following instructional services to Marine Corps University students: formal classes, writing workshops, and one-on-one writing sessions.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of colons?
2. U.S. Marines may be asked to PCS to: Okinawa, Japan; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; and Quantico, Virginia.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of colons?
3. To whom it may concern: The Gray Research Center’s power has been fully restored as of 10 July 2016 at 0900.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of colons?
ANSWERS
A colon is not always necessary to precede a series of items or a list. Below are some common colon usage errors to avoid in your writing.
1. Do not use a colon between a verb and its object.
Incorrect example: Last year I visited: Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Negril.
Correct example: Last year I visited Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Negril.
2. Do not use a colon between a preposition and its object.
Incorrect example: I have been stationed in: Afghanistan, Iraq, and North Carolina.
Correct example: I have been stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and North Carolina.
CSG 10.2.4 Question Marks
The question mark indicates a direct, interrogative statement; a form of doubt about something, such as publication information; or an expression of surprise. Table 24 describes appropriate usage for the question mark or test your knowledge with worksheet 13.
Table 24. Question mark usage
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Rule
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Example
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A question mark is used at the end of a direct, interrogative statement.
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What is the topic of your MMS research?
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A question mark is used to show where a direct question ends in the middle of a sentence.
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“Is this the right strategy?” General Smith asked.
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A question mark is used to indicate uncertainty about a fact or piece of information.
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The Trojan War (1200 BCE?) will form the historical background for the student’s case study.
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Worksheet 13. Now You Try It! Question Marks Quiz
Add the appropriate punctuation mark(s) to the following sentences. Hint: not all missing punctuation marks are question marks.
1. When does the groundbreaking for the new academic building take place
2. Has it been that long Colonel Morris wondered
3. The following items must be listed on the inventory tablets laptops and monitors
ANSWERS
Below are common question mark errors to avoid in your writing.
1. Do not use a question mark at the end of an indirect question.
Incorrect example: The men wondered when the battle would end?
Correct examples: The men wondered when the battle would end. OR The men wondered: when would the battle end?
2. Do not use a question mark for a request.
Incorrect example: Please respond to the Mess Night invitation by April 19?
Correct example: Please respond to the Mess Night invitation by April 19.
CSG 10.2.5 Hyphens
Two- and three-word modifiers that express a single thought are often hyphenated when they precede a noun. A modifier should not be hyphenated if it follows the noun it modifies. Hyphens are generally used to create unity or to clarify ambiguity. Table 25 outlines correct hyphen usage or test your knowledge with worksheet 14.
Table 25. Hyphen usage
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Rule
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Example
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Modifiers that precede the noun they modify should be hyphenated.
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The battle lasted for three days. What was the outcome of the three-day battle?
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A hyphen is used when a prefix is added to a proper noun.
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Weapons were not as advanced pre-World War I.
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A hyphen is used when a letter would be doubled or tripled to create a compound word.
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The senators reviewed the anti-immigration proposals.
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A hyphen is used when the modifier is a letter or number.
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The M-16 was used on the battlefield with great success.
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A hyphen is used to separate noninclusive numbers.
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The colonel’s telephone number is 555-444-3333. Please give him a call if you have any questions.
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CMOS 17th edition advises you to hyphenate decision-making both as a compound adjective and as a noun.
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The major’s decision-making process was sound. The situation demanded rapid decision-making.
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Email no longer includes a hyphen between e and mail, according to CMOS 17th edition.
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Send me the details via email.
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Worksheet 14. Now You Try It! Hyphens Quiz
1. The MCWAR students looked to written records pre-
Vietnam for their research.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of hyphens?
2. The fighter’s favorite weapon to shoot was an AK-47.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of hyphens?
3. The captain made sure the memo was well-written, as it would be distributed throughout the battalion.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of hyphens?
ANSWERS
Below are a few common hyphen errors to avoid in your writing.
1. Do not use a hyphen if a modifier follows the noun it modifies.
Incorrect example: In the Navy seaman’s opinion, the ship was not well-designed.
Correct example: In the Navy seaman’s opinion, the ship was not well designed.
2. Do not use a hyphen after an adverb ending in –ly.
Incorrect example: At Mess Night, guests enjoyed freshly-
prepared roast beef.
Correct example: At Mess Night, guests enjoyed freshly prepared roast beef.
CSG 10.2.6 Dashes
There are four types of dashes—the en dash (a single hyphen), the em dash (a double hyphen), the 2-em dash, and the 3-em dash—and all vary in length and usage. (You will note an em dash was used in the previous sentence.) The en dash is used to stand for the phrase “up through” or “to” if the word “for” is not used to start the phrase (e.g., 1995–2005). The em dash is used to separate sentence constituents.
For the purposes of our intended readership, this guide will focus on the use of the em dash and not on the other three types, which are less commonly used. The em dash should not be used in academic writing if another punctuation mark (such as a comma) can be used in its place. This type of dash may be used for emphasis, explanation, or a sudden break in thought.
Table 26 outlines em dash usage or test your knowledge with worksheet 15. For more information on these other three types, see The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition.
Table 26. Em dash usage
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Rule
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Example
|
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An em dash can point out a sudden break in thought, or it can set off a parenthetical element in a sentence.
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On War—which was written by Clausewitz—is still considered an important military and political text today.
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An em dash can be used to emphasize the second independent clause of a compound sentence or to emphasize a single word or series.
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Rain, snow, a tireless opponent—nothing would stop the Marine from completing their mission.
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An em dash may be used before summarizing words that set off a group of ideas or details.
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Two students—Major Jones and Captain Hawkins—received an “A” on the assignment.
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An em dash may be used for repetition or to give the appearance of an afterthought.
