• Apostrophe (’)
    • Use an apostrophe to show possessive (e.g., SOS’s policy, BPD’s attorneys). Do not use an apostrophe to show plural (e.g., VIGs, 1990s).
  • Accent Mark (à é ä å æ ç ñ î)
    • Retain accent marks when using foreign words in a sentence. (Note to web developers: Double-check these items before finalizing a web page. Some accents and symbols need special coding by a web developer in order to appear correctly on the website.)
      • Examples:
        • The manager’s name is Rosa Nuñez. Please include a resumé and cover letter.
  • Brackets (also called box brackets or square brackets) ( [ ] )
    • Use brackets to enclose explanatory or missing material usually added by someone other than the original author, especially in quoted text. Bracketed comments can also indicate when original text has been modified for clarity.
      • Examples:
        • “I misplaced [the ballot] and don’t know what to do.”
        • The vendor states that “the future of… direct recording electronic (DRE)
        • voting systems [see definition] is bright.”
    • Use brackets to enclose the italicized letters sic when indicating errors that are “thus in the original.”
      • Example:
        • Thank you for your Public Records Act request for any oaths of “Juge [sic] Judy Jones.”
    • Avoid using curly brackets in all agency writing ( { } ).
  • Colon (:)
    • A colon informs the reader that what follows proves, defines or introduces elements of what is announced in the first part of the sentence. A colon is also used to separate a title and corresponding subtitle, and in a SOS business letter salutation. Follow a colon with a single space.
      • Examples:
        • Send all three items by June 30, 2009: the cover sheet, the final report and the $20 fee.
        • Filer type: The category of the filer, such as “lobbyist” or “recipient committee.”
        • The 2008 Election: An Overview of Best Practices and Lessons Learned
        • Dear Governor Smith:
  • Semi-Colon(;)
    • A semicolon is used to separate two related but independent clauses or to distinguish between a complex series of items, especially those that contain commas. (Note: If the two clauses are lengthier or more complex, simply separate them into two sentences.) Follow a semi-colon with a single space.
      • Examples:
        • The 2008 elections were a great success; many counties reported record voter turnout.
        • Among the treasures housed in secure, climate-controlled rooms stretching over six floors of the State Archives’ Sacramento building are the original California Constitutions; Spanish and Mexican land grant records; election records dating back to 1849; political campaign items; and evidence, tapes and photographs from the Los Angeles Police Department investigation of the Robert F. Kennedy assassination.
  • Comma (,)
    • Commas can be a means of readability, helping to keep the structure of the sentence clear so that the text is easy to understand. A sentence is well structured if the reader knows where to pause.
      • Use a comma after the closing of a Secretary of State business letter.
        • Examples:
          • Sincerely,
      • Use a comma to separate parts of geographic places.
        • Examples:
          • Hollywood, Ireland is not as famous as Hollywood, California.
      • Use a comma after affirmatives and negatives.
        • Examples:
          • Yes, a voter must re-register to vote after moving.
      • Use a comma after certain adverbs: however, therefore, nevertheless, moreover, furthermore, still, instead, too (when the meaning is “also”). If one of these adverbs appear in the middle of a sentence, enclose the adverb in commas. Use a comma before adverbs such as then, so, yet, but no comma after.
        • Examples:
          • Therefore, all staff are required to attend the meeting.
          • The lawyer was, however, a member of the organization.
          • The notary public was at fault, too.
      • Use a comma to separate items in enumerations and sequences.
        • Examples:
          • Safe at Home is marking its tenth anniversary of serving California’s victims of domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault, as well as reproductive health care staff, volunteers and patients.
          • A stock corporation must first file Articles of Incorporation, then file a Statement of Information and file updates annually, thereafter.
      • Use a comma between two main clauses which are separated by then or but.
        • Examples:
          • Complete the form, then mail the form and fee to the office.
          • The candidate was qualified, but failed to file the required paperwork.
      • Use a comma when separating prepositional phrases.
        • Examples:
          • While in Sacramento, be sure to visit the California State Archives.
  • Dash or En Dash (–)
    • A dash is noticeably longer than a hyphen. An en dash is so named because the dash is approximately as wide as the letter n (–). An em dash is so named because the dash is approximately as wide as the letter m (—). A dash works similarly to parentheses or commas, but it is used where stronger punctuation is needed. A dash is used to indicate a break in thought, to make a brief interruption within a statement, to clarify or expand on a thought, or to offset lists placed in the middle of an independent clause where commas are already used. See also: Punctuation/Hyphen
    • While there are several types of dashes, use only the en dash (–) in SOS writing. Insert one space on either side of an en dash.
    • Use en dashes sparingly. If there is an en dash where a comma would work, use the comma. Use en dashes when the note you are making is more connected to the initial sentence; use parentheses when indicating a more separate or personal thought, or something less important. (Note to web developers: Double-check en dashes before finalizing a web page. Coding is different for dash, en dash and em dash.)
