Q - Editorial Style Guide

Feb 17 2010

Q

Quality is a word that has to be quantified, like height or weight. Is it low or high in quality? Make sure you state this.

Queen: Try to keep the Queen in headlines. It’s the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and the silver jubilee. Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen's Park: Takes apostrophe BUT Queens Park Rangers is the name of the football team

Quotes: Quotation marks only go round the words people have actually used and in the order they used them.

Style: Mr Jones said: “I am not happy.”

Use double quotation marks for quotes in text and single in headlines.

‘Picked out’ phrases in an intro or paragraph should carry single quote marks. E.g. Residents denounced the new shopping centre as an ‘open toilet’ and claimed they would not use it any more.

Quotes within quotes are single within double. E.g. Mr Smith said: “I could not believe it when she said ‘I do not love you any more.’ I was so upset.”

Quotes should put the subject at the start, not the end e.g. Mr Smith said: ”I loved it.” Not  “I loved it,” said Mr Smith.

Full stop or comma comes before quote mark.

Commas only come after the quote if a phrase has been picked out to be quoted within a normal paragraph e.g. the man claimed it was ‘an abysmal waste’ of taxpayers’ money.

Do not use for song titles, films or books, use initial caps for each main word in title e.g. Land of Hope and Glory (except in lifestyle features – see titles)

In ents features, use says not said and call people by their first names. Chris says: “

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