Handbook of Style and Usage

Accurate, concise, and readable communication is essential to the work of the Asian Development
Bank (ADB). If ADB’s language is unclear, verbose, or inconsistent, its message will be obscured and its
operations undermined.
The ADB Handbook of Style and Usage will make the preparation of written material simpler for
ADB staff members and consultants, and will significantly improve the quality and consistency of
ADB documents and publications. It addresses a wide range of style and language issues including
abbreviations, capitalization, referencing, and the proper presentation of ADB member names. The most

Handbook of
up-to-date version of the handbook, incorporating any revisions since this printing, can be found on
e-Board and on adb.org.
The handbook is a joint publication of the Office of the Secretary (which is responsible for editing

Style
documents sent to the Board of Directors) and the Department of External Relations (which oversees the
editing of ADB publications).
The Handbook of Style and Usage is approved by Management.

About the Asian Development Bank

ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing member
countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite the region’s many

and
successes, it remains home to two-thirds of the world’s poor: 1.8 billion people who live on less than $2
a day, with 903 million struggling on less than $1.25 a day. ADB is committed to reducing poverty through

Usage
inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main instruments
for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity investments, guarantees,
grants, and technical assistance.

2011 Edition

Asian Development Bank

6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
1550 Metro Manila, Philippines
www.adb.org
Publication Stock No. TIM090670

Printed on recycled paper Printed in the Philippines

Handbook of
Style and

Usage
2011 Edition
If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant;
if what is said is not what is meant, then what ought to be done remains undone…

Confucius
Contents

Sources of ADB Style................................................................................................... ix

Updates......................................................................................................................... ix

Clear Writing................................................................................................................. x

Abbreviations............................................................................................................... 1
When and How to Abbreviate................................................................................ 1
ADB Abbreviations................................................................................................. 1
ADB Member Names............................................................................................. 2
Abbreviations List.................................................................................................. 2
Abbreviations That Should Not Be Spelled Out..................................................... 3
Abbreviations That Should Be Treated as Names of Organizations...................... 4
Ampersands in Abbreviations................................................................................ 4
Articles and Abbreviations..................................................................................... 5
Boxes..................................................................................................................... 6
Capitalization......................................................................................................... 6
Educational Degrees ............................................................................................ 7
Executing Agency and Implementing Agency........................................................ 7
Figures................................................................................................................... 7
Five-Year Plans...................................................................................................... 7
Footnotes............................................................................................................... 8
Governments......................................................................................................... 8
Headings and Titles............................................................................................... 8
Non-English Terms................................................................................................. 9
Plurals.................................................................................................................... 9
Possessives........................................................................................................... 9
Punctuation............................................................................................................ 10
Quarters................................................................................................................. 10
Special Drawing Rights . ....................................................................................... 11
Tables.................................................................................................................... 11
Technical Assistance.............................................................................................. 12
Two-Letter Abbreviations....................................................................................... 12

ADB Member Names.................................................................................................... 13

Abbreviations......................................................................................................... 13
Lists....................................................................................................................... 13
Plural Names......................................................................................................... 14

Adjectives..................................................................................................................... 14
Nouns Used as Adjectives..................................................................................... 14
“Sector”.................................................................................................................. 15

iii
 Appendixes................................................................................................................... 15
Abbreviations......................................................................................................... 15
Citing in Text.......................................................................................................... 15
Headings................................................................................................................ 16
Page Numbering.................................................................................................... 16
Paragraph Numbering........................................................................................... 16
Supplementary Material......................................................................................... 16
Tables and Figures................................................................................................ 17
Title........................................................................................................................ 17

Articles.......................................................................................................................... 17
Boxes............................................................................................................................. 17
Abbreviations......................................................................................................... 17
Format................................................................................................................... 18
Labeling................................................................................................................. 18
Length.................................................................................................................... 18
Notes and Explanatory Material............................................................................. 18
Tables and Figures................................................................................................ 19

Brand Names................................................................................................................ 19

Capitalization................................................................................................................ 20
ADB Organizational Terms..................................................................................... 20
Common Terms Used in ADB................................................................................ 20
Constitutions.......................................................................................................... 22
Educational Degrees............................................................................................. 22
Ethnic Groups........................................................................................................ 23
Geographic Names................................................................................................ 23
Government........................................................................................................... 24
Meetings, Conferences, and Forums..................................................................... 24
Ministries, Departments, and Other Government Bodies ..................................... 25
Missions................................................................................................................. 26
Organizations......................................................................................................... 26
Parts of a Document or Publication....................................................................... 27
Plans, Policies, Strategies, and Laws.................................................................... 27
Projects, Programs, Subprojects, and Components.............................................. 30
Titles...................................................................................................................... 30
Treasury Bills and Bonds....................................................................................... 32

Company Names.......................................................................................................... 32

Computer Terms........................................................................................................... 33

Copyright....................................................................................................................... 35

Country Names............................................................................................................. 36

Cross-References......................................................................................................... 36

iv
Currencies and Exchange Rates................................................................................ 38
Currency Symbols ................................................................................................ 39
Exchange Rates.................................................................................................... 39
Low-Value Currency Units..................................................................................... 40
Singular or Plural? ................................................................................................ 40
Special Drawing Rights.......................................................................................... 41
US Dollars.............................................................................................................. 41

Dates.............................................................................................................................. 41
Days....................................................................................................................... 41
Months................................................................................................................... 42
Quarters................................................................................................................. 42
Years...................................................................................................................... 43
Decades................................................................................................................. 45
Centuries............................................................................................................... 45

Figures.......................................................................................................................... 45
Color...................................................................................................................... 45
Format................................................................................................................... 46
Labeling................................................................................................................. 47
Notes and Explanatory Material............................................................................. 48
Rounding............................................................................................................... 49

Footnotes...................................................................................................................... 50
Abbreviations......................................................................................................... 50
Cross-Referencing................................................................................................. 50
Footnote Indicators in Text..................................................................................... 51
Format................................................................................................................... 52
Summaries............................................................................................................. 52
Tables, Figures, and Boxes................................................................................... 53
Gender References...................................................................................................... 54

Glossary........................................................................................................................ 55

Headings....................................................................................................................... 56
Abbreviations......................................................................................................... 56
Capitalization......................................................................................................... 56
Footnotes............................................................................................................... 56
Format................................................................................................................... 57

Health Terms................................................................................................................. 58

Lists............................................................................................................................... 59
Countries, Provinces, Cities, and Organizations................................................... 60
Numbered Lists...................................................................................................... 60
Unnecessary Words............................................................................................... 63

Maps and Place Names................................................................................................ 63

Base Maps............................................................................................................. 65
Map Numbering and Placement............................................................................ 65
Place Names......................................................................................................... 65
v
 Non-English Terms....................................................................................................... 66
Abbreviations......................................................................................................... 66
Accents and Other Diacritical Marks...................................................................... 67
Latin Words and Phrases....................................................................................... 67
Names of Administrative Units............................................................................... 68
Plurals of Words Derived from Other Languages.................................................. 69

Numbers........................................................................................................................ 69
Countable or Uncountable..................................................................................... 69
Decimals................................................................................................................ 70
Figures or Words? ................................................................................................ 70
Fractions................................................................................................................ 72
Negative Numbers................................................................................................. 72
Numbers Greater than 999.................................................................................... 73
Ordinals................................................................................................................. 73
Percentages........................................................................................................... 73
Rounding............................................................................................................... 74
Singular or Plural? ................................................................................................ 75

Organizations................................................................................................................ 75

Page Numbers.............................................................................................................. 76
Format................................................................................................................... 76
Placement . ........................................................................................................... 76

Project Titles................................................................................................................. 77

Punctuation................................................................................................................... 79
Apostrophe............................................................................................................ 79
Colon..................................................................................................................... 79
Comma.................................................................................................................. 80
Dashes................................................................................................................... 81
Hyphen.................................................................................................................. 82
Parentheses........................................................................................................... 85
Quotation Marks.................................................................................................... 86
Slash...................................................................................................................... 88
Spacing after Punctuation Marks........................................................................... 89

Quotations..................................................................................................................... 89

Ranges.......................................................................................................................... 90
Punctuation and Words to Describe a Range . ..................................................... 90
Year Ranges in Strategies and Plans.................................................................... 92

Rates and Ratios.......................................................................................................... 92

Ratings.......................................................................................................................... 93
ADB Evaluation Reports........................................................................................ 93
Credit Ratings........................................................................................................ 93

vi
References................................................................................................................... 94
ADB Projects........................................................................................................ 94
Presentation of Footnotes..................................................................................... 95
ADB Board Documents......................................................................................... 96
Other ADB Documents......................................................................................... 99
ADB Publications.................................................................................................. 100
Books . ................................................................................................................. 101
Government Publications...................................................................................... 102
Periodicals ........................................................................................................... 103
Others................................................................................................................... 103
Online and Electronic Sources............................................................................. 104

Regions and Subregions............................................................................................ 105

Eurozone.............................................................................................................. 107
Geographic Areas within a Country...................................................................... 107

Reported Speech and Text......................................................................................... 107

Scientific Terms........................................................................................................... 108

Spelling......................................................................................................................... 108

Tables........................................................................................................................... 109
Abbreviations in Tables......................................................................................... 109
Alignment.............................................................................................................. 109
Format.................................................................................................................. 110
Labeling................................................................................................................ 113
Large Tables......................................................................................................... 114
Notes and Explanatory Material............................................................................ 114
Rounding.............................................................................................................. 116
Small Tables.......................................................................................................... 116
Symbols................................................................................................................ 117
Text in Tables........................................................................................................ 117

Time of Day.................................................................................................................. 119

Weights and Measures................................................................................................ 120

Appendix 1: ADB Member Names and Currency Units............................................124

Appendix 2: Problem Pairs of Words.........................................................................128

Appendix 3: Common Abbreviations.........................................................................132

vii
 Sources of ADB Style

Sources of Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster Online is the standard ADB

dictionary and the authority for the spelling and definition of words.
ADB Style ADB has a corporate subscription to the online version of Merriam-
Webster Unabridged. For words with alternative spellings, ADB uses
the spelling in the main entry, not the variant(s).

The Chicago Manual of Style. Generally, ADB follows the 15th

edition of The Chicago Manual of Style on matters of style, usage,
and publishing practice. References to “Chicago” in this guide are
to the 15th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style. ADB has a
corporate subscription to the online version of Chicago; for the user
name and password contact the Department of External Relations or
the Office of the Secretary.

Other sources. Other guides consulted in the preparation of this

handbook include Garner’s Modern American Usage; William Strunk,
Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style; and The Oxford Guide to
Style.

Other ADB Guides

Board Documents
Board document templates (http://eboard.asiandevbank.org/docs.
_refs/index.php)
Guidelines and tools (http://eboard.asiandevbank.org/docs_refs/
index.php)

Correspondence and Writing

Handbook of Correspondence and Writing (http://bphr.asiandevbank
.org/modules/tinycontent7/index.php?id=202)

Publications
Economics and Research Department guidelines for manuscript
submissions (www.adb.org/Documents/Guidelines/Economics.
-Style-Guide/Economics-Style-Guide.pdf)
Publishing request management system (http://publishing.adb.org/)
In this handbook, books, journals, published reports, training
materials, and working papers are all covered by the term
“publications.”

Updates Updates and clarifications will be posted on e-Board (Board

documents and references).

ix
Clear Writing

Clear Writing (i) Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which
you are used to seeing in print.
(ii) Never use a long word where a short one will do.
(iii) If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
(iv) Never use the passive where you can use the active.
(v) Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon
word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
(vi) Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright
barbarous.

G. Orwell. 2002. Politics and the English Language. The Selected Essays.
New York: Everyman’s Library. p. 170.

Clear writing is evidence of clear thinking.

If you follow the guidelines below, you will help ADB explain its
mission and operations more clearly and persuasively.

Keep it Short

Almost every ADB document or publication can be shortened by

at least 10% without any loss of meaning. Many can be cut by far
more. Your editor will be able to do some pruning for you, but you as
the author are in the best position to know the message you want
to convey. Be ruthless; if you have already made the point, or if it is
tangential to your main theme, leave it out.

Be Accurate

You have a responsibility to the country you are writing about and
to ADB to strive for 100% accuracy. Your document will rapidly lose
credibility if it contains a factual error, even a minor one. Always
check the spelling of the names of people, places, and publications.
Make sure that figures in tables sum correctly and correspond to
those in the text. Data must be consistent throughout a document.

Above all, set aside time to read your document one last time. ADB
documents and publications go through many stages, providing
ample opportunities for mistakes to slip in.

x
 Clear Writing

Do Not Use Clichés

Development writing is littered with hackneyed and inappropriate

figures of speech. Far from enlivening your prose, overworked
expressions will make it seem tired and bland.

Avoid Prefer
The reforms are designed to The reforms are designed to
ensure a level playing field ensure equal treatment for
for state-owned enterprises state-owned enterprises and
and private companies. private companies.
The project will make an The project will make
improvement on the ground an improvement in the
in the countryside. countryside.
The goal is to hit the ground The goal is to start
running in July. immediately in July.
The events at the agency The events at the agency
showed you cannot judge a showed you cannot rely on
book by its cover. appearances.
There is no silver bullet for There is no single rapid
the financial crisis. solution to the financial crisis.
Going forward, ADB will ADB will ensure that it
ensure that it continues to be continues to be relevant.
relevant.

Use the Active Voice

The active voice is clearer and more direct. It will engage the reader
far more than the passive voice. As Garner’s Modern American
Usage (p. 592) points out: “in the passive form, it’s possible to omit
the actor altogether—a prime source of unclarity.”

Avoid Prefer
This offer should be taken ADB should take advantage
advantage of by ADB. of this offer.
Surveys were carried out in The council carried out
2008. surveys in 2008.
The deadline was missed. The consultant missed the
deadline.

xi
Clear Writing

Get to the Point

Good writing employs only the words necessary to express an idea

clearly.

Do not spell out something that is obvious.

The population increased by more than 1 million, from

50.3 million to 51.6 million.
The disease mainly affects young adults 18–24 years old.

Some details can be assumed and do not have to be stated.

They will hold discussions with relevant government officials and

stakeholders.
The funds will be used to purchase appropriate education
materials.

Words such as “level,” “phase,” and “stage,” are overused.

Avoid Prefer
The reforms will take place The reforms will take place in
at the city level and at the cities and villages.
village level.
Community leaders will Community leaders will
be consulted during the be consulted during
implementation stage. implementation.

“Sector” tends to be overused (as a noun and as an adjective). It is

often redundant and can usually be omitted with no loss of meaning.
The same applies to “subsector,” which is often a vague and ill-
defined term.

Avoid Prefer
Many workers in the transport Many transport workers are
sector are poor. poor.
Private sector companies Private companies have led
have led the economic the economic revival.
revival.

xii
 Clear Writing

The list below includes other unnecessary words that often appear in
ADB documents.

The data will be useful for forward planning purposes.

ADB proactively monitors and manages all its projects.
Delegates can make advance reservations at the travel desk.
The loan is small in size.
ADB and WHO will blend together their assistance to maximize
results.
ADB and the government will collaborate together on the
proposal.
The timing of the funding is critically important.
The consultants will carry out critical assessments.
The agreement of the current incumbent will be needed.
The study will be conducted during the period 2008–2010.
No other problems were identified during that time period.
This became clear during the course of the project, although it
may not affect the end result.
The government is in the process of reforming the finance
sector.
The country’s future prospects are good.
Environmental sustainability is forecast to improve over time.
It would have the exact same result.
Credit to small-scale industries has actually declined.
This form of financing is the new innovation that was agreed
upon.
As past experience has shown, community support is essential.
There is a real danger that this will recur again.
The Ministry of Health will revert back to ADB regarding any
significant changes.
The flow of remittances at the end of the year will offer a
temporary reprieve.
The project will build a total of 15 new schools.
All things being equal, tThe reform program has a good chance
of success.

xiii
Clear Writing

Basically, tThe problem cannot be solved by money alone.

The contractor will rehabilitate the existing roads.
The project will be implemented in three towns, namely:
Battambang, Kampot, and Kompong Cham.
Construction is not possible in the months of December and
January.
The floods completely destroyed 20 villages.
The participants have not reached a consensus of opinion on
the inflationary effects.
The consultants must be knowledgeable experts on
environmental sustainability.
The treatment plant is in close proximity to several schools.
The report will be disclosed to the general public.
The problem dates back to the early 1990s.
Four components have been completed to date.
Progress in achieving the targets slowed down during the
regional financial crisis.
The mission visited seven different ministries in April.
Each and every complaint was investigated.
Rising foreign imports have reduced the country’s gross
international reserves.
The headquarters will be located in Colombo.
A survey was needed in order to determine the number of
potential microfinance recipients.
The main focus of the study was the impact of rural finance on
poverty reduction.
The specific details of each individual subproject have not been
finalized.
Each assessment will determine whether or not outputs were
satisfactorily delivered.

xiv
 Clear Writing

Instead of using the wordy expressions on the left, use the concise
ones on the right.

Avoid Prefer
a certain amount of some
a large proportion of many of, most of
a lot of many
a number of some
afford an opportunity allow, let
an adequate number of enough
as a means of to
as to whether if
at this particular point in time now
attached herewith here, attached
based on the recognition of because of
by means of by, with
despite the fact that although
due to the fact that because, since
during the time that when, while
engaged in a study of studying
few in number few
for the purpose of for, to
for the reason that because
fully understand understand
has the capability to can
in about a month’s time in about a month
in accordance with agreeing with, following
in as much as because
in conjunction with with, regarding
in order to to
in reference to concerning
in spite of the fact that although, despite

xv
Clear Writing

Avoid Prefer
in terms of supporting to support
in the event that if, in case of
in the field of in
in the majority of instances usually, most of the time
in view of the foregoing therefore, consequently
circumstances
on account of the fact that because
provided that if

Adapted from ADB. 2002. Handbook on Correspondence and Writing. Manila.

Sometimes whole paragraphs are redundant, especially when they

repeat material covered in the table of contents. Paragraphs such as
the one below should be deleted.

This paper is organized as follows. Section II presents the

background and ADB’s existing policies. Section III reviews
ADB’s experience with the policy. Section IV compares ADB’s
policy and practice with those of other multilateral development
banks (MDBs). Section V presents key issues and proposals.
Section VI proposes certain revisions to existing policies.
Section VII contains conclusions.

Keep Paragraphs Short

Is there a more forbidding sight than a long, dense paragraph

of development prose? By contrast, a page containing several
paragraphs is more visually appealing and holds out greater hope of
easy progress.

Avoid Jargon

Use plain language wherever you can. ADB documents should

be comprehensible to the well-informed general reader. Common
English words are preferable to technical jargon, ADB slang, or .
non-English terms.

xvi
 Clear Writing

Avoid Prefer

The loan will include a The loan will include an

piggybacked TA project to associated TA project to build
build capacity in the ministry. capacity in the ministry.
ADB provided software ADB provided support for
support for training and training and for building
hardware support for building schools.
schools.
ADB will concentrate ADB will concentrate on
on its core deliverables: constructing the dam and the
constructing the dam and the approach roads.
approach roads.

Use Precise Words

Vague and overused words can deaden text and detract from your point.

Avoid Overusing Alternatives

address (vb.) adjust, amend, attune, correct, cure,
meet the needs of, rectify, redress,
reform, regulate, revise, set right, solve
enhance (vb.) add to, augment, boost, complement,
elevate, embellish, heighten, improve,
increase, lift, magnify, make more
appealing, raise, redouble
appropriate (adj.) adequate, applicable, becoming,
befitting, calculated, compatible,
competent, conformable, congruous,
consistent, consonant, corresponding,
desirable, feasible, fit, geared, in
harmony with, in keeping with,
matched, meet, opportune, pertinent,
practicable, proper, qualified, relevant,
right, seemly, suitable, suited, tailor
made, timely, to the point
capacity training, improving management,
development . strengthening systems
(adj. + n.)

xvii
Clear Writing

Avoid Overusing Alternatives

develop (vb.) (meaning “evolve”)—advance, age,

alter, change, evolve, flow, grow,
mature, progress
(meaning “improve amenities,
conditions”)—better, cultivate, elevate,
enlarge, exploit, polish, promote,
refashion, refine, reform, regenerate,
rehabilitate, reorganize, revamp,
upgrade
(meaning “improve person, workforce,
potentialities”)— advance, cultivate,
educate, enrich, finish, perfect, prepare,
promote, refine, update, upgrade
(meaning “increase”)—advance, amplify,
augment, build up, enlarge, expand,
extend, gain, increase, spread
(meaning “promote”)—assist, back, build
up, champion, encourage, foster, increase,
intensify, nurture, strengthen, support
(meaning “expound thesis”)—amplify,
describe, detail, explain, enumerate, make
known, narrate, recount, reveal, state
(meaning “work out an idea”)—amplify,
build on, draw up, elaborate, enlarge
upon, evolve, expand, fill out, formulate,
frame, go into detail, outline, sketch,
work out
facilitate (vb.) assist; contribute to; create
opportunities; ease, make, open, or
pave the way for; help; make easier;
simplify; streamline
identify (vb.) analyze, categorize, cite, clarify,
classify, decide upon, define delineate,
denote, describe, detail, determine,
distinguish, label, note, particularize,
point to, recognize, refer to, signify,
single out, specify, state precisely
improved (adj.) better, more efficient, stronger, quicker,
cleaner, more sustainable, more
effective, more successful
Adapted from ADB. 2002. Handbook on Correspondence and Writing. Manila.
xviii
 Clear Writing

Writing for the Web

Most web users spend no more than a few minutes browsing through
a website. They tend to scan web pages rather than read them.

When writing for the web

(i) use half the number of words you would normally use;
(ii) write meaningful headings and subheadings (not “clever” ones);
(iii) use bulleted lists;
(iv) limit a paragraph to one idea (users will skip over any additional
ideas if they are not caught by the first few words); and
(v) follow the “inverted pyramid” style, starting with the conclusion.

xix
 Abbreviations

Abbreviations Principle. The excessive use of abbreviations makes text

cumbersome to read.
See also: Boxes, Dates, Figures,
Footnotes, Organizations, Therefore, introduce an abbreviation only if
Tables, Weights and Measures,
(i) the term appears at least three times in each part of a work (e.g.,
Appendix 1 (ADB Member
Names and Currency Units),
in the main text or in each appendix of a Board document); and
Appendix 3 (Common (ii) the term consists of at least three words.
Abbreviations)
Exception. If an abbreviation is better known than the spelled-out
form, e.g., United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), give the
abbreviation even if the term is used only once.

When and How to Abbreviate

Give the spelled-out form first, then the abbreviation in parentheses.

Thereafter, use only the abbreviation.

Avoid Prefer
The system has deteriorated The system has deteriorated
because of poor O&M because of poor operation
(operation and maintenance). and maintenance (O&M).
Private sector participation in Private sector participation
operation and maintenance in O&M activities will be
activities will be explored. explored.

