Your writing should be respectful and free of stereotypical, biased, or other offensive language. Be especially careful when describing or labeling people. Labels can become dated, and it is important to recognize when their continued use is not acceptable. When naming groups of people, choose labels that the groups currently use to describe themselves. For example, Negro is not an acceptable label for African Americans; instead of Eskimo, use Inuit; for other native peoples, name the specific group when possible.

Negative stereotypes (such as “drives like a teenager” or “sour as a spinster”) are of course offensive. But you should avoid stereotyping a person or a group even if you believe your generalization to be positive.