The Blueprint
Defining Consistency
A Style Guide decides the rules where grammar is flexible. You must choose a side.
1. The Oxford Comma
Do you put a comma before 'and' in a list?
YES (Oxford)
"A, B, and C"
"A, B, and C"
NO (AP Style)
"A, B and C"
"A, B and C"
2. Numbers
When do you use digits vs. words?
1-9 Words
"Nine cats, 10 dogs"
"Nine cats, 10 dogs"
1-99 Words
"Ninety cats, 100 dogs"
"Ninety cats, 100 dogs"
3. Heading Case
How do you capitalize titles?
Title Case
"The Big Report"
"The Big Report"
Sentence Case
"The big report"
"The big report"
Style Audit 🕵️♂️
Find inconsistencies (Mixed Styles).
Draft
We invited three guests: the CEO, a manager and a client. We have 5 offices in Asia but 11 in Europe. Please read the section titled "Company policy" for more details.
Mission 📝
Create Your Guide.
Scenario: The Startup
You are defining the voice for a cool new Tech App. They want to sound modern, friendly, but professional.
Write down your 3 rules:
1. Contractions: (e.g., Use "We're" instead of "We are" for friendliness).
2. Jargon: (e.g., Avoid complex tech words; keep it simple).
3. Formatting: (e.g., Use bullet points for lists, no semicolons).
2. Jargon: (e.g., Avoid complex tech words; keep it simple).
3. Formatting: (e.g., Use bullet points for lists, no semicolons).