ENGLISH LANGUAGE PUNCTUATION MARKS
Italics
9. English Language Punctuation - Italics
Why is a section on italics appearing in a chapter on punctuation? The purpose of italics very closely resembles the purpose of punctuation, to make meaning clear and reading easier. According to Words Into Type (Skillin et al. 1974), "Italics are used to distinguish letters, words, or phrases from the rest of the sentence so that the writer's thought or the meaning and use of the italicized words will be quickly understood." Italics are used to distinguish elements to be emphasized, special terminology, symbols, and words or letters to be differentiated from text. In addition, there are several conventional uses for italics. In typewritten text, underscore replaces italics and should be used only when absolutely necessary. In many instances, underscore is not used in typewritten text when italics would be appropriate in typeset text.
9. a) English Language Punctuation - Italics for Emphasis
Words may be italicized when they would be stressed if spoken (Ebbitt and Ebbitt 1982). Italics are especially appropriate if the emphasis would be lost when written: Of all the events affecting Langley history, only two have caused major trauma. The second was the Sputnik crisis. Only rarely would a whole sentence be italicized for emphasis and never a whole passage (Chicago Press 1982). As a matter of fact, overuse of italics causes them to lose their force. Italics for special effects "are used less and less ..., especially by mature writers who prefer to obtain their effect structurally ... writers who find themselves underlining frequently for emphasis might consider (a) whether many of the italics are not superfluous, the emphasis being apparent from the context, or (b) if the emphasis is not apparent, whether it cannot be achieved more gracefully by recasting the sentence" (Chicago Press 1982). Consider the following sentences: Although holographic interferometry and modulation transfer function techniques were applied, a simple shadowgraph system eventually identified the flow-visualization problem. The flow-visualization problem was eventually identified not by holographic interferometry, not by modulation transfer function techniques, but by a simple shadowgraph system.
9. b) English Language Punctuation - Italics for Special Terminology
A key term in a discussion or a technical term accompanied by its definition is often italicized on first use: Caustics, concentrations of light corresponding to a family of rays, manifest themselves as bright streaks on the photographs. For coined terms or technical terms used in a nonstandard way, quotes are preferred to italics.
9. c) English Language Punctuation - Italics for Differentiation
Italicize a word used not to represent an idea as usual, but as the word itself:
A colon is not used after that is, for example, or such as. Likewise, letters used as letters are italicized: The operator presses the letter n to indicate "no" and the letter y to indicate "yes."
Letters indicating shape (V-tail, L-shaped), letter designations (case A, appendix C), and letters indicating subdivisions (figure 1(a), equation (2c)) are not italic. Sans serif letters may be used to indicate shape, but roman type is also acceptable. Note that the plurals of italic words used as words and italic letters used as letters are formed with roman s's: and's, if's, and but's i's and o's
9. d) English Language Punctuation - Italics for Symbology
Most mathematical symbols and letter symbols representing a physical concept are italic, whether within roman or italic text. Chemical symbols, computer symbols, and abbreviations are not italic. Symbols representing vectors, tensors, and matrices may be set in boldface roman type if available. In typewritten text, we recommend double spacing around symbols to distinguish those that would normally be italic.
9. e) English Language Punctuation - Conventional Uses for Italics
There are several items that are italicized by convention: Titles and subtitles of books, reports,5 compilations, newspapers, and periodicals are italicized, but not titles of articles, meeting papers, theses, papers in compilations, or patents: Slater, Philip N. 1980: Remote Sensing---Optics and Optical Systems. Addison-Wesley Publ. Co., Inc. Elterman, L. 1970: Vertical-Attenuation Model With Eight Surface Meteorological Ranges 2 to 14 Kilometers. AFCRL-70-0200, U.S. Air Force, Mar. (Available from DTIC as AD 707 488.) Bowker, D. E.; Davis, R. E.; Von Ofenheim, W. H. C.; and Myrick, D.~L. 1983: Estimation of Spectral Reflectance Signatures From Spectral Radiance Profiles. Proceedings of the Seventeenth International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, Volume II, Environmental Research Inst. of Michigan, pp. 795--814. English Language Punctuation - Allen, William A.; and Richardson, Arthur J. 1968: Interaction of Light With a Plant Canopy. J. Opt. Soc. America, vol. 58, no. 8, Aug., pp. 1923--1928.
Most authorities on style do not indicate whether or not to italicize report titles; Tichy and Fourdrinier (1988) recommend italics for titles of long reports. We prefer italic report titles.
Weidner, Elizabeth H.; and Drummond, J. Philip 1981: A Parametric Study of Staged Fuel Injector Configurations for Scramjet Applications. AIAA-81-1468, July. Nemeth, Michael Paul 1983: Buckling Behavior of Orthotropic Composite Plates With Centrally Located Cutouts. Ph.D. Diss., Virginia Polytechnic Inst. & State Univ., May.
Foreign words that will be unfamiliar to readers are italicized, but not foreign proper names (Challais-Meudon, Gottingen), foreign currency (lira, franc), foreign titles of documents, or foreign phrases that have been adopted into English. (See list of foreign words and phrases, Words Into Type). Biological names of genera, species, and varieties are italicized, but not higher classifications. Refer to CBE (1978) for more complete information. The name of a specific aircraft, spacecraft, ship, or train is italicized, but not the name or designation of a class of craft or the abbreviations S.S. or H.M.S.: S.S. United States Space Shuttle Columbia Apollo 12 but DC-3 F-14 Tomcat Project Apollo
9. f) English Language Punctuation - Italics With Typefaces Other Than Roman
The rules and guidelines discussed so far in this section are based on the assumption that the surrounding text is roman. If the surrounding text is not roman, adjustments must be made: The typeface used for symbols remains italic even when the surrounding typeface changes. Items other than symbols that are normally set in italic on roman type are set in roman on italic type. Items other than symbols that are normally set in italic on roman type may be quoted in caps and small caps or boldface type.
9. g) English Language Punctuation - Italics With Punctuation
The standard printer's rule is to set punctuation marks in the typeface of the letter preceding them. This rule does not apply to parentheses and brackets however. Also Skillin et al. (1974) prefer that quotation marks, question marks, and exclamation marks, as well as parentheses, be set according to the context of the sentence.
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