This resource is intended for all Travis County staff and provides guidelines and best practices for generating written content. It covers tone, grammar, punctuation, formatting, and more.
Explore sections on active voice, plain language, and other key writing elements to enhance communication clarity and impact for all Travis County residents.
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After Tuesday’s meeting, former County Judge Sarah Eckhardt received a standing ovation.
District Attorney-elect Jose Garza will be sworn in next month.
Long
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titles
Separate a long title from a name with a construction that requires a comma. For example:
Omar Robinson, the deputy co-chair, spoke.
The deputy co-chair of the energy commission, Omar Robinson, spoke.
Unique
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titles
If a title applies only to one person in an organization, insert the word 'the' in a construction that uses commas:
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Avoid using a hyphen to indicate a span or range; instead, spell out the range. For example, use ":
Monday to Friday
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instead of
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Monday-Friday.
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When writing phone numbers, use parentheses for the area code and dashes for the remaining digits. For instance:
(512) 555-5555 instead of 512-555-5555.
Dates
When writing dates, Travis County staff should spell out the month in full and use numerals for both the day and year. Years must be written as four numbers, such as 1989 and 2013.
When presenting written dates, staff should use cardinal numbers instead of ordinal numbers. A cardinal number denotes the specific day of the month, while an ordinal number indicates the position of that day within the month. For instance:
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In written communication, it is crucial to distinguish between the frequently confused terms "it is," "its," and "it's." Understanding the nuances among these forms is essential for maintaining clarity and precision in your writing.It Is:
"It is" is a contraction combining the pronoun "it" with the verb "is." It is used to express the state, condition, or characteristic of a subject. Example: "It is raining outside."
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"Its" is a possessive pronoun indicating ownership or association. It is used when referring to something belonging to or associated with an inanimate object or animal. Example: "The dog wagged its tail."
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"It's" is a contraction merging the pronoun "it" with the verb "is" or "has." It is used to represent "it is" or "it has." Examples: "It's a beautiful day." (replacing "it is") "It's been a long journey." (replacing "it has")
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“Its'“ has no meaning. Do not use.
Links
A hyperlink, often referred to as a link, is a clickable element that connects to another document, webpage, or resource, facilitating seamless navigation between different online locations. Links play a vital role in guiding users to either external websites or internal webpages within the Travis County website. To ensure consistency and enhance user experience, adhere to the following guidelines:
When linking to internal webpages within Travis County's website, set the hyperlink to open in a new tab.
When linking to external websites, configure the hyperlink to open in a new window.
Only hyperlinks should be both bolded and underlined.
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Do | Don’t | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Learn more about our services. | Click here for more info. | Hyperlinking the text “our services” lets readers know they can expect to be taken to a page specific to services. On the other hand, the text “here” can refer to any number of topics or subject matter. |
Learn more about our services. | Learn more about our services. | Lengthy hyperlinked text can cause confusion and negatively impacts the discoverability of content. Short descriptive text helps improve the discoverability and readability of content. |
Once the affidavit is signed by a notary, please submit it to the District Clerk’s Office. | Once the affidavit is signed by a notary, please submit it to the District Clerk’s Office. Visit their website at https://www.traviscountytx.gov/district-clerk | The hyperlinked text “District Clerk’s Office” complies with accessibility standards as the text is easily picked up by users who rely on screen readers. A URL hyperlink impacts the readability of the text as it is not easily or immediately recognizable where the URL redirects. |
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Consistency and precision in presenting numbers are critical for effective communication. Travis County staff should consider the formats below when text uses numbers. Standards may change in various contexts. Please follow these the guidelines below when incorporating numbers in your writing:.
General
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numerical representation
Spell out whole numbers from one to nine. Use numerals for numbers 10 and above.
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For example:
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Commissioner Ann Howard submitted three reports and cast 15 votes."
Beginning
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sentences with
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numbers
Spell out a number at the beginning of a sentence, regardless of its value.
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For example:
Forty-seven constituents attended the meeting."
Common
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fractions and
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decimals
Spell out common fractions and use hyphens between the words. Use numerals for decimals.
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For example:
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Two-thirds of the budget was allocated, but the project requires half a million dollars.".
Travis County roads only account for 0.07 percent of the total traffic incidents in the last month.
Ages,
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percentages, and
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monetary values
Use numerals for ages, percentages, and monetary values.
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For example:
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The Task Force celebrated its 30th anniversary.
The approval rate is 25%.
The budget is $10.99 million."
Dates and
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times
Use numerals for dates and times.
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Write times with "am" and "pm" in lowercase and without periods.
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Use a comma before the year in a complete date.
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For example:
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The meeting is scheduled for June 15, 2023, at 2:00 pm."
Measurements and
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units
Use numerals for measurements and units.
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For example:
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Parks staff recorded a new high temperature at the sports complex stadium of 104°F.”
“Parks Parks staff need cement blocks that measure 12 inches by 8 inches for their gardening project."
Consistency within the
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same sentence
When numbers appear within the same sentence, maintain consistency.
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Use numerals for all numbers to maintain uniformity.
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For example:
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There are 10 reports on the agenda and 15 votes to be counted."
Punctuation
Punctuation is an important element in written communication, shaping the structure and clarity of our messages. Familiarize yourself with the following rules to enhance the effectiveness of your writing and maintain a polished and professional tone.
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