Punctuation

Apostrophe

Use the apostrophe only to indicate possession, when using contractions, and to enhance clarity with single-letter references:

• He maintained all A's and B's his entire senior year. (Without the apostrophe, the former would become the word As.)
• Wide lapels were popular during the 1950s.
• Tim Tone is a Board of Regents Professor.
• The Board of Regents’ decision supported Tech’s curriculum change.
• They’re the best team we’ve had in years.
• It’s difficult to see from here. (The possessive case of the pronoun it is its; DO NOT use an apostrophe, e.g., We couldn’t find its nest.)

For singular and plural possessive nouns ending in s, both common and proper, add an apostrophe after the s; do not add a second s, e.g., Jesus’ life NOT Jesus's life; Chris’ book; the witness' statement; the five witnesses' statements; the churches' directories; the VIPs' seats. (This is Institute preference as opposed to AP Style.)

Comma

To avoid confusion and maintain consistency of approach, always use a serial comma, the comma that precedes the conjunction before the final item in a list of three or more.

A comma should not precede Jr., Sr., or numerals in a surname:

• John F. Kennedy Jr.
• John D. Rockefeller III

Use a comma to separate two or more adjectives preceding a single noun, but only if the comma could be replaced by the word and without changing the sense:

• It was a long, hot summer.
• She had long brown hair.

Commas and periods should always precede closed quotation marks:

• He said “doctor,” and she said “physician.”

Dash

The dash is longer than a hyphen. An em (—) dash is preferred over an en (–) dash in body copy and should be surrounded by spaces. It is used to set off an amplifying or explanatory element, allowing it to function as an alternative to parentheses or commas — when emphasis is the objective.

• The influence of three impressionists — Monet, Sisley, and Degas — is obvious in her work.
• The chancellor — deprived of sleep — came down in an angry mood.

To type an em dash, press option, shift, and hyphen simultaneously.

Ellipsis ( ... )

Leave one regular space — never a thin one — on both sides of an ellipsis. If what follows is a complete sentence, the first word of that complete sentence should be capitalized.

Hyphen

Hyphens are joiners. Use them to avoid ambiguity or to form a single idea from two or more words. Use of the hyphen is far from standardized. It can be a matter of taste, judgment, or style. If a hyphen makes the meaning clearer, use it. If it just adds clutter and distraction to the sentence, don’t use it. The following addresses examples of commonly accepted usage.

Use the hyphen for date and time ranges. Do not include a space before or after it.

Hyphenate all compound words that begin with self.

• self-restraint, self-conscious, self-taught

Hyphenate compound words that begin with ex and mean former.

• ex-president, ex-husband, ex-mayor

Hyphenate multiple words that function as single compound adjectives (unless their usage has become so commonly accepted as to render the hyphen unnecessary) or if omission of the hyphen would impair clarity.

• It is a two-day program.
• She is a non-degree-seeking student.
• The MARTA station is only a 5-to-8-minute walk from campus.
• The study abroad program has been in high demand.

Always hyphenate non-degree and well-being.

Do not hyphenate compound words with an adverb ending in -ly:

• The newly appointed director discussed the health program with her staff.

Do not hyphenate vice president.

Hyphenate all references that indicate a student's classification/stage of study.

• The event is open to both first- and second-year students.

The suffix -wide should not be hyphenated unless the compound word is long and cumbersome.

• The changes to the curriculum were campuswide.
• The communitywide process to engage all Tech stakeholders in the new strategic planning process has been warmly received.
• The pope issued an archdiocese-wide policy.

In recognition of common usage and dictionary preferences, do not hyphenate double-e combinations with pre- and re-. Examples: preeclampsia, preelection, preeminent, preempt, preestablished, preexisting, reengineer, reestablish, etc. Other non-double-e examples include: pregame, prejudge, prehistoric, pretest. Otherwise, follow dictionary guidance, hyphenating if not listed there.

While the word preprofessional is not hyphenated, references to Georgia Tech’s educational programs in pre-health, pre-law, and pre-teaching are hyphenated. Otherwise, follow dictionary guidance, hyphenating if not listed there.

Quotation Marks

Periods and commas are always placed inside closed quotation marks.

Dashes, semicolons, question marks, and exclamation points are placed inside closed quotation marks when they apply to the quoted material only. They are placed outside the closed quotation marks when they apply to the entire sentence.