‘ ’ ā ē ī ō ū

Style Guide A–Z

Headword	Entry	Search help
&, +	Use ‘&’ and ‘+' only where space is limited (eg, in web text, marketing text, or tables) or when part of a proper name. Use ‘and’ instead in normally running text.
abbreviations Also see acronyms AD and BC am and pm compass points and terms symbols numbers (units of measurement)	Te Papa follows general trends in its treatment of abbreviations, especially the use of punctuation, capital letters, and spacing. Current trends are particularly influenced by digital media and are towards the simplest consistent practice. However, the main consideration is to avoid ambiguity and ensure that the text makes sense to the reader. General usage Generally avoid using abbreviations in isolation, unless they are universally known. Consider the context. Events text For events/marketing text and timetables, abbreviations of months and days of the week are often appropriate, especially if being used in a mobile context. Use three-letter abbreviations. Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun Exhibition usage Generally avoid abbreviations in running text for labels. Keep in mind ease of comprehension, particularly for the international audience. However, you may use universally known contractions for titles (Mr, Mrs, Dr) and geographic features (Mt, St), as well as phrases such as ‘percent’. These are self-explanatory for most readers, including speakers of languages other than English. Be judicious in the use of acronyms. Spell out at first mention all but the most familiar acronyms. eg, ie, etc, &, + As above, avoid these abbreviations except where space is limited (eg, in events text or tables). When using the abbreviated forms, don’t place full stops after each letter. eg not e.g. ie not i.e. Place a comma before and after ‘eg’ and ‘ie’. Expect to see oceanic birds, eg, shearwaters, petrels, and albatrosses. Bring your basic weaving kit, ie, scraper, knife, scissors, notebook, and pen. Punctuation Don’t use full stops for any of the following abbreviations. Contractions (abbreviations that retain the first and last letters of a word) Mr (Mister), Dr (Doctor), Mt (Mount), Ltd (Limited), dept (department) Suspensions (abbreviations formed from the initial letter/s of a word) Rev (Reverend), p 37 (page 37) Acronyms and initialisms (abbreviations formed from the initial letters of a set of words) Anzac (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), Eftpos (electronic funds transfer – point of sale) UN (United Nations), TAB (Totalisator Agency Board), am (ante meridiem), eg (exempli gratia) Also see acronyms Symbols Symbols are characters or signs that represent rather than abbreviate a word or set of words. Like abbreviations, symbols don’t take full stops. km (kilometre), C (Celsius), % (percent), NNW (north-north-west) Initials Don’t use full stops after people’s initials but place single spaces between them. M T Woollaston, John A Lee Awards and qualifications When abbreviating awards and qualifications, use capitals (with lower-case letters where necessary), closed up and with no full stops. BA, NZOM, PhD, BSc Country and region names Don’t abbreviate country and region names. Spell them out in full, except when referring to currency or where space is limited (eg, in a table). New Zealand not NZ, United Kingdom not UK Page numbers Spell out ‘page’, except where space is limited (eg, in a table or reference list). When using the abbreviated form, use ‘p’ (page) or ‘pp’ (pages), with a space after and no full stop. pp 21–22, p 14
Aborigine, Aboriginal Also see Indigenous Australian	For the indigenous people of Australia, ‘Aborigine’ is the noun, ‘Aboriginal’ is the adjective. Both carry initial capitals. Use ‘Aboriginal peoples’ or ‘Aboriginal communities’ in preference to ‘Aborigines’. Some people prefer the term ‘Indigenous Australian’, which includes Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. Check with the relevant curator.
academic subjects	See awards and qualifications and capitals (academic subjects and qualifications).
acknowledgement Also see -dgment vs -dgement	Use ‘acknowledgement’ not ‘acknowledgment’.
acronyms Also see abbreviations	Spelling out Spell out acronyms/initialisms on first mention (with the acronym/initialism in parentheses). Use the acronym/initialism alone in other instances, unless those instances are some distance from the first mention, in which case spell out again. Alexander Turnbull Library (ATL) You don’t need to spell out acronyms or initialisms that are almost universally known or more common than the source words. Anzac, CD, DVD Capitalisation: acronyms versus initialisms Distinguish between acronyms (groups of letters that are pronounced as a single word) and initialisms (groups of letters that are sounded out separately). For acronyms, generally use an initial capital followed by lower-case letters, especially if the acronym is an organisational name. Don’t place spaces or full stops between the letters. Anzus, Anzac, Unesco, Unicef, Nato, Eftpos, Aids For initialisms, generally use full capitals, even when the original words are lower case. Don’t place spaces or full stops between the letters. UN, TAB, GST, TVNZ, EQC, PDF PM (prime minister), MP (member of Parliament) Exceptions to the capitalisation rule include am (ante meridiem) and eg (exempli gratia). Plurals Plural acronyms don’t take apostrophes. Use a small ‘s’ beside the acronym. Apostrophes are used only to indicate possession, as in the second example below. CDs not CD’s The CDs were stolen from the CEO’s office.
active verbs	See sentences (active and passive verbs).
AD and BC Also see BCE and CE	These are abbreviations for the eras Anno Domini (in the year of Our Lord) and Before Christ. Place both abbreviations after the date, with a space. Use capitals, not small capitals as is sometimes prescribed. Don’t place commas in the dates. 2000 BC, 1200 AD, 5th century AD Usage The abbreviations AD and BC are increasingly being replaced by the secular references CE (Common Era) and BCE (before the Common Era). In some contexts and for some audiences, using ‘3,000 years ago’ may be more appropriate than using ‘1000 BCE’ or ‘1000 BC’. (Notice the comma in ‘3,000 years ago’ but not 1000 BCE – this is correct.)
adjectival hyphens Also see adverbs that qualify adjectives	Use hyphens when they help avoid ambiguity. They are particularly useful when two nouns qualify another noun in descriptions of materials. sperm-whale tooth whale-bone weapon [VC1]
adjectives	See commas (adjectives).
adverbial clauses	See commas (introductory clauses and phrases).
adverbs that qualify adjectives Also see hyphens	Use a hyphen between a common or short adverb and the adjective it qualifies when placed before the noun. a little-known singer, a well-prepared speech, a hard-fought game, a long-term project Drop the hyphen when the phrase comes after the noun and verb. The speech was well prepared. The game was hard fought. Don’t use hyphens after adverbs ending in -ly. sharply rising profit, poorly made product
adviser	Use ‘adviser’, not ‘advisor’.
affect vs effect	In the most common uses of these words, ‘affect’ is a verb and ‘effect’ is a noun. The defeat badly affected the team’s morale. The defeat had a bad effect on the team’s morale.
affinity	‘Affinity’ is followed by ‘with’ or ‘between’, not ‘to’ or ‘for’.
aggravate	‘Aggravate’ means ‘to make worse’, not ‘to annoy’.
aging Also see -ging vs -geing	Use ‘aging’, not ‘ageing’.
agreement	See collective nouns, dangling participles, gender (plural pronouns and possessives), he/she, him/her, his/hers, none, and plurals. For useful guidance on the variations and complexities of this topic, see Peters on ‘agreement’.
albums (titles of)	Use title case and italics for the titles of long musical works like operas and symphonies and albums/collections of recorded music (eg, CDs). For more information, see italics (titles) and capitals (titles).
Alexander Turnbull Library credits	See captions and credits.
alignment (text)	As a general rule, align body text and headings to the left with a ragged right. Don’t centre the text.
Allies, Allied forces
all right	Spelling ‘all right’ as ‘alright’ is not all right. Don’t do it – all right?!
all together vs altogether	See altogether vs all together.
alternative	‘Alternative’ is now well established as a synonym for ‘choice’ or ‘option’.
altogether vs all together	‘Altogether’ means completely or on the whole. ‘All together’ means all in one place or all at once. All together now, one, two, three … Altogether the day was a disaster.
am and pm Also see abbreviations numbers times	These are abbreviations for ante meridiem (before midday) and post meridiem (after midday). Don’t use full stops. Close up after the numerals. 10am, 8.30pm NOTE: Te Papa uses the 12-hour rather than the 24-hour clock, apart from in schedules for international tour operators. 12am is midnight, 12pm is noon. To avoid ambiguity in events marketing copy, use ‘12 noon’ (note the space) or ‘midday’ rather than ‘12pm’.
among and amongst	Use ‘among’, not ‘amongst’. ‘Amongst’ may be relatively common in speech (like ‘whilst’), but we need to write with speakers of English as a second language in mind.
amount vs number Also see fewer vs less	Use ‘amount’ for quantities that can’t be counted but that can be measured. Use ‘number’ for things that can be counted. amount of salt number of people
ampersand (&)	Avoid using ‘&’, except where space is limited (eg, in web text or tables) or when part of a proper name. Use ‘and’ instead.
anachronisms Also see quotations	In historical texts, use the job titles, currencies, and so on used at the time. Measurements For measurements, use imperial units with metric equivalents in parentheses (use square brackets for interpolations in quotes) where their use fits the context, eg, quotes. ‘I used to walk 6 miles [10 kilometres] to school – there and back.’ Don’t do this for general references to measurement – stick with the metric. The troop was some 20 kilometres away from the garrison at the time.
ancestors	Ancestors precede descendants.
any more	Use ‘any more’, not ‘anymore’.
Anzac Also see acronyms	This acronym (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) from World War I is sometimes confused with an initialism and written in full caps (ANZAC). However, Te Papa style is to capitalise only the first letter of the word. This is consistent with the RSA’s preference (rsa.org.nz/remem/award.htm).
Anzus Treaty	This is the proper name – sometimes also described as the ‘Anzus alliance’ (descriptive).
Aotearoa New Zealand	While ‘Aotearoa New Zealand’ is not the country’s official name, Te Papa often uses it in exhibitions and other text, in acknowledgement of this country's settlement history and biculturalism. Consider the context. In the object label artist/maker line, however, use only ‘New Zealand’ for the country of affiliation. (In Māori exhibitions, the focus is on the iwi – including ‘New Zealand’ is often unnecessary.)
apostrophes Also see its vs it’s	Contractions Use the apostrophe to indicate contractions (missing letters) of two words. it’s (it is), doesn’t (does not), would’ve (would have), he’d (he had), she’s (she is or she has) Possessives Use the possessive apostrophe to indicate that something belongs to someone or something. (i) Singular nouns A singular noun is followed by -’s. a moa’s beak, Bridget’s books (ii) Plural nouns A plural noun without the -s form has the same pattern as a singular noun. children’s caregivers, sheep’s heads A plural noun ending in -s is followed by the apostrophe. the teachers’ applications, the houses’ frontage (iii) Compound possessive phrases A compound possessive phrase that is a single entity or has the sense of a unit takes -’s after the last word. my sister-in-law’s opinion, Mum and Dad’s place, Tom and Jerry’s antics However, where there is a sense of differentiated possession, add -’s to each element. Mum’s and Dad’s first names, women’s and men’s health (iv) Names ending in -s Add an apostrophe after the s to indicate possession (not another s). James’ mistake, the Williams’ second house, Frances Hodgkins’ paintings, Albert Camus’ novels (v) Possessive pronouns Possessive pronouns (ours, yours, theirs, his, hers, its) and possessive adjectives do not carry apostrophes. The horse flicked its tail. What’s yours is ours not theirs. Compare ‘its’ (possessive, no apostrophe) with ‘it’s’ (meaning ‘it is’ or ‘it has’). It’s a pity that its saddle got ruined. But never mind, it’s still been a very good day. (vi) Parenthetical phrases Avoid mixing a possessive with a parenthetical phrase. Not It was James, her brother’s, car. Say It was her brother James’ car or It was the car of her brother James or The car belonged to her brother James. Plurals In general, don’t use the apostrophe to indicate plurals. keeping up with the Joneses not the Jones’ However, you can use apostrophes sparingly to form plurals of lower-case words or letters that normally don’t form plurals. Do this only if the apostrophe helps to read the words. do’s and don’ts p’s and q’s Never use apostrophes to form plurals of upper-case abbreviations and dates. CDs not CD’s 1970s not 1970’s Exhibition text (i) Contractions By all means use contractions (eg, it’s, can’t, doesn’t) to give a conversational tone to exhibition text. (ii) Possessives Avoid using the possessive apostrophe with long words or names where the phrasing looks or sounds awkward. the shoes of Pastor Philippoussis not Pastor Philippoussis’ shoes
app	Use lower case when referring to mobile apps (application software written for mobile devices). The abbreviation is acceptable as it’s the most common way to refer to this software. App Store has initial capitals because it is a proper name.
appendix, appendices	Note that ‘appendices’ is the plural form of ‘appendix’. To list an appendix, use a capital letter, not a number. Appendix A not Appendix 1
archaeology vs archeology	Te Papa uses ‘archaeology’.
Armistice, the
art movements	Use lower case for most art movements. Note that the dictionary can be inconsistent in its use of capitals for art movements, so go with the lower-case rule here. art deco, art nouveau, cubism, expressionism, fauve, impressionism, modernism, surrealism Use initial capitals for proper names ... Bauhaus, pre-Raphaelite … or to differentiate what might otherwise be an ambiguous reference. Arts and Crafts movement, Romantic period, Purism (which has different meaning with a lower-case p)
artefact	Use ‘artefact’, not ‘artifact’.
Article 1, Article 2, Article 3	Use an initial capital and numerals for the articles of the Treaty of Waitangi.
artists’ names	After the first mention of an artist’s full name in an exhibition label, generally use just the surname (not the first name). Make sure you use the full name first in each new label (since labels need to be as self-contained as possible). In more informal contexts (eg, marketing), an artist’s first name may be more appropriate. This may also be the case in some exhibitions, depending on the desired tone. Consistency is key, particularly for male and female artists.
artwork Also see italics	One word, whether it’s a piece of art, or a graphic-design output or work produced by artists. Before 2018, the style for a piece of art was ‘art work’. All artworks for sale artwork by Closet Studio
artworks (series or portfolios of)	The name of a series or portfolio of artworks is given in Roman and title case in single quotation marks. Point Jerningham at Night, from the series ‘Wellington Heads’ Use this style also in object label title lines.
at vs in	Take care with the use of these prepositions, noting the difference between being ‘in’ and ‘at’ places. at Oriental Bay beach in Wellington
audio guide	Use ‘audio guide’ (two words) not ‘audioguide’.
audiovisual	‘Audiovisual’ is one word not two, both as a noun and as an adjective. Do not use the abbreviation AV in running text.
audiovisual screening descriptor Also see numbers (units of measurement) captions and credits	Place the audiovisual screening time after the label heading and teaser text but before the credits. Use numerals. New Zealand dinosaur discoveries Journey back in time … 2:45 Note that we used to say ‘Runs for 2 minutes 45 seconds’ but because this equates to a lot of text when presented bilingually, we’ve shortened the style to what is common online. You may also need to add ‘screens continuously’ (or appropriate information).
aute	paper mulberry tree
autumn	This is lower case. See seasons.
AV	See audiovisual.
awards and qualifications	Use initial capitals when the qualification name is written in full. She studied for her Bachelor of Science at Victoria University. When abbreviating awards and qualifications, use capitals (with lower-case letters where necessary), closed up and with no full stops. BA, PhD, BSc, NZOM
ballets (titles of)	Use title case and italics for the titles of ballets. For more information, see italics (titles) and capitals (italics).
BC and AD	See AD and BC.
BCE and CE Also see AD and BC	These are abbreviations for ‘before the Common Era’ and ‘Common Era’. They are secular versions of BC (before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini), with the same reference point. Place both abbreviations after the date, with a space. Use capitals rather than small capitals, as sometimes prescribed. Don’t place commas in the dates. 2000 BCE, 1200 CE, 5th century CE NOTE: In some contexts and for some audiences, saying ‘3,000 years ago’ may be more appropriate than saying ‘1000 BCE’ or ‘1000 BC’. (Notice the comma in ‘3,000 years ago’ but not 1000 BCE – this is correct.)
between/and (with numbers)	See dashes.
biannual vs biennial	‘Biannual’ means twice a year. ‘Biennial’ means every second year, thus the ‘Sydney Biennale’.
biased	Use ‘biased’, not ‘biassed’.
Bible references	See scriptures and sacred writings.
Bible, the	See scriptures and sacred writings.
bibliographic references	See bibliographies and capitals (titles).
bibliographies	Use the following style for bibliographies or lists of references. i) Publication: Author’s surname, initials. Title. Place: publisher, year Callaghan, P, and Hill, K. As Far as We Know. Auckland: Penguin Books, 2007 ii) Periodical: Author’s surname, initials. ‘Title’. Periodical name vol (no): xx [page no/s] Holmes, B. ‘Flight of the Navigators’. New Scientist 199 (2666): 36–39 iii) Part of a multi-author publication: Author’s surname, initials. ‘Title’. In Title, ed [editor’s name]. Place: publisher, year Mallon, S, and Fecteau, U. ‘Tatatau-ed: Polynesian Tatau in Aotearoa’. In Pacific Art Niu Sila, eds S Mallon and F Pereira. Wellington: Te Papa Press, 2002
bicultural Also see Treaty of Waitangi	The word ‘bicultural’ has a particular use in Te Papa’s statements of mission and principles. In the term ‘bicultural museum’, it has the meaning of the two cultures party to the Treaty of Waitangi – Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti.
biennial vs biannual	See biannual vs biennial.
biological names	See scientific names.
blog	See Te Papa Blog.
Boer War	See South African War.
bold text Also see emphasis italics underlining	You can use bold text sparingly for emphasis. Don’t overuse it or the text becomes messy and hard to read. NOTE: Be particularly careful when writing for the web, where bold text can indicate links rather than emphasis (although the norm is to underline links).
book titles	Use title case and italics for the titles of books and other published works. For more information, see capitals (titles) and italics (titles).
bought vs brought	‘Bought’ is the past tense of ‘buy’. ‘Brought’ is the past tense of ‘bring’. I have brought you the books that I bought yesterday.
brands	See trademarks, brands, and proprietary names.
Britain, British Isles	‘Britain’ is the common name for the ‘United Kingdom’ (in full, the ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’; after the first mention UK) and is Te Papa’s preference. Be careful with your use of these words in these post-devolutionary times. Britain/the UK incorporates four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. However, issues around devolution and independence continue to be debated. Also, Britain does not include Éire (Ireland). ‘British Isles’ refers to the relevant group of islands that Britain holds. This term should be avoided because Éire (Ireland) is not part of Britain. When in doubt, check with a curator.
British Empire, the	After the first reference, say ‘the empire’ (lower case).
British War Medal
Britten motorbike	Britten V1000
brought vs bought	See bought vs brought.
bullet points	Usage Where appropriate, use bulleted lists to break up text – but don’t overuse them to the point of destroying the flow. Try to keep the lists to a maximum of seven or eight elements. Bullet points can be particularly useful for web writing because readers often scan for specific information. In exhibition writing (which usually prioritises ‘storytelling’), use bullet points where the context and communication objective call for them (eg, when a list of scientific facts need to be conveyed). Punctuation There are three types of bulleted lists. (i) The bullet points follow an introductory statement and complete that sentence. This type of list: has a colon at the end of the introductory statement starts each bullet point with a lower-case letter has no punctuation at the end of each bullet point ends with a full stop. (ii) The bullet points are full sentences independent of the introductory statement. Each bullet point is a complete sentence. Each bullet point has an initial capital. Each bullet point ends in a full stop. (iii) The bullet points are not complete sentences and don’t follow an introductory statement. Initial capital No punctuation at end of bullet point No final full stop Align first-level bullet points left, with the text indented. Align second-level bullet points (the dashes) with the text of the first-level bullet points.
cafe	‘Cafe’, as in the food and beverage shop that sells coffee, is now a fully anglicised word and does not need an accented é. Amend your autocorrect (File/Options/Proofing/AutoCorrect Options).
campus, campuses	‘Campuses’ is the plural of ‘campus’.
