The OCV Style Guide is used for the handbook and public-facing materials. It provides guidelines to keep our content and communications consistent and effective. It is a living document and should be referenced often for the latest guidance.
Table of Contents
Use the most popular U.S. English spelling and phrasing.
Whenever possible, use active voice instead of passive voice.
Active voice identifies the subject that performs the action. In the example below, “Contributors write the handbook,” it’s easy to see who is doing what. Active voice is closer to the style used in conversation and is especially important for localization.
In passive voice, “The handbook is written by the contributor,” the subject receives the action. This sentence uses more words and takes longer to identify the subject.
The table below shows more comparisons between active and passive voice.
Active | Passive |
---|---|
Contributors write the handbook. | The handbook is written by the contributor. |
Remove your shoes before entering the house. | Shoes should be removed before entering the house. |
The cat dropped the phone on the floor. | The phone was dropped on the floor by the cat. |
For clarity, spell out acronyms at first use. For example, “POC” can mean either “proof-of-concept” or “point-of-contact”. Use the format “proof-of-concept (POC)” on first use.