# Language and grammar

> The words, grammar, punctuation, and formats Oztix uses everywhere it writes.

[Voice and tone](https://ticketsolutionsptyltd.github.io/roadie/content/voice-and-tone.md) sets how Oztix sounds. This page
sets how we write it down, in docs, interfaces, support, and marketing.
Clarity comes first, because most unclear writing breaks one of its rules.

## Clarity

### Every line carries a fact

Say what something does, with the mechanism or a number, not how it feels. Plain Australian idiom, such as "We've got your whole season sorted", suits marketing and support. Docs and interfaces use none.

**Do**

Presales open Thu 26 Nov at 9:00am AEDT.

The sales report updates every 15 minutes.

**Don’t**

Get ready for something special.

Insights that keep pace with your event.

### Use the plain word

A longer word doesn't make the meaning any clearer.

| Write  | Not                |
| ------ | ------------------ |
| use    | utilise, leverage  |
| help   | assist, facilitate |
| set up | configure          |
| start  | commence           |
| many   | numerous           |
| if     | in the event that  |

### Say is and has

Don't dress up the verb.

**Do**

Echidna Gaslight Theatre has 800 seats.

Bunyip Teaspoon Sessions is a monthly series.

**Don’t**

Echidna Gaslight Theatre boasts 800 seats.

Bunyip Teaspoon Sessions serves as a monthly series.

### Active voice

Name who acts. Use the passive only when nobody knows who acted, or it makes no difference.

**Do**

Our team manages ticket scanning on event day.

The scanner rejects a used ticket.

**Don’t**

Ticket scanning is managed by our team on event day.

A used ticket is rejected.

### One idea per sentence

Put the important part first. If the reader has to read a sentence twice, split it.

**Do**

Refunds take 5 business days. They go back to the card you paid with.

**Don’t**

Refunds, which go back to the payment method used at the time of purchase, can take up to 5 business days.

### Whole sentences

Write prose in whole sentences. Fragments are fine in labels, tables, and listings. Arrows and unexplained abbreviations don't belong anywhere.

**Do**

The scanner rejects a used ticket and shows a red screen.

General admission sold out in 2 hours.

**Don’t**

Used ticket → red screen.

GA s/o in 2 hrs.

### Cut filler

Delete the words that only delay the point.

**Do**

Bring photo ID to collect your tickets.

Because of the storm, the gates open at 6pm.

**Don’t**

It's important to note that in order to collect your tickets you'll need ID.

Due to the fact that there's a storm, the gates open at 6pm.

### Hedge once

Hedge only where the doubt is real, and only once.

**Do**

Resale may open closer to the date.

**Don’t**

It could potentially be possible that resale might open closer to the date.

### Use a stronger verb

If a verb needs an adverb to land, swap the verb or give the number.

**Do**

Scanning takes 2 seconds a ticket.

Presales doubled.

**Don’t**

Scanning runs really quickly.

Presales significantly improved.

### Name the source

Say who found something, or leave the claim out.

**Do**

Ochre Kite Weekender sales data shows most fans buy in the first hour.

**Don’t**

Industry reports suggest fans buy early.

### One name for one thing

Pick one term and repeat it. A new word makes the reader think it's a new
thing.

| Write                                                | Not                                               |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| ticket type                                          | ticket category                                   |
| access code                                          | promo code                                        |
| scan rate                                            | entry speed                                       |
| Add a ticket type, then set the ticket type's price. | Add a ticket type, then set the category's price. |

### Ranges on a real scale

Use "from X to Y" only when both ends sit on a real scale, such as size, time,
or price.

| Write                                        | Not                              |
| -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| From 50-capacity venues to 5,000-seat arenas | From ticketing to fan engagement |

### Jargon only as a defined term

A technical term is fine where the reader knows its meaning. As a metaphor, use the concrete word.

**Do**

This adds a refund step to checkout.

Fixing the scanner comes first.

**Don’t**

This wedges a refund step into the checkout surface.

The scanner is our north star.

### End on the next step

A warm sign-off is fine after a concrete next step. Don't close on a generic conclusion.

**Do**

I'll call you on Friday with the numbers. Have a great show.

**Don’t**

The future looks bright for your event.

