Style
Style in writing is a very individual thing but all writers should aim at clarity and consistency when writing.
This section is intended to be a guide to the conventions governing spelling and punctuation in the English language. It also contains guidelines on the preferred usage concerning bibliographical references – an important component in ETF publications. Adhering to these house style conventions will help to ensure consistency in style across all ETF written texts.
The following two documents form the basis of the language style choices of the ETF:
- The Interinstitutional Style Guide produced by the Office of Official Publications of the European Communities (also available in the other official EU languages). You can download a PDF copy of it here.
- The English Style Guide produced by the Translation Service of the European Commission.
If you cannot find what you are looking for in any of these two guides, the Guardian and Observer Style Guide is also a great tool.
It is important to understand that in English there is not always a right or wrong. The spelling of most big languages is arbitrated by a language commission. English is not. Therefore, you should use the resources in the order indicated above. If you can find your answer in the Interinstitutional Style Guide, use that. If not, check the style guide of the Translation Service. If you still have no answer, the Guardian and Observer Style Guide is a very good place to look.
What follows is only a fraction of what you can find in these documents. Use them. They are incredibly useful.
The ETF follows British English usage in spelling.
Use short words Use short rather than long
As a general rule, write with nouns and
There are few rules governing the use of
In many cases hyphenation is optional, and the
When words are put together to yield a
Organisations and institutions are singular: ‘the Commission has
The rapid pace of digitalisation of the last
Figures In general, numbers between one and nine
Abbreviations are shortened versions of words (e.g. pp.
Member States Member States should be listed in
Letters for signature Letters beginning ‘Dear Miss Moneypenny’,
Good writing requires only the minimum of punctuation.