14.03 Parallel treatment
When the names of a woman and man are mentioned together, use parallel language so that men and women are portrayed as equals:
- Alan Knight and Joyce Philips
- J. Philips and A. Knight
- Knight and Philips
- Joyce Philips, the engineer, and Alan Knight, the journalist
not
- Mrs. J. Philips and Alan Knight
or
- Alan Knight, the journalist, and Mrs. J. Philips
Ensure parallel treatment of couples:
- Mr. and Mrs. James and Irene Luciano
- James and Irene
- Mr. and Mrs. Luciano
- James and Irene Luciano
not
- Mr. and Mrs. James Luciano
or
- James Luciano and his wife Irene
Ensure parallel treatment of work associates:
- Raymond Kovacs and his assistant Karen White
- Margaret Thompson, Vice-President, and her executive secretary Bill White
not
- Mr. Kovacs and his assistant Karen
- Margaret Thompson, Vice-President, and her executive secretary Bill
Alternate order of reference so that one sex is not always given second place:
- Karen White and her immediate superior, Raymond Kovacs
- Joyce Philips and Alan Knight
- Mr. White and Ms. Thompson
In distribution and other lists, use alphabetical order or list according to rank.
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Ayuda a la redacción – The Canadian Style
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