Chicago Manual Of Style Guidelines

Quickstudy Digital Guide

MaryAnne Gobble

• Publisher: QuickStudy Reference Guides
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781423218609
• eBook ISBN: 9781423243243
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Linguistics
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Get the guidance you need quickly with the Chicago Manual of Style QuickStudy® guide. Based on the 17th edition of CMS, this handy 6 page laminated guide covers the essentials of this often mandatory style for academic research papers, business reports and published manuscripts. Expertly authored using 25 plus years of experience in editing, academics, business and publishing, it covers aspects of the style necessary for most papers and publications and includes common, real-world sample references for both CMS citation formats so that you can be sure you are giving appropriate credit where credit is due. Add this inexpensive tool to your resources for another way to reinforce your CMS knowledge and ensure your writing is not clouded by incorrect usage that might affect your reader, especially your professors where a grade might be affected.
6 page laminated guide includes:

• Preparing a Manuscript
• Copyright & Fair Use
• Style & Usage
  • Bias-Free Language
  • Punctuation Style & Usage
  • Lists
  • Capitalization
  • Numbers
  • Abbreviations & Acronyms
  • Quotations
• Documentation
  • Source Citation Overview
  • The Author-Date System
  • The Notes & Bibliography System
  • Sample References
• Tricky Words
• An Introduction to Grammar

Style & Usage

1. Do not confuse common usage with good usage—when in doubt, look it up!
2. This section provides a basic overview. Usage guides, such as Garner’s Modern American Usage, may also be helpful.
3. CMOS recommends Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary to resolve usage and spelling issues (see Tricky Words).

Bias-Free Language

1. Bias-free language refers to both gender-neutral language and language that does not slight or stereotype based on race, ethnicity, disability, age, religion, sexual orientation, transgender status, or social standing.
2. The goal is not political correctness but rather avoiding unintentional judgments, preserving credibility, and achieving maximum clarity.
3. As a rule, use adjectives, not nouns (e.g., “a deaf-and-mute person,” not “a deaf-mute”; “a Jewish man,” not “a Jew”).
4. Some groups advocate the use of “person-first” language; this is rarely offensive and should be preferred where it does not create very awkward sentences (e.g., “a child with autism,” not “an autistic child”; “a person who stutters,” not “a stutterer”).

The Pronoun They

1. They often refers to a plural antecedent, but they can also be used to refer to a singular antecedent.
2. When referring to a person who does not identify with a gender-specific pronoun such as he or she, the pronoun they may be used. CMOS states, “In general, a person’s stated preference for a specific pronoun should be respected.”
3. In speech and informal writing, the pronoun they may be used as a substitute for the so-called generic he when referring to someone whose gender is unknown or unspecified. Although this usage is gaining ground, it is not considered fully acceptable in formal writing.
   EX: Does anyone want their car washed?
4. The singular they takes a plural verb (like the singular you).
   EX: They have a blue car.

Tactics for Achieving Gender Neutrality

CMOS does not prohibit the use of the singular they as a substitute for the generic he in formal writing but recommends avoiding it. To achieve gender neutrality when making generic references to people, try these tactics:

1. Omit the pronoun.
   Before: The student should carefully review the assignments when they are sent to him.
   After: The student should carefully review the assignments when they are sent.
2. Repeat the noun instead of using a pronoun.
   Before: The student should speak only when he is called on.
   After: The student should speak only when the student is called on.
3. Use a plural noun.
   Before: The teacher should update the gradebook when she receives the papers.
   After: Teachers should update their gradebooks when they receive the papers.
4. Use an article instead of a pronoun.
   Before: The author should review his pages carefully.
   After: The author should review the pages carefully.
5. Use the neutral pronoun one.
   Before: A teacher in a wealthy school is likely to have more access to computers than she will in a poorer district.
   After: A teacher in a wealthy school is likely to have more access to computers than one in a poorer district.
6. Use a who construction rather than an if construction.
   Before: If a student is accused of plagiarism, he must appear before the discipline board.
   After: A student who is accused of plagiarism must appear before the discipline board.
7. Use the imperative mood.
   Before: A manager must communicate effectively when speaking to his employees.
   After: Communicate effectively when speaking to employees.
8. Use he or she, but sparingly.
   Before: If a student is accused of plagiarism, he must appear before the discipline board.
   After: If a student is accused of plagiarism, he or she must appear before the discipline board.
9. Revise the sentence.
   Before: If a boy or girl is late to class, he or she will miss the introductions.
   After: If someone arrives late to class, that person will miss the introductions.

Punctuation Style & Usage

1. All punctuation should be styled like the main or surrounding text unless it belongs to the styled matter (e.g., it is part of a title).
2. Periods and commas fall inside closing quotation marks. All other punctuation marks fall outside the closing quotation mark unless they are explicitly part of the quoted material.
3. Use normal punctuation with URLs and email addresses.
4. The discussion that follows uses some basic grammatical terms (see An Introduction to Grammar).

Commas

Use commas:

1. To separate items in a series or list; NOTE: CMOS style strongly encourages the use of what is called the serial comma or Oxford comma—the comma between the next-to-last item in a list of three or more items and the word and—to ensure clarity
   EX: The agenda included a brief introduction, a talk by an invited speaker, and a brief question-and-answer period.
2. To set off nonrestrictive clauses introduced by which
   EX: Her car, which is parked at the curb, was broken into last week.
3. To set off nonrestrictive appositives
   EX: Jane’s husband, Daniel, carved the turkey.
4. To set off parenthetical asides
   EX: The announcement was, to say the least, a shock.
5. To join two independent clauses connected by a conjunction
   EX: The students didn’t protest, but they were not happy about the tuition increases.
6. After a dependent clause that precedes an independent clause
   EX: If she accepts the job, she will start work on Monday.
7. To separate coordinate adjectives preceding a noun (i.e., adjectives whose order can be chaand still make sense) and to separate adjectives repeated for emphasis
   EX: It was the longest, hottest night of a dry, hot summer.
   EX: To be absolutely clear, it was very, very warm.
   EX: She has many furry dogs.
8. With dates, addresses, and place names in running text
   EX: Asheville, North Carolina, is near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
   EX: July 4, 1776, is a date that will be long remembered.
9. To introduce a quotation, unless a conjunction is used
   EX: Einstein said, “Genius is 99 percent perspiration, 1 percent inspiration.”
   But Einstein said that “genius is 99 percent perspiration, 1 percent inspiration.”

Semicolons

Use semicolons:

1. To join two independent clauses without a conjunction; the use of a semicolon rather than a period indicates a close relationship between the two clauses
   EX: He stole the car; he went to jail.
2. To join two clauses using transitional adverbs such as however and therefore; the adve...

Table of contents

• What Is CMOS?
• Preparing a Manuscript
• Copyright & Fair Use
• Style & Usage
• Documentation