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Criminal Analysis Branch
Criminal Intelligence Directorate
Writing Style Guide
The Information contained in this writer's guide is intended for the use of all
members of Criminal Analysis Branch. It is not proposed as a replacement for
current standards (SCI/NCDB Manuals or Informatics Guidelines) nor should it
take precedence over those documents. The rules in the guide are not written in
stone. Members of all sections should feel free to propose additions and updates
through their section head. This guide is based on CAB Intelligence Reports as
well as the Canadian Press Stylebook and the Oxford English Dictionary, The
RCMP Directives Writing Guide, RCMP policy manuals and the RCMP
Correspondence Practices.
Pages are numbered for hard copy purposes only. This guide is meant to be used
on the CID LAN.
CAB WRITING STYLE GUIDE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A
A and AN. See ARTICLES.
ABBREVIATIONS
ABOVE
ACRONYMS
ACT
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICES
ADDRESSES
ADJECTIVE. See PARTS OF SPEECH.
ADVERB. See PARTS OF SPEECH.
ADVISE
AFFECT, EFFECT
AGREEMENT IN NUMBER AND TENSE
ALL READY, ALREADY
ALL RIGHT
ALMOST. See MOST.
ALTOGETHER, ALL TOGETHER
AMONG, BETWEEN
AMOUNT, NUMBER
AND ETC.
AND/OR
ANGLOPHONE
ANY PLACE, EVERY PLACE, NO PLACE, SOME PLACE
ANYBODY, ANYONE, EVERYBODY, EVERYONE
ANYWHERES, EVERYWHERES
APOSTROPHE. See PUNCTUATION.
APPENDIXES
AROUND, ABOUT, AT ABOUT
ARTICLES, DEFINITE AND INDEFINITE
ASAP
AS IF. See LIKE.
AS PER
AS TO
AS TO WHETHER
ATLANTIC PROVINCES
ATTENTION
AUDIENCE, SPECTATORS
B
BACK OF
BALANCE, REMAINDER
BECAUSE OF. See DUE TO.
BESIDE, BESIDES
BETWEEN. See AMONG.
BOLDFACE TYPE
BORROW, LEND, LOAN
BOUND
BRACKETS. See PUNCTUATION.
BREATHALYZER
BRING, TAKE, FETCH
BUNCH
C
CAPITALS
CAVEATS
CHARACTER, REPUTATION
COLLECTIVE NOUNS
COLON. See LISTS AND PUNCTUATION.
COLOUR
COMMA. See PUNCTUATION.
COMMON NOUN. See NOUN.
COMPARE TO, COMPARE WITH
COMPLEMENT, COMPLIMENT
COMPOSE, COMPRISE, CONSTITUTE, INCLUDE
CONSENSUS OF OPINION
CONSUL, COUNCIL, COUNSEL, COUNCILLOR, COUNSELLOR
CONTINUAL, CONTINUOUS
CONTRACTIONS
COPYRIGHT
CORRESPONDENCE
CREDIT CARDS
D
DASH. See PUNCTUATION.
DATA
DATES
DAY
DECIMALS. See NUMBERS.
DEPEND
DEPENDANT, DEPENDENT
DEVICE, DEVISE
DIFFER FROM, DIFFER WITH
DIFFERENT THAN
DIRECT, DIRECTLY
DISINTERESTED, UNINTERESTED
DIVISIONAL REFERENCES
DRIVER'S LICENCE
DRUGS
DUE TO, BECAUSE OF
DUE TO THE FACT THAT
E
EACH
EACH OTHER, ONE ANOTHER
EARLY DATE, AT AN
EFFECT. See AFFECT.
E.G., I.E.
EITHER, NEITHER
ELICIT, ILLICIT
ELLIPSIS
EMIGRATE, IMMIGRATE
EMINENT, IMMINENT
ENDNOTES. See REFERENCES, BIBLIOGRAPHY
ENQUIRY, INQUIRY
ENSURE, INSURE
EQUALLY AS
ET AL.
EVERY
EX-
EXAMPLE WHERE
EXCEPT. See ACCEPT.
EXPLICIT, IMPLICIT
F
FARTHER, FURTHER
FEDERAL
FEWER, LESS
FILE NUMBER See OCCUPANCE NUMBER
FLAMMABLE, INFLAMMABLE
FLAUNT, FLOUT
FORCE
FOREGO, FORGO
FOREIGN WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS
FORWARD
FOOTNOTES. See REFERENCES, BIBLIOGRAPHY
FRACTIONS. See NUMBERS.
FRANCOPHONE
FUNDRAISING
FURTHER, See FARTHER
G
GEOGRAPHY
GERUND
GOBBLEDEGOOK
GREY, GRAY
H
HE/SHE. See SEXUAL STEREOTYPING
HEADQUARTERS, "HQ" DIVISION
HINT, IMPLY, INTIMATE, INFER
HYPHEN. See PUNCTUATION.
I
I.E. See E.G., I.E.
IF, WHETHER
ILLICIT. See ELICIT.
IMMIGRATE. See EMIGRATE.
IMMINENT. See EMINENT.
IMPLICIT. See EXPLICIT.
IMPLY. See HINT.
INCORPORATE
INDEX
INFER. See HINT.
INQUIRY. See ENQUIRY.
INSIDE
INSIDE OF
INTER, INTRA
INTERJECTIONS. See PARTS OF SPEECH.
IRREGARDLESS
IT IS
K
KNOW-HOW
KILOMETRAGE
L
LATER, LATTER
LATIN EXPRESSIONS. See FOREIGN WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS.
LAY, LIE, LAID, LAIN
LEAVE, LET
LICENCE PLATE NUMBERS
LIE. See LAY.
LIKE, AS (AS IF)
LISTS
LOT, LOTS
M
MAJORITY IS, ARE
MARITIME PROVINCES
MATERIAL, MATERIEL
MAXIMUM, MINIMUM
MAY, MIGHT
METRIC SYSTEM (SI)
MILEAGE. See KILOMETRAGE.
MINIMIZE
MINIMUM. See MAXIMUM.
MODIFIERS
MORE COMPLETE, MORE PERFECT, MOST UNIQUE
MOST, ALMOST
MUCH, MANY. See MANY.
N
NEITHER. See EITHER.
NONE
NOTE. See EXCEPTION.
NOUNS
NUMBERS
O
OBLIQUE. See PUNCTUATION - Virgule.
OCCUPANCE NUMBER/FILE NUMBER
OFFICER IN CHARGE
ONE ANOTHER. See EACH OTHER.
ORAL, VERBAL
ORGANIZATION. See WRITING - ORGANIZATION.
OUTSTANDING
OUTSIDE OF
OVERALL
P
PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS. See PUNCTUATION.
PASSPORT NUMBERS
PASSED, PAST
PASSIVE VOICE. See ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICES.
PAY
PERCENT. See SYMBOLS.
PERIOD. See PUNCTUATION.
PLAGIARISM
PLURALS
POSSESSIVES
PRACTICAL, PRACTICABLE
PRECEDE, PROCEED
PREPOSITIONS
PRINCIPAL, PRINCIPLE
PROCEED See PRECEDE
PROPER NOUNS. See NOUNS.
PROVIDED/PROVIDING
PUBLIC
PUNCTUATION
Apostrophe
Colon
Comma
Dash
Hyphen
Parentheses and Brackets
Period
Quotation Marks
Semicolon
Virgule
Q
QUANTITY
QUOTATION MARKS See PUNCTUATION.
R
RECOMMENDATIONS
REFERENCES
RELIABILITY AND SECURITY CLASSIFICATION CODES
REMAINDER. See BALANCE.
REPUTATION. See CHARACTER
S
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION. See REFERENCES - Reliability and Security
Classification Codes
SEMICOLON. See PUNCTUATION.
SENTENCES
SERIES. See LISTS.
SEXUAL STEREOTYPING
SHALL, WILL. See WILL.
SHOULD HAVE
SIC
SIMPLE LANGUAGE
SLANT, SLASH. See PUNCTUATION - Virgule.
SOCIAL INSURANCE NUMBER
SOME TIME, SOMETIME, SOMETIMES
SPELLING
STYLE AND FORMAT
SUBSTANTIVE
SUBPOENA
SUPERFLUOUS WORDS
SYMBOLS
T
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TAKE. See BRING.
TEACH. See LEARN.
TELEX
THAN, THEN
THAT IS.
THE. See ARTICLES.
THEREFOR, THEREFORE
TIME
TITLES. See HEADINGS.
TOGETHER WITH
TOO
U
UNDERLINING. See BOLDFACE TYPE.
UNINTERESTED. See DISINTERESTED.
USE, UTILIZE
W
WHETHER OR NOT
WHICH, WHO, THAT
WITHER See IF
X
X-RAY
APPENDIX
1 Metric Height/Weight Conversion Tables
A
A and AN. See ARTICLES.
