Commas and dates
Welcome back to Editor’s Note! I hope you’re off to a strong start to the new semester.
This month, let’s take a look at how and when to use commas when writing dates. This is a common edit I make in copy that comes across my desk. The reason for the confusion is actually because this is an area in English where common usage is changing—more about that in a bit.
Following University/Chicago style, no commas are needed in a simple date:
She signed up for the Saturday volleyball practice.
She signed up for the January 27 volleyball practice.
She is a member of the 2024 varsity team.
But once the day and date are used, commas are needed after both the day and date:
She signed up for the Saturday, January 27, volleyball practice.
And commas always offset years when used in conjunction with dates:
She signed up for the January 27, 2024, volleyball practice.
The February 3, 2024, practice has been canceled.
But no commas are needed around the year when a specific date isn’t given:
The weather in December 2023 was mild.
It’s becoming much more common to not use commas after the date or year in the examples above. It’s so common that some editors even argue against using them. However, including them is still standard practice, especially in more formal writing. Until and unless that changes, University copy should include these commas.
For more information:
Chicago 6.17: Commas in pairs
University Style Guide: Dates
OIT update: What’s in a name?
This month, OIT has started rolling out its new name: the Office of Information Technology.
The change is subtle—Technology replaces the old Technologies. The office under the old name was launched in the 1990s, when technologies was a more common word. That word has since fallen out of everyday use. The singular form is more in line with how people have been using the OIT name in the past several years, according to Chas Grundy, director of IT strategy and transformation. The office decided to make the name change to keep up with current language use.
Going forward, plan to use this updated name in your communications. For more info, check out this article.
Pop quiz
Which name is preferred for this upcoming holiday?
A note about the pop quiz
Please think of these monthly quizzes as open-book! I don’t expect you to know the answer off the top of your head. I designed these quizzes, in fact, to get readers more comfortable using the University Style Guide to find the answer. You are encouraged to consult that before submitting your answer.
November pop quiz winner
Congrats to Mark Witte, video producer for the Institute for Educational Initiatives and the Alliance for Catholic Education, the winner of the November pop quiz!
Following University style, how should book titles be formatted? In italics
The University follows the Chicago Manual of Style in formatting book titles in italics.
Some campus groups—notably, the Office of Media Relations—follow AP style, which calls for styling book titles in quotes. So although you’ll see that style here and there, if the piece you’re writing or editing is meant to follow University style, use italics instead.
What we’re reading
These are stories that we found to be interesting, fun, or thought-provoking. The views are not necessarily endorsed. Want to share a story you found? Feel free to send it to me.
Our Semicolons, Ourselves
The New York Times
The Times Sues OpenAI and Microsoft Over A.I. Use of Copyrighted Work
The New York Times
How punctuation (somehow) plays a role in Trump’s Jan. 6 case
MSNBC
Latest style guide updates
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cancel, canceled, canceling, cancellation
The preferred spelling of this word is the American spelling, with one l. In British English this word is usually spelled with two l’s—cancelled, cancelling. Note that cancellation is always spelled with two l’s, however.
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