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The opposing forces lost morale when 1,000 troops died in battle—they were ready to surrender.
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Worksheet 15. Now You Try It! Dashes Quiz
1. In the last week of school, the captain tried his best to stay focused on his priorities—preparing his family for the upcoming move, practicing for graduation, and getting his arguable research paper published.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of the em dash?
2. Four Marines—Major Smith, Captain Swanson, SgtMaj Ruiz, and Cpl Kirk all met for dinner with their spouses at the Potomac Point winery Saturday night.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of the em dash?
3. The upcoming storm—which was predicted to severely hinder visibility—delayed the flight several hours.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of the em dash?
ANSWERS
CSG 10.2.7 Parentheses
Parentheses enclose explanatory words, phrases, or sentences. The text within the parentheses often clarifies or supplements the meaning of a particular passage without changing its message. The information in the parentheses is not necessary to complete the sentence’s meaning and does not interfere with the grammatical structure of the sentence. Parenthetical information simply provides readers with additional information. Table 27 displays rules of parentheses usage or test your knowledge with worksheet 16.
Table 27. Parentheses usage
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Rule
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Example
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Parentheses may enclose definitions or translations of unfamiliar terms.
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Clausewitz’s paradoxical trinity (primordial violence, hatred, and enmity) is a key concept in professional military education.
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An entire sentence may be enclosed in parentheses; in this case, the closing punctuation mark appears inside the second parenthesis.
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The president vetoed the bill last week. (Still, the veto can be overturned by Congress.)
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If parentheses occur at the end of a sentence, the closing punctuation mark should appear after the second parenthesis. In CMOS author-
date style, the reference citation is enclosed in parentheses followed by a period to indicate that the citation is part of the sentence.
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New equipment was found in the Marine HMMWV (though it is unknown who ordered it or how it had gotten there).
When General Washington retired at age 27, he was not on good terms with the Virginia Assemblies (Higginbotham, 1985, p. 35).
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Parentheses are used to enclose numbers or letters that indicate sequence.
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The Marine’s narrative (see Appendix A) described the Battle of Fallujah.
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Brackets are used to enclose parenthetical information that is already in parentheses.
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(The Commandant [General Neller] appealed to Congress for funding, but sequestration made such requests difficult to grant.)
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Worksheet 16. Now You Try It! Parentheses Quiz
1. All after action reports should be completed by this Tuesday. (The after action report will not be reviewed until next week).
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of parentheses?
2. My sister (who served in the Marine Corps for 20 years) is going to spend Thanksgiving in Detroit, Michigan, this year.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of parentheses?
3. (According to General Gray (a former president of Marine Corps University), “Every Marine is, first and foremost, a rifleman. All other conditions are secondary.”)
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of parentheses?
ANSWERS
CSG 10.2.8 Ellipses
Ellipses are used in place of omitted words, phrases, or other quoted material. You can use an ellipsis to save space by cutting quoted information that is irrelevant to your topic, and you can improve the flow of the paper by cutting out quoted information that does not grammatically fit the structure of the sentence surrounding it. Ellipses should neither be used to separate two distinct, unrelated ideas in an outside source, nor should they be used to your advantage to skew the original author’s meaning in favor of your own interpretation. It is important to preserve the author’s original intent when you are integrating their ideas into your own academic paper. An ellipsis should always be placed on a single line of text. Table 28 details ellipses usage conventions or test your knowledge with worksheet 17.
Table 28. Ellipses usage
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Rule
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Example
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|
Ellipses are used to indicate words that are omitted from the middle or end of a quotation. Note: when omitting words after the end of a sentence, you will use four periods—one to mark the period at the end of the previous sentence, and three to mark the ellipses.
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According to the author, “The LCSC is a valuable resource . . . and many MCU students appreciate the services offered by LCSC faculty members.”
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Ellipses are used to indicate a pause in dialogue or to indicate that an idea is uncertain.
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I . . . well . . . I am not quite sure what to say about sequestration.
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Ellipses mark the end of a quoted sentence that is purposely left incomplete.
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My favorite paragraph of the Declaration of Independence begins with “we hold these truths . . .”
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Worksheet 17. Now You Try It! Ellipses Quiz
As a consequence, the DADT repeal implementation has the potential to disrupt unit cohesion and affect the perception of combat readiness in the Corps, particularly within the combat arms, unless the Commandant initiates a cultural change establishing a Marine warrior concept that is inclusive of gender, race, age, religion, and sexual orientation.”
Use ellipses to integrate the above quotation into a sentence, cutting out the following portion of the quotation: “particularly within the combat arms,”
According to Huffman and Shultz
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ANSWERS
CSG 10.2.9 Apostrophes
The apostrophe is a punctuation mark that looks like a single quotation mark. It typically signals one of two ideas: contraction or possession.
Apostrophes are used to take the place of omitted letters in contractions, that is, in words joined together in a single word called a contraction. The most commonly used contractions are listed below.
It is --> it’s
There is --> there’s
Is not --> isn’t
Are not --> aren’t
Do not --> don’t
Does not --> doesn’t
Has not --> hasn’t
Had not --> hadn’t
Will not --> won’t
Were not --> weren’t
Was not --> wasn’t
Am not/are not/is not --> ain’t
(not recommended in academic/professional writing)
Note that the apostrophe is placed at the point in the joined words where the missing letter would be found (it is it’s). As a general rule, using contractions characterizes your language as more informal, so contractions are rarely used in academic writing or other types of formal writing.
The possessive form of a noun or pronoun indicates ownership, either real ownership or metaphorical ownership. Below are some examples.
