Style Guide

R

races

  • The names of racial, linguistic, tribal, religious and other groups are capitalized but not hyphenated: Egyptian American, Arab American, African American, Caucasian, Hispanic.
  • See appendix 3, nondiscriminatory language.

 Ramadan

  • Reference to the month in which Muslims fast from dawn until sunset everyday. Capitalize in all instances and do not italicize.

 range

  • For constructions indicating a range, use an en dash (see appendix 2), leaving a space on both sides: 9 – 11 pm. In a construction such as 7 – 9 pm, it is not necessary to use pm twice.
  • In running text, preferably use the from/to construction:The play lasted from 7 to 9 pm.
  • If you use from, you must use to; don’t combine two forms:
    • Incorrect: from 1998 – 2003.
    • Correct: from 1998 to 2003.
  • If you are listing more than one time, give the minutes for all of them if you are going to use it for any:
    • Incorrect: 2:30 am, 4 pm and 8 pm
    • Correct: 2:30 am, 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm.
     

reapplication

  • One word.

 reason why

  • Use reason.

 re-

  • Use hyphen only with words that begin with an ‘e’: re-enter, re-elect; or need clarity: re-creation.

recreation, re-creation

  • Recreation (one word, no hyphen) refers to entertainment.
  • Use a hyphen when meaning “to create again.”

 regions

  • Capitalize names of regions: Middle East, Far East, the Orient.

 renaissance, Renaissance

  • Lowercase when meaning a birth or revival: She wanted a renaissance in her country.
  • Capitalize when referring to the 14th to 16th century revival of classical art, architecture and literature.

 Renaissance man

  • A man who has broad intellectual interests and is accomplished in both arts and sciences. Always capitalize.

 résumé

  • Distinguished from resume (meaning to continue) by using diacritical marks. To put the marks:
    • Type out resume, then highlight the first ‘e.’
    • Go to Insert in the program menu and choose Symbol.
    • Highlight é.
    • Click Insert.
    • Repeat the same steps for the second é or copy and paste the first é.

 reunion

  • Capitalize Class of 1960, but lowercase 45th reunion, 20th reunion.

room names and numbers

  • In running text, do not capitalize room when it is followed by a number, unless it is the first word in a sentence: We will meet in room 254 in the Main Campus.
  • Capitalize room when it is part of the official name of the room: Board of Trustees Room, Blue Room, Harmon Room.
  • Do not use the abbreviation Rm in running text; use only in tabular format where space is limited and capitalize.

RSVP

  • Means Repondez si’il vous plait (please reply).
  • Use this abbreviation (capitalize and do not put periods) with a telephone number or address, and a deadline for responding.
  • When in doubt about whether or not your audience will understand RSVP, use ‘please respond.’
  • Avoid using RSVP in running text (use mainly in invitations)