-t

ending for past participle: the cakes were burnt; the word was misspelt. But the money was earned, not earnt. Compare with: he burned the cakes; she misspelled the word

targeted, targeting

taskforce

team

singular – “the nursing team is…”

telephone numbers

note spacing: 020 7647 3000; 0161 888 9898; 01213 901234; 07854 123456. “Phone” is now an acceptable abbreviation. To “call” is also acceptable.

temperatures

30C – use celsius rather than fahrenheit

textbook

that/which

compare “the car that is red is parked over there” with “the car, which is red, is parked over there” – “that” defines; “which” gives further information

thinktank

one word

third world

avoid. Use developing country instead

times

1am, 6.30pm, etc; half past two, a quarter to three, 10 to 11, etc; noon, midnight, not 12 noon, 12 midnight. Avoid ambiguity – for example, if you write “last week” will it still be “last week” by the time your copy is published?

titles

italicise and cap up books, films, TV programmes, conference titles and campaigns: for example The Student Nurse’s Handbook; Nursing: The Way Ahead; Frontline First

trademarks

be careful – some common terms are actually trademarks for example, Biro; Post-it Note; Hoover; Portakabin. A sentence such as “Patients were nursed in a damp, leaky portakabin” could interest the lawyers if in fact it wasn’t a Portakabin

trade union

but Trades Union Congress

Travellers

cap up; recognised ethnic group under the Race Relations Act

try to

not try and