1. The cover of Captain Stevenson Captain Stevenson’s cover
2. The commander of Major Smith Major Smith’s commander
3. The tenets of structuralism structuralism’s tenets
4. The principles of manifest destiny manifest destiny’s principles
5. The work of a day a day’s work
6. The wages of a week a week’s wages
In most cases, singular nouns are made possessive by adding an apostrophe –s (’s) to the end of a word. Plural possessives are usually formed by adding an apostrophe after the “s.” For example, if Captain Stevenson and Sergeant Stevenson are brothers who both wear covers, you could use plural possession to say that the hats are “the brothers’ covers.” Table 29 summarizes CMOS guidelines for using the apostrophe to signal possession.
Table 29. Rules for forming singular and plural possessive nouns
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Rule
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Example
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Possessive forms of acronyms and numbers are formed by adding an apostrophe –s.
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The 2013 budget cuts affected NATO’s members.
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For plural nouns ending in –s, add only an apostrophe following the –s.
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Countries’ populations, horses’ stables
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The possessive form of a compound word always forms on the last word of a compound word.
Note: the creation of these possessives may not always sound correct.
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The district attorney’s jurisdiction (singular possessive)
District attorneys’ jurisdictions (plural possessive)
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The general rules for possessive nouns apply to proper nouns, letters, and numbers, to include nouns ending in s, x, or z.
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Valdez’s army
Mars’s atmosphere
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Possessive forms of words and names ending in an unpronounced “s” add an apostrophe –s.
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Illinois’s two senators
The Marine Corps’s best leaders
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When a noun ending in “s” is singular in meaning and plural in form, add an apostrophe only. This rule applies to singular places, organizations, and publications that take on plural forms.
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The United States’ position on Jerusalem
The trousers’ pockets
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When you have two nouns in a sentence that are treated as a single element and both possess the same element, only the second element should be made possessive.
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Sergeant Ruiz and Corporal McArtor’s comrade
Strunk and White’s rules for possessive nouns
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Do not add an apostrophe –s to possessive pronouns (as they are inherently possessive).
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His, hers, theirs, ours, yours, its
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If a noun and a pronoun are both used together in joint possession, both must show possession.
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My husband’s and my house flooded last weekend.
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When denoting attribution or group ownership of proper names that do not officially include an apostrophe, CMOS does not require you to use an apostrophe.
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Department of Veterans Affairs
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Note that proper or corporate names such as Marine Corps may be used as attributive adjectives in noun phrases (rather than possessive adjectives), thus negating the need for apostrophes at all, as in the following: Marine Corps leadership, Marine Corps monuments, and Marine Corps Planning Process. (Compare these similar attributive adjectives: Army leadership, Air Force monuments, and Navy planning process.) You might also notice that Microsoft Word occasionally marks a correctly formed possessive noun as a spelling error or typo. Below are rules for avoiding common apostrophe errors or test your knowledge with worksheet 18.
1. Do not use an apostrophe to make a plural (unless you are pluralizing a lowercase letter).
Incorrect example: The Jackson’s live here.
Correct example: The Jacksons live here.
2. Do not confuse possessive pronouns such as “its” and “your” with contractions such as “it’s” and “you’re.” (Remember that you do not use an apostrophe on “his”, so you would not use one on “its” or “your.”)
Incorrect example: His unit made it’s last pass at the target.
Correct example: His unit made its last pass at the target.
Worksheet 18. Now You Try It! Apostrophes Quiz
1. What did you’re unit accomplish this quarter?
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of apostrophes?
2. How many xs and ys are on the page?
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of apostrophes?
3. Degas’s paintings are beautiful.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of apostrophes?
ANSWERS
CSG 10.3 Italics, Abbreviations, Capitalization, Quotation Marks, and Numerals
Mechanics refers to the technical aspects of a given subject. In a broad sense, you can think of the mechanics of writing in a similar way to the mechanics of a car: as an auto mechanic must understand how the parts of a car work together to form a functioning vehicle, a writer must understand how writing mechanics can help sentences work structurally to improve organization and style in a paper. The following are several guidelines for using italics, abbreviations, capitalization, and numerals.
CSG 10.3.1 Italics
Italic type is simply slanted type. You can put words and phrases in italics by clicking on the slanted capital letter I at the top left of the banner that runs across a Microsoft Word document. Italics are most often used to indicate titles of longer works such as books and films and to indicate foreign expressions. Italics can add emphasis to a word or phrase. Table 30 describes use of italics in writing.
Table 30. Italics usage
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Rule
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Example
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Use italics to indicate titles of longer works such as books, films, websites, and long reports. (Use quotation marks for titles of shorter works.)
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The “Marines Hymn” was first published in The Quantico Leatherneck.
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Italics are used when referring to key words, letters, or figures, particularly on first use in your paper.
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Students often misinterpret the word strategic.
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Unfamiliar foreign words and phrases should be italicized, particularly on first use in your paper.
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In the Czech organization, members interact by using the greeting nazdar.
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Ship names should be italicized.
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The homeport of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) is Norfolk, Virginia.
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Italics may be used to emphasize a particular word or phrase, as CMOS 17th edition advises against using single or double quotation marks to signal emphasis. Note: this should be done sparingly in academic writing.
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Marines would never leave their post unattended.
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CSG 10.3.2 Abbreviations
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase, and it should be used only if the context is clear to the reader. Though the term may refer to a variety of shortened word forms, acronyms and initialisms are the most frequently used type of abbreviation in military and government writing. When using an acronym or other type of abbreviation, remember to spell out the shortened term completely the first time you use it. Try to avoid abbreviations in academic writing as much as possible, as this may be confusing to unfamiliar readers. If you find yourself using abbreviations heavily throughout your paper, you may want to include a list of abbreviations in the front matter or in an appendix. Table 31 summarizes rules for using abbreviations in your writing.
