Rules on Word Division
Like spelling rules, the rules for word division may seem arbitrary. Actually, they follow specific guidelines. The following rules explain the basics of properly dividing words.
Rules on Enclosing Parenthetic Expressions in Commas
If the interruption to the flow of the sentence is but slight, the writer may safely omit the commas. But whether the interruption be slight or considerable, he must never omit one comma and leave the other.
Rules on Series of Three or More Terms with a Single Conjunction
In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. This is also the usage of the Government Printing Office and of the Oxford University Press.
Form the possessive singular of nouns with ‘s.
The rule in here is to form the possessive singular of nouns with 's. Exceptions are the possessives of ancient proper names in - es and -is, the possessive Jesus', and such forms as for conscience' sake, for righteousness' sake.
Spelling Guidelines and Techniques
This section presents information specifically about dealing with prefixes, suffixes, and plurals. It also covers the rules for use of i and e combinations.
Rules on the Use of Numbers in Sentences
As in the case with capitalization and abbreviations, the rules for handling numbers in text are complex and varied. In this book, we provide guidelines that are generally agreed upon by many experts.
Rules on Abbreviations
The style for abbreviations has gone through a series of changes in the past few decades. The trend today is to drop the periods from most abbreviations used in writing. Within a document, however, periods may be used or omitted if the writer is consistent.