capitals Also see abbreviations acronyms awards and qualifications compass points and terms government headings and heading cases italics place names quotation marks speech punctuation	Rules for the use of capital letters are difficult to apply consistently. As with other style conventions, the trend is towards using fewer capitals. However, the matter is complicated by being bound up in ideas of status. Generally speaking, Te Papa style is towards the minimal end of the spectrum, particularly in exhibition and related text. Te Papa As an institution, the museum uses capitals to distinguish: its constituent parts from its activities the titles of positions from types of work names of parts of the building, like Wellington Foyer, Level 4, and so on. See Appendix A – Te Papa names for a comprehensive list of names at Te Papa. Proper nouns (proper names) Use initial capitals for proper nouns (nouns representing specific entities) to distinguish them from generic or common nouns (nouns describing a class of entities). Proper nouns include (but are not limited to) the types of names below. NOTE: Some nouns operate as proper nouns as well as common nouns. (i) People Aloysius Enderby Use initial capitals for ‘Dad’, ‘Mum’, ‘Nana’, etc if treating these words as proper nouns. If a possessive pronoun (eg, ‘my’ or ‘your’) comes before the word, then use lower case. ‘Come here, Dad!’ My mum grew up on a farm. (ii) Places (including geographical features, regions, and the built environment) Wellington, Waikato River, Auckland Harbour Bridge, Parliament House, the Far North, the West Coast (South Island), Volcanic Plateau, Desert Road, Ninety Mile Beach NOTE: Compass points can be part of a proper noun or merely descriptive, as ‘eastern’ is in the second example below. Southern Alps but eastern Pacific (iii) Organisations Use initial capitals when writing an organisation’s name in full. Inland Revenue Department, Victoria University of Wellington After the first mention, you can drop the capitals when not referring to the organisation in full. the New Zealand Government > the government the National Government > the government the British Empire > the empire The Lighting Company > the company The exception is when there is room for confusion. The Historical Society > the Society (iv) Titles/positions Use initial capitals when writing a person’s title or position in full. Prime Minister Helen Clark, Director of Experience Joe Kapa After the first mention, you can drop the capitals when not referring to the title in full. Prime Minister Helen Clark > the prime minister Chief Executive Officer Margaret Smith > the chief executive Te Papa makes an exception for Kings/Queens, Kīngi/Kuini, and other leaders of very high status, where readers aren’t used to seeing the lower-case version. Queen Elizabeth II > the Queen Don’t use initial capitals for position titles when referring to them in a generic sense. Also see position titles The professors punished their students. A chief executive officer should have a good sense of humour. (v) Trademarks, brands, and proprietary names Follow the capitalisation used by the proprietors. Don’t use the ® and ™ symbols – there is no legal need to (advice from our former Rights Manager Victoria Leachman). adidas, Mountain Buggy, Nutella, LYCRA, Blu Tack (vi) Historical periods and events the Enlightenment, World War II (vii) Nationalities, ethnicities, tribal groups French, Māori, Pākehā, Ngāti Porou Mixed proper nouns (capital and lower case) Use capitals for the proper name, lower case for the common noun. King Charles spaniel, Adelie penguin, Hutton’s shearwater Academic subjects and qualifications Don’t use initial capitals for academic subjects (except when the subjects are proper nouns like ‘English’) or for words descriptive of qualifications. I was really good at geography at high school. He did his doctorate at Cambridge. She studied science at Victoria University. Use capitals (with lower-case letters where necessary) when referring to a qualification in abbreviated form. BA in Anthropology, PhD, BSc Also use capitals when writing the names of degree courses, national exams, and trade certificates in full. National Certificate of Educational Achievement, New Zealand Diploma in Baking She was awarded her Bachelor of Science. Titles of books and other published works Use title case (and italics) for the titles of books and other published works, including newspapers and other periodicals, plays, films, radio and television series, collections of recorded music (eg, albums), and DVDs. Using the title case means using initial capitals for all words except articles (unless the article is part of the proper name, eg, The Dominion Post), conjunctions, and prepositions. Articles include: a, an, the. Conjunctions include: and, but, for, or, than. Prepositions include: at, between, by, during, for, from, in, on, over, through, under, with. Be careful because personal pronouns (eg, ‘my’, ‘me’, and ‘your’) do take an initial capital. You can’t just go by the length of the word. Look under the Leaves not Look Under the Leaves Dance with Me not Dance With me Welcome to My Home not Welcome to my Home (i) Hyphenated words Where a hyphenated word appears in a title, don’t capitalise the second element of the word, unless the second element is a proper noun. ‘Right-wing Parties in New Zealand Politics’ ‘Dealing with Pre-adolescent Kids’ See headings and heading cases for information on capitalising titles of parts of exhibitions, chapter or section titles, and other headings in Te Papa publications. Exhibition names and taglines Use title case (and italics) for exhibition names. Awesome Forces, Nga Toi │Arts Te Papa Since late 2016, we have used title case (and italics) for exhibition taglines too. When running on the exhibition name and tagline, separate the two with a colon. Peter Snell: Medal-Winning Magic For exhibitions that have two equivalent names (rather than a title and tagline), use title case for both. Whales │Tohorā Legislation Use title case for titles of legislation. After the first mention, you can drop the capitals when not referring to the legislation in full. Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Act 2006 > the act Acronyms and abbreviations Distinguish between acronyms (groups of letters that are pronounced as a single word) and initialisms (groups of letters that are sounded out separately). For acronyms, generally use an initial capital followed by lower-case letters, especially if the acronym is an organisational name. Anzus, Anzac, Unesco, Unicef, Nato, Eftpos, Aids but note awol (absent without leave) For initialisms, generally use full capitals, even when the original words are lower case. UN, TAB, GST, TVNZ, EQC PM (prime minister), MP (member of Parliament) Exceptions to the capitalisation rule include am (ante meridiem) and eg (exempli gratia). Also use full capitals for initials in names, plus some other abbreviations (eg, compass points). Note that some abbreviations are now accepted as words (eg, scuba, laser). J K Rowling NNW Also see abbreviations and acronyms Quotes Use a capital for the first word of a quote if that quote is a full sentence but not if it is simply an extract (unless the first word is a proper noun). Mr Hakiwai said, ‘The museum has had a tremendous year.’ Mr Hakiwai said that the museum’s year had been ‘tremendous’. Also see speech punctuation For guidance on capitalisation of specific words, see the Concise Oxford Dictionary.
Captain Cook	See Cook, James.
captions and credits Also see object labels props, prop descriptors	A caption is a description of an image. A credit is an acknowledgement of its maker, source, or copyright owner, or all three. The formats for different contexts are covered below. NOTE: If a photo in an exhibition is a collection item rather than a graphic, it has an object label (OL) rather than a caption/credit. See object labels. NOTE: Kupenga has a caption/credit generator that helps to gather the relevant information together. However, these captions/credits need to be reformatted to meet the publication style, as below. Link to the caption/credit generator Interdisciplinary exhibitions Marketing text Art exhibitions and art marketing Creative Commons credits ATL and Archives NZ registration numbers in credits Audiovisual credits Music credits and sound effects 1. INTERDISCIPLINARY EXHIBITIONS The credit can run on from the caption or be on a new line, depending on the exhibition design (often affected by space). Use a consistent layout throughout the exhibition. (1.i) Exhibitions – photos NOT of collection items (ie, most exhibition graphics) Order of info: Description of image, date. Photo by xxx. Copyright holder or, if the photo is by a Te Papa photographer: Description of image, date. Photo by xxx. Te Papa * = essential information Niuean people await the decision of the ariki (chief) on annexation with New Zealand, 1900. Photo by Jane Kirima. Alexander Turnbull Library (Fairfax Collection, FC1-q-255-24-1) Rita Angus with Douglas Lilburn at his home in Paekakariki, 1963. Photo by Darcy Vader. Alexander Turnbull Library (AB1/2: 44572) Dame Kiri Te Kanawa sings the national anthem, 2005. Photo by and courtesy of A G Edgar Māori land march, 1975 (detail). Photographer unknown. Creative Images Southern Cross diagrams. From We, the Navigators, by David Lewis, 1994, after W H Goodenough, 1953 Bush City at Te Papa, 2011. Photo by Kate Whitley. Te Papa If the caption and credit are on separate lines, don’t use full stops after either. If the credit runs on from the caption, place a full stop between them, as in the examples above. In captions, use the simple present (Joe raises the flag) rather than present continuous (Joe raising the flag). If the image is a detail, say ‘(detail)’ after the date. If the creator of the image is also the permission giver, say ‘Photo by and courtesy of’. Use ‘Photographer unknown’ or ‘date unknown’ if relevant. Where a book is involved, just give the author and date of publishing – don’t list the publishing house. If the image is Te Papa’s, write ‘Te Papa’ after the photographer details, preceded by a full stop. (1.ii) Exhibitions – photos of collection items (either from Te Papa or other collections) Order of info for objects: Title or description of item, date of making, by xxx, media. Copyright holder (object registration number) or, if the object is Te Papa’s: Title or description of item, date of making, by xxx, media. Gift of xxx. Te Papa (object registration number). Order of info for specimens:* Common Māori and/or English name, Scientific name*. Gift of xxx. Te Papa (object registration number) = essential information Ndrua of the Fiji Islands, 1970, by Herb Kawainui Kāne, acrylic paint on gesso-grounded board. Hawai‘i State Foundation of Culture and the Arts and Herb Kawainui Kāne The Legend of the Voyage to New Zealand, 1912, by Kennett Watkins, oil on canvas. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki Mount Egmont, 1929, by Dorothy Kate Richmond, watercolour. Gift of the artist’s nephews and nieces, 1937. Te Papa (1937-0001-2) Theo Schoon, 1952. Photo by Steven Rumsey. Te Papa (O.027677) Tea bowl, about 1900 (detail), maker unknown, porcelain. Gift of Graham Sinclair, 1995. Te Papa (GH004387) Kākahi, freshwater mussel, Calystegia soldanella. Te Papa (M.009624) If the caption and credit are on separate lines, don’t use full stops after either. If the credit runs on from the caption, place a full stop between them, as in the examples above. Don’t assume that the creator is the permission giver for use of the image. Check with the curator, image researcher, or manager concerned. If the image is a detail, say ‘(detail)’ after the date. Images of Te Papa collection items for which the museum owns reproduction rights should include ‘Te Papa’ at the end, after a full stop. Only include the acquisition credit if the objects are gifts (though this is not necessary with gifts of the New Zealand Government). Include the object registration number in parentheses at the end. You don’t need to credit Te Papa photographers of 3D collection items. (1.iii) Exhibitions – Te Papa photographers If the photo is presented as an object (ie, framed print), then credit the Te Papa photographer fully, following the standard object label (OL) format. Photo by Michael Hall. Te Papa See Te Papa photographers for a full list of their details. 2. MARKETING TEXT Captions and credits in marketing material are usually run on (for space reasons) with a full stop between, not placed on separate lines. (2.i) Marketing – photos NOT of collection items Follow the instructions under 1.i Exhibitions. Order of info: Description of image, date. Photo by xxx. Copyright holder* or, if the photo is by a Te Papa photographer: Description of image, date. Photo by xxx. Te Papa* * = essential information Survivors of the Wāhine ferry disaster are pulled ashore near Eastbourne, Wellington, 1968 (detail). Photographer unknown. The Evening Post Highland fling, Highland Games, 2001. Photographer unknown. The Northern Advocate Steve O’Shea inspects the colossal squid, 2008. Photo by and courtesy of Kathrin Bolstad Protesters wave flags at the foreshore and seabed hīkoi, 2004. Photo by Michael Hall. Te Papa (2.ii) Marketing – photos of collection items (either from Te Papa or other collections) Follow the instructions under 1.ii Exhibitions. Order of info for objects: Title or description of item, date of making, by xxx, media. Copyright holder or, if the object is Te Papa’s: Title or description of item, date of making, by xxx, media. Gift of xxx. Te Papa (object registration number) Order of info for specimens:* Māori and/or English common name, Scientific name*. Gift of xxx. Te Papa (object registration number) * = essential information The Legend of the Voyage to New Zealand, 1912, by Kennett Watkins, oil on canvas. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki Mount Egmont, 1929, by Dorothy Kate Richmond, watercolour. Gift of the artist’s nephews and nieces, 1937. Te Papa (1937-0001-2) Tea bowl, about 1900 (detail), maker unknown, porcelain. Gift of Graham Sinclair, 1995. Te Papa (GH004387) Theo Schoon, 1952. Photo by Steven Rumsey. Te Papa (O.027677) Kākahi, freshwater mussel, Calystegia soldanella. Te Papa (M.009624) 3. ART EXHIBITIONS AND ART MARKETING For images of artworks in an art context (not an interdisciplinary context), eg, an art newsletter or an art exhibition and its associated marketing, the caption follows the OL order of information, prioritising the artist. Order of info: Artist name, title* or description of artwork, date of making, media. Copyright holder* or, if the object is Te Papa’s: Artist name, title* or description of artwork, date of making, media. Gift of xxx. Te Papa* (object registration number) = essential information Only include the acquisition credit if the artworks are gifts (though this is not necessary with gifts of the New Zealand Government). Include the artwork registration number in parentheses at the end. Brian Brake, Monsoon girl, 1960. Gift of Mr Raymond Wai-Man Lau, 2001. Te Papa (CT.056082) Brian Brake, Wharves, Wellington, late 1940s. Courtesy of Wai-man Lau Francis Upritchard, Jelly lamp, 2009, glass, brass, marble. Te Papa (2009-0031-1/G) James Nairn, Tess, 1893, oil on canvas. Gift of John Newton and Son, Kaiwharawhara, 1939. Te Papa (1939-0001-1) 4. CREATIVE COMMONS CREDITS Te Papa credits Some of Te Papa’s images are now Creative Commons licensed. Foo dog figurine, 1800s, maker unknown. CC BY-NC-ND licence. Te Papa (CG000539/1) External credits All Creative Commons licensed works can be copied and shared as long as the maker is credited and the Creative Commons licence travels with the work. Some makers leave instructions on how to identify them. You can normally find these instructions in the maker profile of the website where the original work exists. If the maker hasn’t left instructions, use their site user name. Order of info: Title or description of image, date. Photo by xxx, via website. CC licence jurisdiction version For web use, include hyperlinks, as below. Order of info: Title or description* [ie, include hyperlink to original source of work], date. Photo by xxx, via website. CC licence jurisdiction version* [ie, include hyperlink to page] * = essential information This is an example of a print caption and credit for an interdisciplinary exhibition: Circada forest, 2011. Photo by M Francis McCarthy, via Flickr. CC BY-ND Gen 2.0 This is an example of a web caption and credit for the same image: Circada forest, 2011. Photo by M Francis McCarthy, via Flickr. CC BY-ND Gen 2.0 5. ATL AND ARCHIVES NZ REGISTRATION NUMBERS IN CREDITS (5.i) Alexander Turnbull Library registration numbers in credits Some Alexander Turnbull Library registration numbers appear in two formats: fraction-number-letter or letter-number-fraction. Use the first form – only this one will work in Timeframes (ATL’s online database). 1/2-029512-F not F-29512-1/2 If the code you receive has the fraction last, swap the order. You may need to add a zero before the middle number – it needs to be six digits long to retrieve the image online. Leave image codes that don’t follow this format as they are, eg: FC1-q-255-24-1. (5.ii) Archives New Zealand registration numbers in credits Images from Archives New Zealand can have two numbers – an Archives one and an Alexander Turnbull Library one. If they do, reduce ‘Alexander Turnbull Library’ to ‘ATL’ and list their number after the Archives one, with a semicolon between. All Archives New Zealand still images should include ‘Wellington Office’ in the credit. Photo by W Walker, New Zealand, courtesy of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga, Wellington Office (AAQT 6538, 11/L/32; ATL 1/4-019875-F) 6. AUDIOVISUAL CREDITS There are many variables for AV credits – seek guidance from the digital producers. (6.i) Credits for videos – at the end of videos Use this format for copyright: © Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa 2015 When acknowledging others, keep it simple: Te Papa thanks Dame Margaret Sparrow Te Papa thanks The Video Factory for extracts from Britten: Backyard Visionary The exception is when specific wording was requested by a partner/provider/contributor: Developed by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa working closely with Weta Workshop For credits of artworks, photos, etc, use the relevant styles in Interdisciplinary exhibitions or Art exhibitions and art marketing, under Captions and credits. (6.ii) Credits for videos and still images from videos – in web and exhibition text Use the style of the credits within the video, but add ‘All rights reserved’ / ‘Some rights reserved’ for videos and sound clips on web pages (eg, YouTube) to make it immediately clear that copyright exists. This video has all rights reserved. Te Papa Sometimes specific wording is requested by a partner/provider/contributor. Tales from Te Papa was commissioned by TVNZ 7, in partnership with Te Papa. © TVNZ Audio © Viking Sevenseas Still images taken from videos can be credited like the video, but add caption information: Still image from Britten: Backyard Visionary, 1993. Courtesy of The Video Factory Still image of a colossal squid, from Tales from Te Papa, commissioned by TVNZ 7, in partnership with Te Papa © TVNZ 7. MUSIC CREDITS AND SOUND EFFECTS (7.i) Music credits There are many variables for music credits – seek guidance from the digital producers. Order of info: Composer, Title, date of composition, performer, date of performance. Recording rights holder Igor Stravinsky, The Firebird, 1910, performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, 14 April 2012. Recorded by Radio New Zealand Depending on context and type of music, it might need date of composition, performance location, album title, individual artists’ names, etc. Excerpt from Rikki Gooch and the Sound Institute, Walk – A Response, performed and recorded live on 23 February 2014 as part of the Walk with Me: McCahon series of events at Te Papa (7.ii) Sound effects These are generally kept simple and descriptive. Dawn chorus with korimako (bellbird) in the foreground. Department of Conservation. Crown copyright, CC BY 3.0 NZ Stream noise recorded by Caroline Ford. CC BY 3.0 NZ Typewriter sounds recorded by tamskp. CC BY 3.0 NZ
case	See headings and heading cases.
CD, CD-ROM Also see acronyms (plurals)	Capitalise these abbreviations.
CE and BCE	See BCE and CE.
cellphone	Use ‘cellphone’, not ‘cell phone’.
Celsius	This word takes an initial capital.
chapter titles	Set chapter titles in title case and roman text (not italics) inside single quotation marks. See quotation marks (titles).
circa	In exhibition and website text, use ‘about’ not ‘circa’ for dates. (Interestingly, visitor market research by Oakland Museum indicated that one of the most commonly asked questions was ‘What does c/circa mean?’ There is no need to put this barrier before audiences when they are faced with so many other more important ideas and experiences.)
clauses	See commas (introductory clauses and phrases, non-defining clauses and phrases) and sentences (sentence structure).
clear English	See plain English.
collectable	Use ‘collectable’, not ‘collectible’.
collections	Give Te Papa’s various collections (and sub-collections) initial capitals when referring to them in full, including the word ‘Collection’. Te Papa Collection (but Te Papa’s collections) National Collection National Art Collection Photography Collection Brian Brake Collection Burton Brothers Collection … History Collection Taonga Māori Collection Pacific Cultures Collection Oldman Collection … Natural History Collection [FW2] Drop the initial capital when not referring to the collection name in full. The Pacific Cultures Collection represents the diverse cultures of the Pacific islands. Highlights of the collection include … Don’t use initial capitals when referring to Te Papa’s collections in a general sense or to collections more generically. Te Papa’s collections (as opposed to the Te Papa Collection) Te Papa collection items the permanent collection Most museum collections External collection items (ie, loans) For the names of collections from outside Te Papa, follow the capitalisation specified in the loan agreement. If the lender hasn’t specified a capitalisation, use an upper-case ‘C’ to be consistent with our style. On loan from the James Brown Collection
Collections Online URL	The correct URL (web address) for Collections Online is tepapa.govt.nz/collections not collections.tepapa.govt.nz Notice that we no longer using www beforehand.
collective nouns Also see plurals	Nouns like ‘committee’, ‘family’, and ‘team’ take a singular verb or pronoun when thought of as a unit. The committee prides itself on its independence. The family has a bach in Ohope. The hockey team was eventually victorious, winning gold at the Olympic Games. They take a plural verb or pronoun when thought of as a collection of individuals. The staff have enjoyed their outings to the salsa club. The team are all multitalented. Whichever you choose, singular or plural, check your consistency throughout the text.
colloquial language	Take care with your treasured gems of colloquial language in exhibition and website writing. Remember the many visitors who don’t have English as their first language. What would they make of this? Oodles of Kiwis dash across the ditch each year for a quick gander at the Lucky Country.	~~USG~~
colons and semicolons Also see dashes (sentences)	Colons Use colons to indicate that something else follows the main clause: a more detailed explanation, a list, or a quote. I chose three colours: red, green, and yellow. In any heading – sentence case or title case – that includes a colon, use an initial capital on the word directly after the colon. Remember Me: A Biography of Martha Brown Semicolons Use semicolons to separate parts of a complex list where the list items already include commas. The speakers include Ranginui Brown, Head of Māori at Wanganui College; Peter Holloway, Associate Professor of Geography at Victoria University; and Arapata Hakiwai, Kaihautū (Māori Leader) at Te Papa. Semicolons are also used to connect clauses that are related but independent. However, avoid using them like this in exhibition text, and question the need for them in other contexts, where they can add a sense of formality. Preferably use a full stop or an en dash instead.