Because parts of a document may be extracted and used for

other purposes, spell out each term to be abbreviated at its first
appearance in the front matter (e.g., executive summary, basic data),
main text, and each appendix.

In a book, spell out each term anew in each chapter if it will help the
reader.

If an abbreviation has not appeared for more than five pages,

consider spelling it out again to remind the reader.

ADB Abbreviations

Shorten “Asian Development Bank” to “ADB” (not “the Bank” or .

“the ADB”).

1
Abbreviations

Do not abbreviate the names of resident missions; give the full name
at first appearance, then use “the resident mission.”

Avoid Prefer
The India Resident Mission The India Resident Mission
(INRM) was fully involved was fully involved in the
in the consultations. Staff consultations. Staff from the
from the INRM attended the resident mission attended
meetings and helped draft the meetings and helped
the reports. draft the reports.

Exception. Names of resident missions may be abbreviated in the list

of contributors in the front matter of Board documents.

ADB Member Names

Appendix 1 lists accepted forms of ADB member names. With the

exception of the abbreviated forms for some member names given
in Appendix 1, always spell out the names of ADB members. Do
not identify an ADB member in text, tables, or figures by its member
code, except as part of a loan or technical assistance number.

Abbreviations List

Spell out every abbreviation used in the document under the heading
“Abbreviations” at the front of documents and publications. The
list should be arranged alphabetically by the abbreviation (not by
the definition). Abbreviations that begin with a number or a special
character should appear at the beginning of the list.

Terms included in the list must be worded, spelled, and punctuated

as they are in the text.

Give all abbreviations in the list in their singular form, even if they
are used in the text initially, primarily, or solely in plural or possessive
form.

Exception. For a few abbreviations, only the plural form makes sense
and therefore should be used in the abbreviations list. Common
examples include “SMEs” (small and medium-sized enterprises) and
“IRRs” (implementing rules and regulations).

2
 Abbreviations

See also: Computer Terms Abbreviations That Should Not Be Spelled Out
The following abbreviations are better known than the words they
stand for and do not have to be explained in the text or added
to the list of abbreviations. Note the punctuation. Definitions and
explanations are in parentheses.

AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)

ATM (automated teller machine—do not use “ATM machine” .
as the “M” in the abbreviation stands for “machine”)
C (centigrade)
CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory)
DVD (digital versatile disc)
e.g., (exempli gratia—for example)
F (Fahrenheit)
fax (facsimile)
GIF (graphics interchange format—file type)
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
HTML (hypertext mark-up language)
i.e., (id est—that is)
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group—file type)
no. (number)
p. (page)
para. (paragraph)
PIN (personal identification number—do not use “PIN number”
as the “N” in the abbreviation stands for “number”)
PDF (portable document format—file type)
RAM (random access memory)
TIFF (tagged image file format—file type)
URL (uniform resource locator)

3
Abbreviations

Abbreviations That Should Be Treated as Names of

Organizations

Some organizations are now known officially by their abbreviations.

In such cases, the abbreviation does not need to be spelled out.

Avoid Prefer
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische
Zusammenarbeit GTZ
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited HKEx
Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation HSBC
Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau KfW
World Wide Fund for Nature WWF

Ampersands in Abbreviations

Principle. Avoid ampersands in abbreviations.

Generally, “and” is not included in an abbreviation, e.g., the

abbreviation for the “Strategy and Policy Department” is “SPD” .
(not “S&PD”).

Exceptions. Note the following exceptions to the rules stated above.

cost and freight (C&F) profit and loss (P&L)

mergers and acquisitions (M&A) research and development
(R&D)
monitoring and evaluation
(M&E) Standard & Poor’s (S&P)
operation and maintenance
(O&M)

4
 Abbreviations

Articles and Abbreviations

Generally, follow the rule in Chicago (15.9): “Acronyms are read as

words and, except when used adjectivally, are rarely preceded by
a, an, or the (‘member nations of NATO’). Initialisms are read as
a series of letters and are often preceded by an article (‘member
nations of the EU’).”

Initialisms Acronyms
the ADF APEC
the CIA ASEAN
the EBRD AusAID
the EU Danida
the IADB LIBOR
the ILO NATO
the IMF OPEC
the MDGs Sida
the OECD UNICEF
the UN

Exception. Although the Chicago rule is a useful starting point, there

are numerous exceptions, including “ADB” itself (an initialism that
does not take an article). A number of other organizations have also
chosen not to use an article with their abbreviated form.

Initialisms without Articles

ADB UNDP
IFC USAID
NZAID WHO

If the abbreviation following the indefinite article begins with a vowel

sound, use “an” even if “a” would be used with the full form.

an FAO publication
a Food and Agriculture Organization publication

5
Abbreviations

See: main entry on Boxes Boxes

See also: main entry on Capitalization

Capitalization, Weights
and Measures Write all abbreviations, except weights and measures, in capital
letters. However, in their spelled-out forms, only proper nouns should
be capitalized.

Avoid Prefer

DfID DFID
MoF MOF
SoE SOE

Exceptions. Note the following exceptions to the rule stated above.

(i) If an organization traditionally uses lowercased letters in its
abbreviated form, this should be followed.

AusAID Australian Agency for International

Development
Danida Danish International Development
Agency
Sida Swedish International Development
Cooperation Agency

(ii) In some abbreviations, lowercased letters have become

institutionalized through usage.

CoP community of practice

MfDR managing for development results
VaR value-at-risk

(iii) The following abbreviations should be lowercased.

a.m. p.
e.g. p.m.
i.e. para.

6
 Abbreviations

Educational Degrees

When attached to a person’s name, do not spell out degrees.

R. Xang, BS, MBA, PhD

When they are referred to in a general sense, apply the usual rules
for abbreviations.

The university will offer courses leading to a master of arts .

(MA) degree.

Executing Agency and Implementing Agency

Lowercase “executing agency” and “implementing agency.” After the

first appearance, use the name of the agency, not “EA” or “IA.”

Avoid Prefer
The Executing Agency (EA) The executing agency will
will be the Ministry of Health. be the Ministry of Health.
The EA will be responsible for The Ministry of Health will
ensuring the smooth and . be responsible for ensuring
rapid implementation of the smooth and rapid
project activities. implementation of project
activities.

See: main entry on Figures Figures

Five-Year Plans

Do not abbreviate “five-year plan.” After the first appearance, use

“plan.”

The goal of the government’s Eleventh Five-Year Plan, .

2006–2010 is a harmonious and prosperous society. The plan
was adopted in 2005.

7
Abbreviations

Footnotes

If a term has already been abbreviated in the text, the abbreviation

may be used in a footnote.

However, if a term that will be abbreviated appears for the first time
in a footnote, spell it out and give the abbreviation in parentheses.
Thereafter, the abbreviation may be used in subsequent footnotes.
If the term is used later in the main text, spell it out again at first
appearance and give the abbreviation in parentheses even though it
has already been defined in a footnote.

Governments

Do not abbreviate the names of national governments. After the first

appearance use “the government.”

Avoid Prefer
ADB and the Government of ADB and the Government
Bangladesh (GOB) signed a of Bangladesh signed a
memorandum of agreement memorandum of agreement
in 2006. The signatory for in 2006. The signatory for
GOB was the secretary of the government was the
finance. secretary of finance.

Subnational governments may be abbreviated, but consider whether

a more general term (e.g., state government, provincial government)
would be clearer to the reader.

Headings and Titles

Spell out abbreviations in headings in the text (including run-in

heads), and in titles of papers, boxes, figures, and tables, even if they
have already been defined in the text. Do not add abbreviations in
parentheses in headings and titles.

Exception. “ADB” does not need to be spelled out in headings and

titles.

8
 Abbreviations

See also: main entry on Non-English Terms

Non-English Terms
For abbreviated non-English terms in the text, spell out the English
translation followed by the abbreviation (usually based on the original
name) at its first appearance.

National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS)

In the list of abbreviations, give the non-English name first, followed

by the English translation in parentheses.

BAPPENAS – Badan Perencanaan dan Pembangunan Nasional

(National Development Planning Agency)

Plurals

Use a lowercased “s” to indicate a plural abbreviation.

developing member countries (DMCs)

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs)
reports and recommendations of the President (RRPs)

Never use an apostrophe when making an abbreviation plural.

Avoid Prefer
COBP’s are updated on a . COBPs are updated on a .
3-year rolling basis. 3-year rolling basis.

Possessives

At first instance, the possessive form of abbreviations looks ungainly

and interrupts the reader. Possessive abbreviations can often be
avoided by simple rewriting.

Avoid Prefer
The Asian Development The goal of the Asian
Bank’s (ADB’s) goal is to Development Bank (ADB) is
reduce poverty. to reduce poverty.

9
Abbreviations

Do not add an apostrophe if an abbreviation is used adjectivally.

Avoid Prefer
ADB’s programs ADB programs
ADB’s headquarters ADB headquarters

Punctuation

Do not use a period in abbreviations for educational degrees, names

of countries and other geographic locations, government ministries
and agencies, institutions, or organizations.

Avoid Prefer
D.O.E. DOE
I.M.F. IMF
Ph.D. PhD
P.N.G. PNG
U.S. US
Washington, D.C. Washington, DC

The following abbreviations require periods.

a.m. p.
e.g. p.m.
i.e. para.

Quarters

The abbreviation for a quarter of a financial year is “Q” followed by

the number.

Sales are expected to increase in the fourth quarter (Q4) of

2009 but to drop in Q1 2010.

10
 Abbreviations

Special Drawing Rights

Do not spell out “SDR” on first appearance when used as a currency

symbol, but define it in the list of abbreviations. When special
drawing rights are referred to in the text, apply the usual rules for
abbreviations.

The project includes a credit component amounting to

SDR2.15 million.
The loan will be denominated in special drawing rights (SDRs).
The use of SDRs was considered helpful to poor countries in
financing development.

See also: main entry on Tables Tables

List abbreviations in alphabetical order below the table with their

definitions.

Table 1: Financing Plan

Amount Share
Source ($ million) (%)
ADB 90.0 60.0
AusAID 45.0 30.0
Government 15.0 10.0
Total 150.0 100.0
ADB = Asian Development Bank, AusAID = Australian Agency for International
Development.
Source: ADB estimates.

However, depending on the table, it may be more appropriate to use

the spelled-out form within the table at the term’s first appearance,
followed by the abbreviation in parentheses, and to use the abbreviation
throughout the rest of the table. In such cases, an abbreviations list below
the table is unnecessary.

11
Abbreviations

Technical Assistance

Spell out “technical assistance” at first appearance. Although the term

consists of only two words, “TA” may be used as an abbreviation.

In publications, avoid using “TA” unless it is impractical to do so.

“TA,” like the spelled-out version “technical assistance,” is not

countable. It is incorrect to refer to “a TA” or “five TAs” (just as it would
not be correct to talk about “a technical assistance” or “five technical
assistances”). Instead use “a TA project” or “five TA projects.”

Avoid Prefer
ADB has approved four ADB has approved four
recent TAs for the country. recent TA projects for the
country.

See also: Weights and Measures Two-Letter Abbreviations

Avoid two-letter abbreviations. Spell out the term each time it is used.

Avoid Prefer
ADB has 19 resident missions ADB has 19 resident missions.
(RMs). Each RM carries out Each resident mission carries
country programming and out country programming
processing of loans and and processing of loans and
technical assistance. technical assistance.
According to the resettlement According to the resettlement
plan (RP), 343 affected plan, 343 affected people will
people (AP) will be resettled. be resettled. Every effort will
Every effort will be made be made to inform affected
to inform AP of their rights people of their rights under
under the RP. the plan.

Exceptions. In addition to the many two-letter (and even one-

letter) abbreviations for weights and measures, note the following
exceptions to the rule stated above.

European Union (EU) United Kingdom (UK)

information technology (IT) United Nations (UN)
technical assistance (TA) United States (US)
12
 ADB Member Names

ADB Member Appendix 1 provides the proper presentation of names of ADB

members in text, in tables, and on covers of Board documents.
Names
Use “ADB members” when referring to the collective membership of
See also: Abbreviations, ADB, not “ADB member countries.”
Capitalization, Appendix 1
(ADB Member Names Use the term “ADB member” or “economy” rather than “country” or
and Currency Units) “nation” when referring to members that are not independent political
entities, e.g., Hong Kong, China.

Abbreviations

Except for the abbreviated forms for some member names given in
Appendix 1, always spell out the names of ADB members. Do not
identify an ADB member in text, tables, or figures by its member
code, except as part of a loan or technical assistance number.

Avoid Prefer
Collaboration with host Collaboration with host
governments in CAM, LAO, governments in Cambodia,
and VIE will be essential. the Lao People’s Democratic
Republic, and Viet Nam will
be essential.

Lists

When two or more members appear in a sequence in a sentence,

list, or table, present them in alphabetical order unless a reason
is given for another order. The order should be the same as in
Appendix 1, even when using an abbreviation. In alphabetical lists
of countries, the People’s Republic of China should always appear
under “C,” the Republic of Korea under “K,” and the Federated States
of Micronesia under “M.”

Delegations from Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China,

Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Malaysia attended the
conference.
Consultations were held with Bangladesh, the PRC, Japan, and
Tuvalu.
The mission visited Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Armenia, in
that order.

13
Adjectives

Plural Names

Plural country names should be treated as singular entities and

should take a singular verb form.

The Philippines is one of the original members of ASEAN.

The Netherlands is one of ADB’s nonregional members.
The Cook Islands is vulnerable to extreme weather patterns.

Adjectives Nouns Used as Adjectives

See also: Punctuation (Hyphen) In general, make nouns singular when they are used adjectivally.

communicable disease natural resource issues

control
document distribution safeguard framework
information and stakeholder groups
communication technology

Exception. Retain the “s” if a phrase sounds unnatural or misleading

without it.

human resources budget skills training

results framework training needs assessment

Ensure that adjectives are not used incorrectly as nouns. For

example, “corruption” is primarily used as a noun, but “anticorruption”
is always an adjective.

Avoid Prefer
The project will focus on The project will focus on
anticorruption. anticorruption activities.

14
 Appendixes

“Sector”

“Sector” and “multisector” are preferred as adjectives to “sectoral” or

“multisectoral.” The same applies to “agriculture,” “education,” and
other words used to describe sectors.

Avoid Prefer
sectoral studies sector studies
multisectoral approach multisector approach
agricultural sector agriculture sector
educational sector education sector
financial sector finance sector
industrial sector industry sector

Appendixes Principle. Material in appendixes should not duplicate information

given in the main text.
See also: Abbreviations, Figures,
Headings, Page Numbers, List all appendixes on the contents page, including supplementary
Tables appendixes.

Abbreviations

Spell out every term, then give the abbreviation in parentheses at

first appearance in each appendix, even if the term has already been
spelled out in the main text. Appendixes are often read separately
from the main text.

Citing in Text

Cite all appendixes in the main text and number them in the order in
which they are cited. If only one appendix is attached, use “Appendix”
rather than “Appendix 1.”

Exception. The order of the appendixes in some Board documents

is fixed.

Capitalize “Appendix” when referring to a specific appendix in the text.

Draft terms of reference can be found in Appendix 6.

For financial aspects, see Appendixes 5–7.

15
Appendixes

Headings

Headings of appendixes in Board documents should follow the model

under the main entry on Headings.

Appendix 7 42

PROCUREMENT PLAN

A. Process Thresholds, Review, and 18-Month Procurement Plan

1. Project Procurement Thresholds

1. Except as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) may otherwise agree, the following process
thresholds shall apply to procurement of goods and works.

Page Numbering

Appendixes in Board documents have running heads indicating the

appendix number.

Appendix 1 23

24 Appendix 1

Paragraph Numbering

In a Board document appendix that is mainly text, number the

paragraphs, starting with 1.

Supplementary Material

Do not include attachments or annexes to appendixes. Supplementary

material may be (i) treated as supplementary appendixes (listed on the
contents page, to be provided upon request); (ii) incorporated into an
existing appendix; or (iii) provided in a separate appendix.

16
 Articles

See also: main entry Tables and Figures

on Tables, main entry
on Figures Cite each appendix table or figure in the text of the appendix. Follow
the same rules for citing tables or figures as in the main text.

Title

Appendix titles in Board documents should be in capital letters and

centered on the page.

Articles Principle. Use the definite article “the” to restrict or particularize a

noun and an indefinite article (“a” or “an”) when the identity of the
See also: Abbreviations noun is not specified or fixed.

A team leader will be selected before the inception mission.

The team leader will consult with government officials on
governance issues.
An amendment to the Companies Act, 1956 will be required. The .
amendment will detail the exemptions.

Use articles correctly in titles of projects and documents. For

example, if the project is designed to support something that does
not yet exist, use the indefinite article.

Technical Assistance to the Republic of Kazakhstan for a

Strategy for Rural Development

Boxes Principle. Text boxes may be used sparingly in publications but

should not appear in Board documents.

Exception. Boxes may be used in moderation in country partnership

strategies, strategy and policy documents, and evaluation
documents. Cite all boxes in the text.

Abbreviations

Treat abbreviations in boxes the same way as in the main text,

i.e., give the spelled-out form at first appearance followed by the
abbreviation in parentheses. Thereafter, use only the abbreviation.

If an abbreviated term that appeared first in a box is used later in the

main text, spell it out again and give the abbreviation in parentheses,
even though it has already been defined in a box.
17
Boxes

Format

Text in boxes should be 1 point smaller than the main text, and
justified.

Keep paragraphs short. Do not number or indent them. Insert a half-

line space between paragraphs.

Labeling

In publications, country partnership strategies, strategy and policy

documents, and evaluation documents, boxes should be labeled
“Box 1,” “Box 2,” etc., followed by a colon and a short descriptive title.
If there is only one box, it should not be numbered.

Use bold font and headline-style capitalization, and center the title in
the box.

Box 3: Phnom Penh Water Supply and Drainage Project

In books, box labels usually include the chapter number (e.g., in

Chapter 3, boxes would be numbered “Box 3.1,” “Box 3.2,” etc.).

Length

Text boxes should ideally occupy no more than one page. If a box
extends onto a second page, ensure that the pages face each other.
Boxes should never occupy more than two pages.

Notes and Explanatory Material

Boxes need to be self-contained (e.g., footnote numbering should be

independent from that of the main text). Use superscript lowercased
letters as footnote indicators to avoid confusion with footnotes in the
main text. The footnotes themselves should be placed at the end of
the box (not at the bottom of the page). The footnotes should precede
the source of the box.

18
 Brand Names

In 2007, ADB started a partnership with the PRC’s Clean

Development Mechanism Fund.a This partnership will focus on
transferring and deploying advanced technologies and using
clean energy.

a
 DB. 2006. Technical Assistance to the People’s Republic of China for the
A
Establishment of the Clean Development Mechanism Fund. Manila.
Source: Asian Development Bank.

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures in boxes should be avoided if possible. Do not

number tables or figures in boxes—place them immediately below
the reference in the text.

Brand Names Trademark symbols should be omitted.

Avoid Prefer
Microsoft Excel® Microsoft Excel

Some brand names have become so common that they are used in a
general sense, but resist the temptation to do so.

Avoid Prefer
Coca-Cola cola
Xerox photocopier

19
Capitalization

Capitalization Principle. Limit the use of capitalization.

See also: Abbreviations, Figures, ADB follows the principles of capitalization found in Chicago (8.2):
Headings, Tables, Appendix 1 “Chicago generally prefers a ‘down’ style—the parsimonious use of
(ADB Member Names and capitals.”
Currency Units), Appendix 3
(Common Abbreviations) Headline-style capitalization—the capitalization of the first letter
of each major word—is used for headings and titles. See Chicago
(8.167) for further guidance on headline-style capitalization.

Exception. Some ADB documents, such as legal or other official

documents, have their own rules and precedents with regard to
capitalization, which may override those given here.

ADB Organizational Terms

Capitalize the ADB “Board of Governors,” “Board of Directors,”

“Management,” and the names of ADB departments and offices.

Lowercase “headquarters” when referring to the ADB headquarters.

Capitalize names of resident missions, but lowercase generic references.

The Bangladesh Resident Mission, established in July 1982,

was ADB’s first resident mission.

Common Terms Used in ADB

Accountability Mechanism
Agreement Establishing the Asian Development Bank .
(the Charter)
Annual Meeting (capitalize only when referring to a specific
meeting)
appraisal mission
Asian crisis 1997–1998
Asian Development Fund
Board of Directors (capitalize only when referring to the ADB
Board of Directors)
Board of Governors (capitalize only when referring to the ADB
Board of Governors)
Board document

20
 Capitalization

the borrower
Carbon Market Initiative
Clean Development Mechanism
component
country operations business plan
country partnership strategy
Energy Efficiency Initiative
executing agency
fact-finding mission
gender action plan
guarantor
the government (capitalize only in formal references, e.g., the
Government of the Philippines)
headquarters, ADB headquarters
implementing agency
Innovation and Efficiency Initiative
instrument of contribution
Japan Special Fund
Kyoto Protocol
loan
loan agreement
Management (capitalize only when referring to the ADB
Management)
memorandum of agreement
memorandum of understanding
Millennium Development Goals
mission
multitranche financing facility
operations department (capitalize full names of individual
departments)
ordinary capital resources

21
Capitalization

the President (capitalize only when referring to the ADB

President or heads of state and government)
program (capitalize full names of individual programs)
project (capitalize full names of individual projects)
project agreement
project implementation unit
project management unit
regional department (capitalize full names of individual
departments)
report and recommendation of the President
resident mission (capitalize full names of individual resident
missions)
special drawing rights
Special Funds resources
Strategy 2020
subsidiary loan agreement
technical assistance
Technical Assistance Special Fund

Constitutions

Capitalize specific constitutions, but lowercase generic references.

Such a radical change will require an amendment to the

Constitution.
Reforming a constitution is a laborious task.

Educational Degrees

Lowercase names of degrees and fellowships.

a master’s degree
a doctorate
a fellowship in applied economics
a master of public health

22
 Capitalization

Ethnic Groups

Capitalize names of ethnic and national groups, but do not italicize

them.

Life expectancy is 63 years for Brahmins but only 51 for Dalits.

Geographic Names

Principle. Capitalize names of specific places and geographic

features. Capitalize generic terms (e.g., a river) when they form part
of the name.

Altay Administrative District Northern Samar

Bay of Bengal Plain of Jars
Central Java Province Peninsular Malaysia
Ho Chi Minh City Route 217
Lake Baikal Sichuan Province
Mekong River Tonle Sap Basin
Mekong Delta Tonle Sap River
National Highway 1 Tropic of Cancer
Ningxia Hui Yili Kazak Autonomous
Autonomous Region Prefecture

Lowercase when the term is descriptive rather than part of the formal
name.

central region of Viet Nam the foothills of the Altai

the city of Phnom Penh Indonesian archipelago
Dahu village northeast India
the east coast of Kalimantan the Yangtze valley

Lowercase when the term refers to more than one distinct item.

the Cagayan and Pampanga rivers

the Central Asian republics

23
Capitalization

Government

Capitalize “government” when a government is formally referred to

and its full name is given.

