Should you hyphenate—or not?

 The hyphen—misunderstood and misused—is the single, short line that indicates a connection between words, a number and word, a prefix and word, and a suffix and word. (By the way, the prior sentence and this one contain em dashes—a topic for another time!)

 When treated correctly, hyphens enhance clarity. At times, even English professors might debate whether or not the punctuation mark is appropriate, but one or more of the following determines correct usage:

a)    placement in a sentence

b)    dictionary spelling

c)    style preference

 Consider the following guidelines to write hyphens correctly and place them where they belong:

 1.     The hyphen is a short, single line written without spaces in between.

-       One-fourth

-       Mid-November

 2.     To type a hyphen, find the key to the right of the zero and use the lowercase option. Strike the hyphen key only once. You may tap the space bar, but don’t hit the enter key, which creates a dash (another topic).

Hyphen -  

Dash—

 3.     Use a hyphen when two or more words in combination create a compound adjective that precede the noun they jointly describe.

-       The low-quality suits were not worth the money.

-       My daughter loves the girl-friendly shop.

-       I could have written the build-it-yourself instructions more clearly.

-       We were not tempted to swim in the reddish-brown water.

-       The well-written manuscript thrilled my editor.

 4.     If the compound adjective appears after the word modified, then do not not hyphenate.

-       The suits were low quality and not worth the money.

-       My daughter loves that the shop is girl friendly.

-       I could have written the instructions to build it yourself more clearly.

-       We were not tempted to swim in water that was reddish brown.

-       It was well written, so the manuscript thrilled my editor.

 5.     More often than not, hyphenate words with style and self, but use a dictionary to verify any uncertainty about the accepted spelling.

-       Her self-satisfaction was apparent to the team.

-       The team could not get over her selflessness.

-       We love Chicago-style pizza.

-       We love your writing style.

 6.     Do not hyphenate adverbs like very, more, less, most and least, or adverbs ending in ly—unless the hyphen is necessary for clarity.

-       A very meticulously designed mosaic graces the entryway.

-       The organization must be a highly rated charity for our board’s consideration.

-       The gluten-free pasta is a less frequently ordered entree.

-       The Smiths are among our most generous donors.

-       That school produced the most-talented speakers.

 7.     Use a hyphen to connect words for clarity.

-       I am happy to parrot-sit in your home while you’re away.

 8.     Hyphenate idioms (expressions) based upon their placement in a sentence and dictionary spelling.

-       Moving to New York has not altered Mary’s stick-in-the-mud attitude.

-       Moving to New York has not altered Mary’s being a stick-in-the-mud.

-       Do you recommend taking over-the-counter allergy medications?

-       I bought the decongestant over the counter.

 9.     Use a hyphen with a prefix to provide clarity.

-       Mom won’t re-press my dress if I keep trying it on and wrinkle the fabric.

 10.  Use a dictionary to verify whether or not the prefix is part of the word.

-       Mom won’t reconsider pressing my dress if I keep trying it on and end up wrinkling the fabric.

-       Her beloved agent inherited the multimillions she earned from acting.

 11.  Previously hyphenated terms (common vocabulary and proper names) often evolve into compound words, so consult a dictionary or style manual to confirm the correct or preferred form.

-       I am attending a fundraising event.

-       Walmart is running a big sale on gardening items.

-       Please send the group an email with all of the dates for next month’s meetings.

or

-       Please send the group an e-mail with all of the dates for next month’s meetings.

 11.  Hyphenate in-law relationships.

-       John loves his in-laws.

-       Mary’s mother and mother-in-law are hosting the baby shower.

 12.  When it comes to familial relationships, hyphenate greats but not grands.

-       His great-grandmother tells wonderful stories.

-       His great-great-aunt launched the restaurant.

 13.  Use a hyphen to express age as a noun or adjective.

-       They chose not to marry after a four-year-old engagement?

-       All ten-year-olds should plan to practice on Monday.

-       They agreed to accept the six-day-old puppy.

 14.  Do not use a hyphen for age when the timeframe is plural.

-       They chose not to marry after an engagement that’s four years old?