ABBREVIATIONS
The abbreviations chapter in the Admin. Man. contains the abbreviations commonly used in the force.
Omit periods in all-capital abbreviations except when they denote a geographical area, e.g. NCO, RCMP,
CO, OIC, but U.S.A., B.C., P.E.I.
Retain the period where the abbreviation is a single letter, e.g. E. (East).
When single-letter abbreviations are joined by an ampersand (&), omit periods and run the letters together,
e.g. S&P, T&D. But better to separate using 'and'.
Use periods in larches or mixed (uppercase first, followed by larches) abbreviations, e.g. mgt., etc., Cst.,
Ltd.
Omit periods in abbreviations that begin and end with an uppercase letter, e.g. PhD, PoW.
The same abbreviation is used for the singular and plural form of a word unless it is an acronym made up
of the first letters of the words.
Example: The directives apply to Csts. and NCOs.
Possessives are written with an apostrophe, e.g. NCO's, CO's, Cst.'s.
Metric abbreviations (symbols) are always singular and do not require periods.
See also METRIC
When introducing an abbreviation write out the full title followed by the abbreviation in parentheses.
Example: househunting trip (HHT)
Thereafter, you may use the abbreviation alone.
The abbreviation for Criminal Code is CC. The abbreviation CCC stands for Canadian Criminal Cases.
In correspondence use of A/n for "above noted" and C/n for "captionally noted" is acceptable.
ABOVE
Sometimes used as an adjective: "the above statement," "the above paragraph." "The preceding" or
"the foregoing," are preferable.
ACRONYMS
Acronyms are abbreviations that can be pronounced as words.
Uncommon acronyms must be defined at their first appearance in a text by writing out the full title
followed by the abbreviation or acronym in parentheses.
Example: Mujahedin El Khalq (MEK)
An acronym should not be preceded by an article.
Example: The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has forwarded a document
or CSIS (not the CSIS) has forwarded a document.
There is no need to repeat the full title after an acronym has been introduced in the executive summary.
Thereafter, use the acronym alone.
ACT
Capitalize titles of parliamentary acts but do not capitalize subsequent references when the full name
is not used.
Example: RCMP Act; according to the act.
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICES
When the subject of a verb performs the action, the verb is in the active voice.
Examples: The boy threw the ball. The girl will read the book.
When the subject of a verb receives the action, the verb is in the passive voice.
Examples: The ball was thrown by the boy. The book will be read by the girl.
The action is not as straightforward in the passive voice as it is in the active voice. When writing use
the active voice as much as possible.
ADDRESSES
Use abbreviations for streets, provinces, etc.
When using the block format in correspondence, leave out punctuation at the end of the line, except
for periods following abbreviations.
Example: Public Service Commission
300 Laurier AVE W
Ottawa, Ont.
Use the following abbreviations in addresses:
NAME ABBREV. NAME ABBREV.
____ _______ ____ _______
Avenue AVE Place PL
Boulevard BLVD P.O. Box BOX
Concession CON Road RD
Court CT Rural Route RR
Crescent CRES South S
Drive DR Station ST
East E Street * ST
Highway HWY Trail TR
Lot LOT West W
North N
ADJECTIVE. See PARTS OF SPEECH.
ADVERB. See PARTS OF SPEECH.
ADVISE
This means to give advice. Do not use advise when you really mean inform or notify.
Examples: The T&D officer advised me to take the Directives Writing Course. I notified the NCO IC that the
course dates were changed.
AFFECT, EFFECT
Since little or no distinction is made in pronouncing the first vowel of these words, the spelling, as well
as the meaning, is likely to be confused. Except in a few obsolete and technical uses, affect is always
a verb and means to influence; effect, as a verb, means to produce or to bring to a conclusion.
Effect is also a noun.
Examples: The new rules affect the behaviour of the entire troop. His reaction time was affected by alcohol.
The effect of the explosion was visible for miles around. The bulletin affected a change in office
procedures.
AGREEMENT IN NUMBER AND TENSE
Be sure words agree in number and tense. Nouns, pronouns and other substantives, as well as subjects
and predicates, should agree in number.
Two or more singular subjects joined by or, or nor, take a singular verb.
In the construction there are (is), there is considered an introductory word, not the subject; the verb
should agree with the substantive that follows.
Examples: There are too many people in this room. There is a truck parked at the corner.
When a subject consists of two or more nouns, both singular and plural, joined by or, or nor, the
predicate agrees with the one which is nearest to it.
Examples: Neither the jacket nor the shoes are the right size. Neither the shoes nor the jacket is the right
size.
ALL READY, ALREADY
All ready means that "all is in readiness."
Example: The constable was all ready for promotion.
Already means "previously" or "by this time."
Example: He is already working at headquarters.
ALL RIGHT
These words should always be written separately. There are no such forms as all-right, allright, or
alright.
ALMOST. See MOST.
ALTOGETHER, ALL TOGETHER
Altogether means "completely, entirely."
Examples: The trip wasn't altogether free of accidents.
Example: Altogether, there were 10 books.
All together means "in one body."
Examples: The troop was all together in barracks.
AMONG, BETWEEN
Between usually applies to only two objects.
Among is used for three or more.
Between, however, may be used with more than two objects to show the relationship of each object
to the others; "a treaty between the three powers," "a railroad between the three cities."
Examples: At the end of the meeting the work of the committee was divided among the divisions, the
directorates, and several branches. The investigator explained to the court the differences between an
element, a compound. and an alloy.
AMOUNT, NUMBER
Amount refers to quantity; number to things that can be counted.
Example: A large number of members contributed a substantial amount of money to the scholarship fund.
When the word number is the subject of the sentence, the verb is singular if number has a definite
article, e.g. The number of violations has increased. The verb is plural when number has an indefinite
article, e.g. A number of speeding tickets have been issued.
AND ETC.
Never put and before etc. Etc. means and the rest, and so on, and other things; and is redundant.
AND/OR
In most cases where and or is used or can be used to express your meaning.
ANGLOPHONE
Use larches a.
Example: The positions were filled by anglophones.
ANY PLACE, EVERY PLACE, NO PLACE, SOME PLACE
Incorrect. Use anywhere, everywhere, nowhere, and somewhere.
ANYBODY, ANYONE, EVERYBODY, EVERYONE
These pronouns are singular and should be followed by singular pronouns (he or she) rather than by the
plural (they).
ANYWHERE, EVERYWHERES
Incorrect for anywhere, everywhere.
APOSTROPHE. See PUNCTUATION.
APPENDIXES
Use appendixes to clarify text and not to duplicate it.
An appendix must have a title as well as a number.
There is no cover page on the appendix section.
Appendixes may be made up of flow charts, link charts, graphics or written authority.
Keep appendixes simple and uncomplicated.
AROUND, ABOUT, AT ABOUT
Around refers to place not time; about refers to time.
Never say around 10 o'clock, but about 1 o'clock.
Do not use at about.
ARTICLES, DEFINITE AND INDEFINITE
Indefinite Article - A and An Pronunciation determines proper use of a and an. Use a before words
beginning with consonants except silent 'h'.
Use a before words beginning with uniform, a unit. Use a before words beginning with an o which is
pronounced as a w, e.g. a one.
Use an before words beginning with vowels or when a consonant initial has a vowel sound.
Examples: an NCO, an hour, an umpire. an upset.
Use an before words beginning with' h' where the stress is on the second syllable.
Examples: An hotel, An historic event.
ASAP
This abbreviation for as soon as possible is not to be used. If you mean immediately, use
immediately. If you mean as soon as possible, write it out in full.
AS IF. See Like.
AS PER
Do not use this expression; use according to, further to, with reference to.
Example: According to the instructions, I can go now.
AS TO
Incorrect for concerning or about.
AS TO WHETHER
Redundant for whether.
ATLANTIC PROVINCES
The four Atlantic provinces are: New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward
Island.
See also MARITIME PROVINCES.
ATTENTION
When used in a mailing address, abbreviate and use all capitals, otherwise spell it out.
Example: Headquarters, ATTN: OIC Internal Affairs Branch.
AUDIENCE, SPECTATORS
The audience hears, the spectators see.
B
BACK OF
Colloquial for behind.
Example: The post garage is behind (not back of) the detachment office.
BALANCE, REMAINDER
Balance, a bookkeeping term, means the amount remaining after realizing assets and meeting
obligations. It should not be confused with rest or remainder.
Example: John spent the rest (or remainder) of the day in the office.
BECAUSE OF. See DUE TO.
BESIDE, BESIDES
Beside is a preposition meaning by the side of.
Besides is either an adverb meaning in addition or a preposition meaning in addition to.
Examples: The child sat beside his mother. Besides free tickets to the game, the winner will receive
$50.
