Questions tagged [formatting]
Use this tag for questions that relate to how certain aspects of English discourse should be formatted and/or what particular style guides recommend.
0
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1answer
38 views
When introducing an initialism for the first time in a paper, but the noun is possessive, do I make the initialism possessive as well?
E.G., "Mobile network operator's (MNO's) networks are overloaded."
Or
"Mobile network operator's (MNO) networks are overloaded."
0
votes
1answer
56 views
Formatting English Translation in Foreign Dialogue
This short paragraph of German dialogue needs to be translated into English within a larger work:
“Zurück bleiben! Fenster schliessen!” Stay back! Close the window! shouted the man on the roof.
...
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2answers
698 views
Short quotation over two paragraphs
If I am quoting two short consecutive sentences, but the first sentence is the last of a paragraph and the second sentence is the first sentence of the following paragraph, how do I show this? Must I ...
2
votes
3answers
355 views
Should I use a hyphen, an en dash, or an em dash to define or introduce a word? [closed]
I have looked up online and studied usages for the hyphen, en dash, and em dash. I still haven't found an answer if I can define words with a dash in English.
The backstory on dashes defining ...
0
votes
0answers
39 views
Using infinitive in bullet points
Can I use an infinitive anytime when I use bullet points style?
I learned when I use bullet points, I can start with action verbs:
Lists of bullet points will have more impact if each one ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
How should the name of a series of books be formatted?
I know that you underline – or if you're typing, you put the words in italics – the titles of books, and that you put chapters or quotations from a book in "quotes," but do you do anything to the font ...
2
votes
1answer
105 views
Usage of words between underscores
I noticed that there is people writing words between underscores, such as in the LKML mailing list where Linus Torvalds used to use the following pattern in his message: _hope_, _names_, _I_, _one_ ..
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2
votes
2answers
1k views
How should I shorten a very wordy title? [closed]
I want to mention a very long title which doesn't have a good shortening using one continuous chunk:
An account of a method of dividing astronomical and other instruments, by ocular inspection; in ...
0
votes
1answer
306 views
How should “sensei” be formatted when used alone? Capitalising when addressing someone - using their job title, rank or role in place of a name [closed]
Example sentence:
Thank you, sensei.
Should it be Sensei, sensei, or sensei?
I searched on Google books and I found many versions. (One problem, though, is that I can't see the italics.)
0
votes
1answer
231 views
Shoud I use a new line after Hi (someone's name) in e-mail? [closed]
In an e-mail, suppose we start with Hi John. Should I follow with
Hi John, some content (i)
or
Hi John,
some content (ii)
Is there any etiquette behind choice (i) vs (ii)?
6
votes
1answer
628 views
When did all-caps formatting come to indicate shouting?
A question on the History stack discusses when all-caps formatting came to indicate shouting in digital text, the answer being that such formatting has been interpreted to indicate shouting long ...
3
votes
1answer
129 views
Pagination styles in novels
While reading novels, I like to put a bookmark on a page where a sentence or a paragraph ends, preferably at the bottom right, which will enable me to just turn the page and put the marker. I can ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
Can I rearrange a quotation? [closed]
I am quoting a book (The Origins of the Final Solution, Christopher Browning), and am wondering if I can put the quote 'the other way round':
The actual quote is this:
"Lebensraum and Final ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Is there a universal format for 24-hour time?
This may seem like a duplicate but I didn't find the exact answer to this, and all related answers were opposite to each other and confusing to me.
At my work (in the US) we use 24-hour format. I ...
1
vote
4answers
986 views
Deleting a word from the start of a quotation
If you delete a single word (or even two or three words) from the start of a quote, should you still use an ellipsis (…) or can you put the first non-deleted word in square brackets ([Word])?
...
1
vote
1answer
92 views
Can you format a bullet list as a paragraph (so to speak)?
I have no objection to using a bullet list, but to save space I'd like to make the list inline. I know it's not strictly correct grammar, but I know with numbered lists like:
A good article is made ...
