Telephone numbers

Include the area code in parenthesis, when needed for clarification. Do not include 1before the number.

(210) 458-4525

(800) 458-4600

In general, use tense consistently throughout a story. However, tenses may be intermingled as appropriate to context—i.e., to distinguish terminated from continuing action:

"I disagree," she said. But she continues to encourage students to present new ideas.

The verb form say(s)suggests past as well as continuing action; verbs such as think, regard, deny and hopewritten in present tense can coexist comfortably with other verbs in other tenses:

She says baseball is boring.

She said she thinks baseball is boring.

Thatis correct in restrictive clauses; whichis correct in nonrestrictive clauses; boiled down, the rule of thumb is that when a comma can be inserted, the word is which.

The book that I picked up was purple.

The book I picked up was purple.

NOT The book which I picked up was purple.

Avoid using that and which, if possible:

It takes time to compose a well-written memo.

NOT It takes time to compose a memo that is well written.

Capitalize theonly if it is part of a composition title (see titles of works); always lowercase when used with organizations in running text:

We subscribe to The New Yorker and to the San Antonio Express-News.

The measure was approved by the University of Texas Board of Regents.

Your daughter has been admitted to the University of Texas at San Antonio.

She works for the Dow Chemical Co. (NOT The Dow Chemical Co.).

Use numerals in all cases; omit the zeros for on-the-hour times except in formal usage such as programs for ceremonies:

9 a.m., 11:15 p.m.

12 p.m.is expressed as noon,not 12 noon; 12 a.m.is expressed as midnight,not 12 midnight.

Avoid redundancies such as:

a 12 noon luncheon

10 p.m. Monday night

Use periods for a.m.and p.m.;also, use an en dash instead of a hyphen when a range of time is expressed:

3–4:30 p.m. or 3 to 4:30 p.m.

The word tomust be used if preceded by from:

from 9 a.m. to noon

NOT from 9 a.m.–noon

When referring to an event, the correct form is time, date and place:

The orchestra will perform at 9 a.m, April 4 under the Sombrilla.

In general, capitalize formal or courtesy titles immediately preceding a name and lowercase titles following a name. Lowercase descriptive or occupational titles such as history professor, department chair, math teacher.

Professor Joel Saegert

Bonnie Lyons, professor of English

Associate Professor Linda Schott

Guy Bailey, provost

This rule applies not only to academic titles but also to administrative titles:

President Ricardo Romo will be at the women's volleyball game.

Romo, who has been president of UTSA since 1999, will accept the award.

R.D. Burck is the eighth chancellor of the UT System.

Chancellor Burck took office in December.

Director of Athletics Lynn Hickey will speak to the fans.

An EXCEPTION to this rule is the named title:

Joe Martinez is the Ewing Halsell Professor of Biology.

On first reference, use the formal title Dr.(plural Drs.) only before the names of individuals who hold a degree in medicine, veterinary medicine or dentistry (M.D., D.V.M., M.P.V.M., D.D.S. or equivalent):

Dr. Francisco G. Cigarroa, a surgeon, was named president of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Capitalize the principal words, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters.

Capitalize an article —the, a, an— and words of fewer than four letters if it is the first or last word in a title.

For press releases, follow AP Stylefor composition titles: Place quotation marks around all composition titles such as books, computer games (but not software), movies, operas, plays, poems, songs, television programs, and the titles of lectures, speeches and works of art.

For other publications, The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th Edition,is the first reference. For brochures, newsletters and other publications, place the following titles of works in italics: books, movies, operas (and other long musical compositions), plays, television programs and works of art. See Chicago,Section 7.126–7.161.

She read the article in the New York Times.

The students watched the movie Big Night.

BUT, set the following in roman type with quotation marks: titles of articles, chapters, short stories, essays, songs, theses, lectures, papers presented at meetings and individual poems.

The poem by Li-Young Lee is called "One Heart."

The title of the lecture was "People Who Live in Glass Houses."

"Strange Fruit" was sung by Billie Holiday.