BETWEEN. See AMONG.
BOLDFACE TYPE
Boldface type is used for headings and, in exceptional circumstances to highlight special words in the
text.
There should be no underlining except in references.
See also REFERENCES.
BORROW, LEND, LOAN
A person borrows from a friend and lends to a friend. Loan is a noun.
Examples: Because I had been absent for part of the investigation, the unit commander lent me his
notes. May I borrow your car?
BOUND
Colloquial for determined.
Examples: He was determined to succeed. Determined not to show any emotion, he gritted his
teeth.
BRACKETS. See PUNCTUATION.
BREATHALYZER
Breathalyzer is a trade name and is never used as a general term for this type of equipment. Use
evidentiary breathtester.
BRING, TAKE, FETCH
To bring requires one motion, toward the speaker. To take requires one motion, away from the
speaker. To fetch requires two motions, from the speaker and to him again.
Example: Take this to Inspector Rye; bring his reply to me; and then fetch my horse from the stable.
BUNCH
Do not use this word for a group of people or animals.
C
CAPITALS
Use capital letters to begin: Proper nouns; all words in headings except articles; Prepositions and
conjunctions; every sentence; and the words Part and Chapter when used as proper nouns; otherwise
use lower case.
Avoid overuse of capital letters, especially in commonly-held titles, section names etc.
Use capital letters when you refer to a specific title-holder, e.g. the Commanding Officer, 'E' Division but
use larches letters when using a title in the general sense, e.g. commanding officers.
Use larches for public service except when referring specifically to the Public Service Commission.
Larches common-noun element in plurals
Example: lakes Superior and Erie, Red and Assiniboine rivers, the Northern and Southern hemispheres,
King and Front streets.
CAVEATS
The usual caveat used by CAB is:
This Intelligence Report contains third party information and cannot be reclassified or
disseminated outside the RCMP without prior consent of the Director, Criminal Intelligence.
1. The following conditions must be included in all outgoing correspondence, messages and documents
being passed to CSIS, other federal government departments and any Canadian police force.
"This record may be subject to mandatory exemption under the Access to Information and Privacy Acts.
If access is requested under that legislation, no decision to disclose should be taken without prior
consultation with the Departmental Privacy Co-ordinator of the RCMP."
2. The following conditions must also be included in all outgoing correspondence, messages and
documents being passed to other domestic and foreign law enforcement agencies/departments.
"This document is the property of the RCMP. It is loaned to your agency/ department in confidence and
it is not to be reclassified or further disseminated without the consent of the originator."
"This document is the property of the Government of Canada. It is provided on condition that it is for use
solely by the intelligence community of the receiving government and that it not be declassified without
the express permission of the Government of Canada."
3. If considered necessary, the following condition is for use when disseminating correspondence,
messages, documents etc., within the RCMP.
"This intelligence should not be reclassified or disseminated outside the RCMP without prior consent of
the originator."
4. The following must be inserted, in all interim reports, in large letters within a box just before the table
of contents; and the word 'interim' must figure on every page thereafter as a header.
"This interim report is based on intelligence made available to the RCMP and collected by (date)
__________. Strategic analysis of the criminal issue that is the focus of this report is ongoing. If your unit
or organization has any further information on the topic, the Criminal Analysis Branch would appreciate
receiving it to ensure the accuracy and completeness of any future strategic reports on the same topic.
The Branch can be contacted at room H-250, RCMP Headquarters, 1200 Vanier Parkway, Ottawa,
Ontario, Canada, telephone no. (613) 998-6097."
5. The following must be inserted, in all report extract, in large letters within a box just before the table of
contents; and the word 'extract' must figure on every page thereafter as a header.
"The original report was based on intelligence made available to the RCMP and collected by (date)
__________. This report extract should not be reclassified or disseminated beyond your unit or
organization without the prior consent of the Director, Criminal Intelligence.
If your unit or organization has any further information on the criminal issue that is the focus of this report
extract, Criminal Analysis Branch would appreciate receiving it to ensure the accuracy and completeness
of any future strategic reports on the same topic. The Branch can be reached at room H-250, RCMP
Headquarters, 1200 Vanier Parkway, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, telephone no. (613) 998-6097."
CHARACTER, REPUTATION
Reputation is what people suppose a person's character to be. Character is what the person really is;
it is his moral stature or worth.
COLLECTIVE NOUNS
A collective noun is followed by a singular verb if the group in question is considered to be a unit, e.g.
troop, barracks, committee, jury.
A plural verb should be used only if the members of the group are considered as individuals.
Quite often, however, use of a plural verb sounds wrong. The difficulty can be overcome by breaking
the noun down.
Example: The (members of the) jury were searching for their hats. The (members of the) committee
were handed a copy of the form.
Expressions denoting quantity are usually singular, for the meaning is to consider the individual units
as a measure.
Ensure there is agreement between collective nouns and any pronouns used for them.
COLON See Lists and Punctuation.
COLOUR
Do not write "blue in colour," "yellow in colour." Write "blue" or "yellow."
COMMA See PUNCTUATION.
COMMON NOUN See NOUN.
COMPARE TO, COMPARE WITH
To liken or to pronounce similar, use compare to. To make a detailed comparison, use compare
with.
Examples: Her experience is not to be compared to the senior NCO's. He compared me with the
senior NCO.
COMPLEMENT, COMPLIMENT
A complement is something that completes or makes perfect; the number required to fill (something).
Example: Since our office has its full complement of staff, we cannot hire a student.
A compliment is something said in praise of a person or her work.
Example: He complimented me on the report.
COMPOSE, COMPRISE, CONSTITUTE, INCLUDE
Compose is a transitive verb most frequently used in the passive voice.
Example: The committee is composed of a chairman, three members and a secretary.
Consist serves the same purpose but is an intransitive verb used in the active voice.
Example: The committee consists of a chairman, three members and a secretary.
Comprise is a transitive verb used in the active voice only, i.e. do not use is comprised of. This word is
usually used incorrectly; use embrace.
Constitute is a transitive verb and is used in the active voice in the context of the parts constituting the
whole.
Example: A chairman, three members and a secretary constitute the committee.
Include usually suggests that the component items in a list are not mentioned in their entirety.
Example: The committee includes three members and a secretary. (The example does not mention
chairman.)
CONSENSUS OF OPINION
Consensus means a collective opinion or general agreement; therefore a consensus of opinion is
redundant.
CONSUL, COUNCIL, COUNSEL, COUNCILLOR, COUNSELLOR
A consul is a representative of a government.
Examples: The consul will issue you your visa. The consul presented his credentials.
A council is a body of people.
Examples: The city council passed the by-law. A labour council in another province offered to help.
Counsel as noun is advice or a lawyer who gives advice.
Examples: My friend gave me wise counsel. His counsel said to settle out of court.
A councillor is a member of a council.
Examples: When the councillor rose to speak, the mayor brought the meeting to order. City councillors often
go on to become members of parliament.
A counsellor gives advice.
Examples: Their friend suggested they talk to a marriage counsellor. His father was a good counsellor in
real estate affairs.
CONTINUAL, CONTINUOUS
Continual implies frequent repetition.
Continuous means "occurring without interruption."
Examples: Since the rainfall was heavy and continuous throughout the night, Larry continually checked the
roof of the tent for leaks. The continuous sound of the chain saw woke me up. The continual errands to the
store annoyed my neighbour.
CONTRACTIONS
Contractions are shortened forms of words, e.g. can't (cannot), don't (do not). Contractions should not be
used.
See also SHOULD HAVE
COPYRIGHT
If literary work is copyrighted, only the author may copy the work or permit someone else to. Copying
includes publishing and reproducing.
You may quote or reproduce minor excerpts from a copyrighted work, without infringing on copyright,
provided you acknowledge the source. There are no firm guidelines concerning the number of words or
pages that you can use; however, the Copyright Office of Consumer and Corporate Affairs Canada
advises that no more than 20 per cent of the entire work should be quoted without obtaining the written
permission of the author. When in doubt, write for permission.
CORRESPONDENCE
Use forms currently on the LAN. Formflow can be used in all cases with the exception of the form for
letters which is incorrect.
Letters prepared for the DCI's signature are to go on his stationery.
CREDIT CARDS
Enter the name of the company followed by the number. Spaces are not permitted in the number.
Example: VISA 23456789112, SEARS 857488899109387.
D
DASH. See PUNCTUATION.
DATA
A plural noun, this word takes a plural verb. The singular is datum and is rarely used.
Example: The data are available now.
DATES
Use the date style for all dates, not just for dates of birth
Begin with the year, followed by the month and day, e.g. 1978 05 29, 1979 09 01.
For systems used by CPIC and Interpol, see Admin. Man. III.2.