Lowercase “government” when it is not used in a formal context.

There is no need to indicate in parentheses that “the government” is
the short form.

Avoid Prefer
The Government of the The Government of the
Philippines (the Government) Philippines is implementing
is implementing an electronic an electronic procurement
procurement system. This . system. This is consistent
is consistent with the with the government’s
Government’s commitment commitment to strengthen
to strengthen country country procurement
procurement systems. systems.
ADB and the Government ADB and the government
must approve the must approve the
environment, poverty, and environment, poverty, and
social safeguard reports. social safeguard reports.
Representatives of the Representatives of the
Governments of Kazakhstan, governments of Kazakhstan,
the Kyrgyz Republic, and the Kyrgyz Republic, and
Uzbekistan attended the Uzbekistan attended the
meeting. meeting.

Meetings, Conferences, and Forums

Capitalize exact names of meetings, conferences, and forums, but

lowercase generic references.

The High-Level Forum on Harmonization was held in Rome in

February 2003.
The President of Indonesia attended the 42nd Annual Meeting
of the ADB Board of Governors.
This will be presented at the annual meeting of the working
group.

24
 Capitalization

Ministries, Departments, and Other Government

Bodies

Capitalize full names of national ministries and departments and

other permanent bodies, but lowercase generic references. For a
more comprehensive list of political entities and governmental and
judicial bodies, see Chicago (8.55, 8.66–8.70).

Representatives of the Ministry of Finance attended the meeting

in Manila. The ministry sent a high-level delegation.
The Department of Health issued a travel advisory. The
department does this regularly.
The Public Service Commission is an independent regulatory
agency.
The National Executive Council approved the supplementary
project financing.
The Embassy of the United States offered condolences to
the families of the flood victims. The embassy also made a
contribution to relief efforts.
The mission held discussions with officials of the ministries of
agriculture and forestry, education, health, and foreign affairs.
He had a successful career in the civil service.
The resignations from the cabinet have affected the continuity of
policy.

Capitalize “Congress,” “House of Representatives,” “Parliament,” and

“Senate.”

The bill will be sent to Parliament in 2009.

Minority groups are represented in Congress.
The recommendations will be sent to the Senate.
The House of Representatives has 216 members.

Lowercase generic references to working groups, committees, units,

and steering committees.

The technical working groups are being restructured.

A steering committee has been established to implement the
action plan.

25
Capitalization

Capitalize names of permanent committees.

The organization structure of the State Customs Committee has

been approved.

Missions

Lowercase titles of missions.

The fact-finding mission and the appraisal mission were

completed successfully.

Organizations

Capitalize proper names of organizations.

Companies and institutions. Chicago (8.73) recommends the

following: “The full names of institutions and companies and of their
departments, and sometimes their short forms, are capitalized. A the
preceding a name, even when part of the official title, is lowercased
in running text.”

ADB will work closely with the Export-Import Bank of Korea.

The Accounting Department will be the executing agency and
the Department of Inspection will be the implementing agency.

Political parties, religions, and religious bodies. Capitalize names

of political parties and religious bodies and of their adherents.

the Communist Party Communists

the Catholic Church Catholics
Islam Muslims

26
 Capitalization

See also: Cross-References Parts of a Document or Publication

References to appendixes, boxes, chapters, figures, maps, parts,

schedules, and tables should be capitalized.

The data are summarized in Tables 2–4.

The design and monitoring framework has been revised
(Appendix 1).
Gender concerns in Tajikistan are summarized in Chapter 6.
Energy consumption rose faster than GDP in 2001–2005
(Figure 2).
The proposed railway network connects two provinces (Map 4).
The project management office shall have been established, as
provided in Schedule 4 of the loan agreement.

References to paragraphs, sections, and footnotes should be

lowercased.

This initiative builds on the activities conducted under an earlier

TA project (paras. 15–17).
The provisions governing fiduciary duties are in sections 66–71.
The World Bank investigation reached the same conclusion
(footnote 34).

Plans, Policies, Strategies, and Laws

ADB style is guided by the following rule in Chicago (8.86): “Formal

or accepted titles of pacts, plans, policies, treaties, acts, programs,
and similar documents or agreements are capitalized. Incomplete or
generic forms are usually lowercased.”

27
Capitalization

ADB. Capitalize the names of major ADB policies, strategies, and

initiatives and their short forms. Lowercase country partnership
strategies and country operations business plans.

The development mission of ADB is detailed in the Agreement

Establishing the Asian Development Bank (the Charter).1
In April 2008, the Board of Directors approved Strategy 2020. 2
The country partnership strategy, 2008–2010 contains a road
map for private sector operations in the PRC.3
The Board of Directors discussed the Work Program and
Budget Framework, 2009–2011.4
ADB’s Regional Cooperation and Integration Strategy has four
pillars.5
The project is included in the country operations business plan,
2008–2010 for Timor-Leste.6

1
ADB. 1966. Agreement Establishing the Asian Development Bank. Manila.
2
ADB. 2008. Strategy 2020: The Long-Term Strategic Framework of the
Asian Development Bank, 2008–2020. Manila.
3
ADB. 2008. Country Partnership Strategy: People’s Republic of China,
2008–2010. Manila.
4
ADB. 2008. Work Program and Budget Framework, 2009–2011. Manila.
5
ADB. 2006. Regional Cooperation and Integration Strategy. Manila.
6
ADB. 2007. Country Operations Business Plan: Timor-Leste, 2008–2010.
Manila.

National. Capitalize the titles of major national economic plans.

The goal of the government’s Eleventh Five-Year Plan, 2006–

2010 is a harmonious and prosperous society.1 The plan was
finalized in early 2006.
India’s Eleventh Five Year Plan, 2007–2012 aimed to reduce .
the infant mortality rate to 28 per 1,000 live births by 2012.2
(Note there is no hyphen between “Five” and “Year” in the
official title.)
Cambodia’s Rectangular Strategy, 2004–2008 aims to increase
economic growth, employment, equity, and social justice.3

28
 Capitalization

The government adopted the National Agricultural Policy in

2007.4 The new policy has increased yields.
A poverty reduction strategy is needed to ensure that the poor
are not left behind.

1
 overnment of the People’s Republic of China, National Development and
G
Reform Commission. 2006. The Outline of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan.
Beijing.
2
Government of India, Planning Commission. 2008. Eleventh Five Year Plan,
2007–12. Delhi.
3
Government of Cambodia. 2004. The Rectangular Strategy for Growth,
Employment, Equity and Efficiency in Cambodia. Phnom Penh.
4
Government of Sri Lanka, Ministry of Agricultural Development and Agrarian
Services. 2007. National Agricultural Policy for Food and Export Agricultural
Crops and Floriculture. Colombo.

Capitalize formal names of laws, policies, treaties, and programs,

but lowercase their short forms. Pending legislation should also be
lowercased.

Avoid Prefer
In 2002, Parliament passed In 2002, Parliament passed
the Immigration Act. The Act the Immigration Act. The act
was designed to consolidate was designed to consolidate
the existing legislation. the existing legislation.
The proposed Renewable The proposed renewable
Energy Bill is expected to energy bill is expected to
provide economic incentives provide economic incentives
to investors. to investors.
The fund was established The fund was established
in 1997 under Presidential in 1997 under Presidential
decree 294. Decree No. 294.

Global. Capitalize “Millennium Development Goals.”

ADB and its members will track progress toward achieving the
Millennium Development Goals.

29
Capitalization

Projects, Programs, Subprojects, and Components

Capitalize the complete title of a project or program. Otherwise,

lowercase “project” and “program.” There is no need to indicate in
parentheses that “the project” or “the program” is the short form.

Avoid Prefer
A loan to India is proposed A loan to India is proposed
for the Madhya Pradesh for the Madhya Pradesh
State Roads Sector Project State Roads Sector Project.
(the Project). The Project The project will help the
will help the government government to provide
to provide reliable road reliable road transport
transport services to support services to support economic
economic development. development.
The conference paved the The conference paved the
way for a new action plan way for a new action plan
for the Greater Mekong for the Greater Mekong
Subregion Program (the Subregion Program. The
Program). The Program program has raised the profile
has raised the profile of the of the subregion.
subregion.

Lowercase names of subprojects, components, and tranches, unless

part of a formal title.

Work will begin on component 1, rehabilitation and construction

of the kindergarten and school facilities, in 2010.
The first tranche was released soon after Board approval.

Titles

Capitalize professional titles when followed immediately by the

individual’s name.

Director General Lee

Minister of Finance Chidambaram

30
 Capitalization

Capitalize the title of the ADB President and of heads of state and
government.

The President of ADB spoke at the Annual Meeting.

The Prime Minister of India signed the treaty.
The project is a new initiative of the King of Thailand.
The President of the Kyrgyz Republic gave the opening address.
The Emperor of Japan attended the meeting.

Lowercase all other titles.

The minister for civil aviation will open the meeting.

The ombudsman will investigate the charges.
The director general of the Regional and Sustainable
Development Department will attend.
The minister for trade said that links between the two countries
had expanded significantly.
The mission leader will write the report.
ADB economists predict that the economy will improve.
The company will need to recruit engineers and senior
engineers.

Avoid honorific titles.

Avoid Prefer
Mr. D. Erdenebileg D. Erdenebileg
Dr. G. Kalton G. Kalton

Exceptions. Note the following exceptions to the rules stated above.

(i) Titles in the front matter of Board documents and publications
may be capitalized even if they are not followed immediately
by a name.
(ii) Certain formal contexts (such as the ADB Annual Meeting)
have their own rules for capitalization and honorific titles,
driven by protocol and established usage.

31
Company Names

Treasury Bills and Bonds

Refer to US Treasury bonds as “US Treasuries.”

The portfolio is most vulnerable to a large sell-off of US Treasuries.

Treasury bills and bonds sold by other governments should be

spelled out and capitalized.

Avoid Prefer
An auction of T-bills was An auction of Treasury bills
held. was held.

General references to treasury bills and bonds should be lowercased.

Investors find treasury bills an attractive option when markets

are turbulent.

Company Omit the extensions after or before company names (e.g., Assoc.,
Berhad, Bros., Co., Corp., Inc., Ltd., PT).
Names
Avoid Prefer
Tata Motors Limited is India’s Tata Motors is India’s largest
largest car company. car company.
Microsoft Corp. is Microsoft is headquartered in
headquartered in Redmond, Redmond, Washington.
Washington.
Sime Darby Bhd. is one of Sime Darby is one of
Southeast Asia’s biggest Southeast Asia’s biggest
conglomerates. conglomerates.
PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia’s Bank Rakyat Indonesia’s IPO
IPO was in 2003. was in 2003.

Exceptions. Note the following exceptions to the rule stated above.

(i) Include the extension if it is a well-established part of a name.

International Finance Corporation

(ii) Extensions may be required in legal documents or to differentiate

one company from another with a similar name.
32
 Computer Terms

Computer The list below contains the preferred spelling and capitalization for
common computer and internet terms. For those that should be
Terms spelled out at first appearance, the full version is given first followed
by the acronym.

artificial intelligence (do not abbreviate to “AI”)

blog (do not use “weblog”)
broadband
byte (also: kilobyte [KB], megabyte [MB], gigabyte [GB])
CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory—no need to spell out)
computer (do not use “PC”)
computer-aided design (CAD)
database
desktop
dial-up
domain name
e-mail (hyphenate all “e-” prefixes, e.g., e‑banking, e-group, .
e-money, e‑notification, e-procurement)
Excel spreadsheet
firewall

GIF file (graphics interchange format—no need to spell out)

HTML (hypertext mark-up language—no need to spell out)

hard drive

hardware

home page

inbox

information and communication technology (ICT)

information technology (IT)

internet

internet service provider (ISP)

33
Computer Terms

intranet

JPEG file (Joint Photographic Experts Group—no need to spell out)

laptop

link (do not use “hyperlink”)

liquid crystal display (LCD)

local area network (LAN)
mainframe
motherboard
multimedia
network
online
PDF file (portable document format—no need to spell out)
PIN (personal identification number—no need to spell out; do
not use “PIN number” as the “N” in the abbreviation stands for
“number”)
PowerPoint presentation
printer-friendly
RAM (random access memory—no need to spell out)
site map
software

spreadsheet

TIFF file (tagged image file format—no need to spell out)

teleconference

URL (uniform resource locator—no need to spell out)

videoconference

voice over internet protocol (VOIP)

web (do not use “World Wide Web”)

34
 Copyright

web page

webcam

webcast

webmaster

website

wide-area network (WAN)

wireless application protocol (WAP)

XML (extensible markup language—no need to spell out)

Copyright Principle. ADB documents and publications must never plagiarize

material from another source. Only material that falls within the
See also: Footnotes, References definition of fair use or for which permission to reproduce has been
obtained may be reproduced from another printed or electronic
source. All material from another source must be cited.

Chicago (4.75–4.84) provides useful general rules on fair use

and quoting without permission. Generally, quoting, copying, or
paraphrasing any published or unpublished material from any
source in any ADB document (hard copy, electronic copy, or an ADB
website) may be done only if
(i) the item quoted, copied, or paraphrased is a short piece of text,
a table, a figure, other similar graphic representation of data, or
other information that does not constitute a substantial part of the
other material; and
(ii) the material is clearly and adequately cited (author, source, etc.).

A longer piece of text, a drawing, a photograph, or a graphic

representation that constitutes a substantial part of the other
material may be used only if the copyright owner has given specific
permission to reproduce the work. If in doubt as to whether only a
citation or written permission is required, contact the Department of
External Relations.

The standard copyright page for publications is available online

(http://publishing.adb.org/).

35
Country Names

Country Appendix 1 lists accepted forms of ADB member names.

Names The following countries are not members of ADB, but they border
ADB members.
See also: ADB Member Names,
Lists, Appendix 1 (ADB Member
Names and Currency Units) Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Russian Federation

The former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics should be referred to .

as “the former Soviet Union” when referring to the area after the
breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991, but not for actions or
events that took place before.

In parts of the former Soviet Union, there are legal issues over
whether local or central governments have the ownership rights
to resources.
The collapse of the Soviet Union followed years of economic
stagnation.

Cross- Principle. Minimize the use of cross-references.

References Keep cross-references simple and do not use unnecessary words. It

is easier for readers to find text if cross-references are to paragraph
See also: Capitalization (Parts of numbers, rather than sections.
a Document), Footnotes
(Cross-Referencing)
Avoid Prefer
The natural gas component will The natural gas component will
require additional consulting require additional consulting
services (see Appendix 3). services (Appendix 3).
The number of migrants has The number of migrants has
been steadily increasing (details been steadily increasing
can be found in Table 1). (Table 1).
The reasons for the delay are The reasons for the delay are
explained in section III below. explained in paras. 66–74.
The arrangement referred to The arrangement referred to
above will last until 2009. in paras. 12–15 will last until
2009.

36
 Cross-References

Cross-references may be written into the text or appear in

parentheses as appropriate. Place them at the end of the sentence if
possible.

When cross-referencing a particular item (such as a table) in another

part of a document, give the major part first, then the specific cross-
reference.

Cost estimates take into account these resettlement costs

(Appendix 1, Table A1.1).
The Ministry of Finance will be the executing agency (main text,
paras. 13–17).

A cross-reference to a footnote may appear in parentheses (place it

at the end of the sentence if possible). A cross-reference containing
additional information (e.g., a page number) should be placed in a
new footnote.

The TA project supported several initiatives to improve

governance (footnote 3).
or
The TA project supported several initiatives to improve
governance.13

13
Footnote 3, pp. 9–15.

37
Currencies and Exchange Rates

Currencies Principle. If a current exchange rate is provided at the start of a

document (e.g., as is required in Board documents), do not provide
and Exchange a dollar equivalent in the text unless there is a strong reason for
doing so.
Rates
See also: Numbers, Appendix 1 Avoid Prefer
(ADB Member Names and Of the 2,339 households Of the 2,339 households
Currency Units)
interviewed, 5% lived below interviewed, 5% lived below
the poverty line, earning less the poverty line, earning less
than Rs420 ($10) a month. than Rs420 a month.

Currency symbols should precede the number, with no space or

punctuation in between.

Tk100,000 K72,000
¥5 million SDR36,000

Express a small monetary amount as a percentage of the main unit

of currency (e.g., a dollar) rather than as a smaller unit (e.g., a cent).

Avoid Prefer
Annual expenditure on health Annual expenditure on health
services is less than 40 cents services is less than $0.40
per person. per person.

Lowercase names of currencies. When the name of a currency is

referred to in the text without the amount in figures, do not abbreviate it.

Avoid Prefer
The devaluation of the Rp The devaluation of the rupiah
resulted in large savings. resulted in large savings.
The Taka has weakened The taka has weakened
during the implementation during the implementation
period. period.
The loan is denominated in The loan is denominated in
Special Drawing Rights. special drawing rights.

38
 Currencies and Exchange Rates

“Billion” means 1,000,000,000. Do not abbreviate “billion” to “b” or

“bn,” or “million” to “m” or “mn” in text, tables, or figures.

Do not use lakh (Rs100,000), lac (Rs1,000,000), or crore

(Rs10,000,000) when discussing Indian financial data. ADB
documents and publications must be easily comprehensible
to readers without knowledge of particular national financial
nomenclature.

Avoid Prefer
5 lakhs of rupees Rs500,000
5 crores of rupees Rs50 million

Currency Symbols

ADB uses currency symbols, not currency codes. Appendix 1 lists

currency symbols of ADB members.

Avoid Prefer
Annual income is projected to Annual income is projected to
be USD390 million. be $390 million.

Exception. Some documents, such as those dealing with international

bond markets, use the three-letter International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) currency codes. These may be found on the
ISO website.

Exchange Rates

When describing an exchange rate, use an en dash to separate

currency names and an equals sign to signify the relationship
between two currencies.

The dollar–won exchange rate has fluctuated significantly since

1997.
The euro broke through the €1.00 = $1.50 mark in March 2008.

39
Currencies and Exchange Rates

Historical exchange rates should be expressed in parentheses or in a

footnote and should be for a specific point in time.

Tax revenue in the Philippines reached P698.3 billion in 1998

($12.7 billion at the end of 1998).

When two or more currencies are being compared across years,

express them in index form in tables or figures, in footnotes, or in
legends, specifying the base year.

1997 = 100

In completion and evaluation reports, the currency equivalents

statement should include the rates used at the original appraisal and
at the time the completion or evaluation report was prepared.

Historical exchange rate data may be obtained from the Treasury

Services Division of the Treasury Department.

Low-Value Currency Units

Several ADB members have currencies whose individual units have

very low values. This can cause difficulties when giving the dollar
equivalent of these units, e.g., in the currency equivalents table at the
beginning of Board documents. Generally, do not use more than two
decimal places to the right of the last zero.

Avoid Prefer
Currency Unit – dong (D) Currency Unit – dong (D)
D1.00 = $0.000062717 D1.00 = $0.000063
$1.00 = D15,944.50 $1.00 = D15,944.50

Singular or Plural?

An amount of money expressed as a currency is singular.

Avoid Prefer
The Rs10 million were used The Rs10 million was used
to build capacity. to build capacity.

40
 Dates

Special Drawing Rights

Do not spell out “SDR” on first appearance when used as a currency

symbol, but define it in the list of abbreviations. When “special drawing
rights” are referred to in the text, apply the regular rules for abbreviations.

The special drawing right (SDR) was created by the

International Monetary Fund in 1969. The value of the SDR is
based on a basket of international currencies.
I am satisfied that the proposed loan would comply with
the Articles of Agreement of the Asian Development Bank
and recommend that the Board approve the loan in various
currencies equivalent to SDR2,795,000 to the Republic of
Tajikistan for the Emergency Restoration of Yavan Water
Conveyance System Project …

US Dollars

When indicated in a note at the front of a document or publication, “$”

may be used throughout to indicate US dollars.

In this report, “$” refers to US dollars.

In a document or publication in which other currencies using the “$”

symbol appear (e.g., F$, NZ$, S$), the note should reflect this.

In this report, “$” refers to US dollars, unless otherwise stated.

Dates Principle. Be accurate and consistent in specifying both periods of

time and specific points in time.
See also: Punctuation, Ranges

Days

Write dates in day-month-year order, without punctuation. Do not use

a zero before single-digit dates. Use an en dash to indicate a range.

Avoid Prefer
January 26, 2001. 26 January 2001.
26th of January 2001
05 July 2009 5 July 2009

41
Dates

Avoid Prefer
12-28 February 2005. 12–28 February 2005
12 to 28 February 2005
4 June-10 August 2000. 4 June–10 August 2000
4 June to 10 August 2000
from 12 May 2009–11 May from 12 May 2009 to 11 May
2014 2014
in 2 February 2015 on 2 February 2015

Months

Spell out the names of months. Where space is limited (as in tables
or lists), abbreviate the month to three letters without a period. Do not
include these in the list of abbreviations.

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

Where space is even more constrained, other shortened forms are

acceptable. Only use the short format “5-7-09” where space does not
allow the clearer “5 Jul 2009” or “5 Jul 09.” In those cases, include
a footnote explaining that the format is day-month-year to avoid
confusion.

Quarters

If there are three or more references to quarters, use “Q” followed by

the number.

Sales are expected to increase in the fourth quarter (Q4) of

2009 but to drop in Q1 2010.

Avoid Prefer
1st Qtr 2008, 1Q 2008 Q1 2008

42
 Dates

Years

Principle. Years should be expressed consistently throughout a

document or publication.

Do not use imprecise or relative descriptions of time; always specify

the date or time period.

Avoid Prefer
The project ended last year. The project ended in 2008.
Over the past 2 years, the Since 2006, the economy has
economy has improved improved significantly.
significantly.
The project manager resigned The project manager resigned
4 years ago. in 2003.

When discussing the beginning or end of a year or a quarter, do not

use shorthand.

Avoid Prefer
start 2004 the start of 2004
end 2004 the end of 2004

Fiscal years are usually defined by the year in which they end. In
documents and publications containing references to fiscal years,
include a note at the beginning to explain the period covered by the
fiscal year. Do not insert a space between “FY” and the year.

NOTES

(i) The fiscal year (FY) of the government ends on 30 September.

FY before a calendar year denotes the year in which the fiscal
year ends, e.g., FY2008 ends on 30 September 2008.

43
Dates

Avoid Prefer
In fiscal year (FY) 1997/1998, In FY1998, physical
physical infrastructure infrastructure accounted
accounted for about 20% of total for about 20% of total
expenditure, but by FY2002/03 expenditure, but by FY2003 .
it had dropped to 10%. it had dropped to 10%.

