Updated: 02/14/2012 2 Contents Writing Tips . 3 Stylebook Key . 5 Stylebook . 6 Guides . 33 Acronyms, Abbreviations . 33 Capitalization . 33 Dates . 33 Document Titles . 34 Formatting . 34 Merchandising Areas . 34 Numbers . 35 Punctuation . 36 Pyramid Terms . 36 Team Member Titles . 37 Canada Guide . 44 3 Writing Tips General: Keep these tips in mind when writing for any audience. Use active voice whenever possible. o Avoid is, was, were, are, has, had, etc. Make sure actions and subjects are clearly identified and can stand alone in your sentences. o Cut out words such as it, which, whose, that, those, thing, these, they, etc. Keep sentences lengths to 20-22 words in technical writing. Use clear and concise wording. o Eliminate repetition and unnecessary words. Avoid negative constructions whenever possible. o Use it is like the previous request rather than it is not unlike the previous request. Avoid contractions and abbreviations. When creating a list, follow these guidelines: o Use bulleted lists when listing three or more items. o Ensure lists are complete sentences and can stand alone. o Use a complete sentence to introduce a list. o Make list items parallel in structure. o Use periods at the end of each bullet with complete sentences, but not for fragments. Simplify terminology with everyday words. o Use find out instead of ascertain. o Use help instead of facilitate. Always put yourself in the place of your audience. o Anticipate questions people may have. o Answer questions they did not think to ask. o Examine your content in the context of what your site visitors want. Web: Keep these tips in mind when writing for an audience online, such as content on Workbench or insideTGT. Keep in mind that people read differently on the web, so content needs to be scanable, skimable and usable. Lead with the most important information. o Make the first words the most important. o List who, what, why, when and where in the first sentences. o State the main point in the first paragraph, then expand upon it. Write only one idea per paragraph. o Web pages need to be concise and to-the-point. Use lists instead of paragraphs. o Limit each list item to seven words. Include subheadlines, lists and boldface to make content easier to scan. 4 Make your links part of the copy. o Use a phrase more informative than click here: The form hyperlink gives you step-by-step instructions. Understand the structure of the site to know how specific or general your content needs to be, such as: o a short summary o a detailed presentation o supporting information Make sure information that is needed simultaneously appears on the same page, or that you provide a link to the content. Write clear and informative headlines. Global: Keep these tips in mind when writing for a global audience, such as Canada team members. Avoid jargon, euphemisms and metaphors. Avoid words that sound the same but have different meanings. o Homonyms (Infirm, stalk, stock, bow) o Homophones (There, theyre, their) o Homographs (Lead-mineral, Lead-action) Minimize the use of words beyond a single grammatical category. o File can be used as a noun, verb and adjective. Avoid references to culture-specific terms o Big Apple (New York City), brown bag (bring your lunch) Avoid using domestic and foreign. Avoid certain punctuation marks due to di