Terms like 31st, 60th or VIII require no period; use these only when no month is specified, e.g. on the 15th
of each month, but Jan. 15.
For date of birth, use the following format (CCYY MM DD):
DOB: 1942 06 30 DOB: 1954 00 03 DOB: 1974 05
When citing dates within the document, use the following format (CCYY-MM-DD).
DAY
Capitalize religious holidays and feasts and all special times.
Example: Easter, Christmas.
Decimals. See NUMBERS.
DEPEND
Must be followed by on or upon.
Example: It depends on whether we have received another shipment by then.
DEPENDANT, DEPENDENT
Use dependent as both noun and adjective.
Examples: He has three dependents. The plan is dependent on weather conditions.
DESTROYED
This is definitive. To say totally destroyed is redundant.
DEVICE, DEVISE
Device is a noun; devise a verb.
Example: He devised a new device.
DIFFER FROM, DIFFER WITH
Use differ from when differ means "be unlike."
Example: German Christmas customs differ from ours.
Use differ from or differ with when differ means "disagree."
Examples: I differ from you regarding your interpretation of that policy.
He differs with her on the colour choice.
DIFFERENT THAN
Do not use. Say different from.
Example: My car is different from yours.
DIRECT, DIRECTLY
Direct can be both an adjective and an adverb; directly is an adverb only. Use directly for the sense of
"without delay or immediately," or for the sense of "exactly or precisely."
Examples: He went directly to his boss to ask permission.
Use direct for the sense of without detours or without interruption.
Example: He went direct to the top to get the information.
DISINTERESTED, UNINTERESTED
Disinterested means impartial.
Example: Mr. Jones was considered a disinterested judge.
Uninterested means without interest.
Example: John is uninterested in his job.
DIVISIONAL REFERENCES
Refer to the divisions, their products and officers using a capital letter set off in single quotes.
Example: The 'A' Division report was on his desk.
A division references to non-specific divisions or divisional capabilities should be left lower-case.
Example: The CROPs officers from every division must attend the meeting.
DRIVER'S LICENCE
Enter driver's licences as: DLN: (enter full driver's licence number as given)
DRUGS
A drug is anything used as a medicine. Narcotic refers to drugs derived from opium. Use illicit drugs
or specify the drug type.
DUE TO, BECAUSE OF
Due to is an adjective and should modify nouns and noun forms.
Example: The low voltage is due to faulty wiring.
Because of is used as a preposition.
Example: Because of the drought the wheat crop was a failure.
DUE TO THE FACT THAT
Gobbledegook. Substitute because.
E
EACH
Use the singular pronoun with each.
Example: Each student must provide her (not their) own books.
EACH OTHER, ONE ANOTHER
Each other applies to two persons, animals or things; one another applies to three or more.
Examples: The two boys were hitting each other. The brothers and sisters get along well with one
another.
EARLY DATE, AT AN
Use soon.
EFFECT. See AFFECT.
E.G., I.E.
These two abbreviations have quite distinct meanings, although many people mistakenly use them
interchangeably.
E.G. means for the sake of example and introduces an illustration. Use a comma
before the e.g. unless what follows is a full sentence that requires a
semicolon.
Example: Issue a paging unit to an individual on continuous standby, e.g. a dog handler.
I.e. means that is and introduces a definition. Use a comma before the i.e.
Example: We are meeting on the second Tuesday of this month, i.e. the tenth.
See also FOREIGN WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS.
EITHER, NEITHER
These words refer only to two and require a singular verb.
Examples: Either Jim or I will go. Neither Tom nor Bill was willing.
If you wish to refer to more than two, use any, any one, not one, or none.
Example: I asked Tom, Bill and Dick, but not one of them was willing.
ELICIT, ILLICIT
Elicit is a verb, meaning to draw forth ; to extract - usually without force.
Examples: The speaker elicited a warm response from his audience. An inquiry may fail to elicit
information from a reluctant witness.
Illicit is an adjective meaning "illegal"; "forbidden by law or custom."
Examples: An illicit traffic in opium is in violation of our federal laws. An illicit romance is one that is improper
from a moral standpoint.
ELLIPSIS
Three periods indicate the omission of one or more words within a quoted passage.
Example: The subject who is truly loyal ... will neither advise nor submit to arbitrary measures. -- Djinns.
Four periods indicate the omission of one or more sentences within a quoted passage or the omission of
words at the end of the sentence.
Example: To be or not to be .... -- Shakespeare.
EMIGRATE, IMMIGRATE
To emigrate is to move from one country or place to another. To immigrate is to come into a country or
region of which one is not a native in order to settle there.
Example: After emigrating from Russia, he immigrated to Canada.
EMINENT, IMMINENT
Eminent means "distinguished."
Example: The eminent politician gave a memorable speech.
Imminent means "threatening to occur immediately."
Example: The imminent storm may cause much damage.
ENDNOTES. See REFERENCES, BIBLIOGRAPHY
ENQUIRY, INQUIRY
Use enquiry as a formal word for ask. Use inquiry for an investigation.
Example: The members enquired when the Board of Inquiry was scheduled.
ENSURE, INSURE
Ensure means "to make certain"; insure means "to guarantee against risk or loss by insurance."
EQUALLY AS
As means "to the same degree," or "equally." Therefore equally as is redundant. Use equally.
ET AL.
The phrase et al. means and others. It often appears in legal papers following the names of plaintiffs and
defendants to signify that other persons are involved.
Example: John Smith versus Joel Reed, Mary Reed, et al.
See also FOREIGN WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS.
EVERY
Use the singular pronoun with every.
Example: Every employee must be at his or her (not their) desk.
EX--
A prefix that means former, it is always connected by a hyphen to the word it qualifies.
Examples: ex-president, ex-member, ex-wife
EXAMPLE WHERE
Incorrect for example in which.
EXCEPT. See ACCEPT.
EXPLICIT, IMPLICIT
Explicit means that something is stated so clearly that there should be no misunderstanding.
Example: You have no excuse, for you were given explicit instructions.
Implicit has several meanings, such as "capable of being understood from something else though
unexplained" -- Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary.
Example: His grin conveyed the implicit meaning of his words.
Also "unquestioning, absolute -- Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary.
Example: I have implicit confidence in our leader.
F
FARTHER, FURTHER
Farther indicates space, distance.
Example: He walked two miles farther.
Further means greater in degree, quantity or time, moreover or in addition to.
Example: Further to our telephone conversation, please send me the form.
FEDERAL
Use larches.
Examples: federal government, federal election.
FEWER, LESS
Fewer refers to number; less, to quantity.
Example: The farmer had fewer cows and less wheat than usual.
FILE NUMBER See OCCURENCE NUMBER
FLAMMABLE, INFLAMMABLE
These words mean the same thing.
FLAUNT. FLOUT
Flaunt means to display boastfully or brazenly in a shameless and often offensive manner.
Example: The man flaunted his great wealth by driving in a chauffeured limousine.
Flout means to treat with contempt, sneer or spurn contemptuously.
Example: The arrogant new resident flouted all attempts of her neighbours to be friendly.
FORCE
In reference to the RCMP, do not capitalize. On second reference use RCMP.
Example: It is force policy to refer to sources by their code numbers.
FOREGO, FORGO
Forego means to precede in time or place, i.e. to go before.
Example: Refer to the foregoing paragraph.
Forgo means to relinquish, to go without.
Example: He will forgo his holiday this year.
FOREIGN WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS
Avoid using Latin and other foreign words and expressions. They are often misused by writers and not
easily understood by readers.
Avoid Use
ad hoc for a special purpose
et seq. and following
per annum a year
vis-a-vis in relation to
However, for the sake of brevity, certain common Latin abbreviations are acceptable.
Abbreviation Latin Words Meaning
e.g. exempli gratia for the sake of example
etc. et cetera and others of the same kind
i.e. id est that is
et al. et alia and others
FORMS
Use the format on the LAN Formflow.
See also Correspondence
FORWARD
This word is often mistaken for FOREWORD, which means "a statement preceding the text of a book."
FRACTIONS See NUMBERS
FRANCOPHONE
Use larches "f."
Example: The positions were filled by francophones.
FUNDRAISING
Spell as one word.
FURTHER. See FARTHER.
G
GEOGRAPHY
Capitalize geographic and widely recognized descriptive regions.
Example: the North, Far North, Northern Canada, High Arctic, Western Canada, Central Canada, East
Coast (region not shoreline) Maritime provinces, Prairies, Barrens, the Front, Niagara Peninsula, Nile
Delta, Alaska Panhandle, West End (London), Upstate New York, Southern California, Far East, Orient,
North Atlantic, Central Asia, Western Europe, Western Hemisphere, North Pole, the Pole, Tropic of
Cancer.
Larches points of the compass, mere direction and location, and descriptive regions not widely
recognized as such.