Table 31. Rules for using abbreviations
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Rule
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Example
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If you are abbreviating a term that your readers may find unfamiliar, write out the term the first time you use it. Note: do not use an apostrophe to pluralize an abbreviation; simply add an –s.
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This paper will focus on the negative effects that the aircraft upgrades will have on Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs).
Note: using an acronym or abbreviation for a common term does not mean that the term must be capitalized. For example, improvised explosive device (IED) is not a proper term so it is not capitalized.
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When abbreviating in all capital letters, do not use periods to separate each letter. This rule can be applied to acronyms and initialisms as well.
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The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is an important asset to the United States military as a whole.
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Abbreviate names of agencies and organizations in full capital letters; do not use periods.
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Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) met to discuss an issue.
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You should typically spell out names of states and territories. When you abbreviate them, however, do not use periods between letters. In your paper or document, CMOS has changed to allow U.S. to be used as a noun in addition to as an adjective, so long as the surrounding context makes it clear what the abbreviation refers to.
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The United States is made up of 50 separate states; Virginia (VA) is one such U.S. state.
The U.S. comprises 50 states, a federal district, and five additional territories.
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Abbreviations of military titles are typically reserved for endnotes and footnotes; they are typically not included in the main body of a text. If writing for a publication or audience that does use abbreviated ranks, use the abbreviated form only after a person has been identified by full military rank or formal title. The titles “Reverend” and “Honorable,” for example, can be abbreviated to “Rev.” and “Hon.” only when the word “the” does not precede the term.
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The Reverend Samson gave an inspirational sermon yesterday. Rev. Samson spoke to Colonel Diaz afterwards to get feedback on the sermon’s message, and Col. Diaz praised him warmly for his passionate words.
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Do not begin a sentence with an abbreviation, with the exception of address terms (e.g., Mrs., Mr., and Ms.).
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Marine Expeditionary Unit commanders need to fully leverage their assigned capabilities against the physical and fiscal constraints that define today’s Amphibious Ready Groups (ARGs).
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The most important principle of using abbreviations is to be consistent in your writing. For instance, if you are going to use the Marine Corps abbreviation for colonel (Col), then you should use the same abbreviation style throughout your document. You risk confusing your reader if you alternate the Marine Corps version (Col) with the Army’s version (COL) of the abbreviation throughout the paper.
CSG 10.3.3 Capitalization
Capitalization is the practice of using capital letters as opposed to lowercase letters (e.g., A versus a). Capitalization is important because it can change the way a reader thinks of a word’s meaning. One example of this is the phrase “burger king.” When lowercase, you may think of the phrase as a term of endearment for someone who cooks hamburgers well. When capitalized, however, Burger King becomes a popular fast food chain in the United States. Typically, proper nouns are capitalized, while common nouns are made lowercase unless they start a sentence or appear in a title. Table 32 describes CMOS style capitalization practices.
Table 32. Capitalization guidelines
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Rule
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Example
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If you are abbreviating a term that your readers may find unfamiliar, write out the term the first time you use it. Note: do not use an apostrophe to pluralize an abbreviation; simply add an –s.
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This paper will focus on the negative effects that the aircraft upgrades will have on Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs).
Note: using an acronym or abbreviation for a common term does not mean that the term must be capitalized. For example, improvised explosive device (IED) is not a proper term so it is not capitalized.
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When abbreviating in all capital letters, do not use periods to separate each letter. This rule can be applied to acronyms and initialisms as well.
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The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is an important asset to the United States military as a whole.
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Abbreviate names of agencies and organizations in full capital letters; do not use periods.
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Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) met to discuss an issue.
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You should typically spell out names of states and territories. When you abbreviate them, however, do not use periods between letters. In your paper or document, CMOS has changed to allow U.S. to be used as a noun in addition to as an adjective, so long as the surrounding context makes it clear what the abbreviation refers to.
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The United States is made up of 50 separate states; Virginia (VA) is one such U.S. state.
The U.S. comprises 50 states, a federal district, and five additional territories.
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Abbreviations of military titles are typically reserved for endnotes and footnotes; they are typically not included in the main body of a text. If writing for a publication or audience that does use abbreviated ranks, use the abbreviated form only after a person has been identified by full military rank or formal title. The titles “Reverend” and “Honorable,” for example, can be abbreviated to “Rev.” and “Hon.” only when the word “the” does not precede the term.
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The Reverend Samson gave an inspirational sermon yesterday. Rev. Samson spoke to Colonel Diaz afterwards to get feedback on the sermon’s message, and Col. Diaz praised him warmly for his passionate words.
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Do not begin a sentence with an abbreviation, with the exception of address terms (e.g., Mrs., Mr., and Ms.).
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Marine Expeditionary Unit commanders need to fully leverage their assigned capabilities against the physical and fiscal constraints that define today’s Amphibious Ready Groups (ARGs).
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Capitalize the first word of every sentence.
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The students turned in their papers yesterday.
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Capitalize the first word of every expression used as a sentence.
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That’s too bad! How come?
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For paper titles, capitalize the first and last words as well as all nouns, verbs, and modifiers (but not prepositions or articles).
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Reunification of the Korean Peninsula: Implications for Economic Reform
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Capitalize the salutation and the closing of a personal letter. (In business letters, use a colon in the salutation.)
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Dear Lisa,
Sincerely, Jane
To Whom it May Concern:
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Capitalize the first word after a colon when the word is a proper noun.
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Civil War battles occurred in the following cities: Atlanta, Fredericksburg, and Gettysburg.
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Capitalize the first word after a colon when it is the first word of a quoted sentence.
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Winston Churchill was quoted as saying the following: “He is a modest little man who has a good deal to be modest about.”
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Capitalize the first word after a colon if it introduces two or more sentences.
