User:Sir Beluga/Style guide

This page documents my personal style guide, which contains my spelling and grammar preferences.

I intend to use this page as a reference to keep my English consistent, as I often rotate my use of grammar rules, an example being whether to place a quotation mark before or after a full stop. This guide is not meant to be a replacement of Wikipedia's Manual of Style, but rather an extension. If any part does not agree with Wikipedia's Manual of Style, please notify me and I will change it as soon as I can.

My preferences are not necessarily based on efficiency or the English of my country of origin, but rather in a format that is pleasant to read.

Spelling
The variety of English an existing article is written in shall be used; in the case of a new article with no international ties, Oxford spelling is preferred, but minor differences may occur for aesthetic purposes.

-our, -or
The former is preferred.

colour, favourite, flavour over color, favorite, flavor

-ize, -ise
The former is preferred with a few exceptions.

realize over realise but analyse over analyze

Commas
Commas are used only to avoid ambiguity.

Correct:


 * On 2 October 1869 Gandhi was born.
 * By the end of the 1920s the Great Depression began.

Also correct:


 * George Washington, the first President of the United States, was elected on 6 April 1789.

Incorrect:


 * On 2 October 1869, Gandhi was born.
 * By the end of the 1920s, the Great Depression began.