commas Also see dangling participles introductory clauses and phrases numbers (commas) speech punctuation that vs which	Commas aid readability, especially in exhibition and website text, making easily grasped chunks of sense for readers on the move. This is not a licence to write long, comma-ridden sentences for labels. Serial comma (Oxford comma) Use the serial comma, otherwise known as the Oxford comma. This is the comma before the final ‘and’ in a list of three or more things. men, women, and children He grew up in Gore, went to university in Auckland, then moved to Taihape. Introductory clauses and phrases Use commas after introductory clauses and phrases. They are particularly important when two words coming together could cause confusion. Compare these examples. After the warning signs were installed at the top of the cliff. After the warning, signs were installed at the top of the cliff. One-word introductory phrases (eg, soon, now, sometimes, suddenly) are often OK without the comma. Note that if the adverbial phrase is placed after the main clause, the comma isn’t necessary. Compare these examples. In 1991, she moved back to New Zealand. She moved back to New Zealand in 1991. In exhibition and website writing, avoid long or complicated introductory clauses and phrases. Readers on the move have little patience for puzzling out these kinds of inversion. They need the subject as soon as possible. Not As well as being a renowned painter, printmaker, and potter, John Moore was an accomplished dancer. but John Moore was an accomplished dancer, as well as a renowned painter, printmaker, and potter. or John Moore was a renowned painter, printmaker, and potter – and he was also an accomplished dancer. Non-defining clauses and phrases Non-defining clauses and phrases convey information that could be omitted without affecting the sense of the sentence. A defining clause or phrase conveys essential information and can’t be omitted. With non-defining clauses and phrases, place the commas before and after the non-defining element, not just before. The car, which I’ve had since I got married, broke down again yesterday. (i) Names Compare the uses of commas in the following sentences. My father, John, was a difficult man. Photographer Duncan Monro has won many awards. In the first sentence, the name inside the commas, ‘John’, could be omitted and the sentence would still make sense. It is non-defining. The name ‘Duncan Monro’ couldn’t be omitted from the sentence. It is defining. Another way to think about this is that there is only one father to the writer = commas. However, there is more than one photographer in the world, so the name is essential to the sentence = no commas. NOTE: Be careful with sentences like the following. Adrienne’s colleague James didn’t agree. Because James is not Adrienne’s only colleague, and it is therefore necessary to specify his name, this sentence does not need commas. Compare with the earlier example ‘My father, John, was a difficult man.’ Also see that vs which Compound sentences Generally use a comma before the conjunctions ‘and’, ‘but’, and ‘or’ in compound sentences. Frith is a writer, and Emily is a designer. When the subject doesn’t change or isn’t repeated, omit the comma. Te Ikanui raised his glass and addressed the group. I’m tired but happy. When the subject doesn’t change but is repeated, usually include the comma. Compare the following sentences to the ones above. Te Ikanui raised his glass, and then he looked around the group. I’m tired, but I’m happy too. Between verb and subject DO NOT use a comma between a verb and its subject. People sometimes mistakenly do this when the subject is a long one (a subject group). Those who supported the new chief executive stood up and applauded loudly. not Those who supported the new chief executive, stood up and applauded loudly. TIP: Try replacing the subject group with a simple subject and then see if using the comma makes sense. Bartholomew stood up and applauded loudly. Adjectives Use commas to separate two or more adjectives before a noun. Liz is a loyal, loving, and devoted mother. You can leave the commas out if the adjectives (usually not more than two) regularly appear together in a time-honoured way. TIP: Would the phrase sound right if you (a) changed the order of the adjectives or (b) put ‘and’ between them (or both)? If not, don’t add commas. An ugly little dog sat in the corner. Direct addresses Use a comma before a person’s name in a direct address to them. ‘Check this out, Desmond!’ Direct quotes (speech) Use a comma before a direct quote. James yelled, ‘Stop! Don’t do it! Don’t put that comma there!’ Also see speech punctuation Definitions (glosses) Use a comma before ‘or’ when ‘or’ indicates a definition. If the text continues after the definition, you may need to use another comma to set off the sub-clause. (See ‘Non-defining clauses’ above.) This blade is made from pounamu, or New Zealand greenstone. Pounamu, or New Zealand greenstone, is a prized material. Numbers Always use a comma before the final three figures in thousands (and higher numbers). Don’t use spaces. 4,000 not 4000 US$1,000 not US$1000 12,000 people not 12000 people or 12 000 people Also see numbers (commas) Too Don’t use a comma before ‘too’ in sentences like that below. The cops came too not The cops came, too. NOTE: Although this comma does appear in many publications, there is little justification for its use. You wouldn’t use a comma if you replaced ‘too’ with ‘as well’ or ‘also’, and there is no natural pause in these sentences either.
Commonwealth, the	Use an initial capital for ‘Commonwealth’ when referring to the international association of states that used to be part of the British Empire.
compare to vs compare with	The distinction between ‘comparing to’ and ‘comparing with’ is becoming increasingly vague. The traditional distinction is as follows: to compare something ‘to’ something means to liken the things – to draw attention to their similarities. To compare something ‘with’ something means to consider their similarities and differences.
compass points and terms Also see abbreviations symbols	Use lower case when spelling out compass terms. The compounds are hyphenated. south-east, north-western Auckland, the south of the South Island, northern Taranaki Capitalise when the compass terms form part of a regional or cultural identity. The Far North, Southeast Asia, East Coast iwi, the Western world Capitalise the symbols. E, SW, NNW
complement vs compliment	‘To complement’ means ‘to add features to’ or ‘to go well with’. ‘To compliment’ means ‘to praise or admire’.
compound adjectives	See adverbs that qualify adjectives.
comprise	‘To comprise’ means ‘to consist of’, or ‘include’. Therefore, ’comprise of’ is redundant. The work comprises metal shavings, wood chips, and used chewing gum. not The work is comprised of metal shavings, wood chips, and used chewing gum.
confusions (common)	See affect vs effect, amount vs number, biannual vs biennial, bought vs brought, complement vs compliment, discreet vs discrete, disc vs disk, disinterested vs uninterested, fewer vs less, its vs it’s, etc.
contractions Also see abbreviations apostrophes	Contractions are abbreviations that retain the first and last letters of a word. Don’t use full stops. Mr (Mister), Dr (Doctor), Mt (Mount), Ltd (Limited), dept (department) Contractions are also formed when two words are combined but letters are missed out. Use the apostrophe to indicate the missing letters. it’s (it is), doesn’t (does not), would’ve (would have), he’d (he had), she’s (she is or she has) You can use such contractions to give a conversational tone to exhibition text.
Cook Islands	Include the ‘s’ when using ‘Cook Islands’ as an adjective. Cook Islands culture not Cook Island culture Preferably use ‘Cook Islands people’ to ’Cook Islanders’ to describe the inhabitants. Note the specific communities, such as Rarotonga (capital Avarua) and Mangaia.
Cook Islands Māori	Note macron.	~~Cook Islands Maori~~
Cook, James	Be careful about what title you give this noted British explorer. He was a lieutenant when he first visited New Zealand and a commander on his second voyage. He was not promoted to captain until 1775, at the end of his second voyage. ‘British explorer James Cook’ is the safe option in all instances.
coordinate, coordinator, coordination vs co‑ordinate, co‑ordinator, co‑ordination	Te Papa does not use hyphens in these words.
Copyright Also see captions and credits	When using the copyright symbol in credits, you don’t need to include the word ‘copyright’ before. © Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa 2014 not copyright © Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa 2014 The symbol is rarely used in exhibitions, but may be helpful for online content, which can be shared easily.
cords vs chords	‘Cords’ are what you use to vocalise or tie in knots. ‘Chords’ are several tones sounding concurrently.
country and region names Also see capitals place names	Don’t abbreviate country and region names. Spell them out in full, except when referring to currency or where space is limited (eg, in a table). New Zealand not NZ Australia not Aus Southeast Asia not SE Asia Exceptions include countries where the abbreviation is a widely known acronym. United States (first mention) > the US
Covid-19	This is an acronym and doesn’t need full capitals, even though the New Zealand Government’s style is COVID-19. ‘Co’ stands for corona, ‘vi’ for virus, and ‘d’ for disease, while ‘19’ is the year the outbreak was identified.
Creative Commons credits	See captions and credits.
credit punctuation	See captions and credits.
criterion, criteria	Note that the singular form of ‘criteria’ is ‘criterion’.
Crown, the	Use a capital when referring to the British monarchy.
cultivated species	Names for breeds of animals and cultivars of plants (as distinct from their scientific names) are capitalised. Perendale sheep, Cordyline ‘Bronze Beauty’, Agria potato, Roma tomato
curatorial disciplines	There are four curatorial disciplines, although there is increasing overlap. Natural History Mātauranga Māori New Zealand and Pacific Histories and Cultures Art
dad vs Dad	See capitals (proper nouns).
dangling participles	Make sure that the subject of a sentence’s main clause agrees with any preceding phrases and clauses. (‘Dangling participle’ refers to the verbal form that is left without a proper subject agreement – these inverted elements often begin with a participle.) Not Never before seen in New Zealand, Te Papa is proud to feature Bill Culbert’s Drop … but Never before seen in New Zealand, Bill Culbert’s Drop features in Te Papa’s next … Not Born during a period of war, the composer’s work reflects the violence of that time. but Born during a period of war, the composer reflects the violence of that time in her work. Not Having made a big effort, his disappointment was even more intense. but Having made a big effort, he was even more intensely disappointed. Having got your head around this, avoid these types of inverted constructions in exhibition and web writing as moving and scanning readers need the subject quickly.
dashes Also see colons and semicolons parentheses	Numbers and dates An en dash (or en rule) is longer than a hyphen. Use unspaced en dashes (not hyphens) between numbers, including dates. pages 14–16 not pages 14-16 1980–90 not 1980-90 1999–2008 not 1999-2008 26–27 November 2011 The en dash should be spaced when it separates different elements in a date range (eg, year and day, as below). 1 May 2011 – 5 June 2011 Never use an en dash with words like ‘between’, ‘from’, and ‘during’. between 9am and 10am not between 9am–10am from 1915 to 1920 not from 1915–1920 Proper nouns (proper names) Use unspaced en dashes between proper nouns of equal value. New Zealand–Australia relations Sentences Use spaced en dashes (not hyphens or em dashes) to separate sentence elements. At first I thought she was laughing – but then I noticed the tears. You can use the en dash for different reasons, for example: to indicate a break in thought or abrupt change (as in the example above) before a list of examples (like a colon) to act in the same way as parentheses (obviously, you’ll need to use two for this option) to explain or amplify on the preceding statement to show a pause for rhetorical effect to add emphasis. Don’t use the longer em dashes (—). Titles A colon is used in front of taglines. It’s better to avoid having two taglines, but if both are necessary, use an en dash for the second one, as in this example of a video clip title from Te Papa Channel: The World of Whales: What Lies Beneath – Science Express
dates Also see Māori time sequence	Use the following forms for dates. Wednesday 6 September 2007 not Wednesday September 6 2007 and not Wednesday September 6th 2007 Wed 6 Sep 2007 not Wed Sep 6 2007 and not Wed Sep 6th 2007 1–5 May 2011 1 May 2011 – 5 June 2011 (the en dash is spaced here because it separates different elements) 1990s not 1990’s 1990s not 90s (although 90s is OK after the first mention or after 1980s) 1890–95 (because century 18 applies to both) 1625–1713 (new century) 1920s–30s 1890s–1920s 555–520 bc, 500–1250 ad 1800s (preference) or 19th century not nineteenth century mid 1800s, late 1990s, in the early 15th century Also see Māori time sequence Decades Avoid writing out the decades, except in phrases such as ‘the swinging sixties’. Use ‘the 1960s’ rather than ‘the 60s’ on first mention. You may shorten to ‘the 60s’ on subsequent mentions, but not if there is a mixture of centuries referred to in the text as a whole. Centuries Use the series number style for centuries, with figures for all. Don’t use superscript for ordinal endings – change your autocorrect (File/Options/Proofing/AutoCorrect Options/AutoFormat As You Type/Ordinals – untick ‘Ordinals (1st) with superscript’). between the 1st and 10th centuries 19th century not 19^th century For general audiences, however, it is often preferable to use ‘1800s’ over ‘19th century’. This format avoids any mental calculation and is therefore easier to understand for readers on the move (as in exhibitions) and speakers of English as a second language. Bear in mind, however, that ‘1800s’ used to refer exclusively to the first decade of the 19th century, so when you mean that first decade, say 'the first decade of the 1800s'. If confusion is likely on a general level (ie, you frequently move from talking about decades to centuries, or the audience is an older one), use the ‘19th century’ format throughout. Approximate dates For approximate dates (+/- 5 years), avoid using ‘circa’ for non-specialist audiences. Use ‘about’. about 1850 not circa 1850 Between/and, from/to Never use an en dash with words like ‘between’, ‘from’, and ‘during’. from 1915 to 1920 not from 1915–1920 between 1999 and 2005 not between 1999–2005 Unknown date Use a question mark for an unknown date. Edward Abbott (?–1849), England/New Zealand
defining clauses and phrases	See commas (non-defining clauses and phrases) and that vs which.
degrees	See awards and qualifications.
dependant vs dependent	‘Dependant’ is the noun; ‘dependent’ is the adjective. Family dependants are dependent on their parents or caregivers for their survival.
Depression, the	See Great Depression, the.
descendant vs descendent	A ‘descendant’ is one who is descended from an ancestor; ‘descendent’ is an (uncommon) adjective.
deserts vs desserts	‘Desert’ is the sandy place. ‘Dessert’ is the pudding. ‘Just deserts’ is the treatment that somebody deserves. ‘Just desserts’ is a limited menu for a meal.
dgment vs -dgement	Spell with the ‘e’: judgement; lodgement; acknowledgement, etc
diacritic, diacritical mark	This is the general term for signs such as macrons, glottal stops, and accents that indicate sounds or values of letters. See macrons and glottal stops.
dialogue	See speech punctuation.
dictionaries	See spelling.
direct speech	See quotation marks and speech punctuation.
directional	A Te Papa word. This line of text at the bottom of a label is preceded by an arrow and invites visitors to explore related objects and artworks. It ends with a full stop. ► See another painting by Ralph Hotere in the next gallery.
directions	See compass points and terms.
directorates	Te Papa has six directorates. Audience and Insight Collections and Research Finance and Operations Museum and Commercial Services Ngā Manu Atarau Strategy and Performance
disability	Take care with generic terms used for people with disabilities. The following are among those accepted as inclusive and not stigmatic. disabled person/people; blind person/people, deaf person/people; people with learning difficulties; hearing impaired; visually impaired; deaf/hearing- and speech-impaired; people in wheelchairs; people with impaired mobility; people with intellectual disabilities Avoid the following and others like them. the blind, the deaf, the dumb, the crippled, physically handicapped, intellectually handicapped, wheelchair-bound, sufferer of/from … [disability]
disc vs disk	Use ‘discs’ for the recordings, jockeys, thin circular objects, and cartilage between vertebrae. Use ‘disks’ for computer storage.
Discovery Centre	Use initial capitals when referring to the museum’s two areas for 7–12 year olds. Use sentence case for the activities that take place here. Weave a putiputi. Te Huka ā Tai, Level 4 Also see Appendix A – Te Papa names
discreet vs discrete	‘Discreet’ is circumspect. ‘Discrete’ is separate. She gave the books a discreet push so they formed a discrete group.
disinterested vs uninterested	‘Disinterested’ is free from bias (the negative of interested as in an ‘interested party’). ‘Uninterested’ is not taking an interest (the negative of interested as in ‘interested in fishing’).
dispatch vs despatch	Use ‘dispatch’.
do’s and don’ts Also see apostrophes (plurals)	Note the form of this plural phrase – an exception in using the apostrophe in forming plurals.
document titles	Use title case, no italics for Te Papa corporate documents. Annual Report 2014/15, Annual Reports Statement of Intent 2014–2018, Statements of Intent Statement of Performance Expectations 2014/15 but performance report
dollars	See numbers (money).
Dominion Post	See *The Dominion Post*.
dot, dot, dot	See ellipses.
double quotation marks	See quotation marks.
drypoint	Te Papa style is one word for this term – consistent with what is used internationally but different from the listing in the New Zealand Oxford Dictionary.
due to, owing to	‘Due to’ and ‘owing to’ are interchangeable. However, Te Papa prefers the plain English ‘because of’. Some speakers of English as a second language struggle with the use of ‘due to’ and ‘owing to’ because ‘due’ and ‘owe’ have other meanings in other contexts.
e-newsletter	See e-words.
e-words	Use a hyphen after the prefix ‘e-’ when it means ‘electronic’. The exception is ‘email’. e-commerce not ecommerce e-learning not elearning e-alert, e-newsletter
earth	Capitalise ‘Earth’ when referring to the planet.
east, eastern Also see compass points and terms	Capitalise East and Eastern in place names and when referring to regions or cultural or political entities. the Eastern Pacific Rise; East Cape; the East versus the West; the Eastern bloc; East Asia Use lower case for general geographic location. eastern Southland; east of Eden
-ed vs -t endings	Te Papa prefers the -ed ending for the past simple and past participle forms of words such as burn (burned), dream (dreamed), kneel (kneeled), lean (leaned), learn (learned), smell (smelled), spell (spelled), spill (spilled), and spoil (spoiled).
effect	See affect vs effect.
eg Also see abbreviations	This is the abbreviation for ‘exempli gratia’ (given examples). Avoid using ‘eg’, except where space is limited (as in a table). Use ‘for example’ or ‘for instance’. Place a comma before and after the abbreviation. Don’t use full stops or spaces. (These are going out of fashion with abbreviations generally.) oceanic birds, eg, shearwater, petrel, and fulmar Be careful not to confuse ‘eg’, which gives something as an example, with ‘ie’, which specifies something and can be replaced with ‘that is'.
elderly	Be cautious about applying this adjective to anyone younger than 75. Life expectancy and expectations of normal levels of activity are rising. ‘Seniors’ is another option.
ellipses Also see quotations	Use three dots for an ellipsis. In the middle of a sentence or quotation, place a single space on each side of the ellipsis. At the end of a sentence, place a single space before the ellipsis and no full stop after. Omissions in quotations Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission in quotations, regardless of whether the omission comes in the middle of a sentence or between sentences. Retain the capital letter after the ellipsis if a sentence begins after an omission. It is also reasonable (except in a strict scholarly context) to capitalise the new beginning word if the resumed quotation makes a complete sentence. Do not use an ellipsis at the end of a quote, even if you’re omitting part of a sentence, unless the material could be misconstrued without it. ‘Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s … ox … nor anything that is thy neighbour’s.’ Hesitation in speech You can use an ellipsis to indicate a pause or hesitation in speech. ‘Ah … I think it’s … actually, I don’t know.’ ‘Would you use … an ellipsis here … really?’ (No, you wouldn’t.)
em dashes	This is an em dash: — Don’t use em dashes – use en dashes instead. See dashes.
email Also see e-words	Email has now become an established unhyphenated word. Not so e-commerce, e-newsletter, e-alert.
emphasis (italics for)	You can use italics sparingly for emphasis. Because italics are harder to read than roman text, avoid widespread use, especially online and in exhibition text.
en dashes	See dashes.
en route	En route is a phrase borrowed from French meaning ‘on the way’. It’s never ‘on’ route.
enquire, enquiry vs inquire, inquiry	‘Enquire’ is to seek information. ‘Inquire’ is to investigate – an inquiry is a formal investigation.
ensure vs insure	‘Ensure’ is to make certain. ‘Insure’ is to guard against risk.
etc Also see abbreviations	This is the abbreviation for ‘et cetera’ (‘and the rest’) – now ‘etcetera’ when written in full. Don’t place a full stop after the final letter unless it falls at the end of a sentence. Use a comma before this abbreviation. The joys of life: spring, sleep, etc. Avoid using ‘etc’, except where space is limited (as in a table). Use ‘and so on’ or ‘and others’. That said, in exhibition text there should be no need to write such vague phrases.
European Economic Union (EEU)
Evening Post	See *The Evening Post*.
event names	Use title case (but not italics) for the names of events in marketing text, except for Discovery Centre activities and StoryPlace programmes, which take sentence case (because they tend to be long ‘calls to action’). Italicise exhibition names when they appear as part of event names. Food for Thought with Alison Holst European Masters Floortalk Assemble an astounding elephant mask [Discovery Centre]
every day vs everyday	‘Every day’ is two words when it is an adverbial phrase, one word when it is an adjective. It happens every day – an everyday happening.
exhibition names, and names of parts of exhibitions Also see Appendix A – Te Papa names	Use italics and title case for the names of exhibitions in running text. If including the tagline, separate it from the main name with a colon. The tagline is in title case too (this style applies to all Renewal exhibitions and beyond – previously, taglines were in sentence case). John Parker: Handmade Precision For exhibitions that have two equivalent names (rather than a title and tagline), use title case for both. Whales │Tohorā When the exhibition name is a heading, don’t use italics, but when it’s part of an event name, do. The Wow Factor [heading on its own] The Wow Factor Floortalk [part of event name] See the list of exhibition names in Appendix A – Te Papa names. Parts of exhibitions Use sentence case and quotation marks when referring to parts of an exhibition, ie, names of segments, sections, or activities. ‘Contemporary focus’, ‘Fish and trips’, ‘Get ready for the Big One’
Explore trolley	These trolleys, supervised by the Hosts, allow visitors to interact closely with items related to exhibitions. Please note that they are not called ‘Touch trolleys’ but ‘Explore trolleys’.
facade	‘Facade’ is now a fully anglicised word and doesn’t need ç.