Exception. Some countries, notably India, define their fiscal year by

the year in which it starts.

Use the following table as a guide.

Example Meaning Notes

2007–2008 2 full calendar years
2007 From 1 January to
31 December 2007
2007/08 12 months that do Avoid if possible. If a
not coincide with the clearer alternative cannot
calendar year be found, define the
beginning and end of the
year.
SY2008/09 A school year that Define the beginning and
starts at some point end in a note, usually at
in 2008 and ends at the front of the document
some point in 2009 or publication.
FY2008 12 months ending at Define the beginning and
some point in 2008 end in a note, usually at
(for most countries) the front of the document
or publication.
12 months starting at
some point in 2008
(for some countries,
notably India)
1990–1999 A decade
1990–2000 11 years
1990s The decade . Not: the nineties, ’90s,
1990–1999 1990’s

44
 Figures

Decades

Use numerals for decades, e.g., 1960s, 1980s. Note the absence
of an apostrophe. An agreed-upon style for the first and second
decades of the current century has not yet emerged.

Avoid Prefer
In the nineties, the PRC In the 1990s, the PRC
continued to liberalize its continued to liberalize its
economy and significantly economy and significantly
reduced industrial tariffs. reduced industrial tariffs.

Centuries

Use ordinal numbers for centuries. Do not use superscript for the
letters that accompany ordinal numbers.

Avoid Prefer
The global population The global population
increased by more than . increased by more than
4 billion people during the 4 billion people during the
twentieth century. 20th century.
Asia’s urbanization will be Asia’s urbanization will be
a driving force of the global a driving force of the global
economy in the 21st century. economy in the 21st century.

Figures Principle. Use a figure only when it amplifies and illustrates the
discussion in the text. Cite all figures in the text; place each figure
as soon as possible after the end of the paragraph in which it is first
cited.

Color

Board documents are circulated to the primary readership, members

of the ADB Board of Directors, in hard copy. Although figures may be
prepared in color, they must be capable of being reproduced in black
and white.

Publications may use a maximum of two colors in their inside pages.

45
Figures

Format

A figure should not extend beyond one page.

Enclose the figure in a frame, together with the title, abbreviations

list, note(s), footnote(s), and source(s). However, organization charts
do not require a frame.

To avoid visual distortion of the relative amounts or numbers

presented, make charts two-dimensional.

Exception. Other forms of visual representation (e.g., three-

dimensional bar charts and “exploded” pie charts) may be used
in awareness-raising materials such as brochures, fact sheets,
magazines, and newsletters.

The size and detail of the figure (especially if reproduced from

another source) must be appropriate to that of the document (i.e.,
font size may be as small as 9 points, but not larger than 11 points).

Figure 3: Loan Portfolio Composition, 2008

(%)
Others
16.3
ICT Constructiona
3.2 31.8

Food industry
3.3

Energy
3.4
Agriculture
3.5

Real estate
4.9 Trade
Individuals 18.7
15.0

ICT = information and communication technology.

Note: Percentages may not total 100% because of rounding.
a
Residential (15.6%), commercial (11.4%), and industrial (4.8%).
Source: JSC Kazkommertsbank.

46
 Figures

See also: Headings Labeling

(Capitalization)
If a document has only one figure, use only the title; if it has two or
more figures, number them consecutively with Arabic numerals in the
order in which they appear in the text.

The figure number should be followed by a colon and a short

descriptive title.

Center the title above the figure and use headline-style capitalization.
Use Arial 11 in bold for Board documents.

Spell out abbreviations in titles, even if they have already been

defined in the text. Do not add abbreviations in parentheses in titles.

Exception. “ADB” does not need to be spelled out in titles.

Figure A6: Government Education Programs and

Sequencing of ADB Support

Indicate the unit of measurement in parentheses, same font size, not

in bold. Center the unit of measure directly below the title. The word
“in” should not be used in the description of units.

Avoid Prefer
Figure 2: Fiscal Balance Figure 2: Fiscal Balance
(% of GDP) (% of GDP)

Figure A4.1: External Assistance Figure A4.1: External Assistance

(in $ million) ($ million)

If an appendix comprises a single figure, use the title of the figure as

the appendix title, i.e., using all capital letters.

FUNDS FLOW ARRANGEMENT

47
Figures

Follow the numbering conventions below for figures in appendixes.

If a figure is found in Label

the only appendix Figure A.1, Figure A.2, etc.
the first appendix Figure A1.1, Figure A1.2, etc.
the second appendix Figure A2.1, Figure A2.2, etc.

If the only figure is found in Label

the only appendix Title only
the first appendix Figure A1
the second appendix Figure A2

When referring to a figure in an appendix, cite the appendix first.

Avoid Prefer
(Figure A3.2 in Appendix 3) (Appendix 3, Figure A3.2)

Notes and Explanatory Material

Figures need to be self-contained (e.g., abbreviations need to be

defined, even if they have already been defined in the text), because
figures are often extracted from a document and used for other
purposes.

Use superscript lowercased letters for footnote indicators.

Placement and order. Place all explanatory material immediately

below the figure (inside the frame), not at the bottom of the page,
vertically listed in this order: abbreviation(s), general explanatory
note(s), footnote(s), and source(s). Font size should be 9 points.

List abbreviations in alphabetical order with their definitions.

48
 Figures

A note applying to the figure as a whole is unnumbered and is

introduced by “Note(s): ….” If a figure has a few such notes and they
are short, run them on. Number the notes if there are several and/or
they are long.

Notes: Each dot represents one country. Data for Nepal are for 2004.

Notes:
1. The total trade ratio is defined as the average percentage share of total
exports and imports of the relevant subregion to world trade.
2. Data used are on a calendar year basis.
3. No 1990 data are available for Central Asia.

Sources. Provide a source for every figure. For figures with several
sources, list them in alphabetical order by author.

Be as precise as possible when identifying sources for figures.

Where possible give a documentary source, rather than an
organization name.

Avoid
Source: International Monetary Fund.

Prefer
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF). 1998. Malaysia: Recent Economic
Developments. IMF Staff Country Report No. 98/9. Washington, DC.

Exceptions. Complete citations for sources are not required in the

following cases:
(i) For unpublished data provided to ADB by an organization, the
organization’s name is sufficient.
(ii) For estimates made by ADB, “ADB estimates” or a department
name, e.g., “ADB Treasury Department” is sufficient. Do not use
“staff estimates.”

See: Numbers Rounding

(Rounding)

49
Footnotes

Footnotes Principle. Footnotes distract readers from the flow of text. Therefore,
minimize the use of footnotes, keep them brief, and avoid footnote
See also: Abbreviations, Boxes, indicators in headings or subheadings.
Figures, References, Tables

Abbreviations

If a term has already been abbreviated in the text, the abbreviation

may be used in a footnote.

However, if a term requiring an abbreviation appears for the first time

in a footnote, spell it out and give the abbreviation in parentheses. If
the term is used later in the main text, spell it out again and give the
abbreviation.

See also: Cross-References Cross-Referencing

Rather than repeat a footnote, cross-reference the earlier footnote by

placing a cross-reference in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
A cross-reference containing additional information (e.g., a page
number) should be placed in a new footnote.

A recent ADB study shows that a 10% increase in food prices

will increase the number of people living in absolute poverty by
7.05 million in Pakistan alone (footnote 8).
or
A recent ADB study shows that a 10% increase in food prices
will increase the number of people living in absolute poverty by
7.05 million in Pakistan alone.33

33
Footnote 8, pp. 19–25.

50
 Footnotes

Footnote Indicators in Text

Use superscript Arabic numerals to indicate footnotes (not asterisks

or other symbols). Do not use underlines or slashes around the
numbers.

Number footnotes sequentially throughout the main text, but begin

again with “1” in each appendix.

Footnote numbers in the middle of a sentence are distracting. Place

superscript numbers at the end of the sentence if possible, after the
punctuation mark.

Avoid Prefer
Marginal landowners23 Marginal landowners
accounted for 78% of the accounted for 78% of the
population. population.23
The Board of Directors The Board of Directors
approved the policy on . approved the policy on .
21 November 20071. 21 November 2007.1
The report notes that The report notes that
institutional development is institutional development is
“the single most important “the single most important
task relating to managing the task relating to managing the
transition.11” transition.”11

Exception. Place footnote numbers before a closing em dash in a

parenthetical passage.

ADB will work closely with the World Bank—the lead agency in
the sector, with a long record of support for microfinance51—to
establish institutions offering loans, payment services, money
transfers, and insurance.52

Do not use double footnotes. Either combine the notes in one

footnote, or place the footnote numbers in different parts of the text
(notwithstanding the preference for footnote numbers at the end of a
sentence).

51
Footnotes

Avoid
A major reason for the poor productivity of agriculture is the
inadequate rural infrastructure, particularly rural roads and
irrigation.12,13

12 
Agriculture grew 4.1% in 2005.
13
The percentage of the rural population with access to all-weather roads
varies considerably.

Prefer
A major reason for the poor productivity of agriculture is the
inadequate rural infrastructure, particularly rural roads and
irrigation.12

12
 griculture grew 4.1% in 2005. The percentage of the rural population with
A
access to all-weather roads varies considerably.

or
A major reason for the poor productivity of agriculture12 is the
inadequate rural infrastructure, particularly rural roads and
irrigation.13

12
Agriculture grew 4.1% in 2005.
13
The percentage of the rural population with access to all-weather roads
varies considerably.

Format

In Board documents, use Arial 9.

Summaries

Do not use footnotes in summaries, e.g., loan and project summaries

or executive summaries.

52
 Footnotes

See also: main entry on Tables, Tables, Figures, and Boxes

main entry on Figures, main
entry on Boxes Use superscript lowercased letters (not numbers, asterisks, or other
symbols), and place footnotes at the end of the table, figure, or box
(not at the bottom of the page).

The letters should appear in the table or figure in alphabetical order when
reading from the top left across, then down and across, until the bottom
right.

Table A2: Education For All—Goals and Performance Targets

(%)

Benchmark Status Status Target

Goals and Performance Targets 2001 2005a 2006b 2009
1. Expanding ECD
1.1 Gross enrollment ratio for ECDc 13.0 47.0 48.0 51.0
1.2 New entrants in grade 1 with ECD 8.0 ... 18.3 60.0
2. M
 eeting the Learning Needs of All
Children
2.1 Repetition rate at grade 1 39.0 ... 29.8 10.0
2.2 Repetition rate at grade 5 9.0 ... 10.4 3.0
2.3 Survival rate to grade 5d
66.0 79.1 80.3 86.0
3. Reducing Adult Illiteracy
3.1 Literacy rate 15+e 48.0 55.0 58.5 66.0
3.2 Literacy rate age group 15–24 e
70.0 ... 79.4 82.0
3.3 Literacy rate 6+ 54.0 ... ... 76.0
3.4 Literacy gender parity index 15+ 0.6 0.7 ... 0.9
... = not available, ECD = early childhood development.
Note: The midterm review was conducted jointly with national stakeholders and development partners in.
May 2007.
a
 Data are as of 30 September 2005.
b
Data are as of 30 September 2006.
c
 Benchmark, status, and target are based on age group 3–5; when based on age group 3–4, status as of 2006 is
41.4%.
d
 Benchmark, status, and target are calculated using proxy formula for survival rate. When the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reconstructed cohort model is used, survival rate in
2006 equals 47.0%.
e
 2006 value computed from Government of Nepal, Ministry of Health and Population. 2006. Nepal Demographic
and Health Survey. Kathmandu.
Sources: ADB. 2006. Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors: Proposed
Program Cluster of Loans and Asian Development Fund Grants to Nepal for the Education Sector Program I.
Manila; Government of Nepal, Department of Education. 2006. Annual Strategic Implementation Plan 2007–2008.
Kathmandu.

53
Gender References

Gender Principle. Use gender-neutral language.

References Avoid Prefer

businessman businessperson, entrepreneur
chairman, chairperson, chair
chairwoman
fishermen fishers
lady doctor doctor
male nurse nurse
man, mankind human beings, humanity,
men and women, people,
humankind
to man to staff, to operate, to run, to
manage
man-hour (-day, -month) person-hour, staff-hour,
consultant-hour (-day, ‑month)
man-made artificial, synthetic,
manufactured, handmade,
technological
manpower staffing
middleman contact person, go-between,
intermediary, broker, mediator
sister company company, associated
company, partner company
sister organization organization, partner
organization, peer
organization
a three-man mission a three-person mission, a
three-member mission
workmanship quality

54
 Glossary

Sometimes rewriting a sentence is the best way to ensure gender-

neutral language. Make sure that such rewriting is appropriate to .
the context.

Avoid Prefer
Every farmer must tend his All farmers must tend their
own field. own fields.
Everyone is responsible for People are responsible for
his own health. their own health.
The consultant must report The consultant must report to
to the project director and to the project director and to his
his/her nominee. or her nominee.

Glossary Principle. Include a glossary if the document or publication contains

three or more technical terms, a significant number of non-English
See also: Footnotes, terms, or words that are not included in Merriam-Webster Online.
Non-English Terms

GLOSSARY

aimag – province
bagh – subdistrict
ger – traditional tent
load shedding – the removal of preselected customer demand
from a power system in an effort to maintain
the integrity of the system and minimize
overall customer outages
offtake – the purchase of bulk power by an electricity
distributor or energy company from a
particular generating project
soum – district

However, if only one or two such terms are used, define them on
first appearance either in the text (if the explanation is short) or in a
footnote (if it is lengthy).

Use terms defined in the glossary consistently throughout the text

and in all appendixes.

55
Headings

Headings Principle. A strict hierarchy of headings organizes complex text.

Inconsistent headings simply confuse the reader.

Abbreviations

With the exception of “ADB,” avoid abbreviations in headings, even

if they have previously been defined. Do not add abbreviations in
parentheses in headings.

Capitalization

In Board documents and many publications, headline-style

capitalization is used in most headings. See Chicago (8.167) for
further guidance on headline-style capitalization.

When using headline-style capitalization for hyphenated words in

a heading, follow the rules in Chicago (8.170). The rule is lengthy
and there are exceptions, but in general, capitalize the first element
of a hyphenated word and all subsequent elements unless they are
articles, coordinating conjunctions, or prepositions.

Salary-Related Benefits
Over-the-Counter Transactions
Anti-Money-Laundering Activities

Footnotes

Avoid footnote indicators in headings and subheadings. If possible,

find an appropriate place for them in the text.

56
 Headings

Format

Board documents use the following model for spacing, capitalization,

and labeling of headings. Publications may follow this format but are
not required to do so.

Use a maximum of four levels of headings.

V. FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC EVALUATION

(Level 1)

A. Economic Benefits
(Level 2)

1. Flood Control
(Level 3)

a. Flood Damage to Crops

(Level 4)

Do not use a single heading at any level.

Avoid Prefer
B. Program Summary B. Program Summary

1. Issues 1. Issues

a. Legal Impediments 2. Opportunities

2. Opportunities a. Investment
Climate
a. Investment
Climate b. Private Sector
Participation
b. Private Sector
Participation

Run-in heads. If a fifth level of subheading is required (or if paragraphs

at any level need to be set apart without the degree of emphasis
implied by attaching a heading), a run-in head may be inserted at the
beginning of the paragraph (as at the beginning of this paragraph).

Use sentence-style capitalization for run-in heads, i.e., capitalize only

the first word and proper nouns (Chicago, 1.74). Run-in heads should
be in bold, followed by a period. Limit run-in heads to a few words;
they should not be complete sentences.

57
Health Terms

Health Names of diseases should be lowercased unless they contain a

proper noun. Avoid short forms, slang, and abbreviations of disease
Terms names. However, if a disease is better known by its abbreviation,
give the name of the disease and its abbreviation, even if the
abbreviation appears only once.

Avoid Prefer
The outbreak of Severe The outbreak of severe acute
Acute Respiratory Syndrome respiratory syndrome (SARS)
(SARS) in 2003 significantly in 2003 significantly affected
affected Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia.
TB is widespread in prisons. Tuberculosis is widespread in
prisons.
CJD is a rare, degenerative, Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease
invariably fatal brain disorder. is a rare, degenerative,
invariably fatal brain disorder.
The region has been on alert The region has been on alert
against bird flu since the first against avian influenza since
outbreak in 1997. the first outbreak in 1997.

Exception. “HIV,” “AIDS,” and “HIV/AIDS” do not have to be spelled

out or included in the abbreviations list.

The terminology guidelines of the Joint United Nations Programme

on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) cover terminology related specifically to “HIV/
AIDS.” In particular, the guidelines discourage the use of “HIV/AIDS”
in cases where only “HIV” or “AIDS” is meant.

Past
Terminology Preferred Terminology
HIV/AIDS; Use the term that is most specific and
HIV and AIDS appropriate in the context. Examples include
people living with HIV, HIV prevalence, HIV
prevention, HIV testing, HIV-related disease;
AIDS diagnosis, children made vulnerable by
AIDS, children orphaned by AIDS, the AIDS
response, national AIDS programme, AIDS
service organization. Both HIV epidemic and
AIDS epidemic are acceptable.
Source: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
2008. UNAIDS’ Terminology Guidelines. p. 5. http://data.unaids.org/pub/
Manual/2008/JC1336_unaids_terminology_guide_en.pdf

58
 Lists

Avoid Prefer
The government is concerned The government is concerned
about the increase in HIV/ about the increase in HIV
AIDS transmission. transmission.
The number of deaths from The number of deaths from
causes related to HIV/AIDS causes related to AIDS has
has increased. increased.

Further guidance on public health terminology can be found in the

World Health Organization Style Guide (available online).

Lists Principle. The items in a list must use parallel wording and
consistent grammatical structure.

Avoid Prefer
The government will provide The government will provide
counterpart funding to improve counterpart funding to improve
tax collection, for modernizing tax collection, modernize
computer systems, and staff computer systems, and train
training. staff.

Use a colon before a list if there is a natural break. If the sentence

flows easily into the list, punctuation before the list is not needed.

Separate items in a list with commas, unless one of the items

contains a comma within it. In that case, separate items with
semicolons. After the penultimate item in a list, use “and” or “or.”

The tunnel has been designed to withstand falling rocks,

subsidence, and flooding.
The TA project will assist in redefining roles and functions;
developing organizational configurations; and improving systems,
procedures, rules, and formats.

59
Lists

Countries, Provinces, Cities, and Organizations

List countries, provinces, cities, and organizations in alphabetical

order, unless a reason for an alternative arrangement is given. In
alphabetical lists of countries, the People’s Republic of China should
always appear under “C,” the Republic of Korea under “K,” and the
Federated States of Micronesia under “M.”

Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines are all members of

ASEAN.
Workshops were held in Bhutan, the PRC, Mongolia, and Papua
New Guinea.
Representatives of ADB, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World
Bank attended the meeting.
The mission visited Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Armenia, in that
order.

Numbered Lists

Before inserting numbers into a list, consider whether they are

needed. In a long and complicated list, numbers can help the reader
identify the constituent parts, but numbers in a short list are merely
distracting.

Avoid Prefer
The mission visited (i) farms, The mission visited farms,
(ii) government offices, and government offices, and
(iii) factories. factories.

When the items listed in the sentence are long or require emphasis,
separate them with lowercased Roman numerals in parentheses.

The goals of the workshop include (i) introducing participants

to a new method of budget management, (ii) training provincial
officials to use computers, and (iii) demonstrating alternative
methods of irrigation to participants during site visits.

60
 Lists

When items are longer or require more emphasis, create a vertical

list. Avoid using bullets for vertical lists in Board documents.

If the items in a list are not complete sentences, treat a vertical list as
a single long sentence. Lowercase the word that begins each item,
and separate items by the appropriate punctuation (a comma or a
semicolon). After the penultimate item in the list, use “and” or “or.”
Place a period at the end of the last item.

The main benefits from the program cluster will be the following:
(i) higher investor confidence because of implementation of the
new enterprise law and issuance of the negative list;
(ii) lower transaction costs for businesses because of
streamlined start-up procedures, less bureaucracy, and
reform of the remaining nontariff barriers; and
(iii) support for the government’s efforts to reduce poverty by
tapping the private sector as a major generator of new jobs.

If the items in a list are complete sentences (or when they contain
more than one complete sentence), capitalize the first word and put
a period at the end of each of item. Do not use “and” or “or” after the
penultimate item.

The project has had to overcome several unforeseen problems:

(i) The change in national government severely delayed
implementation.
(ii) The recruitment of suitably qualified national consultants was
more difficult than anticipated.
(iii) The project manager resigned at the end of the first year.

Introduce a vertical list with either a colon or no punctuation at all,

depending upon the structure of the lead-in element. Use a colon if
the lead-in element could stand on its own as a complete sentence.

The consultants will carry out these tasks:

(i) conduct an economic analysis in accordance with ADB
guidelines,
(ii) review data on traffic along the main corridor, and
(iii) assess the feasibility of diverting traffic to another mode of
transportation.

61
Lists

Introduce a list with no punctuation at the end of the lead-in element

when it is an incomplete construction that could not stand on its own
as a complete sentence.

The consultants will

(i) review climate change policies,
(ii) provide insights and recommendations for mitigation and
adaptation, and
(iii) propose policy measures to mitigate the impact of climate
change.

For a list within a list, use lowercased Roman numerals in

parentheses for the first level, and lowercased letters in parentheses
for the next level.

The consultants will be responsible for the following:

(i) undertaking a literature review to identify data gaps;
(ii) identifying special health risks and problems faced by ethnic
minorities; and
(iii) assessing the appropriateness and effectiveness of health
sector policies and institutional arrangements, including
(a) financing arrangements, cost recovery, and tariffs;
(b) approaches to planning; and
(c) management of personnel.

If run-in heads are needed within a list, capitalize the first word, place
a period at the end of the phrase, and make the run-in head bold. The
run-in heads should be short; they should not be complete sentences.

Asia’s economic development has come at a high environmental

cost:
(i) Urbanization. By 2020, more than half of Asia’s population
is likely to live in cities, placing an additional strain on already
inadequate infrastructure for water supply, housing, and
sanitation.
(ii) Habitat erosion. The region has lost up to 90% of its original
wildlife habitat to agriculture, infrastructure, deforestation, and
land degradation.
(iii) Safe water. One in three Asians lacks access to safe drinking
water within 200 meters of home.
(iv) Air pollution. In several Asian cities, air pollution is a major
cause of respiratory ailments and premature death.

62
 Maps and Place Names

Unnecessary Words

Avoid using “respectively” and “former ... latter,” because they require
the reader to reread the sentence and match up the different parts.

Avoid using “namely,” which is usually superfluous.