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There are two tasks I need to complete today: First, I need to submit a quarterly report to my supervisor. Second, I will plan tomorrow’s writing workshop.
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Capitalize the first word after a colon only when it introduces a direct question.
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I have only one question: How will the Marine Corps fund this new program?
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Capitalize the first word of a sentence even when introduced midsentence.
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LtCol Smith asked herself, Can I assign ninety pages to my students instead of eighty tonight?
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Capitalize all proper nouns (nouns referring to a specific person, place, or thing).
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Atlantic Ocean, General Amos, United States Army.
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Capitalize a common noun or adjective that forms an essential part of a proper noun. Note: if a common noun is used to stand for a proper noun, do not capitalize the word.
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The Potomac River is about 400 miles long. The river flows to the Chesapeake Bay.
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Capitalize all names of national or international government and military organizations, documents, and regions. Note: do not capitalize common nouns that are used to replace these organizations, documents, or regions.
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The U.S. Bill of Rights encompasses the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States. The bill was ratified in 1791.
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Capitalize names of departments within organizations.
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Department of Agriculture
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Capitalize proper names of colleges, organizations, committees, and agencies.
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Marine Corps University
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Capitalize military ranks when used with proper names, but not when the rank stands alone.
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Major Diaz is a student at SAW; the major wrote an insightful paper.
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Capitalize billet titles when used with proper names, but not when standing alone as a common noun. Note: capitalize all letters of an acronym like MAGTF, MEF, or MEU.
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Colonel Farrell J. Sullivan, the MAGTF commander; Lieutenant Colonel Ramirez, my commanding officer, the colonel; Sergeant Major Kent, the highest-ranking noncommissioned officer; General McKenzie, United States Central Command commander
Note: in formal military writing (routing sheets, correspondence orders, etc.), an individual’s title (e.g., commander, chairman) would be titled; however, this is not the case in academic writing.
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“Titles of armies, navies, air forces, fleets, regiments, battalions, companies, corps, and so forth are capitalized. Unofficial but well-known names, such as Green Berets, are also capitalized. Words such as army and navy are lowercased when standing alone, when used collectively in the plural, or when not part of an official title.”
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the United States Army, the army; the United States Navy, the navy; the United States Marine Corps, the Marine Corps or the marine corps; the U.S. Marines, a marine; an airman; a soldier
Note: this is another case in which it is important to consider your audience and the context of your communication. For instance, it may be appropriate to capitalize Marine, Airman, Army, etc. when writing internal Service documents.
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Capitalize official degree names only when they are spelled out; do not capitalize the degree name when it is referred to in general as a common noun.
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Master of Military Studies, a master’s degree
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Capitalize the names of specific medals and awards.
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Purple Heart, Bronze Star
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Capitalize the names of official documents, acts, regulations, directives, laws, bills, and treaties, but not the common nouns that refer to them.
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The Declaration of Independence, a declaration
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Capitalize the names of major battles and campaigns.
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The Battle of Bunker Hill, the battle
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Capitalize the names of programs, movements, or concepts when used as proper nouns.
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The Women’s Suffrage Movement
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Capitalize the names of specific types of aircraft, vehicle model types, trains and train stations, and space programs.
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Virginia Railway Express
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Capitalize and italicize the proper names of ships and spacecraft.
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Discovery (the space shuttle)
USS Saratoga became one of the first U.S. aircraft carriers.
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Capitalize compass directions when referring to a specific region, or if the direction is a part of a proper name. Note: do not capitalize directions when used to indicate a general location.
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We are from Southern California, so we just drove south to Baja for our vacation. My Alabama friend joined us, noting how different California is from the South.
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Capitalize days of the week, months, events, races, languages, holidays, and religions.
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Monday, French, Labor Day, Islam, Christianity
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Capitalize seasons only when they are a part of a proper noun or denote an issue of a journal.
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Courses start in the fall.
The librarian told the student to look in the Spring edition of JFQ.
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Capitalize brand names, but not the common nouns that refer to them.
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Dove soap, soap
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Capitalize specific course names, but not courses of study. Note: foreign languages are an exception to this rule, as languages are proper nouns (e.g., English, French, and Arabic).
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Biology 101, biology
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Capitalize both the word Generation and the letter following when referring to a specific generation.
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Generation Y, Generation X
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Do not capitalize internet—CMOS 17th edition advises it to always be made lowercase.
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the internet
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Capitalization of Titles
Capitalization rules differ when a title is used as a descriptive phrase (e.g., former president Obama). CMOS advises you to lowercase a title “used in apposition before a personal name—that is, not alone and as part of the name but as an equivalent to it, usually preceded by the or by a modifier.” This is also the case when a descriptive title like military historian precedes a person’s name. You would, however, capitalize descriptive words or phrases used instead of a person’s name—for example, using Stonewall Jackson in place of Thomas Jonathan Jackson.
Capitalization of Ethnic and National Groups
The CMOS advises you to capitalize names of ethnic groups and national groups, including when using them as adjectives (e.g., Asian American influence). Conversely, terms referring to socioeconomic classes, sexual orientations, identities, and/or abilities should be made lowercase (e.g., the middle class, a transgender person, a wheelchair user).
Capitalization of Names
Although rules differ for capitalization of proper names in other countries and military organizations around the world, students are advised to capitalize only the first letter of an individual’s name in all forms—as a surname, family name, given name, and etc.
Incorrect example: Amare James WILSON
Correct example: Amare James Wilson
Test your knowledge of capitalization with worksheet 19.
Worksheet 19. Now You Try It! Capitalization Quiz
1. Major Smith applied to George Mason university, as she wanted to pursue a Master’s degree.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of capitalization?
