The Cheater’s Guide To AP Style

What is AP Style? Associate Press Stylebook is most commonly used manual for writers and communicators across the world. Contains definitions and references on the correct usage of words, as well as punctuation, abbreviations, and capitalization. Very different from commonly-known MLA Style.

Purpose- why do we need AP style? The content of newspapers and other mass media is typically the result of many different writers and editors working together. AP style provides consistent guidelines for such publications in terms of grammar, spelling, punctuation and language usage. Some guiding principles behind AP style are: Consistency Clarity Accuracy Brevity AP style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language.

Why have a stylebook? It comes down to consistency. There often are two or more generally accepted ways to refer to words al-Qaida vs. al Qaida, al-Qaeda, etc. When a Great Recession happens, folks look to AP. AP, and those who buy the AP Stylebook, value having someone make those calls.

How many opportunities for inconsistent presentation in this sentence? President Obama, speaking yesterday at a ball game in the Mideast, told thirty-seven 7th graders that United States policies enforced by his cabinet are okay if handled by Web masters, emails, and the internet.

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So, how do I use AP Style? The Associated Press Stylebook provides an A-Z guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. Look up words, phrases, titles, punctuation, etc. in alphabetical order. Punctuation guide located in rear of book. Use to reference states, titles, sports and slang.

Where do I find this stuff? AP has a searchable stylebook on the Internet http://www.apstylebook.com/ Students and professionals can subscribe.

Capitals Proper nouns Ex: John Gross, Harrison High School, Kennesaw

Capitals Proper nouns “Real” titles directly before names Ex. Principal William Griggers

Capitals Proper nouns “Real” titles directly before namesd Legislative bodies: Council, Assembly Ex: Cobb County School District Board, Kennesaw City Council

Capitals Names of holidays, but not seasons Labor Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas fall, spring, winter, summer, spring break

Capitals Capitalize the names of books, movies, songs, TV shows, etc. when the full name is used “Cather in the Rye” “Born This Way” “The Simpsons”

Capitals Well-Known regions ARE capitalized Southern California The Eastern Seaboard The Deep South General compass directions are NOT southeastern Oregon western Canada

More Capital Don’ts Plurals: the departments of Labor and Justice; the Tennessee and Ohio rivers Compass directions Shorthand names on second reference, or generic references Ex: teacher, volunteer, student

Numbers Figures or words? -Spell out numbers 1-9 (one through nine) and use figures for 10 and higher -Use commas in numbers with four or more digits, except for addresses and years

Numbers Figures or words? -Billion and million can be used with round numbers Ex: 3 billion, 59 million -Numbers more than a million can be rounded off Ex: 2.75 million instead of 2,754,123

Numbers: exceptions Ages are always figures Dimensions (inches, feet, yards) Percentages -Percentages are always followed by the word “percent” and not the symbol (%)

Abbreviations To abbreviate or not to abbreviate, that is the question.

Abbreviations To abbreviate or not to abbreviate, that is the question. Some things are always abbreviated: FBI, CNN.

Abbreviations To abbreviate or not to abbreviate, that is the question… Spell out names of organizations, firms, agencies, universities and colleges, groups, clubs or governmental bodies the first time the name is used. Abbreviate these names on second reference like Associated Student Body (ASB) National Organization for Women (NOW) Commonly known acronyms are always abbreviated FBI, CNN, AP Some are abbreviated in specific usages doctor vs. Dr. Jones; Wis. vs. Wisconsin.

Abbreviations Do not use an abbreviation on acronym in parentheses after the first reference of a full name. WRONG: The Parent Teacher Student Organization (PTSO) meets tonight. RIGHT The Parent Teacher Student Organization meet tonight. Don’t use unfamiliar acronyms without context. WRONG:The PTSO was formed in 2010.

Abbreviations In street addresses abbreviate these: Street=St. 1234 Goober St. Avenue=Ave. 3506 Loblolly Ave. Boulevard=Blvd. 80 Crabtree Blvd. But the words road, alley, circle, drive, lane, etc. are never abbreviated. 205 Patriot Lane 856 Cheddar Circle 1256 Glen Ridge Road

Abbreviations and Titles “Coach” is considered a job description, not a formal title Football coach Mike Sovacool also teaches history. Professor is not a proper noun and NEVER abbreviated before a name Mrs. Sellors favorite instructor in college was professor Jennifer Dail. Assistant Principal is a specific title, so it IS caps The student punched Assistant Principal Penny Parker in the face.

