Guidance From the AP Stylebook

Capitalization

General Guidance

In general, avoid unnecessary capitalization. Always capitalize the first word of each sentence and proper nouns. Do not capitalize or use all caps just for emphasis. Always consult a dictionary (e.g., Merriam-Webster or Webster’s New World College Dictionary) to ascertain whether a noun should be capitalized. When in doubt, do not capitalize.

Compositions

Capitalize principal words in the names of books, movies, plays, poems, operas, songs, radio and TV programs, works of art, etc. Additionally, capitalize prepositions of four or more letters (above, after, down, inside, over, with, etc.) and conjunctions of four or more letters (because, while, since, though, etc.).

Headlines

Use title case in headlines. Follow guidance for “Compositions” for prepositions and conjunctions.

Military branches (U.S.)

Capitalize Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force on all mentions.

Military titles

Capitalize a military rank when used as a formal title before an individual’s name. In subsequent references, do not continue using the rank. Do not capitalize the rank if mentioned without the name. Examples: Gen. John Jones is the top U.S. commander. The general endorsed the idea.

AP Style allows for the abbreviation of most military ranks regardless of order of mention. Please consult the AP Stylebook for specific guidance.

Do not capitalize words like soldier or service people.

Job titles

In general, limit capitalization to formal titles directly before an individual’s name. Examples: Pope Francis. President Joe Biden. Vice Presidents Yukari Nakamura and Vanessa Smith.

A “formal title” generally is one that denotes scope of authority or professional or academic activity. Examples: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Dr. Benjamin Spock, retired Gen. Colin Powell.

Lowercase and spell out titles when they are not used with an individual’s name or listed after a name for description purposes*. Examples: The president issued a statement. The pope gave a blessing. Sharon, vice president of sales, loved the video.

**For KBR-specific titles

Capitalize titles when used immediately before a name. Examples: President and CEO Stuart Bradie, Chief People Office Jenni Myles. Lowercase titles when used alone or in constructions that set them off from a name by commas. Examples: Sonia Galindo, KBR general counsel; Philip Ivy, vice president of KBR Global Marketing and Communications.

Capitalize titles as necessary for specific deliverables.

Numerals

General guidance

Spell out numerals less than 10. Examples: nine, two, one. Spell out numerals that begin a sentence. Use commas in cardinal numbers in the thousands or higher. Examples: 1,000; 40,000.

Ages

Should be written as numbers, even for ages less than 10. Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as a noun substitute. Examples: a 6-year-old dog, a race for 3-year-olds. Do not hyphenate phrases such as: The boy is 5 years old. The woman is 25. Hyphenate nebulous ages, such as 30-something, unless at the start of a sentence: Thirty-somethings are eating out more.

Dates

Generally, KBR follows U.S. English practice for dates — MM/DD/YYYY — or if written out, then as March 1, 2024. Dates should not be written as ordinal numbers (March 1st).

Ordinals

Spell out first through ninth, then continue with 10th, 11th, 12th and so on. Do not superscript the TH.

Ranking

Spell “number” as “No.” Examples: He was my No. 1 choice. Kentucky ranked No. 3.

Speeds

Use the number, then a space, then the necessary abbreviation. Example: 7 mph.

Telephone numbers

As follows in the United States: 777-777-7777

Times

Use numerals except for noon and midnight. If using “a.m.” or “p.m.” then use the full time with a colon, then a space, then the morning or afternoon designation. Example: 10:00 a.m. 2:45 p.m. If using “AM” or “PM,” the space is unnecessary, and the colon should only be used if indicating a time that is not directly on the hour. Examples: 10AM, 10:15PM, 1:30PM, 4PM.

Units of measurement

Use the number followed by a space then spell out meters, kilometers, inches, feet, etc. Examples: 7 inches, 9 millimeters, 10 feet.

Pluralization

Basic grammar rules for pluralization should be followed. We have included some trickier instances here that can be less intuitive.

Acronyms, abbreviations or other groups of multiple letters

Add lowercase S with no apostrophe. Example: She knows her ABCs. I gave him five IOUs. Four VIPs were there.