2. In May 1967, president Gamal Abdel NASSER began to close the straits of Tiran.
Is the above sentence a correct or incorrect use of capitalization?
ANSWERS
CSG 10.3.4 Quotation Marks
Quotation marks are used when presenting a dialogue to demonstrate that a particular phrase or passage is borrowed directly from another author’s text.
Example: The Chicago Manual of Style states “Periods and commas precede closing marks, whether double or single.”
There are two types of quotation marks: single quotation marks (‘ ’) and double quotation marks (“ ”). According to CMOS, single quotation marks are only to be used for quotations within quotations. See section 8.4.4 for more information on formatting quotes within quotes. See chapters 8 and 9 for more specific guidelines about properly attributing quoted material.
Placement of quotation marks
1. Periods and commas are typically placed inside of quotation marks.
Example: According to Edwin O. Rueda in his discussion of similarities between the al Anbar Province and feudalism in sixteenth century Europe, “There is no real discourse about national elections, the Iraqi Army, or any other subject that deals with the bureaucracy of the provincial and national governments.”
2. Question marks, exclamation points, and em dashes can be placed inside or outside of the quotation marks.
Example: “How much farther to the airport?” she asked the driver.
Example: “How much farther to the airport”? she asked the driver.
3. Semicolons and colons are placed outside of the quotation marks.
Example: John W. Kingdon claims the founding fathers were “suspicious of government, skeptical about the benefits of government authority, and impressed with the virtue of limiting government”; these are principles that have endured throughout American history.
4. Single quotes are sometimes used to indicate quotes within quotes.
Example: According to James Mattis, “Once the exercise was under way, my friend Major General John ‘Glad’ Castellaw, in charge of Marines in the Middle East, and I had time to sit under a camouflage net and talk about how to fight Al Qaeda.”
5. Quotation marks should not typically be used to show emphasis (more commonly called scare quotes). For more information on using italics (sparingly) for emphasis, see section 10.3.1.
Incorrect example: The general needed “exact” battlefield coordinates to plan the attack.
Correct example: The general needed exact battlefield coordinates to plan the attack.
CSG 10.3.5 Numerals
It can be challenging to determine whether to spell out a number or use a numeral to refer to its value, particularly when writing academically. Table 33 summarizes the proper uses of numerals, while table 34 outlines when to spell out numbers in your writing.
Table 33. Using numerals in academic writing
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Rule
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Example
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Use numerals when referring to money.
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The student paid $100 for his textbooks.
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Use numerals when referring to measurements, dimensions, or temperature.
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The troops walked 50 miles in temperatures upwards of 83 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Use numerals when referring to percentages, ratios, proportions, or scores.
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The Orioles were 6-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning. They had a 75 percent chance of winning the game, according to experts.
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Use numerals when referring to numbers named specifically as numbers.
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Prime numbers include the following: 5, 3, and 2.
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Use numerals when referring to math expressions.
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4 x 6 = 24
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Use numerals when referring to abbreviations, symbols, and serial numbers.
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The woman grabbed her AR-15 rifle and headed to the range to practice her shooting.
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Use numerals when referring to unit modifiers and hyphenations.
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M16
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Use numerals when referring to dates.
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Graduation will commence on June 3, 2015.
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Use numerals when referring to military time.
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The meeting will begin at 1500.
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Use numerals when referring to state, federal, and interstate highways.
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Traffic on I-95 will always be a struggle for commuters.
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Table 34. When to spell out numbers in academic writing
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Rule
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Example
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The Chicago Manual of Style recommends that you write out numbers from zero to one hundred. For numbers greater than one hundred, you should use numerals.
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The students saw four Ospreys on their field trip to the national park. More than 200 Marines attended the conference.
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Ordinal numbers follow the general rule for numbers.
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The office is on the 132d floor; the Smiths took their first trip to Washington.
*Note that the letters in ordinal numbers do not appear as superscripts.
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Centuries are spelled out and made lowercase.
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The Air Force officer found an eighteenth-century document while researching.
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Whole numbers used in conjunction with millions, billions, and other large sums follow CMOS’s general rule for numerals.
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There are over eight million people in New York City; there are over 325 million people living in the United States.
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Decades are spelled out and made lowercase, as long as it is clear what century you are referring to.
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The Coast Guard recruit was born in the nineties.
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Times of day should be spelled out if not followed by a.m. or p.m., even if you are referring to a half hour or quarter hour.
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Cocktail hour at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball starts at six thirty.
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Numbers designating military units are spelled out if they are one hundred or less in value.
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Second Battalion headed out to complete the mission.
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Names of numbered streets are spelled out if one hundred or lower in value.
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The parade will start on Forty-
Second Street.
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Numbers are spelled out when they begin a sentence.
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Two hundred students got on the bus early for the staff ride to Gettysburg.
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Numbers are spelled out when used with formal subjects.
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Originally, our great nation began with the thirteen colonies.
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Numbers are spelled out when preceding a compound modifier with a figure.
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The General Manager bought seven 12-inch subs for her associates.
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Chicago’s general rule for numerals: In nontechnical contexts, CMOS recommends spelling out whole numbers from zero through one hundred. However, there are several exceptions to this rule, which are outlined in the tables below. Publishers will also apply differing conventions for numerals, depending on their in-house style guides.
Chicago’s alternative rule for numerals: note that publications dealing with scientific content might spell out whole numbers between zero and nine; numbers 10 and over may appear as numerals in these contexts. For more information about CMOS rules for maintaining consistency and flexibility with numerals, see section 9.7 of The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition.