factoid	A ‘factoid’ is not a trivial fact but a mistaken assumption repeated so often that it is believed to be true.
faze vs phase	To ‘faze’ is to disconcert. A ‘phase‘ is a stage.
Feilding	This Manawatū town is not spelled Fielding.
fewer vs less Also see amount vs number	Use ‘fewer’ (smaller in number) for things that can be counted. Use ‘less’ (smaller in quantity) for things that can’t be counted but that can be measured. There were fewer visitors today. Can I have a little less food next time please?
film-maker, film-making	Use hyphens in these words.
films (titles of)	Use title case and italics for the titles of films and videos. For more information, see capitals (titles) and italics (titles). Online video titles are not italicised as there is generally no technical capacity to do this. For video clips (part of a video), use single quotes.
First Day Covers
first Labour Government (1939–45)	Don’t capitalise ‘first’, which is descriptive.
First World War	In exhibition text, don’t use ‘First World War’. Use ‘World War I’ – also the more common search phrase on the internet. In web text, you may also want to incorporate ‘First World War’ and ‘World War 1’ because they are alternative key phrases. Also see First World War Centenary
First World War Centenary	This is the official name of the centenary of World War I (2014–18), as per the MCH website, with the overall branding of ww100 (ww100.govt.nz).
fish hook	Two words. In this case, we differ from the New Zealand Oxford Dictionary, which lists fish-hook.
5G	5G refers to fifth-generation wireless communications technology. It is fine to use without spelling out if the context is clear. No hyphen.
flaunt vs flout	To ‘flaunt’ is to make a display of something. To ‘flout’ is to show disregard, eg, for a law.
flier	See flyer.
floortalk	A special Te Papa compound word!
flounder vs founder	To ‘flounder’ is to perform a task badly. To ‘founder’ is to fail. The exhibition foundered because the team members floundered.
flyer	Use ‘flyer’ rather than ‘flier’ for something airborne and the marketing device.
focus, focused, focuses, focusing	Use the single -s forms of these words, including for the plural noun ‘focuses’ (as opposed to ‘foci’).
folk tales, myths, and legends	If a specific publication is not being referred to, use title case but not italics or single quotes. Ina and the Shark
fonts	See legibility.
footnotes Also see bibliographies references	Footnotes are rarely needed in exhibition text, usually only for source references and copyright requirements. They should never be used for essential information. Avoid incorporating references or credits in running text. Footnotes should not be used in web writing. Any references, sources, or copyright credits should be placed immediately by the material concerned. Footnote references in exhibition text Use symbols () not numerals as footnote references in exhibition text. Bibliographic references in footnotes* Use the following styles for bibliographic references in footnotes. i) Publication: Author, title (place: publisher, year) p/pp xx [if needed] Paul Callaghan and Kim Hill, As Far as We Know (Auckland: Penguin Books, 2007) ii) Periodical: Author, ‘title’, periodical name vol (no): xx [page no/s] Bob Holmes, ‘Flight of the Navigators’, New Scientist 199 (2666): 36–39 iii) Part of a multi-author publication: Author, ‘title’, in publication title (place: publisher, year) Sean Mallon and Uili Fecteau, ‘Tatatau-ed: Polynesian Tatau in Aotearoa’, in Pacific Art Niu Sila (Wellington: Te Papa Press, 2002)
for example Also see abbreviations (eg, ie, etc, &, +)	Place a comma before and after ‘for example’ when you use the phrase in the middle of a sentence. You would have oysters on special occasions, for example, on birthdays. Place a comma after the phrase when it begins a sentence. For example, never turn your back on the speaker.
foreign names	Surnames with French ‘le’ or ‘de’, Italian ‘di’, Dutch ‘van’, German ‘von’, etc are usually lower case within full names. When the surname is used alone, retain the same style. The artist Petrus van der Velden … Later in his career, van der Velden … The explorer Dumont d’Urville … At the Bay of Islands, d’Urville … The essayist Thomas De Quincey … In 1821, De Quincey …
foreign words and phrases Also see glossing	English and Māori are official languages in New Zealand. There are many other community languages here that have been naturalised into English, and it would be objectionable to characterise them as foreign. Never italicise Māori and Pacific language words or phrases, nor words in languages regarded as community languages. Simply include a gloss in parentheses directly after the word on its first mention. Gloss again every time the word or phrase appears separately, eg, in a new exhibition label or on a new web page. In exhibition labels, regard the main heading, body text, and object information as separate for the purposes of glossing. Readers on the move may pause only momentarily by the label, and the gloss should be available in whatever part their eye alights on. If you need to distinguish genuinely foreign words and phrases, use single quote marks. Make sure you give the words and phrases in their correct form, with their correct diacritics. Some words like ‘schadenfreude’ (malicious enjoyment of another’s misfortunes) are used, but not so widely that they have been received into the language like ‘fait accompli’.
forever vs for ever	‘Forever’ is continually. ‘For ever’ is for evermore. She is forever talking about food. I will remember this day for ever.
formula, formulas, formulae	The plural of ‘formula’ is ‘formulas’ in general use; ‘formulae’ in maths or science use.
fortuitous vs fortunate	‘Fortuitous’ is by chance or accident. ‘Fortunate’ is by good fortune, lucky.
4G	4G refers to fourth-generation wireless communications technology. It is fine to use without spelling out if the context is clear. No hyphen.
fractions	See numbers (fractions).
freshwater	‘Freshwater’ as an adjective is one word (freshwater fish); but ‘fish found in fresh water’.
from/to (with numbers)	See dashes.
fulfil, fulfilling, fulfilled, fulfilment	Te Papa goes with the single -l spelling, apart from the participles (fulfilling, fulfilled).
full stops Also see abbreviations bullet points hashtags parentheses quotation marks website and email addresses	Use full stops at the ends of complete sentences (sentences with a subject, verb, and object). Don’t use a full stop for sentences, whether complete or incomplete, in captions or display or instructional-type text. Michael on horseback, 2008 Latecomers not admitted Screens every 20 minutes Strobe lighting may affect some viewers Push the button to play the video If you have a list that combines complete and incomplete sentences, choose one style and apply it to all elements for consistency.
gender	Use of language reflects changes not only in society but also in the museum’s values. Avoid gender-specific occupational words. worker not workman police officer not policeman However, if you are referring to a specific man or woman, the gender-specific term may be appropriate. Jack Walls is a policeman. Use ‘humanity’, ‘humankind’, ‘humans’ or (even better) ‘people’, not ‘mankind’. Plural pronouns and possessives Avoid using constructions like ‘he/she’ or ‘his/her’ for inclusiveness. Use the plural pronoun and possessives (‘they’, ‘their’, ‘theirs’) with the singular, if you need to refer gender-neutrally to a specific situation. A new employee needs a buddy for their first few days in the job.
genus, genera	The plural of ‘genus’ is ‘genera’.
geographical features and regions	See place names.
glossing	Gloss words requiring translation when they first appear. Use parentheses. The cloak accumulates mana (prestige and authority) as it is handed down over the generations. In exhibition labels, regard the main heading, body text, and object information as separate for the purposes of glossing. Readers on the move may pause only momentarily by the label, and the gloss should be available in whatever part their eye alights on.
glottal stops	The diacritical mark for a glottal stop is an opening quote mark (in serif typefaces, ‘6’ not ‘9’). Hawai‘i, Ha‘apai, ‘ie toga When words with an initial glottal stop start a sentence, capitalise the first letter. ‘Ie toga are the most prized items in Samoan gift exchange.
GNS Science	Use the full name, not GNS alone.
government, Government	Use an initial capital for ‘Government’ only when referring to a specific government in full. After the first mention, you can drop the capital when not referring to the name in full. For governments generically speaking, use lower case. the New Zealand Government > the government the National Government > the government The various governments of Europe …
governor of New Zealand	This title changed to ‘governor-general’ in 1917. Use capitals before the name of an incumbent. Governor of New Zealand George Grey
governor-general, governors-general	Use ‘governors-general’ as the plural form of this noun. Use capitals before the name of an incumbent. Governor-General Anand Satyanand led the proceedings.
Great Depression, the	Use ‘the Great Depression’ or ‘the Depression’ (initial capitals). Specify the 1930s if this context hasn’t already been established.
greenstone	‘New Zealand greenstone’ is the common English gloss for pounamu, a local form of jade. The general geological name for pounamu is nephrite; other varieties found here are serpentinite and bowenite. Gloss simply as greenstone if used adjectivally, as in ‘toki pounamu (greenstone adze)’. In Māori contexts, names such as kahurangi, inanga, and tangiwai are given to varieties, both in appearance and location.	~~pounamu~~
half	Do not hyphenate when used adverbially or as part of a noun phrase. only half alive; half sugar, half salt half an hour; half past three; a half century Hyphenate when adjectival. half-hearted attempt, half-eaten meal, all items half-price
hand-coloured
hand-painted
handcraft, handcrafted
handicap, handicapped Also see disability	Keep handicaps for golf or neutral attributions such as ‘handicapped by her lack of English’, not for physical or learning disabilities.
handmade
hashtags	Don’t include a full stop after a hashtag, even when it comes at the end of a full sentence. Share your visit with #AirNZ75
Hawai‘i, Hawaiian	Make sure you use a glottal stop (opening quote mark) rather than an apostrophe. The adjective doesn’t take a glottal because it is no longer an Hawaiian word but an English one.
Hawaiki
Hawke’s Bay
he/she, him/her, and his/hers Also see gender	Avoid using constructions like ‘he/she’ or ‘his/her’ for inclusiveness. Find suitable plural constructions or reword. Alternatively, use the plural pronoun and possessives (‘they’, ‘their’, ‘theirs’) with the singular if you need to refer gender-neutrally to a specific situation. A new employee needs a buddy to make them feel at home when they first arrive.
headdress
headings and heading cases Also see capitals (titles)	Length of headings Keep headings short, with a strong link to the content below. Don’t assume that the reader will read the heading – repeat any important information in the main text and use full sentences. Katipō spiders Katipō spiders live in coastal … not Katipō spiders These spiders live in coastal … The headings for exhibition labels may be slightly more ‘creative’ than others because they have a role in attracting attention. However, they should not be misleading and should certainly be connected to the label content. Also consider the online context – ie, if exhibition content is going online, then keywords will be important. Keeping keywords in mind is useful in all contexts. Case For headings (eg, exhibition segment headings and labels lower in the hierarchy), use sentence case rather than title case. This approach is consistent with wider trends, which are influenced by digital media. People of the great ocean not People of the Great Ocean In some instances, full capitals can work for headings – discuss this with the designer. In general, though, text with ascenders and descenders is much easier for people to read, especially readers on the move (ie, in exhibitions). Exhibition names and other titles in headings Italicise exhibition names and other titles when they are used in headings, but not when they are used on their own as headings. Italics Check the legibility of cursive/italicised fonts used in headings. Dashes and colons When there is an en dash or colon in subsidiary headings (ie, anything below titles), stick with the sentence case style. Colonialism – all bull? Colonialism: all bull?
hip-hop, hip hop	Te Papa hyphenates ‘hip-hop’ as a noun and an adjective to avoid the apparent inconsistency otherwise. (Most dictionaries list the noun without a hyphen.) hip-hop style Hip-hop has flourished as a style.	~~hiphop~~
historian, historic, hotel	Use ‘an’ not ‘a’ before these words, unless they appear in a direct quote.
hoard vs horde	A ‘hoard’ is a store of things. A ‘horde’ is a large, often mobile, group. A horde of prospectors came with their metal detectors to look for the hoard of treasure.
Host	Te Papa Hosts take an initial capital. Other hosts do not.
hyperlinks	Frontload keywords in your hyperlink. Be clear about what users will get when they click (without being too wordy), using language consistent with the title of the content you’re linking to if possible. In general, separate hyperlinks from other text, starting from page left. Hyperlink the entire message (or at least the first few words from page left) rather than a word or two – ie, don’t embed hyperlinks in sentences. Avoid ‘click here’. Don’t use a full stop at the end of the hyperlink, even when it forms a full sentence. Having said that, hyperlinks can be embedded in a sentence if the information is incidental, such as a reference in a blog to a similar object held by Te Papa. Hyperlink only the key words. When linking to documents, add the document type and size in parentheses. Keywords in online captions, such as a title or descriptor, can be hyperlinked to Collections Online. Keep coming back – you may find some new puzzles. Kia ora! Read information about the taonga in these jigsaw puzzles not Keep coming back – you may find some new puzzles. Read information about the taonga in these jigsaw puzzles. Kia ora! Read Te Papa’s Annual Report 2017/18 (PDF, 2.5MB) House [faletele] building, Samoa, 1890–1910, Sāmoa, by Thomas Andrew. Te Papa (C.001446) [Collections Online link] Also see website and email addresses How to insert a hyperlink Insert hyperlinks into Word files rather than supply the web team with URLs and expect them to do it for you. Go to the web page you want to link to and copy (Ctrl C) the URL (web address) from the address bar. Back in your Word file, select the relevant text for hyperlinking. (Remember to highlight the whole line.) Go to the ‘Insert’ menu and select ‘Hyperlink’. Enter the URL (Ctrl V) in the ‘Address’ field. (The cursor should already be there.) Click ‘OK’. Voila! Your hyperlink is there and will work once your content is loaded onto the website. (Don’t worry if it doesn’t work when you click on it. Just right click and select ‘Open Hyperlink’. You can also remove a hyperlink this way.)
hyphens Also see adverbs that qualify adjectives dashes numbers	Compound words Some compound words carry hyphens, and some do not. The trend is for the hyphen to disappear once usage has become well established, eg, email. Te Papa has chosen its own style (hyphenated or unhyphenated) for certain words. Otherwise, see the Oxford New Zealand Dictionary or the Concise Oxford Dictionary for guidance on particular words. Hyphenated prefixes Words containing prefixes often carry hyphens after the prefix, for example, ‘non-violent’. This is nearly always the case where the last letter of the prefix and the first letter of the root word are vowels, for example, ‘pre-empt’ and ‘re-admit’, with exceptions being ‘cooperate’ and ‘coordinate’. Compound adjectives Use a hyphen between a common or short adverb and the adjective it qualifies when placed before the noun. a little-known singer, a well-prepared speech, a hard-fought game, a long-term project Drop the hyphen when the phrase comes after the noun and verb. The speech was well prepared. The game was hard fought. Don’t use hyphens after adverbs ending in -ly. sharply rising profit, poorly made products Be aware that use of hyphens with compound adjectives can change the meaning completely. Compare the following. 5 metre-long pieces of fabric (means 5 pieces of fabric, each 1 metre long) 5-metre-long pieces of fabric (means pieces of fabric, each 5 metres long) If the number of hyphens is becoming cumbersome or clashes with other punctuation, drop them or rephrase. 7–12 year olds or ages 7 to 12 not 7–12-year-olds Numbers Hyphenate simple fractions. one-fifth, three-quarters Hyphenate numbers from 21 to 99 if these numbers are spelled out at the start of a sentence. Eighty-five kilograms of cheese … Hyphenation in unjustified text alignment If text is typeset ragged (unjustified) right, do not break normally unhyphenated words across the ends of lines.
I vs me	Make sure you do not use ‘I’ (subject) when it should be ‘me’ (object). Not They have invited Sheba and I to dinner. but They have invited Sheba and me to dinner. Not I’d rather you than I. but I’d rather you than me. The test is: does ‘I’ work when you remove the other part of the ‘and I’ phrase? ‘They have invited I to dinner’, ‘I’d rather I’?
ie Also see abbreviations	This is the abbreviation for ‘id est’ (that is to say). Avoid using ‘ie’, except where space is limited (as in a table). Use ‘that is’. Place a comma before and after the abbreviation. Don’t use full stops or spaces. In good weather, manuhiri (visitors) use Te Ara a Tāne, ie, the external access to Te Marae. Be careful not to confuse ‘ie’, which specifies something, with ‘eg’, which gives something as an example.
inclusiveness	See disability, elderly, gender, handicap, or he/she.
in order to Also see plain English	Avoid using ‘in order to’. Just use ‘to’.
in vs at	See at vs in.
index, indexes, indices	The plural of index is indexes, except for economic and scientific contexts, where it is indices.
Indigenous Australian Also see Aborigine, Aboriginal	The term ‘Indigenous Australian’ includes Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. Some indigenous groups prefer this term to ‘Aboriginal peoples’. Check with the relevant curator.
indirect (reported) speech	See quotation marks and speech punctuation.
infer vs imply	To ‘infer’ is to deduce from evidence. To ‘imply’ is to hint at something. You implied that I was stupid … well, that was what I inferred from your remark.
1918 influenza pandemic
initialisms	See acronyms.
initials	See personal names.
in-service
install, installation	Te Papa keeps to the US English tendency for a double consonant in the root verb here.
instructional labels Also see running time	Instructional labels are associated with AVs or interactives. They don’t end with a full stop. The order of information follows. Title of AV or interactive [title case] Watch the video to see … / Push the button to hear ... / Discover how … 3:20 [round off seconds in tens, eg, don’t say 3:18] Screens continuously [or other relevant info if necessary] Courtesy statement [if necessary]
intensifiers	Ask yourself before writing intensifying words like very, really, absolutely, and particularly: are they necessary? Habits of speech are one thing. But when you have little space or time for communicating, don’t waste it on redundant intensifiers. The outing was [really] tremendous.
internet	Use lower case, not ‘Internet’.
interpretive	Use ‘interpretive’, not ‘interpretative’, for exhibition text and design, and the work of interpreters in museums.
introductory clauses and phrases Also see dangling participles	In exhibition and web writing, avoid complicated introductory clauses and phrases. Readers on the move have little patience for puzzling out these kinds of inversion. Having worked as an editor at Te Papa, and much praised there for his eagle eye, Samuel Francis was horrified by the abundance of grammatical errors in students’ work. Get the subject of the sentence as near to the sentence’s beginning as possible. Simple adverbial phrases are OK. In 1999, the whole family moved to Australia.
Ireland	Ireland is not part of the UK/Britain. Use ‘Éire (Ireland)’ or simply ‘Ireland’. ‘Republic of Ireland’ is merely descriptive – the official names of the state are those above.
italics Also see artworks (series and portfolios of) bold text capitals (titles) emphasis foreign words and phrases glossing quotation marks (titles) scientific names scriptures and sacred writings	Titles Use italics (and title case) for the titles of: books (except the Bible and books of the Bible, which are roman without quotation marks) newspapers and other periodicals (check whether the definite article is part of the name or not, eg, The Dominion Post but the Waikato Times) newsletters and individual publications in a series (eg, He Rauemi Resource Guide 6: Minimising Disaster) long poems considered books in themselves plays films, videos, video games, and DVDs radio and television series ballets long musical works like operas and symphonies collections of recorded music (eg, albums) exhibitions individual artworks. Use italics for the names of ships (excluding abbreviations preceding the ship names, eg, HMS Endeavour). NOTE: This italics style does not apply when the title appears as a heading or subheading on its own. NOTE: Don’t use italics for the titles of websites, chapters, articles, short stories, short poems, individual songs, essays, episodes of television and radio series, video clips (fragments of videos), unpublished texts (eg, theses, manuscripts, and manifestos), or events (eg, lectures and conferences). Don’t use them for series portfolios of artworks, or book or play series (eg, He Rauemi Resource Guides). Scientific names Use italics for biological genera and species. Phormium tenax, Rattus rattus Genera mentioned in a general way are roman. My sore throat was caused by a staphylococcus infection. Emphasis You can use italics sparingly for emphasis. Because italics are harder to read than roman text, avoid widespread use, especially online and in exhibition text. Readability of italics in exhibition text and headings Consider readability before using very curly italics for heading fonts. Words in languages other than English Never italicise Māori and Pacific words, and don’t usually italicise words in other languages, especially those that have the status of community languages in New Zealand. Simply include a gloss in parentheses directly after the word on the first mention. Re-gloss later mentions only if they are some distance from the first, eg, in a new exhibition label or another part of the label (such as the object descriptor in an EOL). This pendant is made from pounamu (New Zealand greenstone). Pounamu is prized …
its vs it’s Also see apostrophes (possessives)	‘Its’ is the possessive form of ‘it’ (belonging to it) and doesn’t take an apostrophe. Both the horse and its rider are shown. Its leg is broken. ‘It’s’ is the contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has’. It’s a long way from here. It’s been a very bad day. TIP: If you can read the sentence saying ‘it is’ or ‘it has’, use an apostrophe. If you can’t, then don’t use an apostrophe.
its’	No it isn’t, not ever. See its vs it’s.
iwi in residence
ize, -ization	Use -ise and -isation – standard New Zealand spelling. Be careful of exceptions, eg, capsize, prize.
job titles	See position titles.
judgment	See -dgment vs -dgement.