Avoid Prefer
GDP grew 8%, 14%, 8%, and GDP grew 8% in 2003, 14% in
7% in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2004, 8% in 2005, and 7% in
2006, respectively. 2006.
Public and private investment Since the mid-1990s,
has remained stagnant since investment has remained
the mid-1990s, with the former stagnant, with public
at 6%–7% of GDP, and the investment at 6%–7% of GDP,
latter at 15%–18%. and private investment at
15%–18%.
The Water Resources and The Water Resources and
Environment Administration Environment Administration
has three departments, has three departments: (i) the
namely: (i) the Environment Environment Department,
Department, (ii) the Department (ii) the Department of
of Meteorology and Hydrology, Meteorology and Hydrology,
and (iii) the Department of and (iii) the Department of
Water Resources. Water Resources.

Maps and Principle. Great care should be taken to avoid sensitive political
issues.
Place Names
Required Elements Guidelines
Title In Board documents, the title of the
map is usually the project name. Use
all capital letters, Arial 11, in bold. If
a document has more than one map,
each will have a unique subtitle, in
headline-style capitalization, and not
in bold.
Country name Use all capital letters, not in bold,
above the title.
North indicator The north indicator should point
north, which is not necessarily to the
top of the page.

63
Maps and Place Names

Required Elements Guidelines

Scale Measurements should be in
proportion to one another.
Legend Define symbols used in the map.
Two pairs of The pairs should match. Also provide
coordinates coordinates for the equator or
international date line if either is shown.
Exception. Maps depicting a very
small geographic area may use only
one pair of coordinates.
Include “Boundaries are not
Disclaimer necessarily authoritative.” if the
map shows any level of political
boundaries, whether internal or
international.

64
 Maps and Place Names

Base Maps

Country maps must always be based on the ADB country base maps,
available from the ADB cartographer.

Map Numbering and Placement

If a document has only one map, give only the title. If it has two or more
maps, number them consecutively with Arabic numerals, e.g., “Map 1,”
“Map 2.” The map number should be in the upper right corner of the page.

For Board documents, place any maps immediately before the main text.

For publications, place any maps at the beginning of the publication,

after the relevant text, or in an appendix.

See also: Capitalization Place Names

(Geographic Names)
Ensure that the spelling of place names in the map and in the text is
accurate and consistent.

Use current place names (e.g., Chennai not Madras, and Mumbai not
Bombay) unless the reference is historical.

Current Historical

The mission will visit Calcutta was the capital of

Kolkata, where it will meet British India until 1912.
representatives of the West
Bengal government.

Mumbai is the largest city in Bombay was the center for

India. Mahatma Gandhi’s Quit India
Movement.

The sovereign spread for Ceylon became a center of

Sri Lanka rose by 1,300 basis conflict during World War II.
points.

65
Non-English Terms

Non-English Principle. Whenever possible, refrain from using non-English terms.

Terms If a term does not have a good English translation, give the term
in italics on first appearance and provide its approximate English
See also: Abbreviations, translation in parentheses (if the explanation is short) or in a footnote
Glossary
(if it is long). The italics should be retained without the translation for
all subsequent appearances of the term in that section.

Follow this procedure for each term in every section of the document
or publication, e.g., preliminary pages, main text, and each appendix.

If many non-English terms are used in a document, include a glossary.

If a non-English term, or an abbreviation derived from a non-English

term, is included in Merriam-Webster Online, do not use italics.

ad hoc, per capita, milieu, vice versa

e.g., i.e.

Do not italicize proper nouns, e.g., names of agencies, institutions, or

organizations.

Agence Française de Développement

Abbreviations

At the first appearance of a non-English name or term in the text,

give its English translation followed by its abbreviation (which will
usually be based on its name in its original language).

Agency for Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (BRR)

Capacity Building International (Inwent)
Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

66
 Non-English Terms

In an abbreviations list, write the non-English name first, followed by

the English translation in parentheses.

BRR – Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi (Agency for

Rehabilitation and Reconstruction)
Inwent – Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung
(Capacity Building International)
MSF – Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)

Accents and Other Diacritical Marks

Eliminate accents and other diacritical marks from non-English terms

that have become common in English usage, unless they are necessary
for proper pronunciation or to avoid confusion with another term.

Accents Omitted Accents Retained

facade aide-mémoire
forte cliché
levee El Niño
naive La Niña
niche résumé

Latin Words and Phrases

Avoid the use of Latin terms if a clear English translation is available.

Avoid Prefer
ceteris paribus other things being equal
de jure by law, legal
de facto in reality, actual
ex ante in advance
ex post after
inter alia among other things
sine qua non essential
sui generis unique
vis-à-vis in relation to, as compared with

67
Non-English Terms

Do not use “op cit” or “ibid” to cross-refer to a previously cited

publication. Instead, cross-refer to the footnote number.

Avoid Prefer
A major reason for poor A major reason for poor
productivity is the inadequate productivity is the inadequate
rural infrastructure.13 rural infrastructure
(footnote 12).
13
Ibid.

Note that e.g. (exempli gratia) means “for example”; i.e. (id est)
means “that is.” Do not confuse the two.

Avoid Prefer
Climate change will have Climate change will have
many consequences, i.e., many consequences, e.g.,
droughts, floods, and rising droughts, floods, and rising
sea levels. sea levels.
The project achieved The project achieved its
its objective, e.g., the objective, i.e., the construction
construction of the dam. of the dam.

Names of Administrative Units

Use English translations such as district or province if these

correspond to the original terms.

If an exact English equivalent does not exist, use the original term,
but italicize it and explain it in a footnote or in a glossary at the start
of the document.

Each component will cover one aimag.1

1
Provincial administrative unit in Mongolia.

Be consistent: if you use aimag instead of province, you should also

use soum rather than district. Try to avoid mixing English and non-
English terms.

68
 Numbers

Exception. Some countries use a mix of English and local terms.

For example, the term tehsil is widely used in Pakistan, yet the
units above and below tehsils in the administrative hierarchy are
commonly referred to by their English names.

GLOSSARY

tehsil – The second-lowest tier of local government in

Pakistan. Each tehsil is subdivided into a number of
union councils and is part of a larger district.

Plurals of Words Derived from Other Languages

When Merriam-Webster Online allows more than one spelling for the
plural form of a word, use the version given first.

Avoid Prefer
formulae formulas
fora forums
symposiums symposia
focuses foci

Numbers Principle. Be accurate and consistent when presenting numerical

data.
See also: Currencies and
Exchange Rates, Dates, Ranges,
Rates and Ratios, Tables Countable or Uncountable

Use “less than” with nouns that cannot be counted and “fewer than”
with countable nouns. “Less” refers to “how much”; “fewer” refers to
“how many.”

Fewer than 10 committee members were present.

The new treatment plant uses less water than other facilities.

69
Numbers

Exception. Use “less than” when referring to time and money.

The power plant was built in less than 3 years.

In 2005, more than 600 million people in Asia and the Pacific
were living on less than $1 a day.

Decimals

Write decimals with a period, not a comma.

Avoid Prefer
9,31 9.31

It is usually not necessary to use more than two decimal places.

When decimal numbers are to be compared, they should have the .
same level of accuracy (i.e., use the same number of decimal places).

Avoid Prefer
… 2.3, 3, and 5.21 … 2.3, 3.0, and 5.2

Precede decimals less than one with a zero.

Avoid Prefer
.6 0.6

Figures or Words?

Spell out numbers from one to nine except with

(i) currencies;
(ii) percentages, decimals, and ratios;
(iii) days, weeks, months, person-months, quarters, years, decades,
and centuries;
(iv) weights and measures;
(v) ranges;
(vi) earnings multiples;

70
 Numbers

(vii) parts of a book (pages, chapters, volumes, etc.);

(viii) a series of numbered items in which at least one of the items takes
a numeral; and
(ix) figures and tables.

Almost half the world’s population lives on less than $2 a day.

The agriculture sector grew 5% a year in the 1990s.
The project required only 9 person-months of international
consulting services in the first 2 years.

Pollution from the plant affected 2 hectares (ha) within the

project area.

During 2006–2007, the company’s stock traded at 8 times

earnings.

The project developed wastewater and sanitation facilities in

27 villages, 11 towns, and 4 cities.

The three subprojects were implemented in 24 municipalities.

Use figures for numbers 10 and above unless they appear at the
start of a sentence, in which case spell them out. However, if possible
recast the sentence.

Avoid Prefer
Twenty-seven villages were The project covered
covered by the project. 27 villages.

Very large numbers may be expressed in numerals followed

by “million,” “billion,” and so forth. A billion is 1,000,000,000 or
1,000 million.

The transport corridors link markets serving 250 million people

in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
Damage from the floods was estimated at Rp55.4 billion.

71
Numbers

Fractions

Simple fractions are spelled out and hyphenated unless the individual
parts are discussed.

The bill requires a two-thirds majority vote for it to pass into law.
Three-quarters of the people in the district derive their livelihood
from agriculture.
The provincial government divided the district into quarters;
three quarters would be administered by the district government
and one quarter by the provincial government.

Negative Numbers

In text, write out all negative numbers as numerals preceded by an

en dash. When providing a plus-or-minus range, place “±” before the
number without a space.

The agency’s score was –7.

Gross domestic product growth in the region was –6.9% in
1998.
In January, the project area recorded temperatures from –18°C
to –8°C.
The portfolio duration should not deviate by ±15% from the
benchmark duration.

In tables, place negative numbers in parentheses and define this

below the table.

Maldives (39.9) (44.7)

Nepal 2.2 0.5
Sri Lanka (5.3) (4.2)
( ) = negative.

Exception. Some established ADB publications (e.g., Asian

Development Outlook and Key Indicators) follow different rules on the
presentation of negative numbers.

72
 Numbers

Numbers Greater than 999

Except in years, page numbers, and serial numbers, insert a comma

every three digits.

Ordinals

Spell out ordinal numbers from one to nine, even when referring to
days, weeks, months, years, quarters, decades, or centuries. Use
numerals for ordinal numbers 10 and above. Avoid using ordinals
when writing dates.

Do not use superscript for ordinal numbers.

Avoid Prefer
A special evaluation study will A special evaluation study will
be conducted in the 3rd year be conducted in the third year
of the project. of the project.
The participants reached The participants reached
a consensus at the twelfth a consensus at the 12th
meeting of the working group. meeting of the working group.

For the 10th consecutive year, For the 10th consecutive year,
the maternal mortality ratio the maternal mortality ratio
declined. declined.

1st January 2008 1 January 2008

Exception. Use the official spelling for major government plans and
strategies.

Percentages

Use the “%” symbol in text and tables. If a percentage appears at the
beginning of a sentence, recast the sentence.

Avoid Prefer
Eighty percent of the Of the respondents to the
respondents to the survey survey, 80% had a PMU, .
had a PMU, 5% had a similar 5% had a similar office, and
office, and 5% had no office. 5% had no office.

73
Numbers

When describing the differences between percentages, use

percentage points or basis points to avoid ambiguity. A basis point is
equal to one one-hundredth of a percentage point.

Avoid Prefer
The inflation rate dipped The inflation rate dipped
1%—from 4.2% to 3.2%— 1 percentage point—from
allaying fears of an economic 4.2% to 3.2%—allaying fears
slowdown. of an economic slowdown.
Banks announced plans to Banks announced plans to cut
cut their prime lending rate by their prime lending rate by 50
0.5%, from 5.5% to 5.0%. basis points, from 5.5% to 5.0%.

A percentage takes a singular or a plural verb depending on whether

the subject of the sentence is a singular or a plural noun.

More than 20% of the population lives in poverty.

More than 80% of the people in the village have access to clean
water.

Rounding

When rounding, round up numbers 5 and above; round down

numbers below 5.

2.55 becomes 2.6

2.54 becomes 2.5
2.45 becomes 2.5

Where appropriate, round numbers to one or, at most, two decimal

places. Be consistent, especially in tables.

When numbers are rounded in a table, provide the appropriate note

below the table.

Note: Numbers may not sum precisely because of rounding.

Note: Percentages may not total 100% because of rounding.

74
 Organizations

Singular or Plural?

“Number” as a collective noun takes a singular or plural verb depending

on whether it is preceded by a definite article (“the”) or an indefinite
article (“a” or “an”).

The number of loans approved this year has doubled.

A number of studies have shown that this approach is
ineffective.

The only individual number that is treated as singular is exactly one,

neither more nor less.

The consultant will be recruited for 1 person-month.

The consultant will be recruited for 0.7 person-months.

Organizations Use the official spelling of the name and acronym of an organization.
In particular, note that some organizations, including those in the
See also: Abbreviations, United Nations system, follow British spelling in their names.
Non-English Terms

International Labour Organization

International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Environment Programme

Add “of the United Kingdom” to the name of the UK development

agency.

Department for International Development (DFID) of the .

United Kingdom

“GTZ” and “KfW” should be treated as names of organizations.

The full versions of the names are not needed in the text or the
abbreviations list.

75
Page Numbers

Although GTZ, Capacity Building International (Inwent), and KfW

are legally independent bodies, they are wholly owned by the
Government of Germany and act as implementing agencies for
projects that the government is funding.

Use “German development cooperation through ... ” and then give

the name of the organization.

Avoid Prefer
The road project was funded The road project was funded
by KfW. by German development
cooperation through KfW.

Page Numbers Format

See also: Appendixes Use lowercased Roman numerals without parentheses for
preliminary pages. Use Arabic numerals for all other pages.

Placement

For Board documents, place page numbers in the upper outside

corner of the page.

Place the page number in the upper left corner of even-numbered pages.

Place the page number in the upper right corner of odd-numbered pages.

Omit the page number on the contents page, first page of the
summary, and the first page of the main text; but retain the page
number on the first page of each appendix.

76
 Project Titles

Appendixes also include a running head.

24 Appendix 1

Appendix 1 25

Publications may follow this format but are not required to do so.

Project Titles Provide the complete and accurate name of a project on first
appearance in a document. On subsequent references to that project,
use “the project” or “the program.” It is not necessary to indicate in
parentheses that “the project” or “the program” is the short form.

Avoid Prefer
The Earthquake Emergency The Earthquake Emergency
Assistance Project (the Assistance Project is a
Project) is a response to the response to the devastating
devastating impact of the impact of the earthquake. The
earthquake. The Project will project will enable residents to
enable residents to resume resume their livelihoods and
their livelihoods and return to return to normal life.
normal life.

Avoid creating an unwieldy abbreviation for a project title; instead,

use a short form of the title. Lowercase the short form.

Avoid Prefer
In 2008, the Board of In 2008, the Board of
Directors approved the Directors approved the Small
Small Towns Water Supply Towns Water Supply and
and Sanitation Sector Sanitation Sector Project
Project (STWSSSP) and and the Sustainable Natural
the Sustainable Natural Resource Management and
Resource Management and Productivity Enhancement
Productivity Enhancement Project in the Lao PDR. The
Project (SNRMPEP) in the natural resource management
Lao PDR. The SNRMPEP will project will be implemented
be implemented over 5 years. over 5 years.

77
Project Titles

In case of a follow-on project or program, “Second” before the name

of the project is preferred to “2” or “II” after the name. However, do
not add “First” to the original project title.

Avoid Prefer
The Second Financial Sector The Second Financial Sector
Program will consolidate Program will consolidate
reforms initiated under reforms initiated under the first
the First Financial Sector program.
Program.

Use Arabic numerals in parentheses for projects with several phases.

Avoid Prefer
The technical assistance for The technical assistance for
the Asia Regional Integration the Asia Regional Integration
Center, Phase II was Center (Phase 2) was
approved in 2008. approved in 2008.

Exception. If an alternative numbering system has been used for

earlier versions of the project or program, it should be continued.

The National Highway Sector II Project was completed in 2008

and it will be followed by the National Highway Sector III Project
in early 2009.

Use Arabic numerals to number subprojects or components.

Avoid Prefer
A resettlement plan for the A resettlement plan for the
Pangot–Bagartalla road Pangot–Bagartalla road
(subproject III) is attached. (subproject 3) is attached.
Consulting services Consulting services
under component B will under component 2 will
include experts in teacher include experts in teacher
development and community development and community
participation. participation.

78
 Punctuation

Punctuation Apostrophe

See also: Dates, Headings, Lists, Use apostrophes only to indicate the possessive form.
Numbers, Quotations, Ranges,
Rates and Ratios, References
Avoid Prefer
1960’s 1960s
They’re They are

The line between a possessive or genitive form (which takes an

apostrophe), and a noun acting as an adjective (which does not take
an apostrophe), can become blurred, especially in the plural form.
See Chicago (7.27) for further guidance.

With Apostrophe Without Apostrophe

10 years’ experience Department of Veterans
Affairs
children’s rights
House of Commons debate
a consumers’ group
a day’s pay
taxpayers’ associations
the women’s team

Colon

Use a colon before listed items in text if there is a natural break. If

the sentence flows easily, no punctuation is needed before the list.
A colon is used to introduce a vertical list if the lead-in element could
stand on its own as a sentence.

The consultant brought three items to the meeting: a progress

report, a road traffic study, and a computer.
The PMO was effective in (i) facilitating coordination between
the funding bodies, (ii) liaising between the project and the
beneficiaries, and (iii) obtaining background information from
community groups.

79
Punctuation

The following indicators will be monitored regularly:

(i) payment of compensation to affected persons;
(ii) public information dissemination and consultation
procedures; and
(iii) adherence to grievance procedures, issues requiring
management’s attention, and equality of access.

Comma

Use commas to separate items in a series. When a conjunction

joins the last two elements in a series, a comma should precede the
conjunction.

If one of the items already contains a comma, use semicolons to

separate the items.

The consultants visited Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand.

The program will strengthen capacity to manage land, labor,
and capital resources; and improve the policy environment for
private sector development.

Do not insert a comma after titles or names that contain a comma

unless this is required by the structure of the sentence.

The Companies Act, 1956 was amended in 2008.

The provisions can be found in the Companies Act, 1956, which
was amended in 2008.

Use a comma to set off individual elements in addresses and place

names.

The meeting was held in Penang, Malaysia, in March 2008.

80
 Punctuation

See also: Ranges, Rates and Dashes

Ratios
Em dash. An em dash (a long dash) is used to denote a sudden
break in thought, or to emphasize or explain.

There is no space before or after an em dash.

This will enable banks to promote trade finance and other

services—particularly to small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs)—and to advise clients on trade transactions.

En dash. An en dash (a short dash that is longer than a hyphen) is

used to connect an inclusive range of numbers: dates, time, money,
distances, amounts, and reference numbers. In this usage, it signifies
“up to and including” or “through.”

There is no space before or after an en dash.

12–14 April 2008 48–50 kilometers

$150 million–$175 million paras. 3–7

An en dash should never be used to replace “to” if the word “from”

precedes the first element; nor should it replace “and” if the word
“between” precedes the first element.

Avoid Prefer
The conference will be held The conference will be held
from 17–18 October in Tokyo. from 17 to 18 October in
Tokyo.
Implementation will require Implementation will require
between 24–36 months. 24–36 months.

81
Punctuation

An en dash is used to indicate a relationship between two

independent elements when one part of a compound does not modify
the meaning of the other parts. In this usage, it is “the equivalent
of to, and, or versus to indicate linkage or opposition” (Merriam-
Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. p. 1607).

ADB–OECD study debt–equity ratio

Bangkok–Manila flight demand–supply gap
Bose–Einstein statistics Noi Bai–Lao Cai highway
build–operate–transfer north–south corridor
cost–benefit analysis public–private partnership

An en dash is added to a numeral to denote a negative number in

text.

Annual average temperatures range from –4°C to 24°C.

See also: Adjectives, Hyphen

Capitalization, Headings,
Ranges, Weights and Measures Principle. ADB follows the principles of hyphenation in Merriam-
Webster Online.

Closed compounds. The modern trend is to close many

compounds.

birthrate notebook
groundwater pipeline
laptop shareholding
moneylender stakeholder

Words formed with prefixes. Merriam-Webster Online closes most

words formed with prefixes.

antimonopoly online
cofinance overpopulated
interagency postwar
macroeconomic prequalification

82
 Punctuation

microfinance reallocate
midterm semiannual
multitranche socioeconomic
nongovernment subproject
offshore underbudgeted

Exceptions. Note the following exceptions to the rule stated above.

(i) Some prefixes are always hyphenated (e.g., e-procurement, self-
funded).
(ii) Use a hyphen before a capitalized word or a numeral (e.g., non-
European, sub-Saharan, pre-1950).
(iii) Hyphenate words that may otherwise be misread (e.g., re-lent).
(iv) Use a hyphen to separate combinations of letters or syllables that
may otherwise be misread (e.g., multi-industry, non-oil, pro-poor,
semi-independent).

Hyphenation of phrasal adjectives. Avoid long compound phrases

serving as adjectives and phrasal adjectives that sound awkward or
strange.

Avoid Prefer
WHO works in many high- WHO works in many countries
tuberculosis-prevalence that have a high prevalence of
countries. tuberculosis.
Grants will be given to female- Grants will be given to
headed households. households headed by women.

If they cannot be avoided, hyphenate such phrasal adjectives

correctly.

83
Punctuation

Phrasal adjectives that take a hyphen. When they precede the

noun they modify, phrasal adjectives should be hyphenated if there is
a danger of ambiguity.

the 52-year-old man income-generating activities

across-the-board increases long-term strategy
anti-money-laundering mass-produced items
legislation
non-English-speaking applicants
asset-backed securities
second-largest city
community-based
the well-known symptoms
organization

Some adjective–noun combinations become hyphenated when used

adjectivally.

Noun Adjective
The book is intended as a The decision-making process
guide to decision making. was long and complicated.
In the short term, supplies are Subsidies can only be a short-
secure. term solution.

When the second part of a hyphenated expression is omitted, the

hyphen is retained, followed by a space.

ADB- and DFID-financed 5- and 10-year plans

projects
short- and medium-term quality- and cost-based
projections selection

Phrasal adjectives that do not take a hyphen. When ambiguity is

unlikely, do not hyphenate phrasal adjectives.

capacity development plans power generation capacity

clean energy project power supply company
common terms agreement power transmission company
environmental protection private sector financing
measures

84
 Punctuation

energy sector reforms private equity fund

foreign exchange rate upper management decision

When they follow a noun, phrasal adjectives are generally not

hyphenated.

The outcome is well known.

The program is well designed.

Exception. Some phrasal adjectives are always hyphenated whether

they occur before or after the noun. Garner’s Modern American
Usage (p. 607) identifies the following examples.

cost-effective short-lived
ill-advised time-sensitive
risk-averse

Do not hyphenate phrasal adjectives that begin with an adverb

ending in “ly.”

environmentally sustainable newly built facility

project
highly leveraged firm weakly performing countries

Parentheses

Try to avoid parentheses within parentheses, for example, by using

commas or em dashes to separate parenthetical text. If double
parentheses are unavoidable, use square brackets within the
parentheses.

Avoid Prefer
ADB works closely with local ADB works closely with local
populations (often through populations, often through
nongovernment organizations nongovernment organizations
[NGOs]) to ensure that their (NGOs), to ensure that their
views are incorporated. views are incorporated.