-       All who are ten years old should plan to practice on Monday.

-       They agreed to accept the six days old puppy.

 15.  Use a hyphen to show an age range.

-       Should we have a 21- to 29-year-old age group or a 21- to 39-year-old age group?

 16.  Hyphenate numbers from 21 to 99.

-       The eldest is twenty-one.

-       Three hundred and ninety-nine people attended the event.

 17.  Hyphenate simple fractions.

-       The teacher had used one-fourth of her supplies during the first three months.

-       Four-fifths is equal to eighty percent.

 18.  Do not hyphenate ethnicity unless such terms are used as modifiers.

-       The novel contained a rich account of Italian-American history.

-       Their family is Italian American.

 All in all, a hyphen should deliver clarity, not a distraction. When uncertain, check the dictionary spelling or style guide (as in Chicago or AP). 

More often than not, hyphen usage is not debatable!

My best to you,

Sallie Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

Before assuming that you have nothing at all to learn about the word none, consider the following questions:

·      Should you say none is or none are?

·      Do the words none and never ever belong together?

·      Is none an acceptable substitute for no one?

Of all the four-letter words in the English language, none is among the most notorious for tripping up speakers and writers. Seemingly a straightforward term that babies understand and toddlers utter, none has a way of creeping into sentences and making smart adults appear uneducated.

Taking a short lesson in none goes a long way in preventing grammatical errors:

1.    Although more commonly a pronoun, none also serves as an adverb.

2.    Synonyms for none as an adverb are not at all and in no way.

-       The teacher was none too happy about her students’ poor performance.

-       The found hiker is none the worse for wandering in the woods all night.

3.    Synonyms for none as a pronoun are not any, no part, and not one.

-       Although we were hoping to see deer on the trail, not one was in sight.

-       Although we were hoping to see deer on the trail, none was in sight.

 -       Bobby had candy, but he did not give any to Mary.

-       Bobby had candy, but he gave none to Mary.

 -       No part of that story is true.

-       None of that story is true.

4.    Style manuals prefer that writers use not one instead of none as the subject.

-       Not one meets the requirements. PREFERRED

-       None meets the requirements. 

5.    None is not a proper substitute for no one or nobody.  Not one is acceptable.

-       No one is coming over. PROPER

-       Not one [of them] is coming over. PROPER

-       None is coming over. IMPROPER

-       Nobody wants to come. PROPER

-       Not one [of the girls] wants to come. PROPER

-       None wants to come. IMPROPER

6.    None takes both singular and plural forms. Determine if none refers to a singular or plural noun in order to pair it with a singular or plural verb accordingly.

-       I planted twenty rose bushes last season and none are blooming.

-       I need one volunteer and none has surfaced.

-       Any ideas? None come to mind.

7.    Do not pair none/none of with a negative verb or adverb, which would present a double negative.

-       Any ideas? None don’t come to mind. WRONG

-       Any ideas? None come to mind. RIGHT

-       None of the paint wasn’t good. WRONG

-       None of the paint was good. RIGHT

-       I never get none of the jokes. WRONG

-       I get none of the jokes. RIGHT

-       I never get any of the jokes. RIGHT

8.    When using none of (meaning not one of) as the subject in formal writing, use the singular verb.

-       None of the chapters was interesting to the class.

-       None of the ingredients is organic.

9.    When referring to two people or things, use neither of instead of none of.

-       After John and I exchanged business cards, none of us knew what to say. WRONG

-       After John and I exchanged business cards, neither of us knew what to say. RIGHT

-       None of the two houses we toured has a basement. WRONG

-       Neither of the two houses we toured has a basement. RIGHT

Any questions remaining? I hope you have none! If you do, please feel free to contact me!

My best,

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

Did you ever have a teacher who scared you into listening and learning?

My scariest teacher, Mrs. Morgan, taught English in Middle School. She never raised her voice or whacked a student with a ruler—well, not to my knowledge, although my town’s public schools allowed corporal punishment back then! No, she wasn’t mean by definition, but her I-could-be-a-witch-who-eats-children persona crept into many of my nightmares.