Jules Verne Trophy
kB Also see MB	This is the correct abbreviation of kilobyte – lower-case k, upper-case B, no space between the figure and the symbol. 100kB Note that kB (kilobyte) is not the same as kb (kilobit). Yes, the abbreviation does differ in style from MB, where both the M and B are upper case – that’s just the way it is since M is the abbreviation for mega and m is the abbreviation for milli. Also see numbers (units of measurement) and symbols
King Edward VII Coronation Medal
Kiribas	Citizens of Kiribas are i-Kiribati.
kiwi, Kiwi, kiwiana	Capitalise for someone from New Zealand and as a New Zealand attribute; use lower case for kiwiana and the bird. Kiwis in London; Kiwi inventiveness; auction of rare kiwiana; the North Island kiwi population
kneeled, knelt	See -ed vs -t endings.
Koran, the	See Qu’ran.	~~Quran~~
Labour Government
larva, larvae	The plural form of larva is larvae, even in general text.
lava-lava	wraparound skirt
lay vs lie	To ‘lay’ is to put down, aside, etc; its past form is ‘laid’. It can take an object. Let’s lay aside our differences. We laid the table for ten. The chook is laying an egg. To ‘lie’ is to be in a horizontal position; its past form is ‘lay’. The past participle is ‘lain’. It does not take an object. Lie down here. He lay under his desk and went to sleep. She was lying where she fell; there was a hollow where she had lain.
learned, learnt	See -ed vs -t endings.
legibility	Legibility is to do with the visual presentation of the printed word. Here are some basic guidelines for exhibition text. Type size and leading Use at least 20-point type size (ideally more) for main text where labels are on the wall, and especially where visitors have to stand some distance away from objects (eg, art exhibitions). Use at least 18-point type for main text on back-lit label rails. (Also see ‘Te Papa exhibition text hierarchy’ in Pou Mataaho.) Smaller sizes are fine for secondary text like image credits, acquisition history information, etc. That said, if captions are doing important interpretive work, consider a larger type size. The recommended range of leading (spacing between lines in a paragraph) for body text is a minimum of 130 to a generous 150 percent of the type size. So an 18-point typeface should have 24–27-point leading, a 24-point typeface should have 32–36-point leading, and so on. Typefaces The arguments about serif versus sans serif typefaces are largely academic in a display environment where the reading task is relatively short. There is a huge range of typefaces available – put a priority on clarity and simplicity. Classic fonts offer understated elegance, never diverting attention from the message to themselves. Te Papa’s most commonly used typeface is National, a sans serif font locally designed by Klim Type Factory. Case In general, avoid full capitals. Text with ascenders and descenders is much easier for people to read, especially readers on the move (ie, in exhibitions). However, full capitals can work in some headings – discuss this with the designer. Type style Use italics sparingly for emphasis in running text. They are tiring to read extensively. Contrast For legibility, nothing beats the maximum contrast of black type on a white background. Reversed-out text (white on black or other colours) tends to flicker and blur and is especially difficult to read when the font is small. Treat other colour combinations of text and background with great restraint. Test in exhibition conditions before you commit to it, ie, low and possibly indirect lighting. Column-width comfort zone Avoid going narrower than 30 characters (average 5–6 words) per line – less and you get dizzy from the rapid returns. Avoid going wider than 70 characters (average 10–12 words) – more and you feel you’re never going to stop. Text alignment: justified vs ragged right Avoid justified text, especially in exhibition text, as it can lead to squashed or overly spacious lines that require extra checking and adjustment at layout stage. Justified text also makes it difficult to keep word groups (eg, ‘New Zealand’) together on the same line rather than on separate lines.
lei	flower necklace
less vs fewer	See fewer vs less.
liaison, liaise	‘Liaise’, not ‘liase’, is the verb.
licence vs license	‘Licence’ is the noun, as in driving licence, liquor licence. The verb form is to ‘license’ – licensed to sell liquor, kill, etc.
lie vs lay	See lay vs lie
like Also see dangling participles like vs such as	Make sure you are comparing the items you want to compare when using the preposition ‘like’. Not Like the prime minister, his time spent in the mountains restored his sanity. The example above compares ‘the prime minister’ with ‘his time’. But Like the prime minister, he found that spending time in the mountains restored his sanity.
like vs such as	When you introduce examples, are you inclined to use ‘such as’ rather than ‘like’? There is no meaning-based reason for this favouritism, which seems to have gained currency from academic writing style. In effect, the two are interchangeable.
lists	See bullet points.
literally	Use ‘literally’ only if something is actually so. He literally jumped out of the chair with surprise.
live-stream vs livestream	Use ‘live-stream’ as both verb and noun. According to the Oxford dictionary online, ‘livestream’ is often the noun (versus the hyphenated verb), but this just looks inconsistent to the uninformed viewer, so we’ll stick with the hyphenated form for both.
loan vs lend	To loan and to lend are interchangeable in their meaning of giving someone temporary use of an item you own. Don’t use ‘loan’ when you mean ‘borrow’. A loan is the transaction of borrowing and lending, or something that has been lent.
loathe vs loath	To ‘loathe’ is to detest. To be ‘loath’ is to be unwilling. Spelling of ‘loath’ as ‘loathe’ is common. Avoid the confusion. We loathed the committee chair, but we were loath to put a motion of no confidence in her.
localities	See place names.
long term, long-term	‘Long term’ is the noun. Use a hyphen when adjectival (long-term exhibition).
lower case, lower-case	‘Lower case’ is the noun. Use a hyphen when adjectival (lower-case letters).
Lyttelton	not ‘Lyttleton’
macrons Also see personal names (macrons on Māori personal names) place names (macrons)	Use this diacritic to indicate lengthening of vowel sounds in Māori. Do not use the double-vowel form. See Te Taura Whiri guidelines on macron use in their document on orthographic conventions. https://tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Corporate-docs/Orthographic-conventions/58e52e80e9/Guidelines-for-Maori-Language-Orthography.pdf Macron tags can be used in blogs and on Te Papa Channel. Avoid using these tags for YouTube.
magazines and periodicals	See italics.
main trunk line
majority	‘Majority’ takes a plural verb when used with countable nouns. Strictly speaking, it should be used only with countable nouns, not mass nouns. The majority of people not The majority of the work However, in most cases, the plain English ‘Most’ is preferred (‘Most people’, ‘Most of the work’). Ask yourself whether ‘majority’ is necessary.
Manawatū, the	Use ‘the’ to refer to the region.	~~Manawatu~~
Māori	This is the singular and plural form of this word in English. Check the use of the macron in names of organisations. Don’t assume its presence, especially in historical references (eg, Maori Battalion). If an organisation still exists today and takes the macron (eg, Māori Women’s Welfare League), use the macron in historical references to that organisation too.	~~Maori~~
Maori Battalion	There is no macron on ‘Maori’ in this case.
Māori land march	This is descriptive (rather than a proper name), hence lower case.	~~Maori land march~~
Māori Land Wars	Use New Zealand Wars to refer to the 19th-century conflicts in New Zealand.	~~Maori land wars~~
Māori language	See reo Māori, te.	~~Maori language~~
Māori time sequence	Some predominantly Māori exhibitions use the time sequence designed by scholar Hirini Moko Mead to indicate the likely dates for taonga (treasures) when the exact dates are unknown. (Check with the curator.) The sequence, which was designed in the 1980s, is centred on the metaphor of growth. Where the exact date is known, don’t use this dating system. Ngā Kākano: The Seeds (1100–1300) – the era of initial human settlement of Aotearoa New Zealand Te Tipunga: The Growth (1300–1500) – the era when Māori styles became distinct from their Pacific predecessors Te Puāwaitanga: The Blossoming (1500–1800) – the era that saw the flowering of a dynamic, sophisticated culture rooted in the landscape of this country Te Huringa I, II, III: The Turning (1800–present) – the era of change, adaptation, and conflict as Māori encountered European culture Te Huringa I (1800–1900) Te Huringa II (1900–50) Te Huringa III (1950–present) Waka huia (treasure container) Te Puāwaitanga (1500–1800) Iwi (tribe) unknown Wood One-person waka ama (outrigger canoe) Surfrigger 2008 Designed by Kris Kjeldsen, Northland; made by Aqua Fibrecraft, Napier Polyester resin and fibreglass, aluminium, carbon fibre tubing	~~Maori time sequence~~
Māui dolphin		~~Maui’s dolphin~~
MB Also see kB	This is the correct abbreviation of megabyte – capital M and B, no space between the figure and the symbol. 2.5MB Note that MB (megabyte) is not the same as Mb or Mbit (megabit). Yes, the abbreviation does differ in style from kB, where the k is lower case and the B is upper case – that’s just the way it is since M is the abbreviation for mega and m is the abbreviation for milli. Also see numbers (units of measurement) and symbols
me vs I	See I vs me.
measurement	See numbers (measurement).
medieval	not mediaeval
medium, media, the media	‘Medium’ in art is the material (eg, watercolour) from which a work is made. Its plural is media (eg, mixed media). ‘The media’ is the plural collective noun for the communications industry, ie, newspapers and magazines (in print and online) and radio and television broadcasters.
Melanesia, Melanesian	See Polynesia, Polynesian
member of Parliament	Note the capitalisation of ‘Parliament’ only. This style is consistent with Parliament style and Te Ara style. Only use MP after spelling it out in full, with the initialism in parentheses. He was elected member of Parliament (MP) for Hamilton in 1879. As an MP, he campaigned for …
memento, mementos
meteor, meteorite	A ‘meteor’ is a rocky object travelling through space. A ‘meteorite’ is a meteor, or remnant of one, that has survived passage through Earth’s atmosphere to end up on the planet’s surface.
mic	This shortened form for microphone is fine for use in contexts like events text, but not for exhibitions.
Micronesia, Micronesian	See Polynesia, Polynesian
mid	Don’t use a hyphen when mid is used as an adjective on its own. mid 1980s (like late or early 1980s) mid Canterbury (like North or South Canterbury) but mid-year blues
misrelated clauses and phrases Also see dangling participles only	Take care that phrases and clauses connect with the parts of the sentence they relate to. The skirt was made for her by a woman in Gore fully lined. You may need to recast rather than simply reorder this kind of sentence to eliminate the confusion. Establish the priority of the information. The skirt was fully lined and made for her by a woman in Gore. The skirt, fully lined, was made for her by a woman in Gore.
mobile app	See app.
models and model labels	See object labels (props, replicas/facsimiles, and models).
modern art, modernism, modernist, post-modern	Never assume Te Papa visitors know what these terms mean, in art or any other context. In exhibition writing, make sure your use of them is essential and meaningful, not just shorthand for ‘I can’t be bothered to explain’.
money	See numbers (money).
moon	Capitalise ‘moon’ in science texts only.
MP	See member of Parliament.
MP3	MP3 player – notice the capitals.
Muhammad	The prophet of the faith of Islam.
mum vs Mum	See capitals (proper nouns).
museum, the	Correct use of name When referring to the museum, use any of the following: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) – eg, on first mention Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Te Papa New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa Incorrect use of name Te Papa Museum Te Papa Tongarewa – except in Māori text, where this is OK Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Te Papa National Museum
musical works (titles of)	Use title case and italics for the titles of long musical works like operas and symphonies and collections of recorded music (eg, albums). For more information, see italics (titles).
Muslim	A follower of the faith of Islam. Do not spell as ‘Moslem’.
muttonbird	This is one word.
names	See capitals (proper nouns), italics, personal names, and place names.
National Government
natural environment vs natural history	Use the term ‘natural environment’ to talk about the general subject, as in ‘natural environment exhibitions’ and ‘Te Taiao \| Nature, our natural environment zone’. Te Papa’s collection in this area is known as the Natural History Collection.[f3]
Netherlands, the	Use the definite article with this name. Don’t use Holland (which these days refers to the western coastal areas) unless you are sure of your historical or geographical context. This comes up most often in object labels in the country reference for Dutch artists.
New Year’s Day, New Year’s Eve	Note the capitals and apostrophe (informally New Year’s). However, more general references to the new year (as in ‘Happy new year’ and ‘in the new year’) don’t take capitals.
New Zealand	Write out in full. Do not use ‘NZ’ except to denote currency, in tables, or when severely short of space in marketing material. Use a non-breaking space between ‘New’ and ‘Zealand’ in labels.
1939–40 New Zealand Centennial Exhibition
New Zealand Curriculum	See *The New Zealand Curriculum*
New Zealand Herald	See *The New Zealand Herald*.
New Zealand Wars	Use this term for the 19th-century conflicts between Māori and the British Crown in New Zealand. Do not use the Land Wars or the Māori Land Wars.
newspapers and magazines	Use title case and italics for the names of newspapers and magazines. Check where the definite article is part of the name or not. Check out Papers Past for digitised historical New Zealand newspapers and periodicals. Wikipedia’s list of current and past papers is also useful (though not necessarily accurate): ‘The’ is part of the name The Daily Chronicle (Horowhenua, Kāpiti) The Daily Post (Rotorua) The Dominion Post (Wellington; pre 6 July 2002: The Dominion and The Evening Post) The Gisborne Herald (pre 1939: Poverty Bay Herald) The Marlborough Express The Nelson Mail (despite the masthead, which suggests that ‘The’ isn’t part of the name; previously The Nelson Evening Mail) The New Zealand Herald (Auckland) The Northern Advocate (Whangārei, Northland) The Oamaru Mail The Press (Christchurch) The Southland Times The Timaru Herald ‘The’ is not part of the name Ashburton Guardian Bay of Plenty Times Hawke’s Bay Today (pre 3 May 1999: Herald-Tribune and Daily Telegraph) Kaikoura Star Manawatu Standard New Zealand Listener New Zealand Woman’s Weekly Otago Daily Times Sunday Star-Times (pre 1994: The Dominion Sunday Times and The Sunday Star) Taranaki Daily News (pre 1885: Taranaki News) Waikato Times Wairarapa Times-Age (pre 1938: Wairarapa Star, Wairarapa Age, and Wairarapa Daily Times) Wanganui Chronicle Also see italics (titles) and capitals (titles)
Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision	Note the ampersand. This is the name the organisation uses in its te reo Māori translations too.
ni-Vanuatu	See Vanuatu.
Niue, Niuean
no, nos Also see abbreviations	These are the abbreviations for ‘number’ and ‘numbers’. Do not use full stops after them.
Nobel Prize
non-breaking space	Insert this special character (from the Insert/Symbol menu) between separate words when you do not want them to break over the end of a line, eg, New Zealand, pages 22–30.
non-defining clauses	See commas (non-defining clauses and phrases) and that vs which.
none	None can be singular or plural, depending on context, ie, whether ‘not any one of’ or ‘not any of’ is meant. None of the porridge is left. None of the actors have been on stage before. None of the travellers has a passport.
noon	For events marketing, use ‘12 noon’ rather than ‘12pm’ for references to midday.
no one	Style as two words rather than one.
north, northern Also see compass points and terms	Capitalise north and northern in place names and when referring to regions or cultural or political entities. Northern Wairoa River, North America, Northern Europe, the North versus the South, North Pole, Far North Use lower case for general geographic location. northern South Island, northern hemisphere
number vs amount	See amount vs number.
numbers Also see am and pm phone numbers times Māori time sequence	Spelling out Spell out numbers below 10, except when referring to measurements like length/distance, speed, weight/mass, area, volume, temperature, and power/energy – see units of measurement below. Use figures for all numbers above 10. three figs, eight trees, 84 players, two days, eight weeks An exception to spelling out numbers below 10 is when the numbers are being compared. Consistency is more important. Figuring all the numbers may be the best solution. The lady owned 4 rabbits, 16 mice, and 10 dogs. She used to have 1 dog – now she has 12. Most style books say that you should not figure a number above 10 when the number starts a sentence. They recommend spelling out in such situations. However, Te Papa emphasises immediate understanding in exhibitions and online, and we think that using numerals to start a sentence in those contexts can sometimes be OK. In other contexts, spell out or rephrase. Units of measurement Use figures for units of measurement – when spelled in full and when abbreviated to symbols. Spell out the units of measurement rather than use symbols, except when space is limited (eg, in a table) or when the text is mathematical or scientific. Exceptions are money symbols (eg, $, £), which you can use in the main text to denote currency. Always spell out with lower-case letters, even when the abbreviation (symbol) has a capital. 10 percent not 10% 12 hours not 12h 10 centimetres not 10cm 50 kilometres per hour not 50km/h 3 kilograms not 3kg 5 square kilometres not 5km² 6 litres not 6l 40 degrees Celsius not 40°C 100 volts not 100V Never add an ‘s’ to the end of the symbol, even when talking about numbers of more than one. 4kg not 4kgs 10hr not 10 hs or 10hrs Don’t place a space between the figure and the symbol. 4kW not 4 kW 8m² not 8 m² 20% not 20 % 4°C not 4° C 75W not 75 W Ordinal numbers Treat ordinal numbers (first, second … 50th) in the same way as cardinal numbers (one, two … 50). See spelling out above. Don’t use superscript for ordinal numbers like 43^rd, 50^th. Use normal roman letters – 43rd, 50th. Change your autocorrect (File/Options/Proofing/AutoCorrect Options/AutoFormat As You Type/Ordinals – untick ‘Ordinals (1st) with superscript’). Times, dates, ages Use figures for precise expressions of time, for dates, and for ages. 4 hours and 10 minutes, 9.30pm to 10pm, 6 July 2005, 19th century, 2-year-old girl, free for under-5s Also see dates and times Series Use figures to indicate a place in a series. This rule overrides the rule for spelling out (see spelling out above). Year 8 students, Chapter 4 Commas For numbers, including money, place a comma before the final three figures in thousands (and higher numbers). Don’t use spaces. 4,000 not 4000 US$1,000 not US$1000 12,000 people not 12000 people or 12 000 people Money Use figures for money. Place the country abbreviation before the currency symbol. Use a comma to separate thousands. Don’t include spaces. NZ$6,000 not $NZ6000 (but NZD6,000 is correct) NZ$5.5 million not NZ$5,500,000 $0.30 UK£200 Where there are no cents in the figure, delete ‘.00’. $5 not $5.00 Millions and billions A billion is a thousand million, as per the American definition. Percentages Te Papa style is ‘percent’ rather than ‘per cent’. In the main text, don’t use the symbol (%), except in a mathematical or scientific context, such as in a table or graph. Fractions Spell out fractions, except when they are in a mathematical or scientific context, such as in a table or graph. two-thirds Tables and graphs Always use figures in tables and graphs. Ratios Present ratios with a colon when using figures and with a slash in text. There are no spaces. 1:30,000 the student/teacher ratio
NZ	See New Zealand.