85
Punctuation

See also: Quotations Quotation Marks

Use quotation marks when directly quoting another source, or to

signal that a word or phrase is being used in an unusual sense.
Enclose quoted material inside double quotation marks.

Punctuation before a quotation. Introduce quoted material, if brief,

with a comma; introduce longer or more formal quotations with a
colon.

The President said, “In the longer term, the key challenge for
developing Asia will be to enhance its resilience to external
shocks.”
The Poverty Reduction Strategy begins with this statement:
“Poverty is an unacceptable human condition. It is not
immutable; public policy and action can, and must, eliminate
poverty. This is what development is all about.”8

Exception. Do not use any punctuation before a quotation introduced

by “that,” “which,” or a similar conjunction.

The study found that “local participation was a key to the

success of the project.”14

Punctuation after a quotation. Place a period or comma inside the

closing quotation marks.

Portfolio performance is based on the proportion of approved

projects considered “at risk.”
Development agencies pay homage to “poverty reduction,” but
progress has been slow.

Place question marks and exclamation marks inside the closing

marks only if they are part of the quotation.

The pros and cons of organic agriculture and biofuel will be

summarized in the paper “Organic Crops or Energy Crops?”12
Will the new power plant end “load shedding”?

86
 Punctuation

Always place colons, semicolons, parentheses, and em dashes

outside the closing quotation marks unless they are included in the
original text.

ADB’s approach to weakly performing countries “recognizes

a spectrum of performance and fragility”; flexibility may be
exercised in applying this approach.6
The newspaper noted that “many countries in Asia”—concerned
about their own populations—have imposed trade restrictions.3

Punctuation for a quotation within a quotation. Use single

quotation marks for a quotation within a quotation.

Strategy 2020 states, “Asia needs to pursue ‘open regionalism,’

keeping trade and investment links open to the rest of the
world.”1

Punctuation for indented text. Do not use quotation marks for

lengthy quotations that are set off from the main text and indented.

In his address, the ADB President underscored the risks posed

by soaring fuel prices.
Emerging Asian economies are highly vulnerable to .
surging oil prices, given their high dependency on oil
imports and low energy efficiency. Signs of stress are
emerging, including rising inflation and fiscal strains in the
countries where fuel subsidies or energy price controls
are still used. With the global economy slowing and oil
subsidies phasing out, high oil prices could have a more
visible impact on domestic consumption and growth in the
region this year and in 2009.5

87
Punctuation

Quotation marks for nonstandard usage. To signal that a word or

phrase is being used in an unusual sense, add quotation marks only
on first appearance. Define the term either in parentheses within the
text or in a footnote.

The meeting will focus on “blend countries” (countries that can

borrow from both the Asian Development Fund and ordinary
capital resources).
or
The meeting will focus on “blend countries.”13

13
 Blend countries can borrow from both the Asian Development Fund and
ordinary capital resources.

See also: Rates and Ratios, Slash

Dates (Years)
Slashes create ambiguity and should be avoided. Replace slashes
with “and/or,” “and,” or “or” as appropriate.

Avoid Prefer
The environment specialist/ The environment specialist
team leader will submit a and team leader will submit a
progress report. progress report.
Compensation will be paid to Compensation will be paid to
landowners/tenants. landowners and/or tenants.
Network development will be Network development will be
ensured while minimizing/ ensured while minimizing or
nullifying the negative impact nullifying the negative impact
on land acquisition. on land acquisition.

Exceptions. Note the following exceptions to the rule stated above.

(i) A slash may be used to represent “per” when referring to a
rate. However, if a slash is used in one case it should be used
throughout; do not mix slashes and “per.”

km/h

88
 Quotations

(ii) A slash is used for singular and plural forms of currencies as listed
in the front matter of Board documents.

Pakistan rupee/s (PRe/PRs)

Indian rupee/s (Re/Rs)

(iii) A slash may be used for column heads in tables and frameworks
for space reasons.

Procurement/
Value of Number of Recruitment
Description Contracts Contracts Method

(iv) A slash may be used to separate references to publishers in the

citation of copublished books.

A. McIntosh. 2003. Asian Water Supplies: Reaching the Urban Poor.

Manila: ADB / International Water Association.

(v) A slash may be used with “and/or” and “HIV/AIDS.”

Spacing after Punctuation Marks

Use only one space after a period, question mark, comma, or colon.

Quotations Principle. Attribute all source material correctly and completely.

See also: Copyright, Footnotes, Use double quotation marks, except for quotation marks within
Punctuation (Quotation Marks), quotations.
References
Provide a source for quoted material in a footnote and include the
page number.

Do not alter the spelling, capitalization, wording, or meaning of

quoted material. If the quoted material contains errors of fact or
spelling, “[sic]” may be inserted in the text to indicate that it is
reproduced exactly from the source.

“Kazakstan [sic] is also a signatory to the agreement,” the report

stated.

89
Ranges

Provide a source for paraphrased material in a footnote. Do not

enclose paraphrased material in quotation marks.

Left indent lengthy quotations. Do not italicize indented quotations or

use quotation marks.

Ranges Principle. Use an en dash to connect continuing or inclusive

numbers for dates, times, page numbers, or reference numbers.
See also: Dates, Numbers,
Punctuation A symbol should be repeated on both sides of an en dash if it is
closed up to a number. Abbreviations for weights and measures that
are not closed up to a number should be placed only after the second
number in the range.

Avoid Prefer
12–14% 12%–14%
$125,000–150,000 $125,000–$150,000
15 kWh–20 kWh 15–20 kWh

Punctuation and Words to Describe a Range

Follow the punctuation and wording in the examples of ranges below.

Avoid Prefer
from $8 to $9 million from $8 million to $9 million
$8–9 million $8 million–$9 million
from 27–29 June 27–29 June
from 27 to 29 June
from 1 August–4 September 1 August–4 September
from 1 August to 4 September
20–30% 20%–30%
from 20%–30% from 20% to 30%

90
 Ranges

Avoid “between ... and” where precision is required, since “between”

often does not include the beginning and end points (e.g., the gap
between building A and building B).

Avoid Prefer
The economy strengthened The economy strengthened
between 1992 and 1999. from 1992 to 1999.
The economy strengthened
during 1992–1999.

Confine the use of the construction “from … to” or “ranging from …

to” to situations where there is a continuum with definite starting
and stopping points, such as geographic locations (from Mumbai
to Kolkata) and prices (from P1,000 to P5,000). Do not use this
construction when there is no continuum.

Avoid the construction “everything from … to” except when

discussing literally all items between two points.

Avoid Prefer
Private sector development Private sector development
encompasses productive encompasses productive
sectors ranging from sectors as varied as
agriculture to tourism. agriculture and tourism.

The study found a reduction The study found a reduction

in the incidence of many in the incidence of many
diseases, everything diseases, including AIDS,
from diarrhea to AIDS, to diarrhea, and tuberculosis.
tuberculosis.

91
Rates and Ratios

Year Ranges in Strategies and Plans

In the examples below, note (i) the en dash between the years,
(ii) the placement of the abbreviation, and (iii) the comma before the
range of years, but not after (Chicago, 8.176). The range of years
does not have to be included in subsequent references unless two or
more documents covering different year ranges are being discussed.

The loan was included in the country partnership strategy

(CPS), 2007–2011 for the Maldives. The ADB Board of Directors
endorsed the CPS in September 2007.
The country operations business plan (COBP), 2010–2012 is
much more detailed than the COBP, 2009–2011.

Rates and Use a colon with no spaces on either side to express a ratio.

Ratios
The debt–equity ratio of the company was 78:22.
See also: Punctuation,
Weights and Measures
A slash may be used to represent “per” when referring to a rate.

The water treatment plant was upgraded from 5,000 m3/day to

12,500 m3/day.

Use an en dash when the elements of a ratio form an adjective and a

relationship between the two elements is implied.

cost–benefit ratio equity–loan ratio

debt–equity ratio reserve–loan ratio

In public health terminology, maternal mortality is expressed as a

“ratio” and infant mortality as a “rate.”

In 2005, the maternal mortality ratio was 450 maternal deaths

per 100,000 live births.

The immunization program is expected to lower the infant

mortality rate from the current 45 per 1,000 live births.

92
 Ratings

Note that rates of economic growth and inflation rise and fall, but
economic growth (an increase in the level of production of goods
and services) and inflation (an increase in the prices of goods and
services) are processes that accelerate and decelerate.

Avoid Prefer
Economic growth rose in 2007 Economic growth accelerated
to 7.8%. in 2007 to 7.8%.
Inflation fell to 2.5% in The inflation rate fell to 2.5%
September. in September.

Ratings ADB Evaluation Reports

Evaluation reports are prepared by both operations teams and the

Independent Evaluation Department.

The ratings used in all such reports and in other ADB documents
should appear in italics and should not be preceded by “as.”

Avoid Prefer
The program was rated as The program was rated partly
“partly successful.” successful.

Credit Ratings

Do not spell out the ratings assigned by international credit rating

agencies such as Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s.

Avoid Prefer
Standard & Poor’s reaffirmed Standard & Poor’s reaffirmed
the bank’s triple‑A rating. the bank’s AAA rating.

93
References

Sometimes a sentence should be recast when using a credit rating

such as A+ or BBB– adjectivally to avoid ambiguity or an awkward
construction.

Avoid Prefer
The BBB– rated bonds The bonds, rated BBB–, .
were priced at a spread of were priced at a spread of
175 basis points. 175 basis points.

References Principle. Cite all quoted or referenced material correctly and

completely in a footnote.
See also: Capitalization, Cross-
References, Footnotes, Project Always use footnotes (not bibliographies) in Board documents.
Titles, Quotations
Publications may follow the rules below or those in Chicago.

For publications produced by the Economics and Research

Department, consult the department’s guidelines (http://www.adb.
.org/Documents/Guidelines/Economics-Style-Guide/Economics.
-Style-Guide.pdf).

Exception. The list of frequently cited ADB documents on e-Board

contains the names of ADB policy documents that often appear in
Board documents and do not have to be referenced in footnotes.

ADB’s Anticorruption Policy (1998, as amended to date) was

explained to and discussed with the government and the
executing agency.

ADB Projects

Do not cite projects by loan or technical assistance number in the text

of a report. Cite the project by its full name at first appearance and
provide the complete reference in a footnote.

1
 DB. 2000. Technical Assistance to Nepal for Strengthening the National
A
Statistical System. Manila.

94
 References

Additional information such as loan or technical assistance numbers,

amounts, approval dates, or cofinancing arrangements may be
included in parentheses in the footnote. However, consistency is
essential; if one reference contains the loan amount, all must do so.

2
 DB. 2000. Technical Assistance to Nepal for Strengthening the National
A
Statistical System. Manila (TA 3451‑NEP, $770,000, approved on 1 June,
financed by the Japan Special Fund).

Exception. Some Board documents (e.g., country partnership

strategies, country assistance program evaluations, and sector
assistance program evaluations) include a comprehensive table
listing projects cited in the text. In such documents, references to
these projects do not have to be footnoted, but a general footnote at
the beginning of the main text is needed.

3
Details of these TA projects and loans are in Appendix 1. They are not
footnoted when they are referred to in the text.

Presentation of Footnotes

For ADB documents and publications, follow this model for format
and punctuation.

Asian Development Bank. Year. Title in Italics. Manila.

Asian Development Bank. Year. Title in Italics. Manila (additional information).

For books, follow this model for format and punctuation. Page
numbers are optional and should appear at the end of the footnote.
For ranges of page numbers use an en dash, e.g., pp. 11–35.

Author. Year. Title in Italics. City: Publisher.

Author. Year. Title in Italics. City: Publisher. page number.

For periodicals, follow this model for format and punctuation.

Author. Year. Title of Article. Journal or Newspaper Title in Italics. Volume

number (issue number).
Author. Year. Title of Article. Journal or Newspaper Title in Italics. Volume
number (issue number). page number.

95
References

Abbreviate the name of an organization if the abbreviation has

already been defined in the main text or in another footnote.

Use headline-style capitalization for titles. Maintain the original

spelling for the titles of referenced documents.

When referring to the location of a publisher, provide the state or

province (if applicable) and country if the city may be unknown to
readers or may be confused with another city of the same name.

If a footnote cites more than one reference, separate the references

with a semicolon.

ADB has provided two technical assistance projects to the

Kyrgyz Republic for environmental sustainability.4

4
 DB. 1997. Technical Assistance to the Kyrgyz Republic for Environmental
A
Monitoring and Management Capacity Building.. Manila; ADB. 2000.
Technical Assistance to the Kyrgyz Republic for Environmental Monitoring
and Management Capacity Building (Phase 2). Manila..

ADB Board Documents

Completion report

ADB. 2003. Completion Report: Melamchi Water Supply (Engineering) Project

in Nepal. Manila.

Corrigendum

ADB. 1998. A Graduation Policy for ADB’s DMCs. Corrigendum. Manila.

Country operations business plan

ADB. 2007. Country Operations Business Plan: Mongolia, 2008–2010. Manila.

Country partnership strategy

ADB. 2007. Country Partnership Strategy: Thailand, 2007–2011. Manila.

96
 References

Country partnership strategy midterm review

ADB. 2009. Country Partnership Strategy Midterm Review: Bhutan, 2006–

2010. Manila.

Country strategy and program

ADB. 2005. Country Strategy and Program: Cambodia, 2005–2009. Manila.

Discussion paper

ADB. 2007. Progress on the Reform Agenda. Discussion paper presented

at the Second ADF X Donors’ Meeting, Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic
Republic, 26–27 November.

Environmental assessment report

People’s Government of Shanxi Province. 2008. Summary Environmental

Impact Assessment: Shanxi Small Cities and Towns Development
Demonstration Sector Project in the People’s Republic of China. Manila: ADB.

Extended annual review report

ADB. 2008. Extended Annual Review Report: Loans and Partial Risk
Guarantee for the AES Meghnaghat Limited and Meghnaghat Power Project in
Bangladesh. Manila.

Evaluation study

ADB. 2008. Country Assistance Program Evaluation: Mongolia—From

Transition to Takeoff. Manila.

ADB. 2006. Impact Evaluation Study: When Do Rural Roads Benefit the Poor
and How? Manila.

ADB. 2007. Sector Assistance Program Evaluation: Energy Sector in India—

Building on Success for More Results. Manila.

ADB. 2006. Special Evaluation Study: Urban Sector Strategy and Operations.
Manila.

97
References

Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction grant assistance report

ADB. 2009. Proposed Grant Assistance to Papua New Guinea for the Lae Port
Livelihood and Social Improvement Project. Manila.

Major change in scope and/or amount

ADB. 2008. Major Change in Scope: Second Primary Education Development

Program in Bangladesh. Manila.

ADB. 2008. Major Change in Scope and Amount: Capacity Building in Rural
Finance Institutions in Nepal. Manila.

Performance evaluation report

ADB. 2006. Performance Evaluation Report: Hebei Roads Development Project

in the People’s Republic of China. Manila.

Policy and strategy papers

ADB. 2008. Increasing the Impact of the Asian Development Bank’s Technical
Assistance Program. Manila.

ADB. 2008. Strategy 2020: The Long-Term Strategic Framework of the Asian
Development Bank, 2008–2020. Manila.

Report and recommendation of the President (sovereign)

ADB. 2005. Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of

Directors: Proposed Loan to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic for the
Greater Mekong Subregion Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project. Manila.

Report and recommendation of the President (nonsovereign)

ADB. 2008. Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of

Directors: Proposed Loan and Partial Credit Guarantee for the Biomass Power
Project in Thailand. Manila.

98
 References

Technical assistance completion report

ADB. 2005. Technical Assistance Completion Report: Health Policy Support in

Papua New Guinea. Manila.

Technical assistance report

ADB. 2007. Technical Assistance to India for Mainstreaming Public–Private

Partnerships at Central Line Ministries of the Government of India. Manila.

Technical assistance (attached to a report and recommendation of

the President)

Attached to ADB. 2008. Report and Recommendation of the President to the

Board of Directors on a Proposed Loan to the People’s Republic of China for
the Lanzhou–Chongqing Railway Development Project. Manila.

Technical assistance report (regional)

ADB. 2008. Technical Assistance for Integrating Human Trafficking and Safe
Migration Concerns for Women and Children into Regional Cooperation.
Manila.

Validation report

ADB. 2009. Validation Report: Tea Development Project in Sri Lanka. Manila.

Other ADB Documents

ADB Charter

ADB. 1966. Agreement Establishing the Asian Development Bank. Manila.

Administrative order

ADB. 2007. Information and Communication Technology. Administrative

Orders. AO 4.05. Manila.

99
References

Consultant’s report

ADB. 2001. National Coordination for Water Resources Management.

Consultant’s report. Manila (TA 3528-VIE).

News release

ADB. 2009. Global Financial Market Losses Reach $50 Trillion, Says Study.
News release. 9 March.

Operations Manual

ADB. 2008. Classification and Graduation of Developing Member Countries.

Operations Manual. OM A1/BP. Manila.

Project administration instruction

ADB. 2008. Local Procurement. Project Administration Instructions. PAI 3.04.

Manila.

Staff instruction

ADB. 2007. Regional Cooperation and Integration Financing Partnership

Facility. Compendium of Staff Instructions. Manila.

ADB Publications

Flagship publications

ADB. 2008. Annual Report 2007. Manila.

ADB. 2008. Asian Development Outlook 2008. Manila.

ADB. 2007. Key Indicators 2007: Inequality in Asia. Manila.

100
 References

Publication date different from adoption date

ADB. 2003. Water for All: The Water Policy of the Asian Development Bank.
Manila (adopted in 2001).

Working paper series

D. Park and Q. Xiao. 2009. Housing Prices and the Role of Speculation: The
Case of Seoul. ADB Economics Working Paper Series. No. 146. Manila: Asian
Development Bank.

Books

One author

S. Mallaby. 2004. The World’s Banker: Story of Failed States, Financial Crises,
and the Wealth and Poverty of Nations. Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin.

One author (including page numbers)

D. Hamermesh. 1993. Labor Demand. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University

Press. pp. 24–25.

More than one author

R. Barro and X. Sala-i-Martin. 2003. Economic Growth. 2nd ed. Cambridge,

MA: MIT Press.

More than three authors

D. Rozanov et al. 2005. Sustainable Urbanization in China. Singapore:

Butterworths.

Part of a book

E. Claussen. 2000. Foreword to New Directions in the Economics

and Integrated Assessment of Global Climate Change. Arlington, VA:
Pew Center on Global Climate Change.

101
References

Edited volume

L. Whitehead, ed. 2002. Emerging Market Democracies: East Asia and Latin
America. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Chapter in book

R. Chang. 1999. Origins of the Asian Crisis: Discussion. In W.C. Hunter,

G.G. Kaufman, and T.H. Krueger, eds. The Asian Financial Crisis: Origins,
Implications, and Solutions. Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Book copublished by ADB

C. Edmonds, ed. 2003. Reducing Poverty in Asia. Cheltenham, UK: Asian

Development Bank / Edward Elgar.

Forthcoming book

V. Luker, S. Dinnen, and A. Patience, eds. Forthcoming. Law, Order and HIV/
AIDS in PNG. Canberra: Australian National University Press.

Government Publications

General

Government of India. 2002. Census of India. Series No. 1. Delhi.

Ministry, department, or agency

Government of India, Planning Commission. 2006. Towards Faster and More

Inclusive Growth: An Approach to the 11th Five Year Plan. Delhi.

102
 References

Periodicals

Journal

R. A. Brown. 2004. Conglomerates in Contemporary Indonesia: Concentration,

Crisis and Restructuring. South East Asia Research. 12 (3). pp. 378–407.

Newspaper or magazine article with the author(s) cited

S. Elegant and A. Ramzy. 2008. The Walls Tumble Down. Time (Asia edition).
26 May.

Newspaper or magazine article without author cited

International Herald Tribune. 2008. Food Crisis Looms in Myanmar. 15 May.

Others

Citation from a second source

M. L. Friedland. ed. 1990. Securing Compliance: Seven Case Studies.

Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Quoted in ADB. 2002. Taking Action
Against Corruption in Asia and the Pacific. Manila. p. 134.

Paper presented at a meeting, background document

A. Fabra. 2002. The Intersection of Human Rights and Environmental Issues:

A Review of Institutional Developments at the International Level. Background
paper for the Joint United Nations Environment Programme and Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights Expert Seminar on Human Rights and
the Environment. Geneva. 14–16 January.

Unpublished document

World Bank. Sri Lanka: Underpinning Growth with Equity. Unpublished.

103
References

Online and Electronic Sources

Principle. Many of the rules for citing printed material also apply to
online and electronic sources. Providing only the URL is usually not
sufficient.

Cite quoted or referenced material from an electronic source correctly

and as completely as possible in a footnote.

Try to avoid breaking URLs. However, when a URL has to be broken

at the end of a line, Chicago (17.11) provides the following guidance:

the break should be made after a double slash (//) or a

single slash (/); before a tilde (˜), a period, a comma, a
hyphen, an underline (_), a question mark, a number sign,
or a percent symbol; or before or after an equals sign or an
ampersand. A hyphen should never be added to a URL to
denote a line break, nor should a hyphen that is part of a
URL appear at the end of a line.

If a URL is the final element in a footnote reference, do not add a

period.

Apply the same standards of authoritativeness and veracity to

electronic sources as to printed ones. Wikipedia, for example, is not
considered an appropriate reference for most ADB documents.

Check links to verify the accuracy of citations to electronic content as

close to the publication date as possible. Access dates are not required
in footnotes.

T. Nenova, C. T. Niang, and A. Ahmad. 2009. Bringing Finance to

Pakistan’s Poor: A Study on Access to Finance for the Underserved and
Small Enterprises. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/PAKISTANEXTN/
Resources/293051-1241610364594/6097548-1242706658430/
BringingFinancePakistanPoorMay192009.pdf

Exception. Provide access dates in parentheses after the URL for

online databases.

World Bank. Worldwide Governance Research Indicators Dataset. http://www.

.worldbank.org/wbi/governance/govdata (accessed 25 September 2006).

104
 Regions and Subregions

Website (home page)

Global Environment Facility. http://www.gefweb.org/

Website (not a home page)

Global Environment Facility. Climate Change. http://www.gefweb.org/interior.

_right.aspx?id=232

Web document

World Health Organization. 2003. A Practical Guide for SARS Laboratories:

From Sample Collection to Shipment.  http://www.wpro.who.int/sars/docs/
practicalguidelines/pg_sars_lab_29Dec03.pdf

Article available only online

J. Berthelsen. 2008. A Tale of Two Devastated Countries. Asia Sentinel.

13 May. http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=.
view&id=1196&Itemid=31

Database

International Labour Organization. Labor Force Statistics. http://laborsta.ilo.org

(accessed 19 January 2008).