If pressed to describe her, I immediately think of Miss Havisham from Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations. As soon as our class began reading that book, Mrs. Morgan and the novel’s haunting lead character (like a ghost, she inhabited a cobwebbed mansion and wore a decaying wedding gown) became one person in my mind. However, unlike Miss Havisham, who manipulated young people out of vengeance, Mrs. Morgan used her powers of intimidation for the benefit of her students—to impart invaluable lessons about communicating:

1.     Do your homework to gather facts and ideas that yield answers to challenging questions. Learning just enough to get by is the hallmark of laziness and always becomes evident when put to the test.

2.     Graciously accept that you are wrong when the facts say so. Contradicting solid facts to deny being wrong shows arrogance and ignorance.

3.     Don’t waste the class’s time. Groups rarely admire individuals who pose off-topic comments and questions that disrupt the purpose for meeting.

4.     Refrain from raising your hand (like you’re flagging down a rescue plane) to answer a question. Meaningful contributions generally come from those who have the patience to listen first and then consider how their input would enhance the discussion.

5.     Nix the notion that sharing any opinion is better than remaining silent. Some ideas show lack of insight; other thoughts are simply too revealing.

6.     Never assume that you can escape the hot seat by avoiding eye contact. People don’t always escape penalties by admitting they are unprepared or by taking responsibility to provide answers at a later time. However, by actively facing a situation, they are more likely to reach an understanding and prevent their problems from worsening.

7.     Avoid responding in a voice that sounds like you’re asking a question. A questioning tone implies limited knowledge, minimal experience, and/or lack of confidence.

Mrs. Morgan demanded a great deal from her students. A typical homework assignment, for instance, was to identify the part of speech of every word in a short essay. Of course, the work was tedious, but if we learned the rules and applied them, then all of our answers would be right. More importantly, we acquired fundamental knowledge to communicate properly.

The prospect of hearing Mrs. Morgan say no, her flat reply to an incorrect answer, and receiving her I-could-be-a-witch-who-eats-children look provoked real anxiety—enough to compel us to pay attention, prepare, and think before we spoke up in class.

Thank you, Mrs. Morgan, and all scary (not mean), dedicated teachers who have great expectations for their students! 

My best,

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady

Are your punctuation marks sending the wrong message?

 Using end marks and various character treatments in unruly ways might grab attention, but probably not as desired. Whether plainly wrong or merely pointless, writers’ notations commonly sabotage their credibility in the same way kids lose favor when throwing tantrums or persistently whining, “Look at me!”

 Thankfully, the remedy is as easy as noting and correcting such problems.

 To stop those punctuation temper tantrums, consider the following examples of childish tactics along with sophisticated approaches that send clearer, more effective messages:

 1.     Excessive Exclamation Points – Use one exclamation point for impact. Instead of adding emphasis, multiple end marks look like scribble on the page and make the sentiment seem over the top.

Childish: I love the results!!!!! Great job!!!!!

Grown-up: I love the results. Great job!

 2.     Crazy Question Marks – Use a single question mark to prompt an answer. Multiple end marks not only demonstrate impatience, but also discourage engagement by making the writer seem unhinged.

Childish: Where is my order #A1162??????????????

Grown-up: Has my order #A1162 shipped? Please provide details.

 3.     Question-Exclamation Mark Confusion – Either ask a question or make an emphatic statement to convey clarity and maintain self-control. Another option is to pose the question and deliver the declaration in separate sentences.

Childish: Is the report ready?!?

Grown-up: Is the report ready?

Grown-up: Please, send the report!

Grown-up: Is the report ready? If so, please send it!

 4.    Problem: Passive-Aggressive Question Marks – Either pose a question or state the circumstance. The passive-aggressive tactic of declaring something within the framework of a question ineffectively masks an accusation, which alienates the contact rather than resolving any issues.

Childish: We didn’t see you at the open house?

Grown-up: Why didn’t you attend the open house?

Grown-up: We were disappointed that you missed the open house.

