A
- a.m., p.m.
- Always lowercase with periods (not A.M. except in all-caps line). When you have an exact time "on the hour" you can just say 2 p.m.
- AAS
- Associated of Applied Science Degree. Formerly AD (associate degree). Do not use periods.
- academic degrees
- Moraine Park uses abbreviations to describe the academic degrees a person holds: B.A., M.A., Ph.D. (Also see bachelor's degree and master's degree.)
- ACCUPLACER
- ADN
- Associate Degree Nursing.
- ages
- Always use figures. Hyphenate only when the age is used as an adjective before a noun or as a replacement for a noun: The 3-year-old girl. The competition is for 10-year-olds. Examples: John Doe, 6, was found in the park. The child is 4 years old.
- aid
- (n.) assistance, (v.) to help
- aide
- (n.) a person who helps
- all
- Usually hyphenated as a prefix: all-American, all-conference, all-staff, all-star, all-out, all-inclusive.
- all-right
- Not alright.
- alumna
- Singular. When referring to a woman who has attended a school. Use alumnae as the plural of “alumna.”
- alumni
- Plural. To refer to a group of men and women who have attended a college.
- alumnus
- Singular. When referring to a man who has attended a school. Use alumni as the plural of “alumnus.”
- among, between
- Use among when referring to more than two people or things. Use between to refer to only two people or things.
- ampersand
- (&) Avoid unless part of an official name. Use and instead.
- annual
- Do not use unless it refers to an event that has happened at least two years in a row. Never use the term first annual.
- apostrophe
- Use an apostrophe before years in dates only if the century is abbreviated. Do not use an apostrophe between the year and the letter s.
i.e., '90s; 1990s not 1990's
Do not use an apostrophe, and use a small s with plural all-capitalized abbreviations.
ADNs, RNs, FTEs - as well as
- Avoid overusing as well as in place of and; the phrase as well as has the sense of "too" or "also" rather than simply "and."
- associate degree
- Do not capitalize academic degrees as general terms of classification.
- assure, ensure, insure
- Use assure to give confidence or inform positively:
She assured him that the decision was a wise one.
Use ensure to mean guarantee or make certain:
Steps were taken to ensure the document's accuracy.
Use insure for references to the characteristics of insurance:
The policy will insure your home.