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Tools for Writers
Please note that some links lead to external documents in PDF format only. To access these documents, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader software on your computer. However, Public Works and Government Services Canada cannot guarantee access to these documents.
Information on Adobe® Reader® documents.
Plain language writing
- A Plain Language Audit Tool (Government of the Northwest Territories) (www)
- BCSC Plain Language Style Guide (British Columbia Securities Commission) (PDF Version Approx. 268 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
- Clear Writing: What is it? How do you do it? (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Government of Ontario) (www)
- Online Thesaurus (Clear Language and Design - CLAD) (www)
- Plain Language Online Training Program (www)
- Putting Plain Language Into Practice (Northwest Territories Literacy Council) (www)
- Successful Communication: Tool kit - Communication Canada (PDF Version Approx. 268 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
General writing
General
- 1000 images on the tip of my tongue (www)
- Communications Policy of the Government of Canada
- Developing Coherent Paragraphs (University of Toronto) (www)
- English language Learning Centre (Collegial Centre for Educational Materials Development) (www)
- How to Cite Online Documents (bibliographic reference) - Library and Archives Canada (www)
- Industry Canada's Publishing Toolbox
- Industry Canada Style Guide
- Linguistic Recommendations and Reminders (Translation Bureau – Government of Canada)
- Prewriting: How to Get Started (Wilfrid Laurier University) (PDF Version Approx. 76 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
- Salty Ink: A Spotlight on Atlantic Canadian Writing (www)
- The Canadian Style
- Writer's Block (www)
- Writing Guide (University of Ottawa) (www)
Canadianisms
- Canadianisms and Their Treatment in Dictionaries (www)
- Carleton County Colloquialisms (www)
- The Dictionary of Newfoundland English (www)
Grammar
- English Language Institute Learning Resources (University of British Columbia) (www)
- Favourite Articles
- HyperGrammar2
- Writing Tips
Punctuation
- Improving Your Punctuation (Writing Services, University of Guelph) (PDF Version Approx. 208 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
- The Canadian Style
Style
- BCSC Plain Language Style Guide (British Columbia Securities Commission) (PDF Version Approx. 268 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
- Citation Style Guides for Internet and Electronic Sources (University of Alberta) (www)
- Clear Writing: What is it? How do you do it? (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Government of Ontario) (www)
- Gender-neutral Language (Department of Justice)
- Industry Canada Style Guide
- Parliamentary Stylebook (New Brunswick) (PDF Version Approx. 776 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
- Respectful Language Guideline (The Law Society of British Columbia) (www)
- Styles of address (Canadian Heritage)
- The Canadian Style
- Words: Woe and Wonder (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) (www)
- Word Tailoring
- Writing Manual and Style Guide (Lakehead University) (PDF Version Approx. 416 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
- Writing Style Guide (McMaster University) (PDF Version Approx. 148 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
Specialized writing
Academic
- APA Citation Guide (Carleton University) (www)
- Developing Coherent Paragraphs (University of Toronto) (www)
- Improving Your Grammar (Writing Services, University of Guelph) (PDF Version Approx.208 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
- Improving Your Punctuation (Writing Services, University of Guelph) (PDF Version Approx. 208 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
- Improving Your Sentence Structure (Writing Services, University of Guelph) (PDF Version Approx. 224 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
- Improving Your Style (Writing Services, University of Guelph) (PDF Version Approx. 208 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
- Laboratory Reports (Engineering Communications Centre, University of Toronto) (www)
- Laurier Writing Centre (Wilfrid Laurier University) (www)
- MLA Citation Guide (Carleton University) (www)
- Strategic Writing (Engineering Communications Centre, University of Toronto) (www)
- The University of Victoria Writer's Guide (www)
- The Writing Process (Wilfrid Laurier University) (PDF Version Approx. ) (Help on File Formats)(www)
- Using Quotations in Your Essay (Writing Services, University of Guelph) (PDF Version Approx. 112 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
- Writing a Literature Review (Writing Services, University of Guelph) (PDF Version Approx. 108 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
- Writing and Using Outlines (Engineering Communications Centre, University of Toronto) (www)
- Writing for Electronic Media (Engineering Communications Centre, University of Toronto) (www)
Administration
- Basic English-French Glossary of Expressions Relating to Meetings (Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat)
- Canada Postal Guide (www)
- Canadian Addressing Guide (www)
- French-Language Addressing Guidelines for Visual Identity (Business Cards, Letterhead, etc.) (www)
- Industry Canada Style Guide
- Réseau Affaires Plus (www) (Available only in French)
- The Canadian Style
- The Memo (Engineering Communications Centre, University of Toronto) (www)
Geography and toponymy
- Abbreviations and symbols for the names of the provinces and territories
- Atlas of Canada Glossary
- BC Geographical Names (Integrated Land Management Bureau) (www)
- Geographical Names of Canada
- Geonames Ontario: Ontario's Geographic Names Database (www)
- Guidelines for names outside Canada for official Canadian use (Geographical Names of Canada)
- Linguistic Treatment of French Geographic Names in Ontario (www)
- List of Country Names
- Names of pan-Canadian significance (Geographical Names of Canada)
Health
Labour
- Language Used in Ontario Government Job Ads (www)
- National Occupational Classification
- Public Service Commission of Canada Glossary
- Recommended Guidelines on Language and Terminology - Persons with disabilities - A Manual for News Professionals - Canadian Association of Broadcasters (www)
- Resume Writing (www)
Law
- Bijural Terminology Records
- Centre for Legal Translation and Documentation (CLTD) (University of Ottawa) (www)
- Duhaime's Legal Dictionary (in English only) (www)
- Guide fédéral de jurilinguistique législative française (JLF) (Ministère de la justice Canada) (Available only in French)
- Juriterm: Common Law Terminology Data Bank (www)
- National Program for the Integration of Both Official Languages in the Administration of Justice (www)
- National Program for the Integration of Both Official Languages in the Administration of Justice (PAJLO) - Jurilinguistic component (www)
- Parliamentary Stylebook (New Brunswick) (PDF Version Approx. 776 KB) (Help on File Formats) (www)
- Uniform Drafting Conventions (www)
Sciences
- Langue du travail - Secteur de l'Aérospatiale (www) (Available only in French)
