1. AP Style Rules
for Yearbook

2. Titles
Abbreviate most legislative and military titles when used before a person’s name.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius visited Olathe.
Don’t use courtesy titles (Mr., Miss, Mrs., Ms.) for adults. Instead, give the person’s job title on first reference:
Broadcasting teacher Steven Cortez presented…, NOT Mr. Steven Cortez presented…

3. Departments and Classes
Don’t capitalize them unless they contain a proper noun, proper adjective, or a Roman numeral.
the foreign language department, but Spanish IV
design fundamentals, but Photo II
social studies, and government, but Asian Studies

4. Times and Dates
Times: Use numerals and lowercase “a.m.” or “p.m.” You don’t need the colon and the zeroes if it’s on the hour.
7:30 p.m., 8 p.m.
Dates: Abbreviate months with more than five letters when used with the exact date.
Feb. 22, March 9

5. Street Addresses
Abbreviate “street,” “avenue,” “boulevard,” and compass directions when used with an exact address.
• She lived at 3703 W. 142nd St.
• Crown Center is at 2450 Grand Ave.
• The school is at Antioch Road.

6. Alumni Alumnus: Singular Male Alumna: Singular Female
Alumni: Plural, a Group of Both Genders

7. Chairman, Chairwoman
Use these… Not “chairperson” or “chair”

8. Collective Nouns A team or a committee is an “it,” NOT a “they.”
The team was hindered by its lack of experience.
Athletes were hindered by their lack of experience.

9. Composition Titles
Nearly all are in quotation marks, NOT underlines and NOT in italics.
His favorite movie was “The Dark Knight.”
They waited anxiously for the season premiere of “Ugly Betty.”
She had read all of the “Gossip Girls” books.
The theater department performed “Guys and Dolls…”
NOT The theater department performed Guys and Dolls…
AND CERTAINLY NOT The theatre department performed Guys and Dolls…

10. Decades
The apostrophe shows omission, not possession, so it goes before the number:
’60s
NOT 60’s

11. Numerals General Rule: If it is under 10, write out the word.
Exceptions: Dimensions, ages, percentages, scores, and dollar amounts are nearly always numerals.

12. Hyphens None in editor in chief, vice president
Generally, if two words are put together as an adjective, they are hyphenated: part-time job

13. American Spellings
Generally, favor American spellings over British ones: gray, theater, color, favor
Exceptions: Proper nouns or adjectives

14. State Abbreviations
Abbreviate the name of the state when used with a city: Malta Bend, Mo.
Exceptions: Alaska, Hawaii, and states with five or fewer letters
For cities and towns in Kansas, only use “Kan.” if the location isn’t well known to most readers or could be easily confused:
Kansas City, Kan., Minneapolis, Kan., Lawrence, Wichita, Topeka, Emporia

15. Room Names and Numbers
Capitalize them: Room 233,
The Marooner Room

16. Quote Attribution Style
Always do it this way…
“Start a new paragraph for the quote,”
journalism teacher Michael Dunlap said.
“Also, be sure you get the comma and the
periods in the right places. I could go on
about AP Style for days.”