 5.     Problem: Never-Ending Ellipsis – Use three consecutive dots—an ellipsis—to inject a pause. If pausing in the middle of a sentence, add a space before and after the ellipsis. If at the end of a sentence, add the final punctuation mark after the ellipsis. Extra, meaningless dots create an unappealing distraction and reveal that the writer is uninformed. In addition to the error of dots galore, excessive ellipses, even if technically correct, are tiresome to readers and make the writer appear indecisive.

Childish: I’m happy to talk with you about this…………….…tough decision.

Grown-up: I’m happy to talk with you about this … tough decision.

Grown-up: I’m happy to talk with you. This is tough ….

Childish: What in the world … goodness! I’m happy to talk with you…. This is tough ….

Grown-up: What in the world! I’m happy to talk with you. This is tough ….

 6.     Problem: Gratuitous Caps – Capitalize according to the rules (such as the first letter in every sentence and in proper names) and to achieve a uniform effect in graphic designs and presentations. To avoid overusing caps, consider alternative ways to phrase and punctuate for impact. Recognize that sentences in all caps typically slow comprehension rates. Random caps further make writers appear tactless, uneducated, or amateurish, and sometimes enraged.

Childish: We were DISAPPOINTED in her BAD ATTITUDE.

Grown-up: We were deeply disappointed in her bad attitude.

Grown-up: Her attitude was disappointing and unacceptable to us.

Childish: We ARE MEETING On WEDNESDAY At 3:00 PM.

Grown-up: Meeting: Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.

Childish: I am HAPPY to send the Report to you.

Grown-up: I am happy to send the report to you.

 Like gratuitous caps, out-of-control uses of bold, italic, underscored, and odd fonts tend to overwhelm a message.

 Yes, crazy punctuation and wild character treatments are hard to miss, yet the tactics rarely offer any advantages to the writer and potentially tell the reader to beware.

 I encourage you to spread the word!

My best to you,

Do you believe that speaking rudely to others is acceptable in certain business situations? Does being rude ever benefit a professional relationship?

Of course, perceptions about what is or isn’t rude vary. In addition to our different cultural backgrounds and experiences, we humans are unique in our personalities.  We also possess varying degrees of social awareness. Even so, most of us either know or could and should be taught to understand why certain ways of speaking and behaving qualify as rude: bad-mannered, curt, derogatory, discourteous, disparaging, disrespectful, impolite, insolent, insulting, offensive, or tactless. 

I offer my personal encounter with a rude individual, who was conducting business on behalf of a professional group, as a case in point:

I was preparing to leave my office for a meeting when I received an unidentified incoming call. My inclination was to let it go to voicemail. Instead, I answered. What if the client was calling from an unfamiliar number to tell me something I needed to know before I left?

Caller: “Mrs. Boyles, I’m calling from [this is not the real name] Dr. King’s office and you have an appointment next week. Your insurance from last year is not valid, and I need to verify your coverage.” 

Her tone was demanding and slightly accusatory, as if I had intended to deceive the office. How ridiculous! If the office had asked me about insurance at the time I made the appointment, I would have happily provided it.

Me: “My insurance changed as of the first of the year, but I don’t have time to do this right now. I’m about to leave for a meeting. I’ll be back in my office at 3:00. You could call me then.”

Picking up on her attitude and feeling pressed for time, I responded accordingly—matter-of-factly without pausing.

Caller: “So sorry I interrupted you!” Click.

She was undeniably sarcastic (no hint of apology there!) before hanging up on me. 

I could have decided to ignore her rude tone and unacceptable behavior. She was an insurance coder from a doc’s office that I’d probably not need to visit again after the scheduled appointment. Besides, she didn’t exactly inflict bodily harm. No poison arrows came shooting through the phone. Quite frankly, if I’d so chosen, I could have conjured an excuse for her, making her the victim of poor upbringing or personal problems, and simply hoped she’d never upset someone who was already suffering with a serious medical condition. I could have prayed for her!

I considered another possibility: If she was seriously disturbed, my confronting her bad behavior—no matter how tactfully—might lead to unintended consequences. I imagined a crazy woman taking the plunge into the murky, muddy waters of negativity and dragging me along!