      • Examples:
        • All major voting systems vendors – Hart, ES&S, Premier and Sequoia – will make presentations at the hearing.
        • One major vendor did not attend the public hearing – a conspicuous absence noted by the media.
  • Ellipsis (…)
    • Use an ellipsis to indicate that a portion of a sentence or paragraph has been omitted either before or after a written statement. Do not follow an ellipsis with a period at the end of a sentence. When omitting one or more paragraphs within a long quotation, use an ellipsis after the last punctuation mark that ends the preceding paragraph.
      • Examples:
        • Original sentence:
        • The regulation states, "All agencies, whether operating locally or statewide, must document overtime or risk losing federal funds."
      • Rewritten using ellipsis:
        • The regulation states, "All agencies… must document overtime or risk losing federal funds."
        • The regulation states, "All agencies… must document overtime..."
  • Exclamation Mark (!)
    • Avoid the use of exclamation marks in professional writing. In the very rare case in which enthusiasm is essential in a sentence or heading, use only one exclamation mark.
  • Hyphen (-)
    • A hyphen helps avoid ambiguity, clarify pronunciation or split a long word between two lines. Do not insert additional spaces on either side of a hyphen. See also: Punctuation/Dash or En Dash.
    • Use hyphens sparingly. Words beginning with all-, ex-, and self- as prefixes are hyphenated. Prefixes before proper nouns are always hyphenated. In most other cases, let Webster’s dictionary be your guide for when to use the hyphen after a prefix.
      • Examples:
        • touchscreen
        • nonprofit
        • nonpartisan
        • unincorporated
        • unallocated
        • predetermined
        • preempt
        • proactive
        • restate
        • rewind
        • semiprecious
        • nationwide
        • multilingual
      • Examples:
        • all-around
        • re-examine
        • semi-annual
        • semi-official
        • anti-American
        • post-HAVA
        • non-English
        • pro-reform
        • mid-level
        • Asian-American
        • ex-husband
        • self-employed
    • A hyphen is also used for compound modifiers (words that rely on each other) and most phrases using an adjective before a noun. Do not hyphenate an adverb ending in -ly with a participle or adjective modifying a noun. Do not hyphenate proper nouns in their original form. When the meaning of the sentence is clear, do not hyphenate an adjective form.
      • Examples:
        • well-trained notary
        • out-of-state filer decision-making process civil rights lawsuit income tax form
        • highly complex idea federally insured bank teacher-student ratio day-to-day activities president-elect
        • Latin American countries
  • Parentheses ( )
    • Parentheses contain material that could be omitted without destroying or altering the meaning of a sentence. Any punctuation inside parentheses or brackets is independent of the rest of the text.
      • Example:
        • Senator Jenny Oropeza (D - Long Beach) spoke at length. Voters may have questions (e.g., “Is this my polling place?”) that knowledgeable poll workers can answer.
    • Parentheses can indicate shorthand for “either singular or plural” nouns.
      • Examples:
        • Use the Sacramento office to file the form(s).
    • Use parentheses to indicate an abbreviation.
      • Example:
        • Business Programs Division (BPD)
    • Use parentheses to indicate the area code in a telephone number.

      • Example: (916) 653-6575

  • Period (.)
    • A period ends a sentence or separates initials. Use one space after closing periods. (The use of two spaces was based on type spacing on American typewriters and no longer applies when using computers.) Desktop publishing programs automatically adjust for spacing after a period.
      • Use a period at the end of a complete sentence.
        • Examples:
          • The office is closed.
      • If the last word in the sentence ends in a period, do not follow it with another period.
        • Examples:
          • The emergency kit includes water, blanket, flashlight, bandages, etc.
      • Use the period after the initials in a person’s name. Do not add a space in between more than one initial and period.
        • Example:
          • T.S. Eliot
      • Multiple periods in a row: See Ellipsis.
  • Question Mark (?)
    • Use a question mark at the end of a sentence to suggest an interrogatory remark or inquiry.
      • Example:
        • Where is the nearest polling place?
  • Quotation Marks: double (“ ”) and single (‘ ’) –
    • Use double quotation marks when directly citing the exact words spoken by someone or quoting a written source. Use single quotation marks when quoting a second source within a direct quote. The marks distinguish one quote from another.
    • Whether in the original text or added by the author, place commas and periods within the quotation marks. Place other punctuation, such as question marks and semi-colons, outside quotation marks unless the punctuation applies to the quoted material
      • Examples:
        • The Secretary of State said, “Welcome to the fifth annual Archives Open House.”
        • The manager said, “One web developer called it ‘the best product on the market.’”
        • The notary public asked the judge, “What if I cannot collect and hand over ‘all relevant documents’?”
        • Some late filers claimed to be “unaware of the deadline”; others attempted to file but reported “website glitches.”
    • Double quotation marks can also be used to indicate nicknames of people.
      • Examples:
        • Governor Edmund G. “Pat” Brown, Sr.