object labels Also see capitals captions and credits (exhibitions) dates instructional labels italics	Object labels (OLs) are labels for collection items (including exhibition photographic prints). They are the most common and probably most read labels, so consistency is key. They are very detailed and require rigorous proofreading. OL style is covered below under the three types of exhibitions. Labels for props, replicas/fascsimiles, and models differ slightly – their style is covered under number 4 below. 1. Multidisciplinary exhibitions 2. Art exhibitions 3. Natural history exhibitions 4. Props, replicas/facsimiles, and models 1. Multidisciplinary exhibitions OLs in multidisciplinary exhibitions have four parts: title or descriptor line; maker line; media line; acquisition history line (with object registration number). The exhibition team decides their exact treatment. Record such decisions in an exhibition style sheet. Title/Descriptor date [Made] by name (birth date–death date), iwi, country/ies Material, material Acquisition history (object registration number) *The immigrants* 1973 By Robyn Kahukiwa (1938–), Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāti Konohi, and Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare iwi (tribes), New Zealand Oil on board Purchased 2003 (2003-0044-1) Jacket, Once Were Warriors 1994 Design by Michael Kane and Pauline Pohatu, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri iwi (tribe), New Zealand Leather, paint, metal Purchased 2017 (ME024268) (1.i) Title or descriptor line Use bold, except for the date. Don’t use punctuation between the descriptor and date, just a single space (or two spaces if the title is in italics). Use appropriate capitals and italics for proper names and titles of works. Use ‘about’ not ‘circa’ for works of uncertain date (within a range of +/- 5 years). Light Fantastic 2004 Secessionist-style vase 1920s–30s Untitled about 1947 NOTE: Some objects have unique names. Use roman. Uenuku 1200–1500 (1.ii) Maker line Use plain roman, lower case. Precede the name with ‘Made by’ (or ‘Design by’, etc) or ‘By’, depending on the style chosen for the exhibition (usually ‘Made by’ for objects, ‘By’ for artworks). If the maker is unknown, say ‘Maker/Artist/Photographer/Iwi (tribe) unknown’. Place birth–death dates in parentheses after the name. If the century (eg, 19) is the same in both dates, list it in the birth date only. For makers still living, list the birth date only, followed by an en dash, eg, 1950–. In some exhibitions, curators choose to omit these dates altogether. Place iwi affiliations before the country/ies, with ‘iwi (tribe/s)’ afterwards. Use a comma before the maker’s nationality (country of birth, domicile, or both). Use a slash to separate multiple countries (no space). If more than one person or group is involved (eg, designer and maker), separate their information with a semicolon. Made by Massey Retter (1914–80), Muaupoko and Ngāti Raukawa iwi (tribes), New Zealand Maker unknown, Easter Island By Ans Westra (1934–), the Netherlands/New Zealand Designed by Augie March (1927–2001), United States; manufactured by Skellerup Industries, New Zealand NOTE: In predominantly Māori exhibitions, you don’t need to list ‘New Zealand’. Just place the iwi affiliations after the maker’s name, separated by a comma. In a list of multiple affiliations, use commas between, with ‘and’ before the final one. By Winitana Petera, Ngāti Wāhi and Ngāti Katoa iwi (tribes) Maker unknown, probably Ngāi Tahu iwi (tribe) (1.iii) Media line Use plain roman, lower case. Capitalise the first word. Separate the materials by commas, no ‘and’ before the final element. Generally use ‘Made from’ only in exhibitions for younger people; otherwise, leave it out. Polystyrene, iron, sugar, ink, cotton wool Pen and ink with wash Made from gold Made from barbed wire, timber posts (1.iv) Acquisition history line See Appendix D for a listing of agreed credit lines for items that have been acquired from various gifts, bequests, purchases, and sources of funding. Use plain roman. (When designed, this line will be smaller than other lines.) Capitalise the first word. Do not end with a full stop (as for all other credits). For purchases, don’t use a comma before the date. For loans, use any wording specified in loan agreements (including for the name of the lender). It is not usual to give the location of a lending institution. Include the object registration number in parentheses at the end. Purchased 2002 (ME006573) Purchased with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds 1995 (WE023456) Gift of the artist, 1937 (1995-003-3) On loan from the Pike Collection of The Suter Art Gallery (A.453.4) 2. Art exhibitions OLs in art exhibitions have the same four parts as those in multidisciplinary exhibitions, but the maker/artist line is first and the title line is second. Name (birth date–death date), iwi, country/ies Title/Descriptor date Material, material Acquisition history (object registration number) Michael Parekowhai (1968–), Ngā-Ariki, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, and Rongowhakaata iwi (tribes), New Zealand *Atarangi* 1990 Wood, lacquer Purchased 2008 (2008-0006-1) Follow the style points set out under 1. Multidisciplinary exhibitions above, except for those points on the maker and media lines below. (2.i) Artist line Use bold for the name and plain roman for the other information. Don’t precede the name with ‘Made by’ or ‘By’. If the artist is unknown, say ‘Artist/Photographer unknown’. If more than one person or group is involved, put their information on separate lines, with their role in parentheses after each. Tania Evabric (1956–), New Zealand Photographer unknown, possibly Australia Augie March (1927–2001), United States (designer) June Willis (1940–), Canada (painter) J W Giles (1801–70), England After George French Angas (1822–86), England (2.ii) Media line Don’t precede with ‘Made from’. Driftwood, pāua shell Oil on canvas Carte-de-visite, albumen silver print Hand-coloured lithograph (plate 42 from The New Zealanders Illustrated, by George French Angas, 1847)’ 3. Natural history exhibitions Natural history OLs have four main parts: specimen descriptor line; origin of specimen line, distribution line, acquisition history line (with object registration number). Sometimes, only the origin line or distribution line is included, not both. Māori name, English name, Scientific name Origin of specimen Distribution of species Acquisition history (object registration number) Pōhue, bindweed, Calystegia soldanella Collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, 1769 Gift of Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History), about 1895 (SP063756/A) (3.i) Specimen descriptor Use bold for this line. Follow the order of names above. Don’t include any date of finding in this line. Tauhou, silvereye, Zosterops lateralis (3.ii) Origin of specimen line Use plain roman, lower case. Information may include where, when, and sometimes by whom the specimen was found. Stranded on Mahia beach, 1976 Collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, 1769 (3.iii) Distribution of species line (if included) Use plain roman, lower case. Say where the species is generally found. Tropical Pacific Ocean (3.iv) Acquisition history line Follow the style points set out under 1. Multidisciplinary exhibitions (1.iv) above. 4. Props, replicas/facsimiles, and models (i) Prop labels Props are original objects of the era but not collection items. The format is the same as for object labels, minus the acquisition history line. There may, however, be a credit. Royal Tour badges about 1953 Maker unknown Tin, ribbon Courtesy of Margaret Jones Motorbike, BSA C10 1950s Made by Birmingham Small Arms, England Metal, chrome, paint, rubber (ii) Replica/facsimile labels Replicas are exact copies of collection items that can’t be displayed, usually for conservation reasons. Facsimiles are paper replicas – of prints, manuscripts, books, etc. The format for both is similar to that for object labels, as below, but doesn’t generally include a materials line. Include either the acquisition history (when the original is Te Papa’s) or a credit (when the original is from elsewhere). Royal Wax Vestas coronation matchbox 1953 (replica) Original made by New Zealand Wax Vesta Co Ltd Original acquisition history unknown Personal-effects bag 1918 (replica) Original maker unknown Original gift of Miss P A Rolfes, 1966 Anti-Vietnam war poster 1971 (replica) Original maker unknown Courtesy of Alexander Turnbull Library (MS-Papers-2511-5/1/25-9) Exhibition prints are not considered replicas, even though they are, in a sense, copies of original photos. Present them as regular object labels. (iii) Model labels Models are items created for the exhibition. Describe the model only – don’t list maker or materials. Set the line in bold. Model of a 1950s state house, 1:20 scale
oil on canvas	Not ‘oil paint on canvas’[VC4]
OK vs okay	Te Papa style is to stick to the initials form.
OL	See object labels.
online	There is no hyphen in this word.
only	Avoid ambiguity with ‘only’ by placing it next to the word or phrase it applies to. Note the possible differences in meaning in these examples. Only paid-up members got notice of the meeting on Wednesday. [Refers to ‘paid-up members’] Paid-up members got only notice of the meeting on Wednesday. [Refers to ‘notice’ as distinct from, say, an agenda] Paid-up members got notice only of the meeting on Wednesday. [Refers to ‘meeting on Wednesday’, not any other meeting] Paid-up members only got notice of the meeting on Wednesday. [Ambiguous: could refer to ’notice’ or ‘on Wednesday’] Paid-up members got notice of the meeting only on Wednesday. [Refers to Wednesday]
onto vs on to	Distinguish between simple motion … He jumped onto the roof. … and the use of on + to with phrasal verbs like go on, come on, pass on. She went on to Christchurch after watching whales in Kaikōura. Compare these two examples. They moved onto the marae as soon as they arrived. They moved on to marae business in the next item of the agenda. Avoid using ‘onto’ when ‘on’ will do. She paints slogans on walls rather than onto walls.
operas (titles of)	Use title case and italics for the titles of long musical works like operas and symphonies and collections of recorded music (eg, albums). For more information, see italics (titles).
Oxford comma	See commas.
Pacific islands, Pacific islanders	Note the lower-case ‘i’ for ‘islands’. ‘Pacific islands’ is not a proper name – rather, it’s descriptive of a region. In general, use ‘Pacific people’ over ‘Pacific islanders’.
page, p, pp	Spell out ‘page’, except where space is limited (eg, in a table or reference list). When using the abbreviated form, use ‘p’ (page) or ‘pp’ (pages), with a space after and no full stop. pp 43–44, p 16 Insert a non-breaking space between the two elements to ensure they don’t break over lines.
palaeontology
papier-mâché	Use the diacritics on this word when referring to artists’ materials or media.	~~papier mache~~
paragraphing Also see bullet points legibility	In exhibition and website text, keep paragraphs to an upper limit of around 60 words. Use block paragraphing: set paragraphs full out to the margin, do not indent the first line. Keep text unjustified (ragged right). Never centre text for reading. Use at least a line space (one hard return) to separate paragraphs.
parentheses Also see commas (non-defining clauses) and dashes (sentences)	Use round brackets ( ) for parentheses in running text. The most common use for these in exhibition text is for glosses. Use square brackets [ ] to indicate an interpolation, eg, a gloss of a word or some other insertion in a quote. Use square brackets within round brackets for parentheses within parentheses. Parenthetical information You can use parentheses for information that is not essential to the text. Include the final full stop inside the parentheses only if the parenthetical information is a full sentence in itself and not part of another sentence. When the team was losing, we got stuck into the ref (as fans do). When the team was losing, we got stuck into the ref. (All fans tend to do that.) Pairs of commas and dashes can function in a similar way. In exhibitions, generally avoid parentheses. There should be little need for them in any case.
parliament, Parliament	See capitals (proper nouns, legislation).
passive verbs	See sentences (active and passive verbs).
PDF	Like other initialisms, this is in capitals. No need to spell out as Portable Document Format since PDF is the more familiar term.
peacekeeper, peacekeeping	There is no hyphen in these words.
Pearl Harbor	Note the American spelling.
percent Also see numbers (percentages)	Spell out as one word in ordinary text. We’re on show 100 percent of the time.
periodicals and magazines	See italics.
periods	See full stops.
personal names Also see capitals (proper names)	Don’t use full stops after people’s initials but place single spaces between them. M T Woollaston, John A Lee Capitalise nicknames. King Dick, The Great Pretender, the Fireworks Lady Macrons on Māori personal names In English text, Te Papa uses macrons on Māori personal names (for people both living and deceased) where appropriate. Check the preference of living people (or ask the curator to do so). For people who are deceased, consult the Māori Writer. Exhibition text In object labels, give creators of works the names they are most commonly known by in their working lives. C F Goldie, M T Woollaston (not Toss Woollaston or Sir Tosswill Woollaston), Rita Angus
phenomenon, phenomena	Note that ‘phenomena’ is the plural form of ‘phenomenon’.
phone numbers	Use spaces. (04) 381 7000, +64 4 381 7000, +64 21 541 468
place names Also see capitals (proper nouns)	Capitalise the names of places, geographical features, and regions. The New Zealand Gazetteer on the Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) website is an excellent source for New Zealand place name verification. Waikato River, Mt Ruapehu, Cook Strait, the Far North, the West Coast (South Island), Volcanic Plateau, Ninety Mile Beach, Aoraki/Mt Cook, Codfish Island/Whenua Hou Take care when capitalising place names and their subsidiary geographical features. Waihi Beach (an official place name) Sumner beach (the beach at Sumner) Waikanae River estuary Macrons on Māori place names Te Papa macronises place names. Consult with the Māori Writer.
plain English Also see sentences	Plain English is language that people can understand on one reading. (We prefer to think of it as clear English to avoid the implication that it means boring, flat language – it doesn’t!) Plain/clear English is important in all Te Papa publications, but particularly exhibition and website text, where readers are on the move or browsing for information. Use familiar rather than complex language. If you need to use technical words (sparingly), define them. Organise information clearly, with the audience’s needs in mind. ‘Chunk’ information into short paragraphs (up to 60 words ideally), with subheadings to signal new themes. Write simple, clear sentences, avoiding complex introductory clauses (inversions) and parenthetical clauses. Use ‘you’ for the reader wherever appropriate (especially in web and brochure text). Prioritise the active voice, which focuses on the agent, over the passive voice (‘Māori used the stone’ over ‘The stone was used by Māori’). The passive voice certainly has a place, but ask yourself whether it is appropriate/necessary. Avoid jargon, idioms, slang, and in-jokes – unless your audience is specific and will understand them. Ensure that the layout and design support reader understanding. Publications for specialist audiences may warrant some technical language. These publications, however, should follow plain English principles more generally – that is, they should be clear enough to understand on one reading.
plays	See italics.
plurals Also see apostrophes	For guidance on plurals of specific words, use the ‘Find’ function of Word. For guidance on agreements between singular and plural subjects and their verbs, see Peters on ‘agreement’. Plurals of Māori words Māori words in English text have the same plurals as they do in Māori. Māori nouns do not generally show a plural form, with a few exceptions. The following commonly appear in English. kaumatua (elder), kaumātua (elders) tangata (person), tāngata (people) tipuna/tupuna (ancestor), tīpuna/tūpuna (ancestors) wahine (woman), wāhine (women)
pm	See am and pm.
poems	See italics, capitals, and quotation marks.
Polynesia, Polynesian	Be careful about using these terms in contemporary contexts. Use ‘eastern Pacific’ for the region and ‘eastern Pacific people’ as a general term for people from the region. The Pacific curators will give up-to-date guidance on specific usage. Note this information from the Oceania exhibition (2011): Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia In the 1830s, French explorer Dumont d’Urville suggested classifying Oceania’s islands into three groups: Melanesia (named for the dark skin colour of its people) – New Guinea and the islands extending east as far as Fiji Micronesia – the comparatively tiny islands north of Melanesia and east of the Philippines Polynesia – the vast triangle of islands bound by Hawai‘i to the north, Rapanui (Easter Island) to the east, and Aotearoa New Zealand to the south-west. Many scholars have since rejected these groupings, which overlook the region’s settlement history. Near Oceania, Remote Oceania Some scholars divide the Pacific region into ‘Near Oceania’ and ‘Remote Oceania’. These terms stem from the region’s migration history, with South-east Asia as the probable origin of its first settlers. Near Oceania refers to New Guinea and its adjacent islands, which began to be settled more than 40,000 years ago. Remote Oceania refers to the islands further out to sea. These islands began to be settled around 3,000 years ago, when seafarers developed the knowledge and technology to voyage across the open ocean.
portfolios	See artworks (series and portfolios of).
position titles Also see capitals (proper nouns)	Distinguish between a general mention of job titles and job designations associated with someone’s name. Capitalise the latter, but not the former. Ian Guard, Security Coordinator, phone 7068 Floortalk given by Sean Mallon, Curator Pacific Kaihautū Dr Arapata Hakiwai Hear three curators discuss their favourite treasures … If in doubt about the exact job title, check with the position-holder. (The staff directory is also useful.)
possessives	See apostrophes (possessives).
post-modern Also see modern art, modernism, modernist, post-modern	Use a hyphen in ‘post-modern’.
practice vs practise	The noun is ‘practice’, the verb is ‘practise’. It is good practice to practise your netball skills three times a week.
pre-book, pre-booking vs book	Use ‘book’ or ‘booking’, not ‘pre-book’ or ‘pre-booking’ – what other sort is there?
pre-European	Use a hyphen.
preschool	Don’t use a hyphen.
preventive	Use ‘preventive’, not ‘preventative’. preventive conservation
prime minister	Use initial capitals only when referring to a prime minister’s title in full. Prime Minister Helen Clark > the prime minister Helen Clark became prime minister in 1999.
principal vs principle	‘Principal’ is first in order, either as an adjective or a noun. the principal aim; the principal of Lytton High School A ‘principle’ is a law, rule, standard of conduct, etc. Te Papa’s principles; a principle of physics; against my principles
printmaker, printmaking	These words don’t take a hyphen.
program vs programme	‘Program’ is used for computer software; otherwise use programme.
proper names	See capitals (proper nouns) and personal names.
props and prop labels	See object labels (props, replicas/facsimiles, and models).
protester vs protestor	Use ‘protester’, not ‘protestor’.
punctuation Also see apostrophes bullet points colons and semicolons commas dashes ellipses full stops parentheses quotation marks speech punctuation square brackets	Punctuation style In general, punctuation is set in the same weight, style, and font as the text surrounding it. Have you seen the latest issue of Home and Garden? [question mark roman] McCahon’s Northland Panels, Ahipara here I come, and other works from that period were included. [Commas all roman] Exceptions include these examples. Conclusions: The evidence from the research suggests that visitors do read labels. [Bold opening word takes a bold colon] You did what? [Italics for emphasis continue into end-of-sentence punctuation] I was talking to the author of Doomed! [Exclamation mark in the title also acts as end-of-sentence punctuation] Exhibition text Punctuation in exhibition signage reflects the need for the reader to grasp meaning quickly and easily. Commas, full stops, dashes, and quotation marks are the label writer’s stock-in-trade. Colons and semicolons will be used rarely. Avoid using complex sentences that require you to comma off inversions and parenthetical phrases or clauses.
QR code	This is the abbreviation for Quick Response code, but use QR code as that is the more familiar term. A QR code acts like a sort of barcode for web addresses. People with smartphones (phones that connect to the internet) can scan QR codes and be taken directly to a specific web address.
Qu’ran	Use this spelling, not Koran, for Islam’s sacred book.
qualifications	See awards and qualifications and capitals.
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee
Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Medal
quotation marks Also see capitals (titles) speech punctuation	Use single quotation marks, not double quotation marks. See the exception in double quotation marks below. Titles Use single quotation marks with roman text inside when referring to the titles of chapters, articles, short stories, short poems, individual songs, essays, episodes of television and radio series, series or portfolios of artworks, and unpublished texts (eg, theses and manuscripts). Quotes, direct speech, and specific terms Use single quotation marks for quotes and direct speech and also to highlight specific terms, eg, unusual words or uses of words or for ironical purposes. Always make the quote marks curly. Roger Williams said that the water ‘just rushed into the house without warning’. ‘Bugger,’ Roger said. ‘I hate it when that happens.’ The word ‘bugger’ used to be considered offensive. Don’t use quotation marks for reported (indirect) speech. Roger says he hates it when that sort of thing happens. He remarked that the ship was already listing when it left the port. Double quotation marks Use double quotation marks only when they are set inside the single quotation marks. ‘Why would an “expert” suggest something so stupid?’ Full stops When presenting a quote, put the final full stop outside the quotation marks if the quote is a word, phrase, or other short extract from a longer piece of text and doesn’t have the feeling of a full sentence. Mrs Brown said that the fireman who saved her cat was ‘brave and kind’. Put the final full stop inside the quotation marks if the quote is the full original text and has the feeling of a full sentence. Mrs Brown said, ‘That fireman was so brave and kind.’ I can only repeat her comment then: ‘Where else would a poor girl get diamonds?’ Capitals Use a capital for the first word of the quote if the quote is a full sentence (or has the feeling of a full sentence in exhibition text), as in the examples directly above, but not if it is simply an extract (unless the first word is a proper name).
quotations Also see bibliographies footnotes	Make sure that all quotations used in exhibition or website text are correctly sourced and transcribed. Make sure any permission needed to use copyright material has been obtained and that the permission is credited as requested. See bibliographies and footnotes for guidance on standard formats for sources and references. Anachronisms Don’t ‘correct’ titles of publications, organisations, Acts of Parliament, and so on by inserting macrons or punctuation not originally there. However, with quotations in exhibition text, it is reasonable to correct punctuation or update it to contemporary usage to aid readability. Omissions Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission in quotations, regardless of whether the omission comes in the middle of a sentence or between sentences. Retain the capital letter after the ellipsis if a sentence begins after an omission. It is also reasonable (except in a strict scholarly context) to capitalise the new beginning word if the resumed quotation makes a complete sentence. Do not use an ellipsis at the end of a quote, even if you’re omitting part of a sentence, unless the material could be misconstrued without it. The tenth commandment includes domestic animals in covetousness: ‘Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s … ox, nor his ass.’ For pull-out quotes in labels (these are usually longer), use italics for the quote and right-align the source in a smaller font. You are invited to have coffee with Helen Hitchings to mark the opening of her gallery where furniture, fabrics, pottery, and works of art by New Zealand designers will be displayed … Invitation, May 1949[VC5]
quote marks	See quotation marks.
quotes	See quotations.
radio programmes	See italics.
Ra‘iatea (Society Islands)	Note the glottal stop.
Rainbow Warrior
RAM	Use full capitals. (There is no need to spell out this acronym as random access memory.)
Rapanui	This is one word, rather than two, according to Rapanui expert Poike Riroroko (2011).
re/re-	As a general guide, hyphenate the prefix ‘re-’ when it is followed by the vowels ‘e’ or ‘u’ (when not pronounced ‘yu’). re-examine, re-entry, re-upholster Use re (no hyphen) when followed by vowels a, i, o, and u (pronounced ‘yu’) and consonants. reassemble, reinvent, reoccupy, reunite, reuse, rebuild, reconsider But note these exceptions, especially when the unhyphenated version could be confused with another word. recover/re-cover; re-creation/recreation; re-form/reform; re-read
reference list	See bibliographies.
references	See bibliographies and footnotes.
Reform Government (1912–28)
relative (non-defining) clauses	See commas (non-defining clauses) and that vs which.
replicas and replica labels	See object labels (props, replicas/facsimiles, and models).
reported (indirect) speech	See quotation marks and speech punctuation.
rock ’n’ roll
Roman Empire, the	After the first reference, say ‘the empire’ (lower case).
Royal Coat of Arms
Royal Tour
running time Also see instructional labels	Use this format for running time on AV instructional labels: 3:20 We used to say, eg, ‘Runs for about 3 minutes’, but with increasing use of bilingual text, that has become unruly. The new format doesn’t require translation and is generally understood, especially as it is common online. Round off to the nearest 10 seconds.
