Style Guide

H

hands-on

  • Used as an adjective (hyphenated): hands-on experience.
  • May also use the word practical as a synonym.

 he/she, he or she, his/her

  • Avoid the use of awkward or unpronounceable pronoun combinations:
    • his or her (not his/her).
    • him or her (not him/her).
    • he or she (not he/she).
  • However, always try to use the plural form to avoid such constructions:
    • Not preferred: Every person will choose what to study according to his or her preferences.
    • Preferred: Students will choose what to study according to their preferences.
  • Reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, ourselves, yourselves, himself, herself, itself) refer to people or things already mentioned or implied in the same sentence: I wrote the book myself. Hand in the paper to the professor yourself.

 head, chair

  • Heads of academic departments at AUC are referred to as department chairs, not heads.

 headlines

  • Capitalize the first letter of the principal words in a headline and lowercase articles and prepositions such as the, an or in except when they are the first word in a sentence: Of Steel and Spice, The Lost Game, A Look into the Future.
  • When using quotation marks in a headline, use single marks instead of double.
  • Shortcuts, such as numerals and %, may be used.

health care

  • Two words.

 high school (n.), high school students (adj.)

  • No hyphen.

 His/Her Excellency

  • Do not use.
  • See titles, nobility.

 historical periods

  • Capitalize Dark Ages, Bronze Age, Stone Age, Medieval.
  • But lowercase: classic, neoclassic, modern, postmodern, information age, nuclear age.

 Homecoming

  • One word. Capitalize when referring to a specific event:
  • 2004 Homecoming. Lowercase in generic use: This year’s homecoming was different.

 honorary degrees

  • All references to honorary degrees should state that the degree is honorary: Honorary Doctorate of Science.
  • Always capitalize Doctorate of Science and Doctorate of Humane Letters. Dot use unofficial versions.
    • Incorrect: honorary humane letters doctorate; honorary science doctorate.

     

honorifics

  • Do not use courtesy titles or honorifics in identifying people.
    • Incorrect: Mr. Ahmed Ezz Aldin was present.
    • Correct: Ahmed Ezz Aldin was present.
  • See titles, courtesy.

 honors list/class

  • Lowercase: He is on the dean’s honors list.

 hyphens and dashes

  • See appendix 2, punctuation.