Keep it simple! Use George Orwell’s six elementary rules (“Politics and the English Language,” 1946):
- Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
- Never use a long word where a short one will do.
- If it is possible to cut out a word, always cut it out.
- Never use the passive where you can use the active.
- Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
- Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
(source: grammarly)
My Personal Style Guide
Quotes ⟶ double for speech and quotes, single for within quotes. Single quotes are also used for words that are quoted slang or invented.
Dates ⟶ 24th October 2013, 10:36AM GMT.
Abbreviations ⟶ write out full name University of the Arts London (UAL) then abbreviate to UAL the rest of the way through.
Caps ⟶ no caps for job titles.
Italics ⟶ for book and film titles.
Bold ⟶ for headings and titles and occasional emphasis.
Names ⟶ Olivia Broome, then Broome.
Colons ⟶ for lists and introductions.
Dashes ⟶ for use as replacing commas, colons and semi-colons.
Semi-colons ⟶ when appropriate in writing but used sparingly.
Per cent ⟶ used with the symbol %
Special characters ⟶ for embroidery purposes and fun.
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