Example: eastern Quebec, southern Ontario, north, to the west of Newfoundland, rain sweeping south,
east coast (shoreline not region) southern Saskatchewan, northwestern Ontario, eastern Newfoundland,
downtown Calgary, north-end Toronto.
But: Northern Ontario (an administrative division)
For spellings of placenames (including placement of accents) refer National Geographic Society spellings
(available in RISS).
GERUND
An "ing" form of the verb that is used as a noun; a verbal noun.
Examples: After drinking our coffee, we went into the living room. Bill enjoys fishing.
Use the possessive pronoun for the agent of the action.
Examples: The plan necessitated my going to Toronto. We are concerned about his drinking.
GOBBLEDEGOOK
Wordy, roundabout, indirect phrases and sentences.
Example: The actual living through or participating in events is likely in the long run to provide
incomparable instructions. Translation: Experience is the best teacher.
GREY, GRAY
Use grey.
Example: John wore a grey coat.
H
HE/SHE. See SEXUAL STEREOTYPING
HEADQUARTERS, HQ-DIVISION
If you mean headquarters of the force, write Headquarters. Do not abbreviate. Do not add the word
Ottawa as it is unnecessary.
If you mean the administrative, financial and personnel functions at Headquarters, write HQ Division.
If you use the word headquarters as an adjective, e.g. Headquarters complex, do not add an
apostrophe.
If you use the word headquarters with the word division, headquarters becomes a proper noun only
when you identify the actual division, e.g. 'L' Division Headquarters. In other cases headquarters is
a common noun, e.g. division headquarters. See also Divisional References
HINT, IMPLY, INTIMATE, INFER
The first three are similar in meaning; infer, however, means to draw a conclusion. A writer or speaker
hints, implies or intimates something, but the reader or listener infers something from what he hears
or reads, the sense of it not having been directly expressed.
Examples: Jack implied he might spend the weekend at home. From your remark, I infer you're not
happy in your job.
HYPHEN. See PUNCTUATION.
I
I.E. See E.G.. I.E.
IF, WHETHER
Use if in conditional clauses; use whether for alternatives.
Examples: If you are ready, we may leave. I don't know whether it is one o'clock or two.
ILLICIT. See ELICIT.
IMMIGRATE. See EMIGRATE.
IMPLICIT. See EXPLICIT.
IMPLY. See HINT.
INCORPORATE
Followed by in not into.
Example: We will incorporate your material in the manual.
INDEX
The plural of index is indexes.
INFER. See HINT.
INQUIRY. See ENQUIRY.
INSIDE
Do not use to mean within.
Example: It will disappear within (not inside) a week.
INSIDE OF
Omit of.
Example: We went inside the building.
INTER, INTRA
Distinguish between the use of these prefixes. The first means "between"; the second, "inside."
Intercollegiate games are played between different colleges; intramural games, between different
groups of the same institution.
INTERJECTIONS. See PARTS OF SPEECH
IRREGARDLESS
No such word. Vulgarism (double negative) for regardless.
IT IS
The contraction for it is is it's do not confuse with the possessive pronoun its.
Examples: Use your umbrella when it's raining.
K
KNOW-HOW
Write with a hyphen.
KILOMETRAGE
This word is the metric equivalent of mileage. The abbreviation for kilometres per hour is km/h.
SEE ALSO METRIC SYSTEM.
L
LATER, LATTER
Later means at an advanced point in time; latter, the second of two.
Examples: On the sundial was inscribed this motto: It's later than you think. Larry couldn't decide at
first whether to take Spanish or French, but he finally chose the latter.
LATIN EXPRESSIONS. See FOREIGN WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS.
LAY, LIE, LAID, LAIN
Lay is a transitive verb requiring an object; lie is intransitive and does not take an object.
Example: They were instructed to lay the cable in such a way that it would lie along the wall.
The principal parts of the two verbs are: lay, laid, laying, laid lie, lay, lying, lain.
LEAVE, LET
To leave means to allow to remain or to depart from. To let means to permit.
Examples: Leave your hat in the hall. We shall leave you for an hour. Let him have the book. Let
him be.
LICENCE PLATE NUMBERS
Enter licence plate numbers as: LPN: XXX111 (no spaces allowed)
LIE. See LAY.
LIKE, AS (AS IF)
Do not confuse the preposition like with the conjunction as (as if). The preposition like should be
followed by a noun or pronoun in the objective case.
Examples: It looks as if (not like) it will rain. (The subordinate clause requires a conjunction.) It
looks like rain. (The phrase requires a preposition). He plays golf like a professional.
LISTS
Use a colon to introduce a list.
If the points in your list are complete sentences, capitalize the first letter of each point and use a period at
the end.
At the end of the second last item in a list punctuated by commas or semicolons, use "and" or "or" preceded
by the same punctuation mark as used at the end of the other items in the list.
Use care in the use of series to avoid needless amplification or repetition of expressions.
SEE ALSO PUNCTUATION
LOT, LOTS
Colloquial for plenty of, many. Say many cars, not lots of cars.
M
MAJORITY IS, ARE
Majority is singular when referring to a group as a unit.
Example: The majority is clearly in favour of the bill.
It is plural when it represents the units as individuals.
Example: A majority of the senators have returned to their homes.
MARITIME PROVINCES
The three Maritime provinces are: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Newfoundland is not a Maritime province. If you are referring to all four provinces on the eastern
seaboard, use the term Atlantic provinces.
MATERIAL, MATERIEL
Use material to indicate fabric or a collection of elements used for a specific purpose, e.g. cotton
material. building materials.
Use materiel to denote all public property. Materiel can include buildings, uniforms, paperclips etc.
MAXIMUM. MINIMUM
Use only when you mean, respectively, the greatest possible or the least possible.
Examples: A maximum of 40 persons can travel on the bus. To travel to Toronto from Ottawa by
car you need a minimum seven hours.
MAY, MIGHT
The second indicates a more remote possibility than the first. This might be satisfactory indicates a
greater uncertainty than This may be satisfactory.
Examples: You may use cars instead of a bus to transport the passengers. You might also use a
truck, but you will have to install seats in the back.
See also CAN.
METRIC SYSTEM (SI)
SI stands for Systeme International d'Unites or International System of Units.
All measurements (Length, mass temperature) should be expressed in the appropriate metric unit.
Conversion tables are in Appendix 1.
MILEAGE
This word became obsolete with the conversion to SI. See KILOMETRAGE.
MINIMIZE
Strictly speaking, minimize does not mean merely to decrease or reduce, but "to reduce to the
smallest possible degree or quantity."
Example: Firemen fight fires to minimize injuries to persons and destruction of property.
MINIMUM. See MAXIMUM.
MODIFIERS
Place a modifier as close as possible to the word it modifies, unless separation is desirable for some
special reason, such as emphasis.
A long series of modifiers can be difficult to understand unless precautions are taken to avoid this. A
simple precaution is to set the modifiers off by commas, with the exception of the last one, e.g. a long,
winding, uphill climb.
MORE COMPLETE, MORE PERFECT, MOST UNIQUE, etc.
Conditions like completion, perfection, uniqueness, roundness, flatness and others cannot be compared
in this manner. A thing is either complete, perfect, or unique, or it is not; if so, it cannot be more so. It is,
however, entirely acceptable to say more nearly perfect or more nearly complete thus indicating a state
approaching perfection or completion.
MOST, ALMOST
Use almost when you mean nearly.
Example: Ted has finished almost (not most) all of the repair work on the car he bought.
MUCH, MANY. See MANY.
N
NEITHER. See EITHER.
NONE
Usually singular and followed by a singular verb, but there are exceptions when the sense is plural.
Examples: None are to blame. None of the pupils was prepared.
NOTE. See EXCEPTION.
NOUNS
A noun is the name of a person, place or thing. There are two kinds of nouns - common and proper.
Common nouns do not require capitals because they refer to everyday objects in a general sense,
e.g. person, division, detachment, town.
Proper nouns refer to particular persons, places or things and must always be capitalized, e.g. John
Brown, 'H" Division, Surrey Detachment, Orleans.
Use concrete nouns that the reader can picture. Be consistent in your terms, e.g. do not interchange
car, vehicle etc.
See also COLLECTIVE NOUNS.
NUMBERS
Never begin a sentence with an Arabic numeral. Either spell the number out or change the sentence
around in such a way that the number will not come first.
Example: Eleven people attended.
In the text of reports, spell out numbers under 10 and use figures for higher numbers. In cases involving
numbers of both types, use figures throughout, unless the small numbers predominate and the remainder
can be conveniently spelled out. It is also customary to refer to large round numbers by means of words,
rather than figures.
Example: There were a thousand fish in each box.
In the mid-1980s
In tables and charts, use figures for all numbers.