Regions and The word “region” is often used loosely in ADB and can be applied to
the whole geographic area of ADB’s operations (the Asia and Pacific
Subregions region), the geographic area covered by a regional department (the
Southeast Asia region), a part of the geographic area covered by a
See also: Capitalization regional department (the Central Asia region), or a region within a
(Geographic names) country or stretching across several countries (the Himalaya region).
This can cause confusion, especially when there are subsequent
references to “the region.”

The ADB Operations Manual section on regional cooperation and

integration (OM B1/BP) provides guidance on the use of the following
terms commonly used in ADB documents and publications.

105
Regions and Subregions

Asia and the Pacific – the geographic area covered by ADB

region – the geographic area covered by an ADB
regional department
subregion – a subset of countries, usually within one
region (e.g., the Greater Mekong Subregion)

In general, it is preferable to adhere to these definitions. However,

since “the Asia and Pacific region” is well established in ADB
usage, it may be used if there is no possibility of confusion with the
geographic area covered by a regional department.

Do not refer to “the Asia-Pacific,” since this is the term used by Asia-
Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to refer to the Pacific basin,
including East and Southeast Asian countries, Australia, New Zealand,
the Pacific island countries, and countries in North and South America
bordering the Pacific Ocean.

ADB members in the Pacific should be referred to collectively as

“Pacific developing member countries.” If using a short form, use
“Pacific DMCs,” not “PDMCs.” When referring to islands in the Pacific
in general (i.e., including those that are not ADB members) use
“Pacific island countries.”

ADB support for Pacific developing member countries

encourages regional solutions to common challenges.
The impact of global warming will be felt in Pacific island countries.

Projects that are “interregional” involve countries of two or more

regions, usually within Asia and the Pacific (e.g., the Bay of Bengal
Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation).

Capitalize “region” and “subregion” only when they are part of a formal
name.

Assistance to the region is expected to increase in 2009–2010.

Countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion could become
major biofuel producers.

106
 Reported Speech and Text

Eurozone

The currency union of states that have adopted the euro as their sole
currency should be referred to as the “eurozone.”

Geographic Areas within a Country

The formal names of some subnational geographic areas include the

word “Region.” However, take care to avoid any ambiguity in subsequent
references.

Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao

Cordillera Administrative Region
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Reported Principle. Reported speech and text should be one tense back in
time from the original.
Speech
and Text Direct Speech Reported Speech
“I declare this meeting The chair declared the meeting
adjourned,” said the chair. adjourned.
“I have found a consultant,” He reported that he had found
he reported. a consultant.
“I will be visiting the project He said that he would be
site on 2 May,” he said. visiting the project site on
2 May.

Original Text Reported Text

World Bank report: “There is The World Bank reported that
clear evidence of negligence there was clear evidence of
on the part of the consulting negligence on the part of the
firm.” consulting firm.
Government report: “By 2015, The government predicted
we will have constructed over that it would have constructed
5,000 houses.” over 5,000 houses by 2015.

107
Scientific Terms

Auxiliary verbs should also be one tense back in time in reported

speech and text.

Direct Speech Reported Speech

and Original Text and Text
will would
can could
may might
must had to, would have to
shall should, would

Adapted from ADB. 2002. Handbook on Correspondence and Writing. Manila.

Scientific Chicago (8.127–8.161) provides general guidance on scientific

terminology.
Terms
For the correct spelling and capitalization of scientific and
vernacular names of plants, see the International Code of Botanical
Nomenclature (available online).

For the correct spelling and capitalization of scientific and vernacular

names of animals, see the International Code of Zoological
Nomenclature (available online).

For the correct spelling and capitalization of geological terms, see

Chicago (8.142–8.145).

For the correct spelling and capitalization of physical and chemical

terms, see the American Institute of Physics Style Manual (available
online).

Spelling Principle. Use American spelling in ADB documents.

See also: Organizations ADB’s reference for spelling is Merriam-Webster Online. All ADB staff
members also have access to the online edition of Merriam-Webster
Unabridged.

When Merriam-Webster Online gives more than one acceptable

spelling for a word, use the main entry, not the variant(s).

108
 Tables

When quoting from or citing documents and publications, and when

referring to established titles, use the spelling in the original.

Note that some organizations, including those in the United Nations

system, follow British spelling in their names, e.g., the International
Labour Organization.

Tables Principle. Use a table only when it amplifies and illustrates the
discussion in the text. Cite all tables in the text. Place each table as
See also: Numbers soon as possible after the end of the paragraph in which it is first cited.

The table formats described here should be followed for Board

documents. Tables in publications may follow these formats, but they
are not required to do so.

Abbreviations in Tables

Abbreviations may be used in a table, but define each one in an

alphabetical list below the table.

However, it may be more appropriate in some tables to use the

spelled-out form at the term’s first appearance, followed by the
abbreviation in parentheses, and to employ the abbreviation
throughout the rest of the table. In these cases, an abbreviations .
list below the table is not necessary.

Use the same system for abbreviations throughout a table.

Alignment

Column heads. Bottom-align column heads if they occupy more

than one line. Left-align the first column head and center the rest
(see the table on pp. 118–119).

Exception. In some tables, it may be necessary to make some

column heads left-aligned, e.g., if columns are very wide (Table 2).

Body. Decimal-align numbers if a table consists of items with the same

unit of measure. Use the same number of decimal places (Table 1).

Right-align numbers if a table contains items with different units of

measure (Table 3).

109
Tables

Top-align when
(i) an entry in the first column occupies one line (Table 2), and
(ii) both the first column and another column contain more than one
line (see the table on pp. 118–119).

Bottom-align when an entry in the first column occupies more than

one line and entries in other columns occupy only one line (Tables .
1 and 3).

Format

For Board documents, if a table is mostly numbers use only three

horizontal lines (pp. 111–112). If it is mostly words, a single-line frame
may be used, along with vertical lines between columns.

Use Arial font in Board documents, minimum size 9 points, maximum

size 11 points. Ensure a consistent format, including font size, for all
tables throughout a document. The title, column heads, subheadings
(if any), and subtotal and total rows (if any) should be in bold.

Each column in a table must have a heading. Use “Item” if there is

no obvious descriptor. Use headline-style capitalization for column
heads.

If the first column of the table is text, use sentence-style

capitalization, i.e., capitalize only the first word and proper nouns.
Headings within the first column should use headline-style
capitalization. See Chicago (13.24) for further guidance.

110
 Tables

Table 1: Key Financial Ratios of the Housing Development Finance Corporation

(%)

Item 2006 2007

Combined Key Ratios
Return on shareholders’ equity 107.6 72.9
Operating expenses as a percentage of operating income 16.8 16.3

Profitability Ratios
Net interest income as a percentage of interest-earning assets 5.0 7.0
Operating expenses as a percentage of income 14.4 14.0
Operating expense as a percentage of total assets 0.7 1.1
Profit after taxation as a percentage of total assets 4.4 6.5
Profit after taxation as a percentage of shareholder capital 107.6 72.9

Balance Sheet Ratios

Total mobilization from fee-paying customers as a percentage of .
total assets 0.0 0.0
Total net loans to fee-paying customers as a percentage of total .
assets 95.5 97.0
Total equity as a percentage of total assets 5.9 11.8

Capital Adequacy Ratios

Tier 1 capital to total assets 2.2a 6.9
Total capital to total assets weighted for risk 4.3a 13.7

Asset Quality Ratios

NPLs as a percentage of total loansb 0.0 0.2
Provisions for loan losses as a percentage of NPLs 0.0 22.7
NPL = nonperforming loan.
a
 The Housing Development Finance Corporation is 100% government-owned and all its debt obligations are
guaranteed by the government.
b
 NPLs are stated as gross outstanding loans without deduction of the value of their collateral securities. All loans
are backed by collateral security for more than 125% of the gross loan amount. In total, NPLs amount to about
$40,000 and are expected to be fully recovered by the value of their collateral.
Sources: Asian Development Bank estimates; Housing Development Finance Corporation. 2008. Annual Report
for 2007. Malé. p. 18.

Table 2: Proposed Urban Transport Subprojects

Subproject Description Municipality

Gorgasali road Reconstruction of the main transit road artery to segregate transit traffic Tbilisi
from local traffic, thereby relieving congestion, pollution, and noise
City bypass Redirecting intercity traffic outside the city center and modernization of Kutaisi
traffic crossings, thereby reducing congestion and traffic accidents
Sources: Municipal Development Fund of Georgia; Tbilisi and Kutaisi municipalities.

111
Tables

Table 3: Affordability of Projected Tariffs, 2007–2013

Actual Projected
Item 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Average monthly household income
(CNY) 3,699 3,884 4,078 4,282 4,496 4,721 5,465
Average monthly poor household
income (CNY) 628 659 692 727 763 802 928
Monthly household expenditure
on solid waste (% of average
household income) 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.04 0.04 0.04
Monthly expenditure on solid waste
(% of poor household income) 0.18 0.18 0.19 0.20 0.21 0.22 0.25
Source: Asian Development Bank estimates.

COST ESTIMATES AND FINANCING PLAN

($’000)

Item Amount
A. Asian Development Bank Financing a

1. Consultants
a. Remuneration and per diem
    i. International consultants 190.0
    ii.  National consultants 100.0
b. International and local travel 30.0
c. Reports and communications 4.0
2. Equipmentb 26.0
3. Training, seminars, and conferencesc 35.0
4. User acceptance testing 155.0
5. Miscellaneous administration and support costs 10.0
6. Contingencies 50.0
    Subtotal (A) 600.0

B. Government Financing
1. Office accommodation and transport 75.0
2. Remuneration and per diem of counterpart staff 125.0
    Subtotal (B) 200.0
       Total 800.0
a
Financed by the Japan Special Fund, funded by the Government of Japan.
b
Includes hardware testing and software license.
c
Includes design and production of interactive training materials.
Source: Asian Development Bank estimates.

112
 Tables

Labeling

If a document has only one table, use only the title; if it has two or
more tables, number them with Arabic numerals in the order in which
they appear.

The table number should be followed by a colon and a short

descriptive title.

Center the title above the table and use headline-style capitalization.
Use Arial 11 bold for Board documents.

If the title includes hyphenated words, capitalize each major element.

Spell out abbreviations in titles (except “ADB”), even if they have

already been defined in the text. Do not add abbreviations in
parentheses in titles.

When years or other dates form part of the title, they should be in
bold, preceded by a comma.

Indicate the unit of measurement in parentheses, same font size, not

in bold. Center the unit of measure directly below the title. The word
“in” should not be used in the description of units.

Table 7: Nepal Sovereign Operations Portfolio, 2007–2008

($ million)

Table A2.4: Comparison of Structure Increases

and Cost-of-Living Changes
(%)

If an appendix comprises one table, use the title of the table as the
appendix title, i.e., using all capital letters, bold font.

COST ESTIMATES AND FINANCING PLAN

($’000)

113
Tables

Follow the numbering conventions below for tables in appendixes.

If a table is found in Label

the only appendix Table A.1, Table A.2, etc.
the first appendix Table A1.1, Table A1.2, etc.
the second appendix Table A2.1, Table A2.2, etc.

If the only table is found in Label

the only appendix Title only
the first appendix Table A1
the second appendix Table A2

When cross-referring to a table that appears in an appendix, cite the

appendix first.

Avoid Prefer
(Table A3.5 in Appendix 3) (Appendix 3, Table A3.5)

Large Tables

Try to limit tables to one page. If a table is too large for one page,
consider splitting it or reformatting it. Font size may be as small as .
9 points to conserve space.

If a table must run over two pages, place it on facing pages in the
final document. Repeat column heads on each page if a table
exceeds one page.

Notes and Explanatory Material

Tables need to be self-contained (e.g., abbreviations need to be

defined, even if they have already been defined in the text) because
tables are often extracted from a document and used for other
purposes.

114
 Tables

Footnote indicators. Use superscript lowercased letters, not in bold,

for footnote indicators. Chicago (13.47) states the following:

The sequence runs from left to right, top to bottom, as in

text. Unlike note references in text, however, the same
letter is used on two or more elements if the corresponding
note applies to them. A footnote letter attached to a column
head applies to the items in the column below it.

Placement and order. Place all explanatory material immediately

below the table, not at the bottom of the page, in this order (listed
vertically): abbreviation(s), general explanatory note(s), footnote(s),
and source(s). Font size should be 9 points.

List abbreviations in alphabetical order with their definitions.

A note applying to the table as a whole is unnumbered and is

introduced by “Note(s): ….” If a table has a few such notes and they
are short, run them on. Number the notes if there are several and
they are long.

Notes: Numbers in parentheses are standard deviations. N = 500 households.

Notes:
1. All figures are from the most recent published government sources.
2. Figures exclude local taxes.
3. Dates indicated are for approximate calendar periods.

Sources. Provide a source for every table. For tables with several
sources, list them in alphabetical order by author.

Be as precise as possible when identifying sources for tables. .

Where possible, give a documentary source rather than an
organization name.

Avoid

Source: International Monetary Fund.

Prefer
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF). 1998. Malaysia: Recent Economic
Developments. IMF Staff Country Report. No. 98/9. Washington, DC.

115
Tables

Exceptions. Complete citations for sources are not required in the

following cases:
(i) For unpublished data provided to ADB by an organization, the
organization’s name is sufficient.
(ii) For estimates made by ADB, “ADB estimates” or a department
name, e.g., “ADB Treasury Department” is sufficient. Do not use
“staff estimates.”

See also: Currencies and Rounding

Exchange Rates, Numbers
Round numbers to one decimal place (two at most). Use the same
number of decimal places for all data that are alike.

Align numbers on the decimal point. Round up numbers 5 and

above; round down numbers below 5.

Provide the appropriate note below the table.

Note: Numbers may not sum precisely because of rounding.

Note: Percentages may not total 100% because of rounding.

Small Tables

In Board documents, do not wrap text around a small table. If a table

is only one or two columns, center it in the text and leave space to
the left and right.

The result was also evident from the strong financial performance of Exim Bank in FY2002
(Table 3).
Table 3: Financial Performance, FY2002
(Rs billion)
Item Amount
Total income 15.60
Expenses 10.23
Depreciation 0.08
Profit after tax 2.82
Loan approvals 90.25
Disbursements 59.19
Total loans outstanding 131.60
Total assets 176.40
Equity capital 45.00
Source: Credit Analysis & Research.

116
 Tables

See also: Tables (Notes and Symbols

Explanatory Material)
Define all symbols below the table along with abbreviations, if any.

Leave a cell blank if the column head does not apply.

Use an ellipsis (...) to indicate “data not available.”

Use “0” to indicate magnitude zero.

Enclose negative numbers in parentheses. Do not use a hyphen, en

dash, or minus sign.

Use other symbols as needed, but define them below the table.

Text in Tables

Use headline-style capitalization in column heads.

If there is a horizontal relationship between items in different

columns, align the first lines of each item.

For tables with blocks of text, such as design and monitoring

frameworks, use a period only at the end of a complete sentence. Do
not use a period after a sentence fragment.

Use either complete sentences or sentence fragments consistently

throughout a table. If that is not possible, try to be consistent within
columns. In the table below, for example, fragments are used in
columns 1–3, and complete sentences for column 4.

117
Tables

Table A13: Compensation Matrix

Definition of Affected
Type of Loss Application Persons Compensation Entitlements
Permanent loss of Agricultural land Owners with full registration Owners will be compensated at market
agricultural land regardless of rate plus 15% either in cash or through
impact severity replacement plots acceptable to the
affected persons.
Unregistered persons with Affected persons will be legalized and
ownership rights provided the same compensation as
registered owners.
Informal settlers or Affected persons will be given a one-time
unregistered persons with no self-relocation allowance in cash equal to
valid documentation 1 year at minimum salary.
Nonagricultural . Commercial or Owners with full registration Owners will be compensated at market
land residential land rate plus 15% either in cash or through
replacement plots acceptable to the
affected persons.
Unregistered persons with Affected persons will be legalized and
ownership rights provided the same compensation as
registered owner.
Leaseholders Leaseholders will be given rental
allowances in cash for 3 months.
Informal settlers or Affected persons will be given a one-time
unregistered persons with no self-relocation allowance in cash equal to
valid documentation 1 year at minimum salary.
Residential . All affected persons Affected persons will be compensated
buildings irrespective of registration in cash plus 15% for loss of houses at
status full replacement cost free of depreciation
and transaction costs. For partial
impacts, and if so desired by the affected
person, compensation may be provided
only for repairs.
Nonresidential Affected persons with valid Affected persons will be compensated
structures and/or registration in cash plus 15% for loss of houses at
assets full replacement cost free of depreciation
and transaction costs. For partial
impacts, and if so desired by the affected
person, compensation may be provided
only for repairs.
Unregistered persons with Affected persons will be provided the
ownership rights; informal same compensation as those with valid
settlers registration but only after the building is
legalized and/or registered.
Loss of communal Communal assets Community and local The affected structures will be
property government reconstructed in consultation with the
community.
Crop losses Standing crops All affected persons Affected persons will be compensated in
affected regardless of legal status, cash at market rate by default at gross
including unregistered crop value of the expected harvest.
persons with ownership
rights; informal settlers

118
 Time of Day

Definition of Affected
Type of Loss Application Persons Compensation Entitlements
Tree losses Trees affected All affected persons, Affected persons will be compensated in
including unregistered cash at market rate based on type, age,
persons with ownership and productive value of the trees.
rights; informal settlers
Business and All affected persons, Business owners will be compensated
employment including unregistered as follows: (i) permanent impact—cash
losses persons with ownership indemnity of 1 year net income; and
rights; informal settlers (ii) temporary impact—cash indemnity
of net income for months of business
stoppage. Assessment will be based on
tax declaration, other valid documents,
or, in their absence, minimum salary.

Permanent employees will receive

cash indemnity for lost wages equal to
3 months of minimum salary.
Relocation Transport and/or All affected persons to be Affected persons will be provided funds
allowances transition costs relocated to cover transport costs and livelihood
expenses for 1 month.
Vulnerable people Affected persons below the Affected persons will receive an
allowances poverty line; households allowance equivalent to 3 months of
headed by women minimum salary and employment priority
in project-related jobs.
Temporary All affected persons Due compensation will be assessed
impacts and paid based on the land acquisition
and resettlement framework during
construction.
Source: Asian Development Bank.

Time of Day Use the 12-hour clock and the abbreviations “a.m.” (ante meridiem)
and “p.m.” (post meridiem).

Noon and midnight are neither a.m. nor p.m. and should be referred
to as “12 noon” and “12 midnight.”

Do not insert a “0” before the hours earlier than 10 a.m. or 10 p.m.

Avoid Prefer
The opening session will The opening session will
begin at 09:00 a.m. and finish begin at 9 a.m. and finish at
at 12:00 p.m. 12 noon.
The reception will take place The reception will take place
from 1830H to 2030H. from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

119
Weights and Measures

Weights and Principle. ADB uses the metric system.

Measures Exceptions. Note the following exceptions to the rule stated above.
(i) In some industries, other systems of measurement are standard
See also: Abbreviations
and may be used.
(Abbreviations That Should
Not Be Spelled Out,
Two-Letter Abbreviations)
The project supplies 5,383 trillion British thermal units
(Btu) of natural gas per year for power generation and
industrial use.

(ii) Chinese units of measurement may sometimes be used if

converting them to metric units would make the sentence
unnecessarily complicated. However, always give the metric
equivalent, either in a footnote or in a glossary.

Avoid
Smallholdings larger than 1,333.32 m2 are in a different tax
bracket.

Prefer
Smallholdings larger than 2 mu are in a different tax
bracket.1

1
A mu is a Chinese unit of measurement (1 mu = 666.67 m2).

If a unit of weight or measure is used frequently in a document, spell

it out at first appearance and give the abbreviation in parentheses.
Thereafter, use only the abbreviated form.

Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Malaysia account for

about 10 billion barrels (bbl) of proven oil reserves and about
200 cubic feet (ft3) of proven gas reserves. The Philippines
has a modest amount of potential oil (3.5 billion bbl) and gas
(25 trillion ft3) reserves, while Singapore has no indigenous oil
and gas reserves.

120
 Weights and Measures

Use only the singular form when abbreviating a unit. Do not use
a period with the abbreviated form and do not hyphenate an
abbreviated measure acting as an adjective. However, the spelled
out form may be hyphenated.

Avoid Prefer
22 kgs 22 kg
5,960 ha. 5,960 ha
11-kV line 11 kV line
11 kilovolt line 11-kilovolt line
50-ha field 50 ha field
50 hectare field 50-hectare field

The following abbreviations for weights and measures are often

encountered in ADB documents.

barrel bbl
barrel per day bbl/day
British thermal unit Btu
byte B
calorie, large, or kilocalorie kCal
calorie, small cal
Celsius (centigrade) C
centimeter cm
cubic centimeter cm3
cubic foot per second ft3/sec
cubic meter per day m3/day
cubic meter per second m3/sec
decibel dB
degree °
Fahrenheit F
foot ft
gallon gal
gigabyte GB
gigawatt-hour GWh

121
Weights and Measures

gram g
hectare ha
horsepower hp
hour h
inch in
kilo-ampere kA
kilobyte KB
kilogram kg
kilogram of oil equivalent kgoe
kilometer km
kilovolt kV
kilovolt-ampere kVA
kilowatt kW
kilowatt-hour kWh
liter l
liter per capita per day lpcd
megabyte MB
megavolt-ampere MVA
megawatt MW
megawatt-hour MWh
meter m
microgram per normal cubic meter µg/Nm3
milligram mg
millimeter mm
million cubic feet MMCF
million gallons per day mgd
ounce oz
parts per million ppm
passenger-kilometer pass-km
pound lb
pounds per square inch psi
revolutions per minute rpm
second s or sec
square feet ft2

122
 Weights and Measures

square kilometer km2

square meter m2
terawatt-hour TWh
thousand cubic feet MCF
tona t
ton of coal equivalent tce
ton of oil equivalent toe
ton-kilometer ton-km
tons per day tpd
trillion cubic feet TCF
twenty-foot equivalent unit teu
volt V
volt-ampere VA
watt W
watt-hour Wh
a
 Avoid using “tonne” to mean “metric ton.” Since ADB uses the metric system,
use “ton.”