Did I really want to go there?

No … but life has taught me to stick up for myself.

Reinforcing that but was my attitude from growing up in a family business and now running my own company: I greatly appreciate customers and all others who allow me to earn income in a field I love. For those reasons, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns tops the list of my most common expressions. In other words:

Please tell everyone if you’re happy with my product and service; please tell me if you are not. Learning of the problem directly from you allows me to make things right.

Without hesitation, I called the number back. I was prepared to reach the insurance coder directly, but the receptionist answered. She apologized upon learning what had transpired and passed me to the office manager, who also listened to my account of the disrespectful dialogue. The office manager, too, apologized with her tone and her words. Although I appreciated the way both had listened and responded, I also took the first few minutes of my appointment to inform the physician of the incident. His reaction demonstrated his shock and disapproval over his office worker’s behavior, and he thanked me for letting him know and for suggesting an opening line his callers should use.

We not only reap the rewards and the consequences of our own words and behaviors, but also of those with whom we associate.

·      Each time employees, partners, and others speak and act on behalf of an organization, they make impressions that reflect upon the entity, its members, and leadership.

·      One rude representative is enough to send a customer—client, patient, patron, etc.—on his or her way to the competition.

·      Many who avoid a conflict with the direct offender or the offender’s associates have no qualms about sharing their unhappy experiences with an audience, whether that’s one key person or the masses.

·      Rude words and behaviors trigger responses that create greater problems, wasting time and energy on efforts to resolve the issue instead of fueling productive endeavors.

Granted, preventing all (intentional and perceived) rude actions and words is impossible. However, certain initiatives limit negative exchanges and mitigate damages: 

·      Instilling a system of respect and appreciation within the organization

·      Building a culture of customer service and appreciation from the top down

·      Developing, ingraining, practicing, reviewing, and refining policies for communicating and operating, such as incorporating accepted ways to greet, inquire, inform, respond, and thank

·      Rewarding those who exemplify desirable conduct and identifying them as role models

·      Taking responsibility and extending sincere apologies when matters get out of hand

·      Extending consideration to those who feel mistreated, even when good judgment deems the offense is minor or imagined

·      Addressing all offenses and problematic individuals, including those who otherwise perform well, so that no rude word or conduct gets a pass

Getting back to the case at hand, I don’t know what (if any) action the office manager and doctor took. I hope she’s receiving customer service training and being monitored to ensure no one else encounters rudeness. Thankfully, as it turns out, my health is fine, so I won’t be returning to that office to find out. 

All in all, the call could and should have transpired something like this:

Caller: “Good morning, Mrs. Boyles, this is Mary Smith from from Dr. King’s office. Am I reaching you at a convenient time? I’m calling to update your insurance on record before your appointment next week.”

She would have clearly stated her name and purpose in a friendly voice.

Me: “I’m sorry, but this is not a good time. I’m about to leave for a meeting. I’ll be back in my office at three. Would that be a convenient time for you to call me back?”

Picking up on her tone, I would have made an effort to sound gracious.

Caller: “Thank you, Mrs. Boyles. I’ll call you back from this same number at 3:00. Have a good meeting!” 

Me: “I appreciate that, Mary. You have a good day, too.” 

See? That wouldn’t have been painful. Politeness, in fact, is easier to administer than rudeness with rarely a negative side effect.

I have to add that most of my encounters are positive. Honestly, when I’m conducting business and the other party sounds stressed for whatever reason, I typically strive to lighten the mood with a pleasant voice and often a little humor. I get great results when other person doesn’t hang up on me!

My best to you,

Sallie W. Boyles, a.k.a. Write Lady, Freelance Ghostwriter, Copywriter, Journalist & Editor at Write Lady, Inc., www.writelady.com

The topic of money arises in more contexts than one could count. An untold number of writers are also specifying dollars and cents incorrectly—at least from a grammatical standpoint.

Granted, one dollar is a simple concept, but considering that $1, $1.00 and a dollar all mean the same, we see how confusion arises over the appropriate way to show the amount in a particular context. Depending on the situation, one option will be preferred, while others will be correct but not ideal, or downright wrong.