Modern usage has established the simplification of very large numbers by means of a combination of
words and figures, especially in the case of money values, e.g. $13 billion.
If possible, use decimals when writing a combination of whole numbers and fractions, e.g. 7.5 days not
seven days, 37.5 hr. not 37 1/2 hr., and use figures instead of spelling out, e.g. 3.5 person-years not
three and one-half person-years.
Where decimals are not possible, use number, virgule, number, e.g. 5,8, 2/5.
The comma should be omitted in writing four-digit numbers, e.g. 4000 or 9423, not 4,000 or 9,423 except
in tabular matter and dollars, e.g. $1,000.
In spelling out compound numbers like 21, 36, 84, or 45, use a hyphen between the two words, e.g.
twenty-one.
In spelling out numbers above 100 the word and is not necessary between the hundred value and that
which follows and should be omitted, e.g. one hundred twenty-four, not one hundred and twenty-four.
When a sum of money consists of dollars alone, with no cents, write the dollar sign and the number only,
omitting the decimal point and the two zeroes that follow, e.g. $12 not $12.00. When the sum consists of
cents only, write the figures followed by the word cents, except in tabular matter, e.g. 48 cents, not $0.48
or 48.
Never use both the spelling and the numeral as in four (4) .
When writing about percentages use the numeral. Do not use the percent symbol %.
Example: The debt has risen 100 per cent.
O
OBLIQUE. See PUNCTUATION: VIRGULE.
OCCURRENCE NUMBER/FILE NUMBER
Omit zero-fills.
Example: 9100000551 enter as 91-551.
OFFICER IN CHARGE
Abbreviate as OIC.
ONE ANOTHER. See EACH OTHER.
ORAL, VERBAL
These two words are synonymous, but oral is preferred for spoken words. Verbal refers to spoken or
written words.
ORGANIZATION. See WRITING - ORGANIZATION.
OUTSTANDING
Do not use with a superlative as in most outstanding.
Example: He is an outstanding artist.
OUTSIDE OF
Omit of.
Example: We went outside the building.
OVERALL
Write as one word.
Example: An overall estimate of the cost is $2,000.
P
PARENTHESES AND BRACKETS. See PUNCTUATION
PASSPORT NUMBERS
Enter as in the following example: PPN: E-6371165 (no spaces allowed).
PASSED, PAST
The verb is passed, past is usually an adjective but may also be an adverb,
noun or preposition.
Example: For the past three years, I have passed that vacant lot every day.
PASSIVE VOICE. See ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICES.
PAY
The past tense is paid, not payed.
Example: I paid for the groceries last week.
See also FOREIGN WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS.
PERCENT. See SYMBOLS and NUMBERS.
PERIOD. See PUNCTUATION.
PLAGIARISM
Whenever you quote word for word from another written source or paraphrase it, you must name that
source. This applies to policies, procedures and, most frequently, definitions taken from other publications.
Your acknowledgement can either take the form of a footnote or a sentence preceding the quotation itself,
e.g. The Treasury Board Canada LACD (1981) states: A limitation on annual increases in monthly shelter
charges ....
See also COPYRIGHT.
PLURALS
When there is a choice between an English plural and a Latin one, the English form is preferred.
Example: Formulas instead of formulae, indexes instead of indices, memorandums instead of
memoranda, appendixes instead of appendices.
Plurals of numbers, letters and signs are written by adding an apostrophe and 's, 2's, a's, &'s.
FOR PLURALS OF ABBREVIATIONS SEE ABBREVIATIONS.
Plurals of compound nouns are formed by adding an s' to the noun (if there is only one) or to the first noun,
e.g. courts martial, Governors-General, commanders-in-chief, Orders-in-Council, sons-in-law, forms 865.
POSSESSIVES
The possessive of nouns not ending in an "s" or "z" sound is formed by adding an apostrophe and s,
e.g. John's shoes, the cat's ball.
The possessive of words ending in e.g. Jones' house, provinces' resources (plural).
The possessive of plural nouns is formed by adding the apostrophe after the s.
Example: My three daughters' teachers went on holiday together.
The possessive of words ending in x or z is formed by adding an apostrophe and s," e.g. Steinmetz's
great achievement, the fox's den.
Words that modify a gerund (the noun form of a verb: the ringing of the bell, the roaring of the storm)
should be in the possessive case.
Example: This necessitated my going (not I or me going) to Toronto.
The possessive is the correct form in such expressions as a day's pay, five days' pay, a year's time.
The possessive form of it is is "its," with no apostrophe.
Example: The cat is playing with its ball. The computer's cost is its major drawback.
PRACTICAL, PRACTICABLE
Practical is the opposite of theoretical; practicable means workable.
Examples: He is a practical mechanic. The scheme is delightful, but not practicable.
Fowler's Modern English Usage distinguishes between these two words in the following manner: "...
practicable means capable of being effected or accomplished, and practical means adapted to actual
conditions."
PRECEDE, PROCEED
Precede means to go before; proceed, to go or continue.
Examples: The reception preceded the presentation. We will proceed on our journey tomorrow.
PREPOSITIONS
A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between its object and the rest of the sentence, e.g.
into, upon, along, with, of, like, to. Try to avoid interposing words between a preposition and its object
since this may lead to awkwardness.
Example: He conforms to, although he does not always agree with, the rules. This reads more smoothly
as: "He conforms to the rules although he does not always agree with them.
It is not incorrect to end a sentence with a preposition; in fact, efforts to avoid this often result in
awkwardness.
PRINCIPAL, PRINCIPLE
Principal is an adjective meaning "most important" and a noun meaning "head of a school" or "a sum
of money on which interest is paid"; principle is used only as a noun meaning "a basic truth or a rule of
conduct."
Example: The principal of our school is a man of principle.
PROCEED. See PRECEDE.
PROPER NOUNS. See NOUNS
PROVIDED/PROVIDING
As a conjunction meaning on condition, if, use provided.
Example: He will get the loan provided his salary is $12,000 or more.
PUBLIC
This word is usually considered to mean a group, not individual persons, and requires a singular verb.
Example: The public has the right to know.
PUNCTUATION
Use punctuation to ensure your reader understands your intent.
Apostrophe
Use the apostrophe to show possession.
Examples: We have used Smith's products for years. He used the sergeant's notepad. I gave the letter
to the NC0's secretary.
Use the apostrophe to indicate the omission of letters in a word, e.g. cannot, can't ; it is, "it's ; I will, I'll."
Use the apostrophe to indicate the plural of letters and figures, e.g. 2's, m's. Do not use an apostrophe
to indicate the plural of abbreviations.
Example: The NCOs are meeting in room 427.
See also POSSESSIVES.
Colon
Use the colon to introduce a list of items
Example: The boat contains: life jackets, oars and rope.
The meeting was attended by:
Mr. Jones, the barber;
Mrs. Smith, the nurse;
Mr. Brown, the electrician; and
Mr. Green, the gardener.
Use the colon to introduce a clause or phrase that explains, illustrates or restates what has gone before.
Example: The report was poorly constructed: it lacked both organization and clarity.
Comma
Use only as many commas as are necessary to make sense. It is often best to rearrange your material
or reword your text.
Example: Poor The comma, a versatile punctuation mark, is, to say the least, one of the most,
if not the most, overworked punctuation.
Better The comma, a versatile punctuation mark, is often the most overworked
punctuation.
Use a comma in place of parenthetical expressions.
Example: Mr. Smith, as you know, is very famous.
See LISTS for the use of a comma in a series.
Use a comma to prevent ambiguity.
Example: The promotion allowing for transfer expenses actually cost the employee a month's pay.
(Commas are needed after the words promotion and expenses.)
Use a comma to set off an introductory phrase or dependent clause.
Example: If you require expense money, state this requirement in your application.
Use a comma to separate independent statements, usually co-ordinate clauses, joined by the conjunctions
and, but or for.
Dash
The difference between the comma, the dash and parentheses, in indicating departures from the main
thought of a sentence, is one of degree. The comma is used to indicate a mild break, the dash indicates
a stronger break and parentheses a completely different thought.
Hyphen
The hyphen (-) is used to divide words at the ends of typeset lines and to join the components of
compound expressions.
The trend in spelling compound words is away from the use of hyphens; the preference is to spell them
as solid words as soon as they are accepted as permanent compounds.
Write as one word, compounds with anti, bi, co, inter, intra, multi, non, post, re, semi, sub, trans, tri
except where there are consecutive duplicate vowels, e.g. anticlimax, bimonthly, coexist,
interdepartmental, multicolored, nonactive, post date, semiannual, subcommittee; but co-operate, co-ordinate, pre-eminent, semi-invalid.
Use a hyphen when combining a prefix and a proper noun, e.g. pre-Cambrian, anti-Communist.
Use a hyphen with a stressed prefix and a root word when the combination is similar to a different word,
e.g. re-cover a sofa but recover from an illness.