## Grammar

### Australian English

Use Australian spelling and terms. Code keeps its own spelling, such as
`color` in CSS.

| Write                              | Not                                           |
| ---------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| optimise, theatre, colour, licence | optimize, theater, color, license (as a noun) |

### Sentence case

Capitalise only the first word and proper nouns, in titles, headings, menu
items, and buttons.

| Write                                   | Not                                     |
| --------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| How to set up your event                | How To Set Up Your Event                |
| Setting up Oztix at your Brisbane venue | Setting up oztix at your brisbane venue |

### Contractions

Contractions keep the tone natural.

| Write                | Not                      |
| -------------------- | ------------------------ |
| you'll, we're, can't | you will, we are, cannot |

### Pronouns

Use "we" for Oztix, "you" for the reader, and "they" for a person whose gender you don't know.

**Do**

We'll refund your tickets.

Ask the ticket holder to bring their ID.

**Don’t**

Oztix will refund the customer's tickets.

Ask the ticket holder to bring his or her ID.

### Numbers

Write one to ten as words and 11 and above as numerals. Tickets, prices,
percentages, times, dates, and durations are always numerals.

| Write                     | Not                         |
| ------------------------- | --------------------------- |
| three venues, 12 venues   | 3 venues, twelve venues     |
| 4 tickets, 5%, 1,000 fans | four tickets, five per cent |

### Lists

Keep items parallel and the list to six items or fewer. Use bullets for options and numbers for steps.

**Do**

Add a ticket type. Set its price. Publish the event.

**Don’t**

Add a ticket type. Pricing. Then you should publish.

### Industry terms

Use the reader's market's terms, and explain one the first time it might be
new.

| Write                                        | Not                                      |
| -------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| general admission standing area, sound check | general admin area, audio testing period |
| floor plan, house capacity                   | room layout, maximum people              |
| venue                                        | room                                     |

### Abbreviations

Spell a term out the first time, with the abbreviation in parentheses, then
use the abbreviation. Keep internal abbreviations out of anything a client
reads.

| Write                                | Not              |
| ------------------------------------ | ---------------- |
| return on investment (ROI), then ROI | ROI on first use |
| booking fee                          | bf               |

## Punctuation

### Dashes

No em dashes or en dashes, anywhere. Use a full stop, a comma, or
parentheses. Hyphens join compound words and number ranges. Spans of dates,
times, and prices use "to".

| Write                                             | Not                                                |
| ------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Doors open at 7pm. The support act starts at 8pm. | Doors open at 7pm — the support act starts at 8pm. |
| 7:30pm to 10:30pm, $50 to $100                    | 7:30pm–10:30pm, $50–$100                           |
| rows 1-10, early-bird tickets                     | rows 1–10, early bird tickets                      |

### Colons

Use a colon before a list or an example, and in times. Never use one in a heading or to join two halves of a sentence.

**Do**

Event planning for first-time promoters

Bring three things: your ticket, photo ID, and a water bottle.

**Don’t**

Event planning: key considerations

The result: sales doubled.

### Commas

Use the Oxford comma in every list of three or more. Use commas for thousands,
after a spelled-out weekday, and in addresses. Never put one before the year.

| Write                             | Not                              |
| --------------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| tickets, wristbands, and passes   | tickets, wristbands and passes   |
| Friday, 27 November 2026          | Friday 27 November, 2026         |
| 1,000 tickets                     | 1000 tickets                     |
| The Quilted Walrus Room, Brisbane | The Quilted Walrus Room Brisbane |

### Apostrophes

Use apostrophes for possession and contractions, never for plurals.

| Write                             | Not           |
| --------------------------------- | ------------- |
| the venue's capacity, VIPs, 1990s | VIP's, 1990's |

### Quotation marks

Use double quotes for a quote and single quotes inside it. Punctuation that belongs to the quote goes inside it, and punctuation that belongs to your sentence goes outside. Never use quotes for emphasis. Code, Markdown, and AI drafts use straight quotes; rendered copy may use typographic quotes.

**Do**

Fans called it "the best night of the year".

The best seats in the house

**Don’t**

Fans called it "the best night of the year."

The "best" seats in the house

### Parentheses

Use parentheses for prices, abbreviations, and short asides.

| Write                             | Not                               |
| --------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| Early-bird tickets $40 (save 20%) | Early-bird tickets $40 — save 20% |

### Exclamation marks and emoji

Use one exclamation mark at most on a page, for real excitement. Leave out
emoticons, text speak, and decorative emoji in headings, bullets, and
labels.

| Write      | Not             |
| ---------- | --------------- |
| You're in! | You're in!!! 🎉 |

### Bold

Bold names interface elements, with their exact names and a slash between the steps of a path. Elsewhere, bold rarely, and never every proper noun or acronym.

