Chicago manual of style writing guide

Outside of these conventional formats, our recommendation would be to spell out ordinals for the day of the week even when the month is mentioned: the twenty-fourth of July; the twenty-fourth but the Fourth of July or the Fourth for the US holiday; see CMOS 8. When referring to decimals from zero to one, are they singular or plural?

If it is singular does the same hold true for similar numbers written as fractions? Decimal quantities are considered to be plural; quantities expressed as fractions are considered to be singular. See CMOS 9. Regarding spelling out round numbers over one hundred—how should we handle numbers like 1,? According to CMOS 9. Paragraph 9. For example, if numerals are otherwise rare in your text, opt for the former. When expressing binary bit strings or any specific numeric component thereof , it makes sense to use numerals: e.

But when discussing binary numbers as a concept—as in your example—you can refer to zeros and ones as the basis of the system. This has the advantage, among others, of avoiding the plural forms 1s and 0s which in some fonts will look almost like words.

What is the CMOS stance regarding the use of numerals for a year at the beginning of the sentence? If the result is awkward, as it often is with a year, the recommendation is to reword: The year was indeed a good one. Happy New Year! Everyday Stylish. Connect Follow on Twitter. In this system, sources are cited in numbered footnotes or endnotes. Each note corresponds to a raised superscript number in the text.

Sources are also usually listed in a separate bibliography. The author-date system is more common in the sciences and social sciences.

The material on this page focuses primarily on one of the two CMOS documentation styles: the Notes-Bibliography System NB , which is used by those working in literature, history, and the arts. The other documentation style, the Author-Date System, is nearly identical in content but slightly different in form and is preferred by those working in the social sciences. Though the two systems both convey all of the important information about each source, they differ not only in terms of the way they direct readers to these sources, but also in terms of their formatting e.

For examples of how these citation styles work in research papers, consult our sample papers:. In addition to consulting The Chicago Manual of Style 17th edition for more information, students may also find it useful to consult Kate L. This manual, which presents what is commonly known as the "Turabian" citation style, follows the two CMOS patterns of documentation but offers slight modifications suited to student texts.

The Chicago Notes and Bibliography NB system is often used in the humanities to provide writers with a system for referencing their sources through the use of footnotes, endnotes, and through the use of a bibliography.

This offers writers a flexible option for citation and provides an outlet for commenting on those sources, if needed. In addition, it can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism, which is the intentional or accidental uncredited use of source material created by others. In the Notes and Bibliography system, you should include a note endnote or footnote each time you use a source, whether through a direct quote, paraphrase, or summary. Footnotes are added at the end of the page on which the source is referenced, while endnotes are compiled at the end of each chapter or at the end of the entire document.