Guideline
This page documents an Encyclopedia SpongeBobia guideline. This is an accepted standard that editors must follow for purposes of improving the quality of content on the wiki.
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Index[]
- ESB:Manual of style
- ESB:Grammar guide
Introduction[]
The following page outlines a grammar guide for the wiki. It is here to help users better contribute to the wiki.
NOTE: These rules are not necessarily used in the dialogue/quotes.
Guide[]
Punctuation[]
- 1. Under no circumstance should you ever use more than one exclamation point (!), nor should you use all-caps to highlight shouting.
- Incorrect: Overtime!!!!
- Incorrect: OVERTIME!!!!
- Correct: Overtime!
- 2. Use apostrophes in contractions.
- Incorrect: wont
- Correct: won't
- 3. Always put commas, periods, and exclamation points inside quotation marks.
- Incorrect: This was revealed in the episode "Help Wanted".
- Correct: This was revealed in the episode "Help Wanted."
- 4. Put question marks inside quotation marks when the quoted words is a question. Put question marks outside quotation marks when the entire sentence is a question.
- Incorrect: SpongeBob asked, "I how do that"?
- Correct: SpongeBob asked, "I how do that?"
- Incorrect: Did SpongeBob say, "I'm ready?"
- Correct: Did SpongeBob say, "I'm ready"?
- 5. Always put colons and semicolons outside quotation marks.
- Incorrect: "I'm losing my footing!;" "Yay, life insurance!"
- Correct: "I'm losing my footing!"; "Yay, life insurance!"
- 6. Do not put a comma before the name of an episode, unless you specify exactly which SpongeBob SquarePants episode.
- Incorrect: The Krusty Krab first appears in the episode, "Help Wanted."
- Incorrect: The Krusty Krab first appears in the pilot episode, "Help Wanted."
- Correct: The Krusty Krab first appears in the episode "Help Wanted."
- Correct: The Krusty Krab first appears in the SpongeBob SquarePants pilot episode, "Help Wanted."
- Correct: The Krusty Krab first appears in the first episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, "Help Wanted."
- 7. Always use a comma before an "and" when listing more than two things. In other words, always use the Oxford Comma. The only exception to this rule is quoting written work where the author did not use the Oxford Comma.
- Incorrect: I bought bread, milk and eggs.
- Correct: I bought bread, milk, and eggs.
- Correct: SpongeBob wrote "I bought bread, milk and eggs." (This is only correct if this is how SpongeBob wrote it.)
- 8. Always use a comma before an "or" when listing more than two things. In other words, always use the Oxford Comma. The only exception to this rule is quoting written work where the author did not use the Oxford Comma.
- Incorrect: Did you buy, milk, eggs or bread?
- Correct: Did you buy, milk, eggs, or bread?
- Correct: SpongeBob wrote "Did you buy, milk, eggs or bread?" (This is only correct if this is how SpongeBob wrote it.)
- 9. Always use double quotation marks and then single quotation marks if there are quotations in quotations.
- Incorrect: I remember what my friend said to me that 'SpongeBob was saying "Overtime!" in a ridiculous Asian face.'
- Correct: I remember what my friend said to me that "SpongeBob was saying 'Overtime!' in a ridiculous Asian face."
Word usage[]
- 1. Always use third person point of view in the articles.
- Incorrect: If you look closely after SpongeBob leaves his house, Squidward's house is missing.
- Correct: If one looks closely after SpongeBob leaves his house, Squidward's house is missing.
- Correct: If the viewer looks closely after SpongeBob leaves his house, Squidward's house is missing.
- 2. It's is the contraction of "it is" or "it has" and its is used for the possession of "it."
- Incorrect: This cheese is past it's expiration date. Its time to get rid of it.
- Correct: This cheese is past its expiration date. It's time to get rid of it.
- 3. Then is a transitional word and than is a comparison word.
- Incorrect: I went to see a movie, than I went to the mall. The mall was more fun then the movie.
- Correct: I went to see a movie, then I went to the mall. The mall was more fun than the movie.
- 4. When writing an article, particularly a character article, refer to the character by the most common name to which the character is referred.
- 5. Whenever you refer to something that people wrote, use the word "wrote."
- Incorrect: Tom Kenny said, in his official synopsis on his website, "This was a good episode."
- Correct: Tom Kenny wrote, in his official synopsis on his website, "This was a good episode."
- 6. When one is writing about words that are on the screen, one should use "read" or "reads" instead of "said" or "says."
- Incorrect: The sign says "Delicious Krabby Patties!"
- Correct: The sign reads "Delicious Krabby Patties!"
- 7. Do not use opinion words, unless you are giving a review, quoting a character, writing a transcript (only in the vocal part or if a written thing says an opinion word), or giving a written thing that has an opinion word in it.
- Incorrect: Krabby Patties are a delicious and popular burger at the Krusty Krab.
