Grammar and punctuation

How to write dates, job titles, numbers, and more

Maintaining a consistent style is one of the most important elements when writing for CT.gov. We mostly follow the Associated Press Stylebook, with a few exceptions like using Oxford commas, bulleted lists, and a conversational tone in our content. Here are some core rules to guide your writing.

Abbreviations and acronyms

CT.gov should always be capitalized this way (regardless of where it appears).
Avoid abbreviations if possible.
When necessary, always write out the full name of an agency the first time you use it and put the abbreviation in parentheses.

EXAMPLES:

Get a CT.gov account today.
“The Department of Transportation (DOT) has installed new cameras to help solve traffic congestion.”

Ages

When you’re talking about how old someone is, use “age” instead of “aged,” “the age of,” or “years.”
When talking about an age range, use “ages” and indicate the range with “to” instead of a hyphen.

EXAMPLES:

All children age 7 and older can join this program.
This seminar is for adults ages 55 to 65.

Bulleted lists

Bullets should look consistent everywhere you use them in your content. Technically, the AP style favors dashes over bullets, but bullet points can help guide users through web content. See on-page content structure for more on this subject.

When using bullets:

You should capitalize the first letter of all bullets.
Every bullet in a list should start with the same part of speech (e.g., all verbs or all nouns).
Every bullet should either be a sentence fragment or it should be a complete sentence — do not mix and match.
If your bullets are sentence fragments, there’s no need for punctuation at the end.
If you do use punctuation at the end of your bullet, be consistent with every bullet.

CTA's (Calls to action)

When creating copy with calls to action, always try to create your messaging using the You/Me model.

For your preamble or description of the service, use the Second Person POV (You).
For your call to action button, use the First Person POV (Me).

EXAMPLES:

Sign up for heating assistance and keep your family warm this winter.
[CTA: SIGN ME UP NOW >]
Download your free QR code to begin using our health app.
[CTA: GET MY CODE >]

Job titles

Capitalize formal job titles when used immediately before a name.
Use lowercase when the title is used alone or when separated from the name by a comma.
If the job title is actually a job description, then use lowercase.

EXAMPLES:

Director of Operations Mary Clark (formal title before a name).
Mary Clark, director of operations (title separated by a comma).
The director of department operations will lead the meeting. (formal title used alone).

Email addresses

In most cases, all letters in an email address should be lowercase. Any email address you put on a webpage should be all lowercase.

Links

Links should never look like typical “links.” Try to embed them in the words in your sentence.
Your linked text should help the user understand where the link is taking them and what to expect. This is especially important when you’re sending people to another resource.

When using links:

Provide context — a sentence or phrase — to explain what the link is.
Frame the link with actionable language.
Avoid “click here” and similar phrases when introducing links.
Always avoid putting actual link URLs in web copy.
If the link is to a PDF or other file format (e.g., Excel spreadsheet), include that information in your sentence.

EXAMPLES:

Do: Learn how providers can get a background check.
Don’t: Background checks information.

Do: Read this rundown of licensing requirements [PDF - 200 KB].
Don’t: Learn about background checks at https://beta.ctoec.org/background-checks/#Get-a-new-background-check.

Numbers

Spell out numbers one through nine and use Arabic numerals for 10 and above.
Use Arabic numerals for measurements, ages, and percentages.
In general, avoid using Roman numerals (I, IV, XII, etc.).

EXAMPLES:

Six people took 73 minutes or longer to complete the test.
7 miles (unites of measure)
12 and older (ages)
15 percent (percentages)

Oxford comma

Use it. When you have a list, always put a comma before the “and” or “or” at the end of the sentence. This technically contradicts the AP style, but it can help promote the clarity and comprehension of your sentence which is most important here.

EXAMPLE:

Ask your employer if you have questions about licensing, background checks, or workplace development.

People-first language

A person should never be defined by their attributes. Always put the person before a health condition or disability.

EXAMPLES:

“A person with diabetes”, not “a diabetic”
“A person with a disability”, not “a disabled person”
“A person experiencing homelessness”, not “a homeless person

Phone numbers

Use hyphens in phone numbers instead of periods or parentheses.

EXAMPLE:

Do: “Call us at 860-500-4412”
Don’t: “(860) 500-4112”

Fax Numbers: We display fax numbers in the same format as phone numbers.

EXAMPLE:

Do: Fax us at 213-223-2323.

Pronouns

In general, don’t use “he or she” or “his or her.” It’s now widely accepted to use “they” or “their” for singular pronouns.

EXAMPLE:

Do: “Ask your child’s pediatrician what they would recommend.”
Don’t: “Ask your child’s pediatrician what he/she would recommend.”

Time and date

When writing about dates:

Always spell out months and days of the week completely.
Always use Arabic numerals for dates.
Don’t use st, nd, rd, or th after a date.

EXAMPLE:

Do: The meeting is on April 5, 2020.
Do: Groundbreaking will be on Thursday, July 19.
Don’t: Join us for the ceremony on Weds. Aug. 21st.

When writing about time:

Use “a.m.” and “p.m.” in lowercase.
Drop the ":00" when listing times on the hour (8 a.m., not 8:00 a.m.).
Use “to” between ranges of time instead of a hyphen.

EXAMPLE:

Do: We’ll hold the session from 10 to 11 a.m.
Don’t: Drop-by hours are 10:00 — 11:00 A.M.

Apostrophes

Do not attach possessive apostrophes to words, including agency acronyms, ending in “S.”
For accessibility purposes, audience members using screen readers will have a difficult time with the added “s” affixed to names.

EXAMPLE:

Do: OHS’ programs contain many departments.
Don't: OHS’s data is up to date.

Symbols

Avoid symbols that replace words, like “&” and “%.” They may take up a little less space, but spelling out the words is clearer. This is especially important for users who use mobile phones.