**Do**

Go to **Event setup** / **Tickets** / **Add ticket type**.

Go to **Event setup** / **Seating**.

**Don’t**

Click the ticket button in settings.

Go to the **event setup section** and look for the **seating options**.

### Full stops

End every whole sentence with a full stop, including a bullet that is a whole sentence. Headings, interface labels, and fragments take none.

**Do**

Buy tickets

Enter an email address like [name@example.com](mailto:name@example.com).

**Don’t**

Buy tickets.

Invalid email

### Ellipses

Use an ellipsis only for text an interface truncates, never for drama.

| Write                  | Not                        |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Sapphire Cassowary Ni… | Something big is coming... |

### Slashes

Use a slash for a real either-or pair, with no spaces around it. A path
through the interface takes a slash with a space each side, as in Bold.

| Write                | Not                    |
| -------------------- | ---------------------- |
| indoor/outdoor venue | indoor / outdoor venue |

### Ampersands

Write "and". An ampersand is fine only in an official name or a tight
interface label.

| Write          | Not          |
| -------------- | ------------ |
| Food and drink | Food & drink |

## Formats

### Dates and times

The [Date and time](https://ticketsolutionsptyltd.github.io/roadie/foundations/date-and-time.md) foundation is the one home for
dates, times, durations, and spans. These are the everyday shapes.

| Write             | Not                        |
| ----------------- | -------------------------- |
| Fri 27 Nov 2026   | Fri 27th Nov, Nov 27, 2026 |
| 7:30pm to 10:30pm | 7:30 PM - 10:30 PM         |
| 9:00am AEDT       | 9:00am +11:00              |

### Prices

Put the dollar sign against the number, show cents only when the amount isn't
round, and use commas for thousands. A range uses "to" with the highest price
last, and a starting price uses "from".

| Write                 | Not                 |
| --------------------- | ------------------- |
| $50, $19.95, $1,000   | $50.00, $ 50, $1000 |
| $50 to $100, from $30 | $50–$100, $50+      |

### Fees and offers

Marketing says the price includes the booking fee. Checkout shows the ticket
price, the booking fee, and the total on their own lines.

| Write                                                            | Not                             |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| All prices include booking fee                                   | plus booking fee, inc. bf, + bf |
| Members $40 (save $10), non-members $50                          | $50 ($40 for members)           |
| Early-bird tickets $40 (save 20%) until Friday, 27 November 2026 | Cheap tix for early birds!!     |

Show prices in this order: member or presale, then regular, then extras such
as VIP and packages, then the booking fee. A package shows its total first,
then what it includes.

## Guidelines

### Labels are sentence case with no full stop

**Do**

```tsx
<Button intent='accent' emphasis='strong'>Buy tickets</Button>
```

Capitalise the first word only, and leave the full stop off a label.

**Don’t**

```tsx
<Button intent='accent' emphasis='strong'>Buy Tickets.</Button>
```

Don't use title case or end a label with a full stop.

### Error text is a whole sentence that says how to fix it

**Do**

```tsx
<Field invalid>
  <Field.Label>Email</Field.Label>
  <Field.Input defaultValue='sam@example' />
  <Field.ErrorText>Enter an email address like name@example.com.</Field.ErrorText>
</Field>
```

Say what to type, in a sentence with a full stop.

**Don’t**

```tsx
<Field invalid>
  <Field.Label>Email</Field.Label>
  <Field.Input defaultValue='sam@example' />
  <Field.ErrorText>Invalid input!</Field.ErrorText>
</Field>
```

Don't name the problem without the fix.

## In the interface

- [Button](https://ticketsolutionsptyltd.github.io/roadie/components/button.md) and [Menu](https://ticketsolutionsptyltd.github.io/roadie/components/menu.md) labels are
  sentence case fragments with no full stop.
- [Field](https://ticketsolutionsptyltd.github.io/roadie/components/field.md) helper and error text are whole sentences.
- Date and time components, such as [DateTime](https://ticketsolutionsptyltd.github.io/roadie/components/date-time.md), format
  dates for you, so never build a date string by hand.

Docs updated 14 Oct 2026.