Saint	Capitalise and spell out ‘saint’ in ordinary text when it refers to a particular person. Saint Paul, Saint Joan of Arc Use the abbreviation ‘St’ in the names of places, churches, etc. Old St Paul’s, St Bathans
Sāmoa, Samoan	Sāmoa takes a macron – the correct name of the country, as used by the Language Commission there. Samoan, however, doesn’t as it is an English adjective.
scientific names Also see cultivated species italics numbers	In object labels (OLs) In natural history object labels, the scientific name comes after the Māori and the English name. Hierarchy This is the hierarchy for the scientific classification of organisms. There are elaborations and extensions, but this still works for everyday purposes. kingdom, division (botany) or phylum (zoology), class, order, family, genus (plural genera), species Capitals and italics Use italics for genera and species. The genus has an initial capital, but the species epithet (the second word of the name of a species) does not. Lophophora williamsii Genera mentioned in a general way are roman. My sore throat was caused by a staphylococcus infection. From family up to kingdom, all group names are latinate names with plural endings. Use roman text, with an initial capital. Plantae (kingdom), Caryophyllales (order), Cactaceae (family) English derivatives are lower case. amoeba, carnivores, mustelids Abbreviations In specialist writing, use ‘sp’ in roman to abbreviate the word ‘species’ (or ‘spp’ for more than one species). Cambridgea sp To shorten the genus name, spell out on first mention, then abbreviate to the initial letter. Lampona murina > L murina Do not use these abbreviations in labels.
screen print vs screen-print	Screen print (noun) is the artwork, but you screen-print (verb) the work.
scriptures and sacred writings	Capitalise but do not use italics for the names of scriptures and sacred writings. the (Holy) Bible; the Qu’ran; the Upanishads; the Book of Mormon Books of the Bible are treated similarly. The Song of Solomon; The Gospel According to Saint Mark References to biblical quotations The examples below are an accepted reference style for quotations from the Bible. I Samuel: 8 v1 (ie, First Book of Samuel, chapter 8, verse 1) Revelation: 16 v4 (ie, Revelation of St John the Divine, chapter 16, verse 4)
seasons	Summer, autumn, winter, and spring are all lower case (except at the start of a sentence).
Second World War	In exhibition text, don’t use ‘Second World War’. Use ‘World War II’ – also the more common search phrase on the internet. In web text, you may want to use ‘Second World War’ and ‘World War 2’ as well as ‘World War II’ because they are alternative key phrases. Also see First World War Centenary
section titles	See headings and heading cases.
-sed vs -ssed endings	Use the -sed spelling, not the -ssed spelling. biased not biassed focused not focussed
semicolons and colons	See colons and semicolons.
sennit	coconut-husk fibre
sentence spaces	Use single spaces between sentences, not double.
sentences Also see dangling participles full stops paragraphing plain English	These comments are directed at exhibition and website writing. Also see plain English for principles for all reader-focused writing You can find excellent guidelines for sentence construction and connection in exhibition text in Meanings and Messages: Language guidelines for museum exhibitions by Ferguson, MacLulich, and Ravelli (Sydney: Australian Museum, 1995). Sentence length Keep sentences relatively short. Aim for less than 16–20 words. Sentences should rarely be longer than 24 words. Sentence structure Keep sentence structures simple. Readers on the move, on the floor and on the web, have little patience with figuring things out. Get to the subject of the sentence – the main clause – as soon as possible. (i) Inversions Avoid beginning sentences with information that qualifies the main clause – inversions. However, 2- to 4-word brief introductory phrases like these are fine. In early 2008, … For example, … After his death, … Very short clauses will work if they connect directly to the subject or action of the previous sentence. … as she issued her demands. When she had left, the team … Ask yourself whether an introductory subclause has any merit for flow and impact, including variation on other sentences surrounding it. When it came to breakfast, Frith never went without. Frith never went without breakfast. Don’t include lots of subclauses. Break longer sentences in two. The pathway, when it was commissioned, was reserved for women’s art, which caused controversy from the start. The pathway was reserved for women’s art when it was commissioned. This decision caused controversy from the start. Active and passive verbs Construct your sentences using active verbs as much as possible. Passive verbs have a place – eg, in setting tone, creating flow, and placing emphasis – but choose to use them with care. They are harder to understand, especially for speakers of English as a second language. Try making passive verbs active – ask yourself, if this passive really necessary? Compare these examples. Passive: She was loved by many people. Active: Many people loved her. Passive: Sessions are held daily and bookings should be made on the day at the Information Desk. Active: We hold sessions daily. Book for them on the day at the Information Desk.
separate	not ‘seperate’
serial commas	See commas.
series	See artworks (series or portfolios of), capitals (titles), and italics (titles).
ships	Use italics for the names of ships, excluding any abbreviations preceding the ship names. Teremoe RNZNS Canterbury In general text, refer to a ship as ‘it’, not ‘she’.
short-term	Write ‘in the short term’ (noun) but ‘short-term employment’ (adjective).
simple vs simplistic	‘Simple’ is simple. ‘Simplistic’ is oversimplified or facile.
single quotation marks	See quotation marks.
slang	See colloquial language.
slash (/)	Avoid using / in ordinary text if possible. Rewrite sloppy shortcuts such as and/or to express the intended meaning. A space before and after the slash is not normally required. Media credits don’t need spaces. the student/teacher ratio by Ans Westra (1934–), the Netherlands/New Zealand Photo by Daniel Jack/Department of Conservation Spaces can be included with compound nouns or to help with legibility – use your judgement. Some external providers might also request this style. Purchased 2020 with Lindsay Buick Bequest / Mary Buick Bequest funds
smartphone	One word, no hyphen. A smartphone is a phone that connects to the internet, eg, an iPhone or Android.
social media	Te Papa’s handles are #tepapa and @te_papa
songs	See italics, capitals, and quotation marks.
South African War	Use ‘the South African War (1899–1902)’, not ‘the Boer War’.
South Pole
south, southern Also see compass points and terms	Capitalise south and southern in place names and when referring to regions or cultural or political entities. the Southern Lakes, Southern Ocean, Southern Africa, the South versus the North, South Pole Use lower case for general geographic location. southern North Island, southern hemisphere
Southeast Asia
spaces	See sentence spaces.
speech punctuation Also see quotation marks capitals (quotes)	Direct speech (dialogue) Sometimes direct speech is broken into two sections. When the first part of the speech is the end of a sentence, use a comma inside the closing quote mark, place a full stop after the attribution (he said, etc), and use a capital to begin the next part. ‘Go away,’ he said. ‘The Writing Team is no place for you.’ When the first part of the speech isn’t the end of a sentence, use a comma after the attribution, and then a lower-case letter to begin the next section of speech. ‘April,’ she said, ‘you have to get some rest.’ Reported (indirect) speech Don’t use quote marks for reported (indirect) speech. He said that Frankie had to stay there and work all night. Apply all other normal rules of punctuation.
spelled, spelt	See -ed vs -t endings.
spelling	Follow the New Zealand Oxford Dictionary – or the Concise Oxford Dictionary where the New Zealand dictionary is not available. If two spellings are listed, in general choose the first of the two. biased not biassed
spelling out	See abbreviations, acronyms (spelling out), and numbers (quotes).
spoiled, spoilt	See -ed vs -t endings.
spring	This is lower case. See seasons.
Springbok rugby tour	Don’t use initial capitals for ‘rugby tour’ – not a proper name.
square brackets Also see parentheses quotations	Use square brackets to indicate words or phrases that you have added to or substituted in an author’s text (eg, a quote). ‘I loved it [the house]. I didn’t want to leave.’ If the bracketed text is within an italicised title, use italics for this inclusion too. Various articles of Otaheite [Tahiti] and New Zealand Also use square brackets inside parentheses where you would otherwise end up with parentheses in parentheses.
stand-alone	stand-alone exhibits
Starlab
stationary vs stationery	‘Stationary’ means not moving. ’Stationery’ is writing materials.
still life, still lifes	The plural of ‘still life’, the artwork, is ‘still lifes’.
stimulus, stimuli	‘Stimuli’ is the plural of ‘stimulus’.
storey vs story	‘Storey’ (NZ spelling) is a level of a building, plural storeys. ‘Story’ is the US spelling of the same thing, as well as a narrative.
stratum, strata	‘Strata’ is the plural of ‘stratum’.
subantarctic	Don’t use a hyphen.
subclauses	See commas (non-defining clauses).
subtitles	Don’t use a hyphen.
such as vs like	See like vs such as.
summer	This is lower case. See seasons.
sun	Capitalise ‘sun’ in science texts only.
symbols Also see numbers abbreviations	Don’t place a space between symbols and the figures that precede or follow them. 25°C, 3l, 500kB, 50km Exhibition text Use symbols sparingly in label text. Opt for plain-language alternatives or spell out. 130 kilometres per hour, 12 litres, more than 50 percent, 453 hectares Temperatures are an exception. Use a space between the symbol and the scale (spelled out) if you include it. 25° Celsius It is reasonable to use symbols in lists, captions, and labelling on diagrams, but make sure any specialist references are glossed.
T-shirt	Use ‘T-shirt’ not ‘tee shirt’ or ‘t-shirt’.
tapa	bark cloth Don’t write ‘tapa cloth’ but ‘tapa (bark cloth)’. The Tongan word is ‘ngatu’, and the Fijian is ‘masi’.
tautologies	Watch out for tautologies. These occur when words and phrases put together say the same thing. Men swarmed to the area not Men swarmed to the area in large numbers ‘Swarmed’ conveys the idea of large numbers, so the second part of the sentence is unnecessary. The town was deserted not No one was left in the deserted town ‘Deserted’ means that no one was left.
Te Maori exhibition	There is no macron on ‘Maori’ in the name of this 1984–86 touring exhibition.
Te Papa (use of name)	Correct use of name When referring to the museum, use any of the following: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) – ie, on first mention Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Te Papa New Zealand’s national museum, Te Papa Incorrect use of name Te Papa Museum Te Papa Tongarewa – except in Māori text, where this is OK Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Te Papa National Museum
Te Papa Blog	Writers are encouraged to write in their own voice on the blog, rather than ‘Te Papa voice’. However, there are some conventions, which are in line with general web conventions. A good starting point when writing a blog is the Te Papa Blog Cheat Sheet Also see Te Papa Digital Content Standards and Guidelines
Te Papa Collection	See collections.
Te Papa Foundation	Abbreviated as ‘the Foundation’.
Te Papa names	You can find a comprehensive list of names of Te Papa places and exhibitions, with their correct spelling and use of capitals, in Appendix A – Te Papa names. Use the online staff directory for titles of positions and divisions.
Te Papa photographers	Below are the details for Te Papa’s current photographers (as of 2020). Please check these details with the photographers before publication. Michael O’Neill (1965–), New Zealand Jean-Claude Stahl (1954–), France/New Zealand Maarten Holl, New Zealand Include the birth date only when the photographers’ works are presented as objects (in OLs). For regular captions and credits (eg, images of collection items), just write: Photo by Maarten Holl. Te Papa
Te Papa Venues	Umbrella name for venue spaces, such as ICON
te reo	This term, abbreviated from ‘te reo Māori’, is now commonly used to mean the Māori language. It is a New Zealand idiom and should not be used in general exhibition or website writing. Use ’te reo Māori (the Māori language)’.
te reo Māori on the Te Papa website	Individual kupu (words) on English-language web pages and in digital interactives are glossed either with a hover function or parentheses. Hover glosses are preferred where technically possible. Many hover glosses, especially for high-frequency kupu such as ‘taonga’, also have an audio function. Hover glosses continue to be added – contact Daniel Crichton-Rouse (web editor) or Amos Mann (digital producer) for more information. Further use of the same kupu on the same page People skim pages, so don’t assume everything will be read. If the kupu are fairly close (eg, in the same short paragraph), you can leave the second instance unglossed. If the kupu are further apart (eg, the first instance disappears off the screen when scrolling), gloss every instance.	~~te reo Maori on the Te Papa website~~
Te Whāriki
tee shirt	See T-shirt.
television programmes	See italics.
that vs which Also see commas (non-defining clauses and phrases)	The word ‘that’ introduces defining clauses. Defining clauses are essential to the meaning of the sentence and cannot be removed without affecting the sense. The word ‘which’ (and never ‘that’) introduces non-defining clauses, which give extra information. Non-defining clauses can be removed from the sentence without destroying the sense. This is the house that Jack built. This house, which Jack built, is falling down. The car that I drive is broken. (My wife’s car is OK though.) not The car, which I drive, is broken. TIP: ‘That’ defines, ‘which’ informs.
The Dominion	The Dominion and The Evening Post merged to form The Dominion Post on 6 July 2002. Also see *The Dominion Post*
The Dominion Post	‘The’ is part of the name and takes italics. Also see *The Dominion*
theatrette
The Evening Post	The Evening Post and The Dominion merged to form The Dominion Post on 6 July 2002. Also see *The Dominion Post*
The New Zealand Curriculum	‘The’ is part of the name of this published document and takes italics.
The New Zealand Herald	‘The’ is part of the name and takes italics.
The New Zealand Herald Archive	Use this format when crediting the archive in photo credits. Courtesy of The New Zealand Herald Archive
The Ocean Race	Formerly the Volvo Ocean Race, and before that, the Whitbread Round the World Race.
they	See he/she, him/her, his/hers.
3D, three-dimensional	3D is fine to use without spelling out in most contexts, as an adjective or noun. Note that 3D doesn’t take a hyphen, as that style can get complicated in phrases like ‘3D-printed model’. Also see two-dimensional, 2D	~~3D, 2D~~
threshold
tidal wave vs tsunami	See tsunami vs tidal wave.
times Also see am and pm numbers (times, dates, ages) Māori time sequence	Times have: no full stops in am/pm no space between figures and am/pm a full stop (not a colon) between the hour and the minutes no minutes if on the hour no spaces around the en dash for brackets of time. Follow the models below. 7am not 7 a.m or 7 am. 3.30pm not 3:30pm 5pm not 5.00pm 1pm–2pm not 1pm – 2pm Follow these models for writing out times. half past two in the morning a quarter to eight in the evening Between/and, from/to Never use an en dash with words like ‘between’, ‘from’, and ‘during’. between 9am and 10am not between 9am–10am from 1pm to 2pm not from 1pm–2pm
title case	See Capitals – Titles of books and other published works
titles	Don’t use full stops for these contractions (ie, abbreviations that retain the first and last letters of the title). Mr (Mister), Mrs (Mistress), Dr (Doctor) For titles of published works, see capitals (titles) and italics (titles). For job titles, see position titles. For Te Papa corporate document titles, see document titles
tīvaevae	Depending on context: [Cook Islands] quilt; [Cook Islands] quilt-making. Include ‘Cook Islands’ to specify in a general context. tīvaevae taorei – patchwork quilt	~~tivaevae~~
Tokelau	‘Tokelauan’ is outdated; rephrase without altering the word ‘Tokelau’.
ton and tonne	1 tonne is 1,000 kilograms. The imperial equivalent of 1 tonne is 2204.62 lb; a British ton is 2240lb; a US ton is 2000lb.
too	See commas (too).
tortuous vs torturous	‘Tortuous’ is winding. ’Torturous’ is painful.
touch screen
trade names	See trademarks, brands, and proprietary names.
trademarks, brands, and proprietary names	Avoid using trademarks, brands, and proprietary names where you can substitute a generic term. Here are some common examples with suggested substitutions in parentheses. Biro (ballpoint pen); Blu Tack (plastic putty); Sellotape (sticky tape); LYCRA (stretch fabric); Swanndri (bush shirt); Tannoy (public-address system); Teflon (non-stick); Xerox (photocopy) When using trademarks, brands, and proprietary names, follow their owners’ style for capitals. Don’t use the ® and ™ symbols – there is no legal need to (advice from Rights Manager Victoria Leachman, October 2011). adidas, LYCRA, Swanndri
Treaty of Waitangi	‘Treaty of Waitangi’ is always capitalised. Gloss as ‘New Zealand’s founding document’. Its short form is ‘the Treaty’. The Treaty’s articles are capitalised and have numerals. Article 1, Article 2, Article 3
tsunami vs tidal wave	A tsunami is caused by an underwater earthquake. A tidal wave is caused by the tide.
turgid vs torpid	‘Turgid’ is pompous. ‘Torpid’ is apathetic or sluggish.
two-dimensional, 2D	2D is fine to use without spelling out in most contexts, as an adjective or noun. Note that 2D has no hyphen, to make it consistent with 3D. Also see three-dimensional, 3D	2D
type, type face, type size	See legibility.
UK	See Britain, British Isles.
‘ulāfala	pandanus necklace (Sāmoa)	~~ulafala~~
‘ulālei	whale-tooth necklace (Sāmoa)	~~ulalei~~
under way	Separate these words for ‘in motion, in progress’; not ‘underway’.
underlining Also see bold text emphasis italics website and email addresses	URLs, email addresses, and other hyperlinks In an electronic context (including in PDFs), underline URLs (website addresses) and email addresses if they contain hyperlinks. Blue is generally used to indicate hyperlinks. See examples on the Te Papa website. In a print context, don’t underline URLS and email addresses. Emphasis Don’t use underlining to indicate emphasis; use italics (sparingly) instead.
Union Jack
uninterested vs disinterested	See disinterested vs uninterested.
United Kingdom, the	See Britain, British Isles.
United States	Say the United States at first mention (not the United States of America); the US after that. No need to spell out in parentheses at the first mention.
units of measurement	See numbers (units of measurement).
upper case, upper-case	‘Upper case’ is the noun. Use a hyphen when adjectival (upper-case letters).
URLs	See website and email addresses.
US	See United States.
Vanuatu	Nationals of Vanuatu are ni-Vanuatu.
venal vs venial	‘Venal’ is open to bribery. ‘Venial’ is easily forgiven.
Victory Medal
Vietnam War (1963–75)	The dates of this war can vary (depending on various factors, including whose involvement is being discussed). These are the ones used in Slice of Heaven.
vocal cords	See cords vs chords.
Waikato Times, the	‘The’ is not part of the name and does not take italics.
Wairarapa, the	Use ‘the’ to refer to the region.
walk-through	Noun. Fine to use, but ‘tour’ is more straightforward.
Wanganui vs Whanganui	See Whanganui vs Wanganui.
1951 waterfront dispute
wayfinding	‘Wayfinding labels’ refers to signage and tools that help visitors navigate through the museum. Don’t use a hyphen.
web, webcam, webcast, webpage, website
website and email addresses	In both print and electronic contexts: don’t include www or http:// in the URL (website address) if it isn’t necessary to reach the website don’t include a full stop after a URL or email address, even when it comes at the end of a full sentence. In a print context, don’t underline URLS and email addresses. Check out our website at tepapa.govt.nz For more information, contact frithw@tepapa.govt.nz In an electronic context (including PDFs), URLs and other link text are underlined and generally blue. Dive into Te Papa’s collections Also see hyperlinks and underlining
website titles	Use roman, title case, without quotation marks. Te Ara website – find out more
wellbeing	This word does not take a hyphen (unlike in NZOD). Weavers of Wellbeing
west, western Also see compass points and terms	Capitalise West and Western in geographic names and when referring to regions or cultural or political entities. the West versus the East, Western world, Western Australia, the West Coast Use lower case for general geographic location. west coast of the North Island, western Auckland
Western Front
whale bone vs whalebone	‘Whale bone’ is a bone from a whale. ‘Whalebone’ is the name for the horny plates from the upper jaw of baleen whales, once used as stiffening material in corsets, etc.
Whanganui vs Wanganui	Te Papa style is to use Whanganui globally, including for historical references.
which vs that	See that vs which.
while and whilst	Use ‘while’ not ‘whilst’. While ‘whilst’ is still relatively common in speech (like ‘amongst’), we need to write with speakers of English as a second language in mind.
Whitbread Round the World Race	Now called The Ocean Race (as of 2019). It was called the Volvo Ocean Race from 2001 until 2019.
who or whom?	‘Whom’ is the object form of the relative pronoun ‘who’. In speech, the distinction between forms has become blurred. In writing, it is still definable, but in some contexts can sound overly formal – in those cases, consider rephrasing. ‘Who’ corresponds to he/she/they. ‘Whom’ corresponds to him/her/them. Test the two out in these examples. (i) x She was the one whom he thought would be the winner. ‘Whom’ = the one = ‘her’. Would you say ‘her … would be the winner’? No, you’d say ‘she’. Therefore ‘who’ is correct: aShe was the one who he thought would be the winner. (ii) x He was now grovelling to the people who he’d been abusing. ‘Who’ = the people = ‘they’. Would you say ‘he’d been abusing they’? No, you’d say ‘them’. Therefore ‘whom’ is correct: aHe was now grovelling to the people whom he’d been abusing.
Wi-Fi	Use Wi-Fi, not WiFi.
winter	This is lower case. See seasons.
work of art	See artwork.
world view
World War I, World War II	These are the preferred terms, rather than ‘the First World War’ or ‘the Second World War’, which are both longer and are not as commonly used as search phrases online. Note the roman numerals, rather than World War One/Two or World War 1/2. In exhibition labels, try to use a non-breaking space between the elements of these phrases so that they don’t end up split over two lines. In web text, you may also want to incorporate ‘First/Second World War’ and ‘World War 1/2’ because they are alternative key phrases. However, also see First World War Centenary
worldwide	This has no hyphen.
worldwide web	Use lower case for this phrase.
x-ray
your vs you’re	‘Your’ is a possessive adjective for something belonging to you. ‘You’re’ is the contraction of ‘you are’.
yours, ours, theirs	Never use apostrophes in these possessive pronouns.