The following guidelines clarify when words and/or numerical expressions make the most sense for writing about monetary values:

·      For clarity (as the AP Style for journalists specifies), round the figure and use the dollar sign plus numerals. Instead of presenting a long string of digits, name values of one million and more. Include commas.

-       $1

-       $1,000

-       $125,000

-       $1 million

-       $125 million

-       $1 billion

·      Unless you need to show exact amounts, round to no more than two decimals.

-       $123.4 million

-       $1.25 billion 

·      Unless necessary, omit the decimal values for cents.

-       YES: John spent $50.

-       NO: John spent $50.00.

·      For amounts less than $1, use the numeric value (if 12 or over) or spell the number along with the word cents. Although the cent symbol (¢) serves a practical purpose on signs and price tags, avoid using it within sentences.

-       Adding 25 cents to the price of each item covers the cost of bags.

-       I wouldn’t give five cents for that dress.

-       Cookies: 50¢ Each

·      If beginning a sentence with a dollar amount, spell out the value or rearrange the order.

-       One thousand dollars allows us to feed one hundred families.

-       With $1,000, we can feed 100 families.

·      Spell out the value if the reference to money is casual, nonspecific or sporadic.

-       The firm spent thousands of dollars on brochures.

-       Thanks a million for your help.

-       We appreciate any dollar amount donated.

-       The same people who spent over fifty dollars per week on coffee claimed they had no money left for savings.

·      Spell out the value in the context of a literary work, such as in a story or poem, and in most quotes.

-       Earning sixteen dollars for babysitting, she felt like a millionaire.

-       “We offered ten million for the land,” says CEO Doug Shelton.

·      Do not include the dollar sign with the word dollar.

-       RIGHT: The donor pledged $1,000.  

-       RIGHT: The donor pledged one thousand dollars.

-       WRONG: The donor pledged $1,000 dollars.

·      Let words take the place of zeroes for values of one million or over.

-       RIGHT: The cost of the land was $150 million.

-       RIGHT: The cost of the land was $150,000.

-       WRONG: The cost of the land was $15 thousand.

-       WRONG: The cost of the land was $1 thousand. 

·      Hyphenate when spelling out numbers between 21 and 99 (excluding, of course, those that are divisible by ten).

-       You won’t regret the seventy-five dollars you’ll spend on dinner per person at Café One.

-       Tux 123 rents every tuxedo for one hundred twenty-three dollars.

·      Hyphenate the dollar amount when the value serves as an adjective.

-       We don’t believe you’ll succeed in charging two-hundred-dollar fees for travel services that savvy consumers could arrange on their own. 

·      Use a singular verb along with a dollar amount that’s considered a single value.

-       RIGHT: One hundred dollars is a fair price.

-       RIGHT: The final bid was one hundred dollars.

-       RIGHT: Our sales goal is $1 million for the first quarter.

-       RIGHT: Two million dollars is the value of the real estate.

-       WRONG: The amount we earned are one hundred dollars.

·      Just as when expressing numbers numerically, use commas to separate hundreds, thousands, millions, etc. to spell out the same values.

-       The company’s debt totaled twenty-one million, six hundred thousand dollars.

·      Chose a style and present numerals and words consistently.

-       RIGHT: We spent only $200 of the $500 available.

-       RIGHT: I’m happy with $5 or $50.

-       RIGHT: I’m happy with five dollars or fifty dollars.

-       WRONG: We spent only two hundred dollars of the $500 available.

-       WRONG: The brand netted $110,000 last year. If the trend continues, profits should increase by twenty thousand.

When writing for a publication, industry or purpose that dictates a certain style, you’ll save time—and money—by reviewing the accepted practices for referencing dollars and cents before you begin your manuscript.

If you have additional questions about naming monetary values, you’re most welcome to contact Write Lady for guidance to write about money correctly.

My best to you,

Do you know the right way to write any time of day?

Telling time is easy, but do you get confused over matters like whether to write p.m., P.M. or PM, or if you should add a space, as in 11:35p.m. or 11:35 p.m.?

So little time and so many options!

