What's Your Punctuation Style?
There is an ongoing debate around the right 'style' for punctuation. Some things are set in stone. Like the use of a period. Not much debate about the 'terminal points' for sentences. Periods, question marks, and exclamation points are your options. Although, it is highly recommended not to overuse the exclamation point. But I digress. Here we highlight the differences between the Chicago Manual of Style and the Associated Press Stylebook, by element. Ultimately, it's about your preference and how punctuation should make content easier for the reader to comprehend. Let's dig in.
Commas
There are 8 basic uses of commas. They are used to:
- Separate independent clauses in a sentence
- We had a phone call, and then he replied in an email.
- After an introductory phrase or word
- Honestly, I love practicing the law.
- Between items in a series
- My favorite colors are red, blue, green, and yellow. (Chicago Style)
- My favorite colors are red, blue, green and yellow. (AP Style)
- Set off clauses that are not required for the sentence
- Jane, who spent three days traveling, is back to work today.
- Set off a noun or a noun phrase that renames a nearby noun
- Duke, a university with a legacy of great basketball, is in the Final Four.
- To indicate a direct address
- Jane, I don't believe you know Joe.
- When setting off a direct quotation
- Jane said, "I don't like watching college basketball."
- For dates, titles, numbers, and addresses
- John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England, in 1940.
- 3,500
- My address is 123 W. Main Street, Anytown, State, 123123.
I noted the different use of the comma when listing items. In the Chicago style, a comma is used prior to the 'and' before the last item in the list is noted. The AP style excludes the comma before the 'and'. Treatment here is pure preference. To increase clarity, we prefer the Chicago style. It separates the final two items in the list as separate, rather than as a joined concept.
Spacing between Periods in Initials in a Name
Ok, yes, this is fairly specific. But if you use initials or work with someone who does, it's a valid point. There are two options for spacing when using initials in a name:
- A.J. Brown (AP Style)
- A. J. Brown (Chicago Style)
You will note there are spaces after each initial and period, separating each letter further in the Chicago style. The AP style treats the initial more as a singular concept, removing spaces after each period. Again, this is pure preference. Either style is acceptable.
Use of Periods in Abbreviations
Particularly for attorneys, this is an important point. No pun intended.
- JD (Chicago Style)
- J.D. (AP Style)
Clearly, the use or lack of use, of the period is the difference. Again, this is all down to preference.
Possessive Version of Nouns Ending in S
For the apostrophe, which we could write a series of blogs about, this is another option for placement when noting the possessive form of a noun that ends in s.
- James's (Chicago Style)
- James' (AP Style)
Clearly, the difference here is the addition of the 's' after the apostrophe. Again, either approach is fine.
But all of this leads us to the discussion of which style is preferred and if it is ok to mix styles. The short answer is yes. Whichever style you choose, or even a mix of them is entirely your choice. The key here is consistency. Particularly if multiple people are creating content, whether for your website, legal documents, or email, it's important to be consistent. We suggest you develop the right approach for your firm. Keep in mind that the whole purpose of punctuation is to make reading and comprehending the content easier for the reader. With that in mind, pick the right approach for your firm, readers, and clients. Remember, misplaced punctuation drastically changes a sentence. Here is a fun example: I love cooking my children and hiking. Clearly, it should be I love cooking, my children, and hiking. You get the idea.
Remember, as long as the correct meaning is conveyed, you can use whichever approach you prefer.
