VWC Style Guide

VWC STYLE GUIDE

Rev. 02/24

B Board Lowercase when standing alone. For example: board-certified contribution rates; but uppercase when part of full name, for example: Board of Trustees. Bulleted lists (punctuation) Keep lists clean, uncluttered. Start with a complete introductory phrase followed by a colon. (In fact, try to recast sentences if they lack a complete intro clause.) Begin each bulleted item with a capital letter and end with a period, even if they aren’t complete sentences. Exception: One- or two-word list items, or short phrases. Dispense with the ‘and’ before the last bullet. There are times when punctuation is required for clarity, as in instances when we are instructing readers to take action, for example: do this or that. Thus, punctuation other than a period (a comma or a semi-colon) will be appropriate. C Canceled not Cancelled AP Style favors the one ‘l’ version – canceled. Capitalization rules Headlines and subheads: Capitalize prepositions with four or more letters. For example: from, with. Do not capitalize: for, as, if, on. Even though “is,” “are,” “was,” and “be,” are all short words, they should still be capitalized in a title because they are verbs. Capitalize the official name of a plan or program. Do not capitalize incomplete references to the plan or program. For example: Medical Fee Schedule, and “the fee schedule is updated”. State agencies: Capitalize the proper name of a state agency or department. For example: The Virginia Department of Transportation is improving the roads in the state. Do not capitalize if you are using the general name (for example: The agency) or if you are referring to part of the agency’s name. Job titles: Generally, capitalize formal titles when they appear before a person's name, but lowercase titles if they are informal, appear without a person's name, follow a person's name or are set off before a name by commas. For example: Deputy Commissioner Smith will attend. The deputy commissioner attending will be here at noon. Deputy Commissioner Smith is the first deputy commissioner to attend. Bob is the president of the company. The Smith Company will send President Bob Smith to attend. Cities/States Use a comma after the city and after the state. For example: She was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1985.

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