Define all weights and measures at the front of documents and

publications under the heading “Weights and Measures.” If three or
fewer units are to be defined, do not create a special “Weights and
Measures” section; instead, include them in the abbreviations list.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

GWh – gigawatt-hour
kV – kilovolt
kW – kilowatt
kWh – kilowatt-hour
MVA – megavolt-ampere
MW – megawatt
MWh – megawatt-hour
V – volt
W – watt

123
Appendix 1: ADB Member Names and Currency Units
For Public Sector RRPs (Covers, Proposal
and Recommendation Paragraphs) and
Short Form TA and JFPR Reports (Covers) Code
Afghanistan Islamic Republic of Afghanistan AFG
Armenia Armenia ARM
Australia AUS
Austria AUT
Azerbaijan Republic of Azerbaijan AZE
Bangladesh People’s Republic of Bangladesh BAN
Belgium BEL
Bhutan Kingdom of Bhutan BHU
Brunei Darussalam BRU
Cambodia Kingdom of Cambodia CAM
Canada CAN
(the) People’s Republic of China, (the) PRC People’s Republic of China PRC
(the) Cook Islands Cook Islands COO
Denmark DEN
Fiji Republic of Fiji FIJ
Finland FIN
France FRA
Georgia Georgia GEO
Germany GER
Hong Kong, China Hong Kong, China HKG

India India IND

Indonesia Republic of Indonesia INO
Ireland IRE
Italy ITA
Japan JPN
Kazakhstan Republic of Kazakhstan KAZ
Kiribati Republic of Kiribati KIR
(the) Republic of Korea Republic of Korea KOR
(the) Kyrgyz Republic Kyrgyz Republic KGZ
(the) Lao People’s Democratic Republic, (the) Lao PDR Lao People’s Democratic Republic LAO
Luxembourg LUX
Malaysia Malaysia MAL
(the) Maldives Republic of the Maldives MLD

124
 Appendix 1: ADB Member Names and Currency Units

Currency Unit

Government Name Singular Plural Symbol

Government of Afghanistan afghani afghanis AF
Government of Armenia dram dram AMD
Government of Australia Australian dollar Australian dollars A$
Government of Austria euro euros €
Government of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan manat Azerbaijan manats AZN
Government of Bangladesh taka taka Tk
Government of Belgium euro euros €
Government of Bhutan ngultrum ngultrum Nu
Government of Brunei Darussalam Brunei dollar Brunei dollars B$
Government of Cambodia riel riels KR
Government of Canada Canadian dollar Canadian dollars Can$
Government of the People’s Republic of China yuan yuan CNY
Government of the Cook Islands New Zealand dollar New Zealand dollars NZ$
Government of Denmark Danish krone Danish kroner DKr
Government of Fiji Fiji dollar Fiji dollars F$
Government of Finland euro euros €
Government of France euro euros €
Government of Georgia lari lari GEL
Government of Germany euro euros €
Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Hong Kong dollar Hong Kong dollars HK$
Region of the People’s Republic of China
Government of India Indian rupee Indian rupees Re/Rs
Government of Indonesia rupiah rupiah Rp
Government of Ireland euro euros €
Government of Italy euro euros €
Government of Japan yen yen ¥
Government of Kazakhstan tenge tenge T
Government of Kiribati Australian dollar Australian dollars A$
Government of the Republic of Korea won won W
Government of the Kyrgyz Republic som som Som
Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic kip kip KN
Government of Luxembourg euro euros €
Government of Malaysia ringgit ringgit RM
Government of the Maldives rufiyaa rufiyaa Rf

125
Appendix 1: ADB Member Names and Currency Units

For Public Sector RRPs (Covers, Proposal

and Recommendation Paragraphs) and
Short Form TA and JFPR Reports (Covers) Code
(the) Marshall Islands, (the) RMI Republic of the Marshall Islands RMI
(the) Federated States of Micronesia, (the) FSM Federated States of Micronesia FSM
Mongolia Mongolia MON
Myanmar Union of Myanmar MYA
Nauru Nauru NAU
Nepal Nepal NEP
(the) Netherlands NET
New Zealand NZL
Norway NOR
Pakistan Islamic Republic of Pakistan PAK
Palau Republic of Palau PAL
Papua New Guinea, PNG Papua New Guinea PNG
(the) Philippines Republic of the Philippines PHI
Portugal POR
Samoa Independent State of Samoa SAM
Singapore Republic of Singapore SIN
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands SOL
Spain SPA
Sri Lanka Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka SRI
Sweden SWE
Switzerland SWI
Taipei,China Taipei,China TAP
Tajikistan Republic of Tajikistan TAJ
Thailand Kingdom of Thailand THA
Timor-Leste Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste TIM
Tonga Kingdom of Tonga TON
Turkey TUR
Turkmenistan Turkmenistan TKM
Tuvalu Tuvalu TUV
(the) United Kingdom, (the) UK UKG
(the) United States, (the) US USA
Uzbekistan Republic of Uzbekistan UZB
Vanuatu Republic of Vanuatu VAN
Viet Nam Socialist Republic of Viet Nam VIE
ADB = Asian Development Bank, JFPR = Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, RRP = report and recommendation of the
President, TA = technical assistance.
Note: The placement of “(the)” before a member’s name indicates that “the” is to be used before the member’s name,
except when it is used as an adjective.

126
 Appendix 1: ADB Member Names and Currency Units

Currency Unit

Government Name Singular Plural Symbol

Government of the Marshall Islands US dollar US dollars $
Government of the Federated States of Micronesia US dollar US dollars $
Government of Mongolia togrog togrog MNT
Government of the Union of Myanmar kyat kyats MK
Government of Nauru Australian dollar Australian dollars A$
Government of Nepal Nepalese rupee Nepalese rupees NRe/NRs
Government of the Netherlands euro euros €
Government of New Zealand New Zealand dollar New Zealand dollars NZ$
Government of Norway Norwegian krone Norwegian kroner NKr
Government of Pakistan Pakistan rupee Pakistan rupees PRe/PRs
Government of the Republic of Palau US dollar US dollars $
Government of Papua New Guinea kina kina K
Government of the Philippines peso pesos P
Government of Portugal euro euros €
Government of Samoa tala tala ST
Government of Singapore Singapore dollar Singapore dollars S$
Government of Solomon Islands Solomon Islands dollar Solomon Islands dollars SI$
Government of Spain euro euros €
Government of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka rupee Sri Lanka rupees SLRe/SLRs
Government of Sweden Swedish krona Swedish kronor SKr
Government of Switzerland Swiss franc Swiss francs SwF
Government of Taipei,China NT dollar NT dollars NT$
Government of Tajikistan somoni somoni TJS
Government of Thailand baht baht B
Government of Timor-Leste US dollar US dollars $
Government of Tonga pa’anga pa’anga T$
Government of Turkey Turkish lira Turkish lira TL
Government of Turkmenistan Turkmen manat Turkmen manats TMM
Government of Tuvalu Australian dollar Australian dollars A$
Government of the United Kingdom pound sterling pounds sterling ₤
Government of the United States US dollar US dollars $
Government of Uzbekistan sum sum SUM
Government of Vanuatu vatu vatu Vt
Government of Viet Nam dong dong D
Source: ADB member names and currencies were confirmed by a survey of member representatives conducted by the
Office of the Secretary in January 2009.

127
Appendix 2: Problem Pairs of Words
The explanations and definitions given here are not comprehensive and are provided only for the purpose of
distinguishing pairs of words. For full definitions, see Merriam-Webster Online.

Term Explanation Example

acceptable (adj.) capable or worthy of being accepted Those terms would be acceptable.
agreeable (adj.) ready or willing to agree or consent The government would be agreeable to those
terms.
adverse (adj.) acting against or in a contrary direction Adverse trading conditions affected profits.
averse (adj.) having an active feeling of repugnance or The government was averse to taking the
distaste measures that were needed.
advice (n.) recommendation regarding a decision or The main output of the technical assistance
course of conduct will be policy advice.
advise (vb.) to give advice to The consultant will advise the Ministry of
Public Enterprises.
affect (vb.) to produce an effect upon The project will not affect the national park.
effect (vb.) to put into operation The new government hopes to effect an
improvement in the economy.
among (prep.) in the number or class of The government is popular among the middle
class.
between (prep.) jointly engaging, by the common action of Trade between the two countries has
increased since 2007.
Economic cooperation between Cambodia,
the Lao PDR, and Viet Nam has increased.
Note: When referring to two entities, use “between.” When referring to more than two entities or when the number of
entities is unspecified, the word choice depends on the intended meaning. “Among” is appropriate where the emphasis
is on inclusion in a group or distribution rather than individual relationships. “Between” is more appropriate to denote a
one-to-one relationship, regardless of the number of items (see the third example above).
any one (n.) one of several Any one of the candidates would have been
suitable.
anyone (n.) any person at all The job could have been done by anyone.
appraise (vb.) to estimate the amount of or to value The government recruited consultants
to appraise the damage caused by the
earthquake.
apprise (vb.) to give notice to Resettled persons will be apprised of their
rights.
assure (vb.) implies the removal of doubt and The company has assured ADB that the road
suspense from a person’s mind will be constructed on schedule.
ensure (vb.) may imply a virtual guarantee The government will ensure the safety of the
refugees.
insure (vb.) usually has financial implications and The company will insure homeowners against
sometimes stresses the taking of losses caused by floods.
necessary measures beforehand
Note: “Assure,” “ensure,” and “insure” are interchangeable in many contexts, but there are nuances of meaning.

128
 Appendix 2: Problem Pairs of Words

Term Explanation Example

born (adj.) brought forth by or as if by birth These expressions were born during the
1960s.
borne (vb.) to support the weight of The consequences of this failed policy will be
borne by the poor.
can (vb.) to know how to ADB can manage complex financial projects.
may (vb.) be free to The consultant may proceed once these
conditions are met.
canvas (n.) a firm closely woven cloth The boat has a canvas sail.
canvass (vb.) to solicit orders or political support or to The local government will canvass opinions on
determine opinions or sentiments the best site for the project.
compare to to represent as similar Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
(vb. + prep.)
compare with to contrast There were three new listings on the stock
(vb. + prep.) exchange in 2007, compared with none in 2006.
complement (vb.) to be complementary to The ADB project complements the World
Bank’s technical assistance.
compliment (vb.) to pay a compliment to Delegates complimented the organizers on the
arrangements that had been made.
compose (vb.) to form by putting together The committee was composed of three
representatives.
comprise (vb.) to be made up of It was a complex project, comprising
12 subprojects.
consist (vb.) to be composed or made up of Project outputs will consist of the policy
document and four seminars.
continual (adj.) a close prolonged succession or The project suffered continual delays because
recurrence of poor weather.
continuous (adj.) marked by uninterrupted extension in ADB has been a continuous presence in Asia
space, time, or sequence and the Pacific since it was formed in 1966.
councilor (n.) a member of a council The meeting was attended by the mayor and
six councilors.
counselor (n.) person who gives advice Counselors were on hand to help the
earthquake victims.
discreet (adj.) having or showing good judgment in A facilitator has to be discreet to earn trust.
conduct, unobtrusive
discrete (adj.) individually distinct The project will have three discrete
components.
disinterested (adj.) free from selfish motive or interest The dispute will need to be resolved by a
disinterested party.
uninterested (adj.) not interested Motivating uninterested students is difficult.
e.g. (abbr.) for example FY before a calendar year denotes the year in
which the fiscal year ends, e.g., FY2008 ends
on 30 September 2008.
i.e. (abbr.) in other words The President met the most senior member of
the delegation, i.e., the minister of finance.

129
Appendix 2: Problem Pairs of Words

Term Explanation Example

elicit (vb.) to draw forth or bring out The newspaper story elicited an immediate
response from the minister.
illicit (adj.) not permitted The government has launched a campaign
against tobacco smuggling, drug dealing, and
other illicit activities.
endogenous (adj.) caused by factors inside a system Endogenous fluctuations arise from savings
behavior and interest rate movements.
indigenous (adj.) living or occurring naturally in a particular ADB will ensure that the rights of indigenous
region or environment people are respected.
especially (adv.) for a particular purpose The road was built especially for the project.
specially (adv.) distinguished by some unusual quality The houses were specially designed to
withstand heavy rain.
everyday (adj.) encountered routinely The local staff will deal with everyday matters.
every day (adj. + n.) each day He visited the site every day.
fewer (adj.) comparative of few, meaning a smaller Fewer people came to this week’s meeting.
number of persons or things (i.e.,
modifying countable objects)
less (adj.) constituting a smaller amount (i.e., The project used less of the budget than
modifying uncountable objects) anticipated.
foreword (n.) prefatory comments in a book The book has a foreword by the Prime
Minister.
forward (adj.) preparing for the future The Prime Minister praised the move as a step
forward.
imply (vb.) to express indirectly The minister implied that the project might be
delayed.
infer (vb.) to derive as a conclusion from facts or From the demonstrations, we can infer that
premises opposition is growing.
interpreter (n.) a person who translates orally, for Chinese and French interpreters will be
example at a meeting needed at the meeting.
translator (n.) a person who translates written works into ADB employs freelance translators to ensure
another language that key documents are accessible to people
who do not read English.
later (adv.) at some subsequent time The second tranche will be approved later.
latter (adj.) the second of two things Of the two, she preferred the latter option.
loose (adj.) not rigid Programs of multilateral development banks
are often loosely connected to those of NGOs.
lose (vb.) to cause the loss of The government expects to lose support if it
continues with the policy.
many (adj.) a large but indefinite number The ministry has many offices.
much (adj.) great in quantity, amount, extent, or These procurement practices involve too
degree much risk.

130
 Appendix 2: Problem Pairs of Words

Term Explanation Example

ordinance (n.) a law passed by a governmental authority Rights-of-way are governed by a local
ordinance.
ordnance (n.) military supplies, including ammunition Unexploded ordnance is a major problem in
rural and border areas.
practicable (adj.) feasible, capable of being implemented There is no point in making proposals that are
not practicable.
practical (adj.) as opposed to theoretical, efficient, The workshop produced many practical
workable recommendations.
prescribe (vb.) to lay down a rule Current development thinking prescribes a
series of measures to unshackle the private
sector and create jobs for the poor.
proscribe (vb.) to condemn or forbid as harmful or The government has proscribed pamphlets
unlawful containing threats of violence.
principal (adj.) most important The principal reason for their success was
good planning.
principal (n.) the amount lent at the start of a loan Farmers will have to repay both the principal
and the interest.
a person with controlling authority The principal will oversee the renovation of six
classrooms.
principle (n.) a comprehensive and fundamental law, The principle underlying the strategy is that
doctrine, or assumption loans must benefit the poor.
relend (vb.) when a government lends the proceeds of The government will relend most of the loan to
an ADB loan to an intermediary the National Development Corporation.
onlend (vb.) when the intermediary lends these funds The National Development Corporation will be
to the ultimate beneficiary responsible for onlending to small businesses.
Note: This distinction is peculiar to ADB and is designed to distinguish between loans from the government to an
intermediate development finance institution and loans from the institution to the ultimate beneficiary. ADB. 2008.
Foreign Exchange Risk. Operations Manual. OM H7/BP. Manila.
sewage (n.) refuse liquid or waste matter The rapidly growing population has led to a
significant increase in sewage.
sewerage (n.) the removal of sewage and surface water The government plans to put in place an
by sewers extensive sewerage system.
stationary (adj.) not changing or moving The legislative program is stationary because
of the government’s slim majority.
stationery (n.) office supplies The municipal government will supply offices,
computers, and stationery.
that (pron.) the kind or thing specified as follows The problems that were raised at the meeting
have been addressed.
which (pron.) used as a function word to introduce a The problems, which were raised at the
relative clause meeting, have been addressed.
Note: The first example is a restrictive clause (sometimes called a defining clause). In other words, the sentence is
restricted to the problems raised at the meeting—there may well have been other problems not raised at the meeting.
The second example is a relative clause and implies that all the problems were raised at the meeting. This is a brief
description of a complicated area of English grammar. Authorities such as Garner’s Modern American Usage should be
consulted for more detailed explanations.

131
Appendix 3: Common Abbreviations
This list contains some abbreviations that are frequently found in documents and publications published by the Asian
Development Bank and their correct spelled-out form. For the rules governing the use of abbreviations, see pp. 1–12.

Abbreviation Name
ABS asset-backed security
ADB Asian Development Bank
ADF Asian Development Fund
ADO Asian Development Outlook
AfDB African Development Bank
AFTA ASEAN Free Trade Area
AIDS acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
ALCO Asset and Liability Management Committee
AO administrative order
APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
ARMM Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ASEAN+3 ASEAN, the People’s Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea
AusAID Australian Agency for International Development
BIS Bank for International Settlements
BME benefit monitoring and evaluation
BTOR back-to-office report
CAR Central Asian republic
CAREC Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation
CFC chlorofluorocarbon
CFR cost and freight
CFS complementary financing scheme
CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
CIDA Canadian International Development Agency
CIF cost, insurance, and freight
COD cash on delivery < or > chemical oxygen demand
COBP country operations business plan
CPI consumer price index
CPS country partnership strategy
DAC See OECD-DAC
DALY disability-adjusted life year
Danida Danish International Development Assistance
DEC Development Effectiveness Committee
DFI development finance institution
DFID Department for International Development of the United Kingdom
DLP discretionary liquidity portfolio
DMC developing member country
DSL digital subscriber line
EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EIA environmental impact assessment
EIB European Investment Bank
EIRR economic internal rate of return
ESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
EU European Union
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FAS Financial Accounting Standards
FDI foreign direct investment
FFA framework financing agreement
FIRR financial internal rate of return
FOB free on board

132
 Appendix 3: Common Abbreviations

Abbreviation Name
FTA free trade agreement
FY fiscal year
GAAP Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
GATS General Agreement on Trade in Services
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GCI general capital increase
GDP gross domestic product
GEF Global Environment Facility
GIR gross international reserves
GIS geographic information system
GMO genetically modified organism
GMS Greater Mekong Subregion
GNI gross national income
GNP gross national product
HDI human development index
HDR Human Development Report
HIPC heavily indebted poor country
HIV human immunodeficiency virus
IADB Inter-American Development Bank
IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
IBRA Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency
IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organisation
ICB international competitive bidding
ICP International Comparison Program
ICSID International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (of the World Bank Group)
ICT information and communication technology
IDA International Development Association
IDB Islamic Development Bank
IDC interest during construction
IDRC International Development Research Centre
IEA International Energy Agency
IEC information, education, and communication
IEE initial environmental examination
IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development
IFC International Finance Corporation
IIE Institute of International Economics
ILO International Labour Organization
IMF International Monetary Fund
IMR infant mortality rate
IPO initial public offering
IPP independent power producer
IPR intellectual property rights
IRR internal rate of return
IRRI International Rice Research Institute
ISIC International Standard Industrial Classification
ISO International Organization for Standardization
ISP internet service provider
IT information technology
ITU International Telecommunication Union
IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature
JETRO Japan External Trade Organization
JEXIM Export-Import Bank of Japan
JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency
JSF Japan Special Fund
133
Appendix 3: Common Abbreviations

Abbreviation Name
JSP Japan Scholarship Program
LCB local competitive bidding
LCF local cost financing
LIBOR London interbank offered rate
LLR loan loss reserve
M&A merger and acquisition
M&E monitoring and evaluation
MBS mortgage-backed security
MCH maternal and child health
MDB multilateral development bank
MDG Millennium Development Goal
MFF multitranche financing facility
MFI microfinance institution
MIC middle-income country
MIGA Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
MIS management information system
MMR maternal mortality ratio
MOA memorandum of agreement
MOU memorandum of understanding
MRC Mekong River Commission
NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement
NBFI nonbank financial institution
NGO nongovernment organization
NORAD Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
NOVIB Netherlands Organisation for International Development Co-operation
NPA nonperforming asset
NPL nonperforming loan
NPV net present value
NRW nonrevenue water
NZAID New Zealand Agency for International Development
O&M operation and maintenance
OCP operational cash portfolio
OCR ordinary capital resources
ODA official development assistance
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OECD-DAC Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OECF Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund
OFID OPEC Fund for International Development
OIC officer-in-charge
OM operations manual
OPEC Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
OTC over-the-counter
PAI project administration instruction
PAM project administration memorandum
PCR project completion report < or > program completion report
PFR periodic financing request
PIU project implementation unit
PMU project management unit
PPP public–private partnership < or > polluter pays principle < or > purchasing power parity
PRGF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility
PRSP poverty reduction strategy paper
PSCL pool-based single currency loan
QALY quality-adjusted life year
R&D research and development

134
 Appendix 3: Common Abbreviations

Abbreviation Name
RCOBP regional cooperation operations business plan
RCS regional cooperation strategy
RDA recommended dietary allowance
ROA return on assets
ROE return on equity
ROI return on investment
RPI retail price index
RRP report and recommendation of the President
S&P Standard and Poor’s
SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
SARS severe acute respiratory syndrome
SASEC South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation
SDR special drawing right
SEIA summary environmental impact assessment
Sida Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
SIEE summary initial environmental examination
SMEs small and medium-sized enterprises
SMS short messaging service
SOE state-owned enterprise < or > statement of expenditure
SPC Secretariat of the Pacific Community
STI sexually transmitted infection
SWOT strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
TA technical assistance
TASF Technical Assistance Special Fund
TCR technical assistance completion report
TOR terms of reference
TRIPS trade-related intellectual property rights
TVE technical and vocational education
TVET technical and vocational education and training
UN United Nations
UNAIDS Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
UNCHS United Nations Centre for Human Settlements
UNCTAD United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UNFPA United Nations Population Fund
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNIFEM United Nations Development Fund for Women
UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
UNWTO United Nations World Tourism Organization
US EXIM Export-Import Bank of the United States
USAID United States Agency for International Development
VaR value-at-risk
VAT value-added tax
VOC vehicle operating cost
WFP World Food Programme
WHO World Health Organization
WPI wholesale price index
WTO World Trade Organization
XARR extended annual review report

135
Handbook of Style and Usage

Accurate, concise, and readable communication is essential to the work of the Asian Development
Bank (ADB). If ADB’s language is unclear, verbose, or inconsistent, its message will be obscured and its
operations undermined.
The ADB Handbook of Style and Usage will make the preparation of written material simpler for
ADB staff members and consultants, and will significantly improve the quality and consistency of
ADB documents and publications. It addresses a wide range of style and language issues including
abbreviations, capitalization, referencing, and the proper presentation of ADB member names. The most

Handbook of
up-to-date version of the handbook, incorporating any revisions since this printing, can be found on
e-Board and on adb.org.
The handbook is a joint publication of the Office of the Secretary (which is responsible for editing

Style
documents sent to the Board of Directors) and the Department of External Relations (which oversees the
editing of ADB publications).
The Handbook of Style and Usage is approved by Management.

About the Asian Development Bank

ADB’s vision is an Asia and Pacific region free of poverty. Its mission is to help its developing member
countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people. Despite the region’s many

and
successes, it remains home to two-thirds of the world’s poor: 1.8 billion people who live on less than $2
a day, with 903 million struggling on less than $1.25 a day. ADB is committed to reducing poverty through

Usage
inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
Based in Manila, ADB is owned by 67 members, including 48 from the region. Its main instruments
for helping its developing member countries are policy dialogue, loans, equity investments, guarantees,
grants, and technical assistance.

2011 Edition

Asian Development Bank

6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City
1550 Metro Manila, Philippines
www.adb.org
Publication Stock No. TIM090670

Printed on recycled paper Printed in the Philippines