Hyphenate two or more words, complete in themselves, which are combined into one modifying adjective,
e.g. well-equipped shop, navy-blue jackets.
Use a hyphen when a series of hyphenated adjectives has a common element and the element is only
mentioned once, e.g. long- and short-term loans, RCMP-owned or -leased property.
Do not use hyphens:
1. when a compound adjective is placed after the noun it describes, e.g. The well-known man BUT The
man is well known .
2. in often-used combinations of verbs plus prepositions, e.g. layoff, printout, shutdown.
Parentheses and Brackets
Parentheses means 'an insertion beside; something outside the basic meaning of the sentence.' The
sentence is logically or grammatically complete without the material contained within the parentheses.
Parentheses are used to set off words of explanation or comment, or an afterthought.
Example: When the news of Johnson's death reached Brattleboro (the farm he owned lies on the west
bank of the river about three miles away), the townsfolk decided to hold a memorial service.
They are also used to indicate something that is indirectly related to the thought of the sentence but not
actually connected by construction with it.
Example: The only comfort I can give him (cold comfort, I am afraid because the championship is lost) is to
say that he put up a good fight.
Parentheses may be used to enclose one or more entire sentences standing between other sentences
in a single paragraph - or even an entire paragraph. In such cases, all the punctuation, including the final
period, is enclosed within the parentheses. Where the parentheses enclose material within a single
sentence and come at the end of that sentence, the final punctuation (period) should be outside the
parentheses.
Do not use parentheses to set off a cross-reference when the cross-reference is a new sentence.
Example: See App. II-17-1.
Period
Use the period at the end of complete sentences. Make your work easier to read and understand by
keeping sentences short.
Do not use periods in all abbreviations and acronyms.
See also ABBREVIATIONS and ELLIPSIS.
Quotation Marks
Use quotation marks: to enclose the exact words of the spoken or written language you are citing; to
set off titles of books, chapters, etc. when italics are not used; and to mark a word or phrase being
used in a special way.
l. Periods and commas always go inside the closing quotation mark.
Examples: He said, "I can send it at once."
2. Colons and semicolons always go outside the closing quotation mark.
Examples: "He is known as a doubting Thomas": he always needs proof.
3. Use single quotation marks for a quotation within a quotation.
Example: His letter reads, "We appreciate your saying, 'This is an excellent product.'"
4. When two or more paragraphs are quoted, place quotation marks at the beginning of each paragraph
and at the end of the last paragraph.
5. Avoid overuse and abuse of quotation marks, e.g. The room was a 'shambles.' (The word is a
common colloquialism and does not need quotation marks.)
Semicolon
See also LISTS for the use of semicolons in a series.
1. Use a semicolon to separate clauses in compound sentences that are not joined by a conjunction.
Example: He did not order individual air-conditioning units; he prefers a central unit.
2. Use a semicolon to separate clauses of a compound sentence joined by a conjunctive adverb, e.g.
moreover, however, therefore, so, hence, thus, then, also, besides.
Examples: That model is no longer made; therefore, we suggest our new design. We promised delivery next month; however, we find we can ship this week.
3. Use a semicolon to separate sentences that are long or form a series containing commas within
themselves.
Example: We were pleased to learn from your last report that business has increased; that profits, despite
increased costs, are improving; and that you see evidence of a larger volume next year.
Square Brackets
1. Use square brackets to enclose material inserted into a text by an editor or critic, not the author.
Example: The chairman of the board recently pointed out [see speech printed in the company's annual report]
that exports to Britain this year are rising.
2. They are also used to enclose such phrases as [to be continued], [continued on page 10], [sic] and
to enclose translations of titles.
Virgule
A virgule is a slanting stroke (/) between two words indicating either word applies. CO/Director.
Distinguish carefully between the use of this mark and the hyphen; 120/250 people means 120 or
250 people whereas 120-250 means 120 to 250 people inclusive.
Q
QUANTITY
Quantity means amount and refers to things that are measurable but cannot be counted. Do not
use quantity to express the thought of number.
Example: A number of manuals; not a quantity of manuals.
See also AMOUNT, NUMBER.
QUOTATION MARKS. See PUNCTUATION.
R
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations go to the director under separate cover with a covering letter to the DCI from
the OIC CAB.
REFERENCES
When quoting a literary work you must name the source so others can follow up.
When material from one publication is either paraphrased or directly quoted in another publication, the
original source of the information must by law be acknowledged. Acknowledging that material is taken from
somewhere else is called citing a reference.
See also COPYRIGHT.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
In bibliography number references in alphabetical order and use the following style:
Strunk, Jr., William, and White, E. B. The Elements of Style. New York; The Macmillan Company,
1979
References to newspapers or periodicals should be written as follows:
MacGreggor, Roy. "Fight Night at the Civic Centre," in The Ottawa Citizen; Apr. 26, 1994. Sec. D1, pp.
1.
The information that should be included when first citing a reference is the author, title, publisher, place
and date of publication and, sometimes, the page numbers that the material is borrowed from. Any writers'
manual or handbook explains in detail the proper format for a variety of references.
Do not refer to cases without expanding. Identify the file number so anyone can look it up. References
are given at the end of the sentence, inside the period and inside brackets, if there are two references they
are inside the same bracket but separated by a comma.
Example: Joe went to the store to buy candy (x94000123, x94000001).
Faxes
If using fax or telex give the full number, another reader should be able to locate the exact fax used.
Examples: CID/CAB/94-21/34 not
J Division fax 93-08-12
Figures
Refer to figure numbers, not diagrams and if the figures are not integrated into the text indicate the page.
Example: See figure 4, p. 16.
Footnotes
Footnotes are not an option on SCIS/NCDB so introduce a reference, possibly telling something about the
author to indicate why you give it credibility. In most cases a sentence or paragraph can be rewritten to
avoid the need for a sub-textual citation.
Reliability and Security Classification Codes
At the end of each paragraph should be, in brackets, the reliability code, the security classification and the
source of the information. The security classification will identify the classification of the most sensitive
information in the paragraph.
Reliability codes are to be placed, if available, at the end of each paragraph or item of information.
Information entered on i2 cards should also be graded for reliability, where possible. The program can be
altered to reflect the RCMP standard. RCMP policy on reliability codes is:
R Reliable--This represents proven accuracy of information and proven dependability of
the source. The member should attempt to validate information before grading it reliable.
BR Believed Reliable--Applies if the qualifying conditions of reliable are not yet met, but
existing knowledge of the source is favourable and it is believed he/she will eventually prove
to be reliable.
UR Unknown Reliability--Applies if there is insufficient experience with the source for
assessment or when information cannot be verified.
DR Doubtful Reliability--Applies if there is doubt about the source or the information.
Information for court purposes must include a "C" in the assessment, e.g. BRC, Believed Reliable - can
be used for court.
Source and information do not have to be categorized identically.
REMAINDER. See BALANCE.
REPUTATION. See CHARACTER.
S
SEMICOLON. See PUNCTUATION.
SENTENCES
Keep sentences short and simple without sacrificing clarity.
Limit sentences to one thought or idea, where possible.
SERIES. See LISTS.
SEXUAL STEREOTYPING
It is the policy of the force to use language that is free of sexual stereotyping. Both women and men now
work in jobs that were traditionally looked upon as exclusively male or female occupations and it is
important to use language that applies to both sexes. Here are some examples of terms that are no longer
acceptable and their preferred replacements:
NO YES
Policeman Member; police officer
Member's wife Member's spouse
Two-man team Two-member team
Dogmaster Dog handler
Man-year Person-year
Manpower Human resources; staff; personnel
Man-made Synthetic; artificial
Do not use the pronoun "he" alone unless the statement applies to men only, e.g. clothing and kit for
men. Use "he/she (or 'she/he"), or rearrange the sentence into a plural or neutral form.
Example:
NO YES
Each member completes his tour Each member completes a tour of duty
of duty in two years. in two years.
Each member completes his/her tour of
duty in two years.
members complete their tours of duty
in two years.
SHALL, WILL. See WILL.
SHOULD HAVE
Use only should have (could have, would have). The idiom "should of" (could of, would of) is a vulgarism
probably resulting from the spoken contraction should've (could've, would've) and should never be used.
SIC
This word means "so, thus" and is inserted in brackets after a quotation to indicate that it is accurately
reproduced even though it may seem questionable or incorrect.
SIMPLE LANGUAGE
Simple language improves communication. It also makes technical language much
easier to read. This does not mean technical language should not be used, but rather that the structure
that conveys the technical language should be simple.
Use simple words - words that most readers understand easily. Words do not necessarily have to be short
to be simple and easily understood.
Use simple construction. Do not use more words than are needed. Guard against ambiguity. Use direct
rather than round-about statements (active is better than passive voice). Keep your sentences and
paragraphs short.