- Correct: Krabby Patties are a popular burger at the Krusty Krab.
- Correct: SpongeBob says "Krabby Patties are the best thing in the whole sea."
- Correct: The sign reads "Delicious Krabby Patties!"
- 8. When you write articles, always use present tense. The only exceptions to this rule are transcripts/quotes that use past tense and when things are known to have ended. For example, since Glove World was shut down in "Glove World R.I.P.," everything associated with it must be in the past tense.
- Incorrect: Lamps was a magazine that appeared in "Sponge-Cano!"
- Correct: Lamps is a magazine that appears in "Sponge-Cano!"
- 10. Don't use "time" to describe the occurrence of an event in the series.
- Incorrect: This is the first time SpongeBob says "I'm ready!"
- Correct: This is the first episode in which SpongeBob says "I'm ready!"
Title case[]
- 1. The following are to be quoted:
- Individual episode names
- Incorrect: Help Wanted
- Incorrect: "Help Wanted"
- Correct: "Help Wanted"
- Individual short names
- Incorrect: The Endless Summer
- Incorrect: "The Endless Summer"
- Correct: "The Endless Summer"
- Songs
- Incorrect: Campfire Song Song
- Correct: "Campfire Song Song"
- Associated production music
- Incorrect: Hello Blues
- Correct: "Hello Blues"
- 2. The following are to be italicized:
- Movie names
- Incorrect: "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie"
- Correct: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
- Computer games and computer-game applications
- Incorrect: "SpongeBob Moves In!"
- Correct: SpongeBob Moves In!
- Books
- Incorrect: "Hooray for Dads!"
- Correct: Hooray for Dads!
- Magazines
- Incorrect: "Toxic Waste Monthly"
- Correct: Toxic Waste Monthly
- 3. The following are not to be quoted nor italicized:
- Rides
- Incorrect: "Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast"
- Incorrect: Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast
- Correct: Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast
- Applications
- Incorrect: "Facebook"
- Incorrect: Facebook
- Correct: Facebook
Common or other spelling mistakes[]
- 1. SpongeBob SquarePants should always have the words "Bob" and "Pants" capitalized.
- Incorrect: Spongebob Squarepants
- Correct: SpongeBob SquarePants
- 2. Mr. Krabs and the Krusty Krab do not have the letter "c;" they have the letter "k."
- Incorrect: Mr. Crabs
- Incorrect: The Crusty Crab
- Correct: Mr. Krabs
- Correct: The Krusty Krab
- 3. All characters with "Mr." "Mrs." or "Ms." must have a period (full stop) after their person title abbreviations.
- Incorrect: Mrs Puff and Mr Krabs like to date with each other.
- Correct: Mrs. Puff and Mr. Krabs like to date with each other.
- 4. The word "okay" should always be spelled out and should never be abbreviated.
- Incorrect: Sandy asks SpongeBob if he is ok.
- Incorrect: Sandy asks SpongeBob if he is OK.
- Correct: Sandy asks SpongeBob if he is okay.
- 5. The word "whoa" is commonly misspelled as "woah." The correct spelling must always be used.
- Incorrect: SpongeBob exclaims "Woah!"
- Correct: SpongeBob exclaims "Whoa!"
Other grammar mistakes[]
- 1. There are two forms of the word "your." "You're" is short for you are, and contains a comma as it is a conjunction. "Your" is used for a belonging, or anything else that isn't an abbreviation for you are.
- Incorrect: Your a great editor here!
- Correct: You're a great editor here!
- Incorrect: I love you're user page! It's so pretty!
- Correct: I love your user page! It's so pretty!
- 2. There are three forms of the word "there." "They're" is short for they are, and is a conjunction. "Their" is used for a belonging to someone typically, and "there" is for anything else.
- Incorrect: There house is very nice!
- Correct: Their house is very nice!
- Incorrect: I can't choose between SpongeBob or Patrick as my favorite character. Their both equally amazing!
- Correct: I can't choose between SpongeBob or Patrick as my favorite character. They're both equally amazing!
- Incorrect: They're was recently a story I heard on TV. It was crazy!
- Correct: There was recently a story I heard on TV. It was crazy!
- 3. There are two forms of the word "whose." "Who's" is a conjunction and stands for who is. Whose is used for anything else that would not make much sense to say "who is."
- Incorrect: Whose coming to the chat party tonight?!
- Correct: Who's coming to the chat party tonight?!
- Incorrect: Yes, I've heard of that user who's edits really helped the wiki!
- Correct: Yes, I've heard of that user whose edits really helped the wiki!
- 4. When stating about the position of the date, use "on [date]," not "in [date]."
- Incorrect: Squid Defense is the first and currently only episode to first air to the US in January 1st.
- Correct: Squid Defense is the first and currently only episode to first air to the US on January 1st.