The following guidelines address common misconceptions about writing time correctly:

1.     Style guides differ in terms of capitalizing the names of time zones. If you are not required to follow a particular format, then choose one and stick with it.

-       Some capitalize each word, as in Eastern Standard Time, Central Daylight Time, and Mountain Standard Time.

-       Other sources capitalize only the proper names. For instance, they capitalize the word Pacific in Pacific daylight time, but not eastern in eastern standard time.

2.     Use the singular form of the word saving (not savings) when referring to daylight saving time (DST).

3.     Always capitalize the abbreviations for time zones without periods.

-       EST, CDT, MST, etc.

4.     Put one space without commas between the time and the zone.

-       1:00 a.m. EST

5.     The most commonly preferred abbreviations used to indicate before noon (ante meridiem) and after noon (post meridiem) are a.m. and p.m.

-       Also accepted are A.M., AM, P.M. and PM., sometimes shown in a slightly smaller font. Whether or not you use periods depends on the style guide or the format you adopt. Maintain the same format throughout any single communication or group of publications. 

-       Some informal users also opt for am and pm with no periods.

-       Pay attention to your spacing—one space between the time and a.m. or p.m., and no spaces between a and m or p and m—with or without periods.

Correct

-       1:30 a.m.

 -      1:45 AM

Incorrect

-       2:15p.m.

-       2:30 P M

6.     Most style guides state not to show minutes when expressing a.m. and p.m. on the hour.

Correct

-       1 a.m.

-       10 PM

Avoided

-       1:00 a.m.

-       10:00 PM

7.     However, facilitate a cleaner, easier-to-read format by including the minutes on the hour when presenting an agenda with multiple times.

-        Agenda for Conference

8:00 a.m. Registration

8:30 a.m. Introductions

9:00 a.m. First Speaker

9:30 a.m. Second Speaker

8.     Do not use a.m. or p.m. with 12:00.

-       The middle of the day is 12:00 noon.

-       The middle of the night is 12:00 midnight.

9.     When using the 24-hour clock, omit a.m. and p.m., but indicate a time zone if your audience needs clarification.

-       00:00 CST

-       14:30 EST

10. Do not mix a.m. or p.m. (or their other abbreviated forms) with words.

-       Correct

·      The meeting is at 5 p.m.

·      The meeting is at 5 o’clock in the afternoon.

·      The meeting is at five o’clock in the afternoon.

-       Incorrect

·      The meeting is at five p.m.

·      The meeting is at 5 o’clock p.m.

11. As shown above, if ending a sentence with p.m. or a.m., do not add an extra period.

12. Write o’clock only when indicating the full hour or when specifying minutes before stating the hour.

-       Correct

·      2 o’clock

·      two o’clock

·      ten past two o’clock

-       Incorrect

·      2:10 o’clock

13. Do not separate the words representing the hour and minutes with a hyphen or colon.

Correct

-       The wedding would take place at six thirty in the evening.

-       The meeting time is six fifteen.

Incorrect

-       The wedding would take place at six-thirty in the evening.

-       The meeting is at six:fifteen.

14. Use hyphens when writing minutes only if you would normally spell the cardinal number with a hyphen.

-       The wedding did not begin until six forty-five.

-       My watch read six twenty-two when the meeting started.

15.  If the hour and minutes are written in word form and the time serves as an adjective, then hyphenate the hour-minute pair. Do not hyphenate numerals.

-       I have a five-fifteen appointment.

-       I have a 5:15 appointment.

-       I have a five o’clock appointment.

-       The schedule shows a six-ten arrival.

-       The schedule shows a 6:10 p.m. arrival.

 At this point in time, can you confidently determine which are correct?

1.     1 p.m.

2.     1 PM

3.     12:00 noon

4.     12 o’clock noon

5.     twelve o’clock in the afternoon

6.     all of the above

 Good for you if all of the above was your choice! If not, simply keep this reference in a handy place. By taking a little time to verify and adopt applicable rules and styles, you’ll form a habit of writing time correctly without giving the matter a second thought!