[VC1]VC added 8/8/17

[FW2]TBC. Do we consider these independent collections?

[f3]There is some inconsistency around this. See http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/theme.aspx?irn=2848

Also see the LH menu under: http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/

[VC4]VC I think it’s clearer to include ‘paint’, but Te Papa doesn’t seem to do that – note examples in this Style Guide

[VC5]VC added 6/1/16. This is the case with labels, but what about in other contexts? Specifically, web pages? I’ve asked the web team – haven’t heard back. Chicago doesn’t have anything to say about long quotes on websites.

Style Guide A–Z

&, +

abbreviations

acronyms

AD and BC

am and pm

compass points and terms

symbols

numbers (units of measurement)

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun

eg not e.g.

ie not i.e.

Expect to see oceanic birds, eg, shearwaters, petrels, and albatrosses.

Bring your basic weaving kit, ie, scraper, knife, scissors, notebook, and pen.

Mr (Mister), Dr (Doctor), Mt (Mount), Ltd (Limited), dept (department)

Rev (Reverend), p 37 (page 37)

Anzac (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), Eftpos (electronic funds transfer – point of sale)

UN (United Nations), TAB (Totalisator Agency Board), am (ante meridiem), eg (exempli gratia)

km (kilometre), C (Celsius), % (percent), NNW (north-north-west)

M T Woollaston, John A Lee

BA, NZOM, PhD, BSc

New Zealand not NZ, United Kingdom not UK

pp 21–22, p 14

Aborigine, Aboriginal

academic subjects

acknowledgement

-dgment vs -dgement

acronyms

abbreviations

Alexander Turnbull Library (ATL)

Anzac, CD, DVD

Anzus, Anzac, Unesco, Unicef, Nato, Eftpos, Aids

UN, TAB, GST, TVNZ, EQC, PDF

PM (prime minister), MP (member of Parliament)

CDs not CD’s

The CDs were stolen from the CEO’s office.

active verbs

AD and BC

BCE and CE

2000 BC, 1200 AD, 5th century AD

adjectival hyphens

adjectives

adverbial clauses

adverbs that qualify adjectives

hyphens

a little-known singer, a well-prepared speech, a hard-fought game, a long-term project

The speech was well prepared.

The game was hard fought.

sharply rising profit, poorly made product

adviser

affect vs effect

The defeat badly affected the team’s morale.

The defeat had a bad effect on the team’s morale.

affinity

aggravate

aging

-ging vs -geing

agreement

albums (titles of)

Alexander Turnbull Library credits

alignment (text)

Allies, Allied forces

all right

all together vs altogether

alternative

altogether vs all together

All together now, one, two, three …

Altogether the day was a disaster.

am and pm

abbreviations

numbers

times

10am, 8.30pm

among and amongst

amount vs number

fewer vs less

amount of salt

number of people

ampersand (&)