Using Decimal Places with Numerals
Across the world, differences exist on how to denote a separation between thousands and between dollars and cents. According to Cornell University’s Office of the Treasurer, some countries use a comma to separate dollars from cents and a period to separate thousands (e.g., $100.000,00), while other countries including the United States use a period to separate dollars from cents and a comma to separate thousands (e.g., $100,000.00). At Marine Corps University, CMOS advises you to use commas “between groups of three digits, counting from the right” and to use decimal points, not commas, “for figures to the right of the decimal marker.”
CSG 10.4 Pronoun Usage
Pronouns take the place of nouns or other pronouns and are often used to avoid excessive repetition and to build cohesion in writing. For example, instead of writing, “James reads The Wall Street Journal every day; James is interested in becoming a journalist,” readers might expect you to write, “James reads The Wall Street Journal every day; he is interested in becoming a journalist.”
The person, place, or thing that a pronoun replaces is called an antecedent. The antecedent must agree with the pronoun that replaces it in number and person; it must be clear to the reader which person, place, or thing the pronoun is replacing. If possible, try to use non-gender-specific pronouns in your writing unless the gender has already been established. Table 35 summarizes pronoun usage guidelines.
Table 35. Pronoun usage
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Rule
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Example
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Pronouns need to have clear antecedents.
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Sarah gave me a signed copy of her book.
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Pronouns need to agree in number with their antecedents.
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Each Marine must keep his or her own room tidy.
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Pronouns need to agree in person.
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When Marines are on the rifle range, they are always alert.
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Pronouns need to agree in gender.
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For Jeff to attain a perfect score on the PFT, he has to train.
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Pronouns need to agree in case.
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Objective case pronouns are pronouns used as objects of verbs or prepositions (e.g., me, him, her, it, us, them, whom).
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Though the professors enjoy watching Civil War movies, the film’s portrayal of General Lee was historically inaccurate according to them.
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Subjective case pronouns are pronouns used as subjects (e.g., I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who).
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I went for a walk.
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Possessive case pronouns are pronouns that express ownership (e.g., my, mine, your, yours, her, hers, it, its, our, ours, their, theirs, whose).
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Our house is full of antiques.
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Demonstrative pronouns need to have clear antecedents; these pronouns substitute nouns when the nouns they replace can be understood from the context (e.g., this, that, those, none, neither).
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I bought these cakes, but Sam baked those.
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Reflexive pronouns are to be used when you are referring back to the subject of the sentence (e.g., myself, himself, herself, themselves, ourselves, itself, yourself, yourselves).
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We blame ourselves for that particular oversight.
He thought to himself about the issue.
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Below are explanations of some of the guidelines that challenge our students.
1. Pronouns need to have clear antecedents. When using pronouns, make sure the pronoun’s antecedent is clear. For example, in the sentence, “Sarah gave me a signed copy of her book,” the pronoun “her” clearly refers back to the proper noun, “Sarah.” However, in the sentence, “Sarah and Jill are published authors; she gave me a copy of her book,” the pronoun “she” could refer to either Sarah or Jill. Therefore, the antecedent is unclear or ambiguous. In other cases, a pronoun may not have an antecedent at all. For instance, consider the following sentence:
“The violence mostly subsided with the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo, the leader of the movement and self-proclaimed President of the Philippines, but their political desires for autonomy and independence were still granted by the United States.”
In this case, the pronoun “their” lacks an antecedent. While it is clear that the writer means to refer to “Filipinos,” there is no referent in the text. Substituting “Filipinos” for “their” would remedy this. This is a subtle but commonly occurring issue in student writing.
2. Pronouns need to agree in number with their antecedents.
Incorrect example: Every Marine must field day their own room.
Correct examples: Every Marine must field day his or her own room. OR All Marines must field day their own rooms.
In the case above, the pronoun “their” is technically incorrect because it is a plural possessive pronoun that does not agree with its singular antecedent. While using “they” in this way is becoming gradually more acceptable in speech and in informal writing to avoid gender specific pronouns, CMOS does not recommend its use in formal writing, though you should consider the publisher’s style when considering publication. See chapter 11 on “Singular-They Usage.”
3. Pronouns need to agree in person.
Incorrect example: When Marines are on the rifle range, we are always alert.
Correct examples: When Marines are on the rifle range, they are always alert. OR As Marines, we are always alert while we are on the rifle range.
In the incorrect example, it is unclear as to whether the writer is speaking as a Marine or if the pronoun “we” refers to a group of people who are not Marines.
4. Pronouns need to agree in gender. In the English language, only third person singular pronouns take on a particular gender. Most often, problems with gender agreement stem from placing a plural pronoun with a singular antecedent or vice versa.
Example: For Jeff to attain a perfect score on the PFT, he has to train.
In the example, the pronoun “he” agrees in number and gender with the proper noun, “Jeff.”
Note: The CMOS Style also recognizes the use of the singular they to allow for more gender-neutral language.
Example: For the Marine to attain a perfect score on the PFT, they have to train.
However, the default should be to use singular pronouns (he, him, she, her, his, hers) to agree with singular nouns, particularly in academic and formal writing.
CMOS also recognizes the need for individuals to be referred to by the personal pronouns of their choice. For instance, some individuals may prefer the personal pronouns they or them as opposed to he or she. In this case, you could see a sentence structured as follows:
Example: For Jeff to attain a perfect score on the PFT, they had to train.
5. Pronouns need to agree in case. Problems with pronoun case often occur when dealing with compound subjects or compound objects. If a compound sentence contains two pronouns, or a noun and a pronoun, drop the other noun temporarily to check your pronoun use. This action will help you decide which case pronoun you need to use in the sentence.
Example: Andy and me went to the store.
Check yourself: Me went to the store.
Since you would say, “I went to the store,” as opposed to “me went to the store,” I is the appropriate pronoun to use in this instance because I is the subject case of the first-person pronoun while me is the object case. Problems with pronoun case may occur when making comparisons. When deciding which pronoun to use, try filling in words to complete the comparison.