Letters

Add lowercase S with no apostrophe in most cases. Example: They got all As. Mind your Ps and Qs. If a situation arises where one may need to pluralize the letter S, revise the sentence to avoid. NOTE: This is contrary to AP Style, which recommends pluralizing letters with an apostrophe and S as in He got A’s and B’s.

Numbers/figures

Add a lowercase S. Examples: The custom began in the 1920s. The airline has two 727s. Temperatures will be in the low 20s. There were five size 7s.

Punctuation

Commas

KBR does not use serial (or Oxford) commas unless in a complex series where the comma will improve clarity.

Examples:

• No serial comma – KBR is committed to diversity, inclusion and equality.
• Serial comma in complex series – KBR is committed to inclusion and diversity, sustainability, energy security and transition, and national defense.

Em dash ( — )

Used for emphasis in a sentence or to distinguish between longer clauses and to add emphasis to a statement. It should appear with a single space on either side.

Emphasis example: KBR has been delivering solutions that are changing the world for more than a century — and we’re just getting started.

Longer clause example: At KBR, the great things we do — the science, technology and engineering solutions we provide — matter to the rest of the world.

The em dash should not be used for general formatting.

En dash ( – )

May be used to show a range between numbers or as a design element often as a colon might be used. Examples: (1945–1976; 10,000–25,000), Stuart Bradie – KBR President and CEO.

Hyphen

Used as joiners, primarily in compound modifiers. Examples: well-known expert, high-impact design. They can also help to avoid ambiguity. Example: “The painting is a re-creation,” versus “The park is for recreation.” Hyphens are also used in compound modifiers of three or more words. Example: a win-at-all-costs situation.

Please hyphenate combinations that use “well” before a noun but not after. Example: “a well-known judge” versus “the judge is well known.”

Hyphens should not be used after adverbs ending in LY. The example “an easily forgotten rule” is correct.

Hyphens are used in conjunction with certain prefixes and suffixes.

• The prefixes self-, all-, ex- and half- all generally require hyphens.
• The suffixes -free, -based and -elect all generally require hyphens.

The second word of a hyphenated compound modifier should not be capitalized in a headline. Example: KBR Commits to Net-zero Goals. The exception to this rule is the KBR business unit Technology-Led Industrial Solutions.

Period

Used to denote the end of a complete sentence. Do not use a period if it isn’t a complete sentence. Can also be used as part of an ellipsis, with a space on either side. Example: I told you … I hate ellipses.

Quotation marks

In KBR global communications, please use double quotation marks (not single marks that look more like apostrophes) and put final punctuation inside the closing quotation mark. Example: “I have no intention of staying," he replied.

For attribution in a press release or story, attribute the first full sentence to the quoted person, then include the rest of the running quotation in paragraph form. Ideally, quotes should only be two to three sentences long.

Example: “Building on strong momentum in attractive end markets, we continue to make excellent progress toward KBR’s 2025 long-term targets,” said Stuart Bradie, president and CEO of KBR. “Themes that favor our capabilities and technologies — national security, defense modernization, global energy security and climate change — continue to be at the forefront of priorities. Combined with the unwavering commitment of our team of teams to deliver on our clients’ missions, I am pleased to report that the company posted another outstanding quarter of superb safety results, earnings growth, cash generation and strategic program awards.”

Do not use quotation marks for emphasis.

Single quote marks may be used to denote a quote within a quote. Example: “John shouted at me, ‘Leave those kids alone!’” Martha said.

Semicolon

Use the semicolon to indicate two independent clauses that are connected. In general, a semicolon implies a greater separation of thought and information than a comma can convey, but less than the separation that a period implies. Example: The package was due last week; it arrived today.

It can also be used to clarify a series. Example: He is survived by a son, John Smith, of Chicago; three daughters, Jane Smith, of Wichita, Kansas, Mary Smith, of Denver, and Susan, of Boston; and a sister, Martha, of Omaha, Nebraska.

Semicolons should not be used in bulleted lists.