College Style Guide: T

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telephone numbers

Use hyphens between sets of numbers: 507-646-1234. No parentheses for area codes.

television/TV

Spell out as a noun; OK to abbreviate as an adjective. Always capitalize when abbreviated.

terms, academic

Lowercase: fall term, spring semester, summer break.

the (definite article)

For the initial “the” in magazine titles, don’t italicize unless it begins the sentence: She enjoys reading the Washington Post in the morning. The Washington Post is one of the top newspapers in the US. (8.70)

When referring to a Macalester program that starts with “the,” lowercase “the” when it would otherwise be awkward.

Theater and Dance Department

*The facilities within the department include the Main Stage Theatre and the Studio Theatre (the “black box”).

*All other references to theater should end in “er,” not “re,” unless Theatre is part of an organization’s official name, and then use it only in the full name. (See appendix for names of area theaters.)

they (pronoun)

See also gender-neutral pronouns.

Acceptable as a pronoun reference for a singular subject or individual.

Each person’s stated gender identity and pronouns should be respected by using the correct pronouns when referencing someone in speaking and writing.

When “they” is used in the singular, it takes a plural verb. Example: Jones said they were pleased with the exam.

time and time zones

Lowercase when spelled out; capitalize for abbreviations: eastern standard time (EST); Pacific daylight time (PDT) (8.90)

titles, personal

Capitalize titles when they precede a name; lowercase when they follow a name: Professor Jane Smith; Jane Smith, associate professor of English. (Note that the title “professor” before the name doesn’t distinguish between professional ranks.)

Descriptive titles are lowercase: English professor Jane Smith.

Trustee is lowercase: trustee Timothy Hart-Andersen.

Capitalize named professorships and place them after the name: John Smith, John E. Doe Professor of Philosophy.

Emeritus (retired) professors use their last active title followed by emeritus or emerita: Charles Green, professor emeritus of political science; John Q. Smith, Margaret W. Harmon Professor of Christian Theology and Culture, emeritus.

Spell out titles preceding names: “Senator [not Sen.] Amy Klobuchar is from Minnesota.” “General [not Gen.] Colin Powell was a member of the Bush administration.” * Avoid honorifics like Dr., Rev., and Esq.

Honorific titles and respectful forms of address are capitalized in any context. The Queen Mother; the Right Honorable Justin Trudeau; the First Gentleman; the First Lady. (8.33)

titles of works

Use italics for the following: book, magazine, online magazine, newspaper, movie, play, long poem, work of art, opera or other long musical composition, television program or series, art exhibition, record album (vinyl, tape, CD), video, radio program.

Use quotes for the following: comic strip, short story, short poem, song or other short musical composition, episode of TV series, college course (quotation marks are not necessary in college catalogs or as part of a long list of course titles).

Use roman (no quotes or italics) for the following: newspaper/magazine column, computer program, computer game, website.

*Web exception: Italics are always preferred to quotation marks. If quotes are necessary, use single quotation marks.

For unpublished works, such as theses, dissertations, honors projects, etc., set in roman type, capitalize as titles, and enclose in quotation marks. (8.188)

trademarks

Capitalize trademarks (trademark symbol is not necessary): Kleenex, Xerox.

T-shirt

Always capitalize the T.

Twin Cities

Only use in reference to Minneapolis and St. Paul, not Fargo and Moorhead or other paired cities.

Always capitalize and use a plural verb: The Twin Cities offer many opportunities for internships.