Example: She is older than I (am old). This helps you as much as (it helps) me.
6. Demonstrative pronouns need to have clear antecedents. Demonstrative pronouns substitute for nouns when the nouns they replace can be understood from the context. They replace singular or plural words and indicate or clarify the location of the object.
This --> singular and near the speaker
That --> singular and at a distance from the speaker
These --> plural and near the speaker
Those --> plural and at a distance from the speaker
Test your knowledge of pronouns with worksheet 20.
Worksheet 20. Now You Try It! Prepositions Quiz
Choose the preposition from the chart above that best fits in each blank space.
The nuclear bomb that had been advertised _____ the Strategic Air Command (SAC) ______ WWII revealed inefficient to address the small war requirements _______ the Vietnam era.
ANSWERS
CSG 10.5 Prepositions
The word preposition can be broken into two components: “pre” is a prefix with Latin roots meaning “before,” and “position” refers to something’s location or arrangement. This makes sense when we consider a preposition’s role in a sentence. A preposition often comes before a noun or pronoun and defines the relationship between words or clauses in a sentence. Table 36 provides a list of commonly used prepositions, which comprise both single words and multiword phrases.
Table 36. Prepositions
Single-word prepositions
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About
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Above
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Across
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After
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Against
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Along
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Among
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Around
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At
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Before
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Behind
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Below
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Beneath
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Beside
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Besides
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Between
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Beyond
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By
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Despite
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Down
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During
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Except
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For
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From
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In
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Into
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Inside
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Like
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Near
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Of
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Off
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On
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Out
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Outside
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Over
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Past
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Since
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Through
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Throughout
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To
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Toward
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Under
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Underneath
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Until
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Up
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With
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Within
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Without
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Multiword prepositions
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Along with
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In place of
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Because of
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In spite of
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Due to
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Instead of
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Except for
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On account of
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In addition to
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Out of
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In case of
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Up to
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In front of
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With the exception of
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Source: adapted from Nova Southeastern University Tutoring and Testing Center, “Prepositions,” accessed June 4, 2020; and Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL), “Prepositions for Time, Place, and Introducing Objects,” last modified 2020.
According to the Purdue OWL, when a preposition forms a phrase with its respective object, the combined prepositional phrase acts as an adverb or adjective modifying verbs, adverbs, or adjectives. The prepositions are bold in the below example, and the prepositional phrases are italicized.
Example: The United Nations formally came into existence after WWII.
When using prepositional phrases in your writing, it is important to understand how different prepositions are used to show different relationships. For example, prepositions can describe a time or place (e.g., in 1989; on June 14, 1989; on base, at the research library, think inside/outside the box). In addition, prepositions can introduce the object of a verb (the student’s research paper consists of several elements). Common writing challenges occur when writers choose a preposition that does not represent the intended relationship accurately. For more information on appropriate preposition use, consult the Purdue OWL website. An additional practice opportunity can be found below.
CSG 10.6 Adjective Order
As mentioned previously, an adjective is a word or phrase that acts to modify or qualify a noun. Sometimes, you may find a need to use multiple adjectives before a noun. In these cases, there is a process at work that governs how adjective order works in American English. This process is instinctive for native speakers of English, yet adjective order issues remain a challenge for many student writers, particularly non-native speakers. Table 37 provides the common order for adjectives and examples of each type.
Incorrect example: The general lived in a yellow (7), huge (3), old (5) house.
Correct example: The general lived in a huge (3), old (5), yellow (7) house.
*The numbers following the adjectives coincide with the adjective order in table 37.
Incorrect example: American (8) five (1) new (2) aircraft carriers were produced this year.
Correct example: Five (1) new (2) American (8) aircraft carriers were produced this year.
Commas with Multiple Adjectives
Whether or not you use a comma to separate multiple adjectives preceding a noun depends on whether those adjectives are coordinate or cumulative. Coordinate adjectives require commas while cumulative adjectives do not.
Coordinate Adjectives: Commas Separate the Adjectives
Adjectives in a row that all modify the noun that follows are coordinate adjectives.
Example: She published a succinct, insightful, and poetic essay in The Atlantic.
All of the adjectives in this series (succinct, insightful, poetic) modify the noun “essay.” We can also tell the adjectives are coordinate because the sentence would still make sense if the author were to place the coordinating conjunction “and” between the adjectives.
Example: She published a succinct and insightful and poetic essay in The Atlantic.
Another trick to check whether adjectives are coordinate is to rearrange the adjectives in the series. If the adjectives can be rearranged and the sentence still makes sense, then they are coordinate.
Example: She published a poetic, succinct, and insightful essay in The Atlantic.
Cumulative Adjectives: No Commas Needed
In a cumulative listing of adjectives, the adjective that immediately precedes the noun is the one that actually describes the noun; the other adjectives in the series modify one another as opposed to modifying the noun. For example, in the series “fifteen determined American Marines” the word “determined” modifies the adjective “American,” while the word “American” modifies the noun “Marines.” Cumulative adjectives are not separated by commas. A test to determine whether adjectives are cumulative or coordinate is to place the coordinating conjunction “and” between the adjectives.
Example: Fifteen [and] determined [and] American Marines ran the marathon together.
Because the conjunction does not fit between the adjectives, you would not use commas to separate the adjectives.
Incorrect example: Five, American-made, 97,000-ton aircraft carriers were produced this year.
Note: this example is incorrect because you would not say five and American made and 97,000 ton aircraft carriers were produced this year.
Correct example: Five 97,000-ton American-made aircraft carriers were produced this year.
The next chapter will discuss additional stylistic elements that work to either hinder or promote clear writing at the sentence level.