SLANT, SLASH. See PUNCTUATION - Virgule.
SOCIAL INSURANCE NUMBER
Enter as follows: SIN: 123-456-789
SOME TIME, SOMETIME, SOMETIMES
As a noun form, use two words.
Sometime as an adverb means "at some not specified or definitely known time." Sometime as an adjective means "former." Sometimes means "occasionally, now and then."
Examples: He will need some time to finish the report. (noun) I will go to France sometime next year.
(adverb) Sometimes, they are away. (adverb) A sometime professor of English. (adjective)
SPELLING
Criminal intelligence directorate dictionary standard is the Oxford. Webster's Dictionary is the force
standard and was chosen as such for the amount of technical terminology it contains. Therefore, in cases
where an Oxford definition/spelling of a word cannot be found, refer to Webster's.
STYLE AND FORMAT
Use simple words and construction.
The document's security classification should appear on each page.
Recognize the contributions of groups and/or individuals on a separate page at the beginning of the
report. Format to be established for 1994 reports.
The title page of every report should include a statement pertaining to when the data collection
ceased. Correct wording is:
Research for this Intelligence Report was completed on November 12th, 1993 and is based on
intelligence available to that date.
Title pages will not include the name of the author but will include the branch and the directorate, with
the caveat.
SUBSTANTIVE
A substantive is a word or word group functioning as a noun.
SUBPOENA
This word is both a noun and a verb. The plural is subpoenas; the other verb forms are subpoenaed
and subpoenaing.
Examples: He was served with a subpoena. (noun) He was subpoenaed. (verb)
SUPERFLUOUS WORDS
The use of more words than are necessary to express one 's meaning is called redundancy. Use of a
word or phrase that is unnecessary because its meaning is clearly conveyed by the rest of the
statement is known as tautology. Both should be avoided.
SYMBOLS
The use of symbols, e.g. % for percent, # for number, @ for at, although proper and often advisable in
tabular matter, should be avoided in textual matter. Monetary symbols, such as the dollar and pound signs,
are exceptions.
T
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The plural of table of contents is tables of contents.
TAKE. See BRING.
TEACH. See LEARN.
TELEX
Use only when referring to CN/CP telecommunications equipment. Otherwise use the word
message.
THAN, THEN
Than is a conjunction used to introduce the second part of a comparison.
Example: This car is faster than that car.
Then is an adverb referring to time.
Example: Drive past the store, then turn left.
THAT IS
Use the abbreviation i.e. (id est).
See E .G., I.E.
THE. See ARTICLES.
THEREFOR, THEREFORE
Therefor is an adverb meaning "for this, for that, for it." Therefore is also an adverb, but means
"consequently, for that reason, as result of that."
Example: He was the only candidate; therefore he was elected by acclamation.
TITLES. See HEADINGS.
TOGETHER WITH
Use with.
TOO
Can be used for "very" or "as well."
Examples: Isn't it just too sweet? It shouldn't make us shut our eyes to other things, too.
U
UNDERLINING. See BOLDFACE TYPE.
UNINTERESTED. See DISINTERESTED.
USE, UTILIZE
There is no distinction in meaning between these two verbs: utilize is simly a longer, more
pretentious version of use and should be avoided.
W
WHETHER OR NOT
Usually the words or not are superfluous. Example: I don't know whether it will work.
However, if you are giving equal stress to the alternatives, the or not is necessary.
Example: We will play football on Sunday whether it is raining or not.
WHICH, WHO, THAT
Concerning the use of which, who or that, H.W. Fowler, in 'A Dictionary of Modern English Usage,"
makes three broad statements:
1. For which and that, which is appropriate to non-defining and that to de-fining clauses.
Examples: The river, which here is tidal, is dangerous, BUT The river that flows through London is the
Thames.
2. For which and who, which belongs to things and who to persons.
Examples: The crew, which consisted of Canadians, won the race, BUT Six Canadians, who formed the crew,
won the race.
3. For who and that, who suits particular persons and that generic persons.
Examples: He who laughs last, laughs best. She is the type of woman that inspires confidence.
When used as a pronoun, which must have an antecedent; it must refer to something. It should stand
as close to the noun or pronoun it refers to as the structure of the sentence will permit.
Example: During the year, the company took physical inventory which disclosed numerous shortages.
Which should not be used to join two separate thoughts when they should be separate sentences.
Examples: (Incorrect) The company could save $50 in expenses, which would allow for free coffee for the
staff. (Correct) The company could save $50 in expenses. The savings would allow for free coffee for the
staff.
WITHER. See IF.
See also SIMPLE LANGUAGE, ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICES, LISTS
X
X-RAY
As a noun, write without a hyphen; as a verb or adjective, write with a hyphen. It is usually written with a
capital.
Examples: chest X ray (noun); X-ray the chest (verb); X-ray Department (adjective).
APPENDIX 1
Height weight conversion chart
KG. LBS. KG. LBS. KG. LBS. KG. LBS.
43 95 58 128 73 161 88 194
44 96 59 129 73 162 89 195
44 97 59 130 74 163 89 196
44 98 59 131 74 164 89 197
45 99 60 132 75 165 90 198
45 100 60 133 75 166 90 199
46 101 61 134 76 167 91 200
46 102 61 135 76 168 91 201
47 103 62 136 77 169 92 202
47 104 62 137 77 170 92 203
48 105 63 138 78 171 93 204
48 106 63 139 78 172 93 205
49 107 64 140 78 173 93 206
49 108 64 141 79 174 94 207
49 109 64 142 79 175 94 208
50 110 65 143 80 176 95 209
50 111 65 144 80 177 95 210
51 112 66 145 81 178 96 211
51 113 66 146 81 179 96 212
52 114 67 147 82 180 97 213
52 115 67 148 82 181 97 214
53 116 68 149 83 182 98 215
53 117 68 150 83 183 98 216
54 118 68 151 83 184 98 217
54 119 69 152 84 185 99 218
54 120 69 153 84 186 99 219
55 121 70 154 85 187 100 220
55 122 70 155 85 188 100 221
56 123 71 156 86 189 101 222
56 124 71 157 86 190 101 223
57 125 72 158 87 191 102 224
57 126 72 159 87 192 102 225
58 127 73 160 88 193 103 226
KG. LBS. KG. LBS. KG. LBS. KG. LBS.
103 227 119 260 133 293 148 326
104 228 119 261 134 294 149 327
104 229 119 262 134 295 149 328
105 230 120 263 135 296 150 329
105 231 120 264 135 297 150 330
105 232 120 265 135 298 150 331
106 233 121 266 136 299 151 332
106 234 122 267 136 300 151 333
107 235 122 268 137 301 152 334
107 236 122 269 137 302 152 335
108 237 123 270 138 303 153 336
108 238 123 271 138 304 153 337
109 239 124 272 139 305 154 338
109 240 124 273 139 306 154 339
110 241 125 274 140 307 155 340
110 242 125 275 140 308 155 341
110 243 125 276 140 309 155 342
111 244 126 277 141 310 156 343
111 245 126 278 141 311 156 344
112 246 127 279 142 312 157 345
112 247 127 280 142 313 157 346
113 248 128 281 143 314 158 347
113 249 128 282 143 315 158 348
114 250 129 283 144 316 159 349
114 251 129 284 144 317 159 350
115 252 130 285 145 318 160 351
115 253 130 286 145 319 160 352
115 254 130 287 145 320 160 353
116 255 131 288 146 321 161 354
116 256 131 289 146 322 161 355
117 257 132 290 147 323 162 356
117 258 132 291 147 324 162 357
118 259 133 292 148 325 163 358
FT. IN. CM. FT. IN. CM. FT. IN. CM.
4' 11" 150 5' 7" 170 6' 3" 191
4' 11.5" 151 5' 7.5" 171 6' 3.5" 192
5' 152 5' 8" 173 6' 4" 193
5' 0.5" 154 5' 8.5" 174 6' 4.5" 194
5' 1" 155 5' 9" 175 6' 5" 196
5' 1.5" 156 5' 9.5" 177 6' 5.5" 197
5' 2" 157 5' 10" 178 6' 6" 198
5' 2.5" 159 5' 10.5" 179 6' 6.5" 199
5' 3" 160 5' 11" 180 6' 7" 201
5' 3.5" 161 5' 11.5" 182 6' 7.5" 202
5' 4" 163 6' 183 6' 8" 203
5' 4.5" 164 6' 0.5" 184 6' 8.5" 204
5' 5" 165 6' 1" 185 6' 9" 206
5' 5.5" 166 6' 1.5" 187 6' 9.5" 207
5' 6" 168 6' 2" 188 6' 10" 208
5' 6.6" 169 6' 2.5" 189 6' 10.5" 210