My best to you,

Do you sometimes feel lost regarding how to word an invitation or reference recipients properly on an envelope? With so many rules for so many different kinds of social situations, it’s no wonder!

Granted, correspondence among friends, family and business connections are less formal than in previous decades, but a more casual approach doesn’t mean anything goes. Mistakes made with invitations and special occasion cards have a way of making some appear unsophisticated and offending others. 

Thankfully, a few fundamental guidelines prevent the most common but easily avoidable social blunders. The following tips reference frequently asked questions and usual misconceptions about phrasing and addressing invites and other greetings:

I.                              The R.S.V.P.

A.         Never say “Please R.S.V.P.” on your invitation. R.S.V.P. is an abbreviation for répondez, s'il vous plait, which is French for respond, if you please—more simply, please reply.   Since the p stands for please, adding another please creates redundancy: Please reply, please. 

B.         When an R.S.V. P. accompanies an invite, the reply should name all who are attending and/or declining. If the host offers the option of bringing a guest and you know who that individual will be, then respond with his or her name. Without some prior understanding, assume that only those listed on the invitation are invited.

II.                          Names on Invites & Other Greetings

A.             Invitations, greeting cards and other correspondences to single adults who live at the same address should list each person alphabetically by full name, one name per line. Rather than automatically opting for convenience, however, consider the circumstances—interpersonal relationships, the formality of the occasion, etc.—to determine if spending the little extra time and money to issue individual invites or cards is the more appropriate option.

B.         Invites, etc. to couples living together but not sharing a last name should include their first and last names shown on the same address line. Married women who keep their maiden names are addressed as Ms.

-               Mr. John Doe and Ms. Mary Smith

-               Mr. John Doe and Mr. Alan Smith

-               Ms. Mary Smith and Ms. Lisa Thomas

C.       Unless one knows for certain that a married woman prefers Mrs., then the standard, especially in business-related matters, is to address her as Ms.

D.          Invites and greetings to couples should name the individual with the more prominent title first. Formal invites spell out titles like doctor, and they use the word and instead of the ampersand (&).

-               Dr. Jane Smith and Mr. Tom Smith

-               The Honorable Tom Smith and Ms. Jane Smith

-               Doctor Tom and Mrs. Jane Smith

E.        Formal Invites and greetings to children under 18 years of age traditionally reference boys as master and girls as miss. Nevertheless, Mr. and Ms. would be more fitting in various circumstances, such when the relationship between the teen and the sender is of a business nature.

F.          A title shared by a couple takes the plural form.

-               The Doctors Smith

-               Drs. Tom and Jane Smith

-               Drs. Jane and Tom Smith

G.          First names without titles are appropriate for informal invites and correspondences.

-               Mary and Tom Smith [either order]

III.                      Plurals & Apostrophes

A.         Do not use an apostrophe for the plural form of a last name ending s.

-               Best wishes from the Millers [last name Miller]

B.         Add es to create the plural form of last names ending in ch, s, sh, x, or z.

-               The Birches

-               The Rosses

-               The Standishes

-               The Foxes

-               The Chavezes

C.          Add an s to create the plural form of last names ending in y or o.

-               The Conroys

-               The Devitos

D.        Consider employing Family if the plural form of the last name is a mouthful.

-               Hosted by the Sessions Family [last name Sessions]

IV.                       Last Names & Possessives

A.         Form the singular possessive of a last name by adding an apostrophe + s.

-               Where: John Smith’s Residence [last name Smith]

-               Where: John Jones’s Residence [last name Jones]

B.         Form the plural possessive of the last name by adding an apostrophe after the final s.

-               Where: The Wellingtons’ Home [The Wellington Family’s Home]

-               Where: The Rosses’ Home [The Ross Family’s Home]

 I could say much more on the topic of invites and greetings, but doing so would require writing an e-book, not a blog post. If you’d like for me to tackle related matters, either in a future article or directly with you, please feel free to contact me.

In closing, I simply want to emphasize that whether or not you and your connections share the same traditional or nontraditional perspectives, the most valuable concept for all is to send and receive invites and greetings graciously and in a positive spirit.

My best to you,