LETTER & EMAIL WRITING
Listing
When listing three or more items, do NOT put a comma in between
the second and third item:
The new uniforms were gold, green and white.
UNLESS:
1) The list includes an element that also employs a conjunction (and, or,
etc.):
I had eggs, bacon, and biscuits and gravy for breakfast.
2) The series is long or complex:
The team succeeded because they remained positive despite
setbacks, acknowledged everyone’s unique contributions instead of
fixating on their weaknesses, and managed to find the best solution.
Numbers
In reference to a non-specified number, the general rules are:
Couple = 2
Few = 3
Several = 4
Many = 5 or more
Spell out numbers under 10, and use numerals for numbers 10 and
higher:
A total of 35 hot dogs and nine pizzas were consumed during
Saturday’s basketball game.
Use commas with numbers greater than 999:
Life University’s current enrollment is 2,754 full-time students.
UNLESS it is a calendar year:
1974 was a good year.
Life University Style Guide | 12