Style Guide for Operation Smile

By Joshua Mitchell
Updated: February 28, 2015
Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org) is an international children's medical charity that
performs safe, effective cleft lip and cleft palate surgery, and delivers postoperative and ongoing
medical therapies to children in low and middle income countries. Operation Smile is more than
a charity. Operation Smile is a mobilized force of international medical professionals and caring
hearts. Operation Smile is a pioneer in advocating the importance of safe surgery in resource
poor environments and is the largest surgical charity of its kind, leading research into the causes
of cleft lip and cleft palate, and its prevention, treatment, and eradication.
This in-house style guide provides an outline and guideline for consistent English grammar,
usage, and conventions for the Operation Smile website and documentation, thus facilitating
their understanding by non-English visitors. Operation Smile will comply with the standards set
in The Chicago Manual of Style (Sixteenth Edition). This style guide covers several categories
covered by Chicago; however, there are additional categories not covered by Chicago that will
increase the efficiency, consistency and clarity of Operation Smiles website and documents.
Since Operation Smile is a global organization, this style guide also includes categories that
appeal to international audiences.

Contents
5. Grammar and Usage
5.2 Passive Voice
5.3 Pronoun Agreement (Number)
5.4 Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses
5.5 Placement of Modifiers
5.6 Ambiguous Modifiers
5.10 This, That, These, and Those as Pronouns
6. Punctuation
6.1 Spacing between Sentences
6.3 Commas to Separate Main Clauses
6.4 Serial Comma
6.5 Commas with Locations
6.6 Commas with Dates
6.8 Introductory Adverbials
6.10 Em Dashes
6.11 Slashes
7. Spelling, Distinctive Treatment of Words, And Compounds
7.2 Possessives versus Contractions
8. Names and Terms
8.1 Name Consistency
8.3 Punctuation of US
9. Numbers
9.1 Small Numbers
9.2 Money

5. GRAMMAR AND USAGE

5.2 Passive Voice
Voice shows whether the subject acts or is acted on. Passive voice is when the subject is
acted on and it is common and used often. A passive-voice verb in a modifying phrase
often has an implied be-verb.
Operation Smile was founded to provide surgical treatment for children...
5.3 Pronoun Agreement (Number)
Pronouns and other parts of speech in a given sentence must agree in number always. If
the subject is singular, the verb must match by being in the singular form.
He was published in numerous medical journals...
They were published in numerous medical journals...
5.4 Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses
A clause or phrase that is restrictive is essential to the meaning of the noun that it belongs
to. A nonrestrictive clause or phrase is not necessarily essential to the meaning of the
sentence; thus, it should be enclosed in commas. The first example contains a restrictive
modifier and the second example contains a nonrestrictive modifier.
The group that supports Operation Smile has written a check.
The group, which is half male and half female, has written a check.
5.5 Placement of Modifiers
Modifiers should be placed immediately following the noun that they modify. If the
modifier does not follow the noun it modifies, the entire sentence becomes ambiguous.
The first example is correct and the second example is incorrect.
Those children with cleft palate are on the bus.
Those children are on the bus with cleft palate.
5.6 Ambiguous Modifiers
If a modifier is ambiguous, it is recommended that the sentence or phrase be reworded.
5.10 This, That, These, and Those as Pronouns
This, That, These, and Those can be used as pronouns that refer to things previously
stated.

This was further complicated by the fact that they had no financial reserves...
6. PUNCTUATION
6.1 Spacing between Sentences
In between every pair of sentences, a single space should be used instead of two spaces.
Also, one space is required after a colon used within a sentence.
Every three minutes a child is born with a cleft. A child with a cleft has twice the odds of
dying before their first birthday.
6.3 Commas to Separate Main Clauses
When there are two main clauses in a single sentence, they must be separated by a
comma, only if the two clauses can create two individual sentences.
Most children with cleft lip or cleft palate live in less fortunate countries, and children
that live in more well-to-do countries still sometimes need help with cleft lip and cleft
palate surgeries.
6.4 Serial Comma
Items in a series should be separated by commas. When a conjunction connects the last
two elements in a series, a comma does not, however, appear before the conjunction.
Children with cleft conditions who survive may have difficulty eating, speaking, hearing
or breathing properly.
6.5 Commas with Locations
When talking about a location in any running text, there is always a comma after every
element of the location. When a location is written in a postal address, there are commas
after every element except the last.
In 2009, John Smith, from Seattle, WA, decided to...
Operation Smile
3641 Faculty Boulevard
Virginia Beach, VA 23453 U.S.A.
6.6 Commas with Dates

As with locations, there should be a comma after every element of a date in running text.
In a title or as an abbreviation that is standing alone, there are commas after every
element except the last.
Since January 19, 1982, Operation Smile...
Ceremonies begin on May 18, 2002
6.8 Introductory Adverbials
When an adverbial introduces a sentence, it must be separated from the main clause by a
comma.
And in too many cases, their parents can't afford the surgeries they need to live a
productive life.
6.10 Em Dashes
The em dash is the most common of the dashes and is often called the dash. It can be
used instead of commas, parentheses, or colons. Em dashes are often used to set off an
amplifying or explanatory element in a sentence.
Through our education initiatives, partner countries are given specialized skills to treat
children with facial deformities on their own with their own resources, volunteers and
medical professionals, making our impact even greater than we could with international
medical missions alone.
6.11 Slashes
The slash is also commonly known as the virgule, solidus, slant, or forward slash to
distinguish it from a backwards slash. Slashes can be used to signify alternatives, to
indicate several year spans, and they can be used with dates, abbreviations, URLs, or as
fraction bars. When a slash is used, there are no spaces before or after.
Quilts/blankets/afghans
7. SPELLING, DISTINCTIVE TREATMENT OF WORDS, AND COMPOUNDS
7.2 Possessives versus Contractions
Possessives and contractions have different uses but both require an apostrophe. A
possessive indicates that something belongs to someone. A possessive is written by
adding s to the end of a noun. A contraction is a shortened combination of two or more
words. The second word is usually a simple negative.
Janes diary
The Joness car
are + not = arent

is + not = isnt
8. NAMES AND TERMS
8.1 Name Consistency
Always write out fully and capitalize the name of the organization. Throughout any
publication by the organization, use the same format for somebodys personal name. The
exception is when somebodys name is going to be used very frequently. In that case, a
shortened version is acceptable.
Operation Smile
Dr. William P. Magee Jr.
Dr. Magee
8.3 Punctuation of US
In running text, spell out United States. Reserve US for the adjective form only. When
referencing another group or organization, be consistent with their punctuation of US.
Operation Smile has an important involvement in the United States.
Donations should be presented in US dollars.
She was highlighted in November 2009 in US News & World Reports issue Americas
Best Leaders.
9. NUMBERS
9.1 Small Numbers
Numbers between zero and ten should be written out. Numbers 11 and higher should be
in the numeral form.
25 states
200,000 free surgeries for children
60 countries
9.2 Money
Follow standard formatting for all currencies, according to the country that you are in.
the $1 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize
the annual award, now $1.5 million,...