1. Use “a” before words that start with a consonant sound.

Examples:

• a historic event
• a one-way flight
• a union
• a European
• a 19^th century play

2. Use “an” before words that start with a vowel sound:

Examples:

• an accident
• an honours student
• an “s” sound
• an 18^th century play
• an MBA.

1. In most cases, use "affect" as a verb.

2. Use “effect” as a noun except when you mean “to bring about."

Examples:

• The Burnaby campus is not affected by the closure.(verb)
• The closure affects the Surrey campus. (verb)
• The closure could effect a change in class size. (verb)
• The closure will have the same effect as increasing class sizes. (noun)
• The effect of increasing class size is not well understood. (noun)

• alumnus – a male graduate
• alumni – multiple male graduates or a mixture of male and female graduates
• alumna – a female graduate
• alumnae – multiple female graduates
• alum – informal use only, one graduate
• alums – informal use only, graduates

In general, copyrights in all Simon Fraser University publications should list the university as the owner regardless of the university department, program, centre, institute or other entity producing the publication.

The copyright should indicate a © followed by the year and the official name of the university.

Example: © 2013 Simon Fraser University.

Exceptions

The only exceptions are:

1. Scholarly works including research information and teaching materials created and owned by SFU faculty and non-faculty staff.
2. Works created by undergraduate students during their course of study.
3. Works including theses created by graduate students—unless a research contract in support of the student’s work stipulates otherwise.

SFU copyright website

Refer to SFU’s copyright website at www.lib.sfu.ca/copyright for further information including:

• Information on Canada’s copyright law and SFU’s copyright policies and procedures.
• How fair dealing applies to copying material.
• How copyright materials may be used for an educational purpose, whether in the classroom or online.
• What you can legally reproduce for your own research and private study purposes.

If you still have questions, contact SFU Copyright Officer Don Taylor at copy@sfu.ca.

• In general, do not use the courtesy titles Mr., Miss, Mrs. or Ms. Refer to both men and women by their first and last name: Cathy Jones or Allen Jones. Use courtesy titles only in direct quotations.
• Use the first and last name to differentiate between two people with the same last name such as married couples and siblings.
• If someone’s gender is not clear on first reference, use his or her (he or she) in later references to indicate gender.

Faculty may be singular or plural. Use faculty members if you don’t like using faculty as a plural noun.

1. Use fewer for things you can count.

Example: I have fewer classes than you do. You have five and I have four.

2. Use less for things you cannot count.

Example: I have less tolerance with smoking than you do.

1. Use “that” to introduce an essential clause—one that can’t be removed without changing the meaning.

Example: Go to the third house that has a blue door. [In this sentence, the house with the blue door is not necessarily the third house on the street.]

2. Use “which” to introduce a nonessential clause.

Example: Go to the third house, which has a blue door. [The “blue door” is additional information that could be removed without changing the meaning. In this sentence, the house with the blue door is, in fact, the third house on the street.]

 Unlike essential clauses, nonessential clauses must be set off from the rest of a sentence by commas.

That, who

1. Use “that” when referring to animals or inanimate objects.

2. Use “who” when referring to people.

Example: Bob is the one who rescued the dog that fell in the river.