Titles and Names Use full identification in first reference but in second reference use last name only Ali Gonzalez (first reference) Gonzalez (second reference) Karina Carnley (first reference) Carnley (second reference) UNLESS there are two people with the same last name in your story (siblings or family members, usually). Then you use their first initial and last name H. Smith and M. Smith While proper titles are capitalized when placed before a persons name (except for the word president), titles that follow a persons name are not capitalized. Penny Parker, assistant principal, set the gym on fire. Vilma Everette, high school counselor, is a good story-teller.

Titles Do not use courtesy titles -- Mr. Mrs. Miss etc. -- unless not using them would cause confusion. For example, you might want to use them when both members of a married couple are quoted in the news article. Mr. Sovacool, Mrs. Sovacool Mr. Hartman, Mrs. Hartman

Time references Use days of the week within seven days of an event. Otherwise specify the date. Time in newspaper usage is always a.m. or p.m. Don’t use tonight with a.m. or this morning with a.m. because it is redundant. Don’t use the terms yesterday and tomorrow to describe when an event occurred.

Time references There is neither a 12 a.m. or a 12 p.m. Use noon or midnight. In describing when an event happens use the day of the week if the event occurs in the last week or the next week. Use the calendar date if the event is longer than a week ago or farther than a week off.

Time References Generally its more readable to put the time before the date when an event will occur. RIGHT: The train arrives at 3 p.m. Jan. 3. WRONG: The train arrives on Jan. 3 at 3 p.m. Never put both the day of the week and the date that an event will occur. RIGHT: The firemans’ ball will be on Jan. 3. WRONG: The firemans’ ball will be on Monday Jan. 3.

Word usage If you do not recognize a word, look it up.

Word usage If you do not recognize a word, look it up. Be sensitive to distinctions: burglary, larceny, robbery, theft; homicide, murder, manslaughter; pedal, peddle.

Word usage If you do not recognize a word, look it up. Be sensitive to distinctions: burglary, larceny, robbery, theft; homicide, murder, manslaughter; pedal, peddle. Trademarks: photocopy vs. Xerox, Kleenex vs. tissues

Punctuation A colon is used in clock time 8:15 a.m., 9:15 p.m., 10 a.m. NOT 1000 a.m. The hyphen is used in phrasal adjectives a 7-year-old boy an off-the-cuff opinion a little-known man But the hyphen is not used in sequences in which the adverb has an -ly suffix. a relatively weird student In combinations of a number, plus a unit of measurement 3-inch bug, a 6-foot man

Punctuation A hyphen is always used with the prefix “ex” ex-president ex-chairman The comma is omitted before Roman numerals and before Jr. and Sr. in names. Adlai Stevenson III, John Elliot Jr.

Hyphens Hyphens—use sparingly. Distinguish between compound adjectives (hyphenated) and adverb-adjective combos (no hyphens).

Hyphens Hyphen is not the same as a dash, which can work like a comma or parenthesis to emphasize or set apart. - —

Quotation marks Commas and periods always, always, always inside (in U.S. usage).

Quotation marks Commas and periods always, always always inside (in U.S. usage). Question marks, exclamation points depend on the sense of the sentence.

Apostrophes Special rules for possessives: plural nouns not ending in s, plural nouns ending in s, nouns plural in form singular in meaning, nouns the same in singular and plural, etc.

Apostrophes The ’20s. Not the 20’s. Four A’s and two B’s. ABCs, VIPs.

Colons & semicolons Which is which? ; versus :

Colons He promised this: The company will make good on all the losses. There were three considerations: expense, time and feasibility.

Semicolons He was survived by a son, John Smith, of Chicago; three daughters, Jane Smith of Wichita, Kan., Mary Smith, of Denver, and Susan of Boston; and a sister, Martha, of Omaha, Neb. Can be used to link independent clauses but may signal complexity.

Prefixes Generally do not use a hyphen with a word starting with a consonant.

Prefixes Generally do not use a hyphen with a word starting with a consonant. Nonprofit, but non-nuclear.

Prefixes Generally do not use a hyphen with a word starting with a consonant. Nonprofit, but non-nuclear. Cooperate and coordinate, otherwise hyphenate: re-elect.

Prefixes Generally do not use a hyphen with a word starting with a consonant. Cooperate and coordinate, otherwise hyphenate: re-elect.

When in doubt… LOOK IT UP!!!