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AP Style Presentation 2018
This document summarizes key style guidelines from the AP Stylebook, including: 1. Spell out state names except in datelines, abbreviate street names with addresses. 2. Cities usually include state, many large cities don't need state specified. 3. Spell out numbers zero through nine, use numerals for 10 and up, include dollar signs with money. 4. Capitalize official titles before names, lowercase unofficial titles. Spell out United States as noun, abbreviate as U.S. as adjective. 5. Punctuation rules for quotes, colons, semicolons. No serial commas or commas with Jr. It provides examples and exceptions for many
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AP Style Presentation 2018
- 1. AP Stylebook highlights Thiswill tell you 90 percent (not % or per cent) of what you need to know
- 2. AP Stylebook highlights Witha few grammatical tips as well
- 3. 1. States • Thenames of states are spelled out except in datelines and political identifiers (i.e., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.)
- 4. 1. States • Thenames of states are spelled out except in datelines and political identifiers (i.e., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.) • The AP does not use postal abbreviations. Consider the following datelines: – Incorrect: CONCORD, MA — Police arrested … – Correct: CONCORD, Mass. — Police arrested …
- 5. 2. Cities • Mostcities and towns are also identified by state. For example, Annapolis, Maryland.
- 6. 2. Cities • Mostcities and towns are also identified by state. For example, Annapolis, Maryland. • Many large cities do not need a state whether it is in the dateline or within the article. See “Datelines” in the AP Stylebook. – Wrong: New York, N.Y. – Wicked wrong: New York, NY – Right: New York
- 7. 3. Numerals • Spellout numbers from zero through nine and use numerals for 10 and up.
- 8. 3. Numerals • Spellout numbers from zero through nine and use numerals for 10 and up. • Ages are always rendered as numerals: the 5-year-old boy.
- 9. 3. Numerals • Spellout numbers from zero through nine and use numerals for 10 and up. • Ages are always rendered as numerals: the 5-year-old boy. • Percentages are spelled out with a numeral: 6 percent.
- 10. 3. Numerals • Spellout numbers from zero through nine and use numerals for 10 and up. • Ages are always rendered as numerals: the 5-year-old boy. • Percentages are spelled out with a numeral: 6 percent. • Numerals with millions and billions: 7 million, 4.8 billion.
- 11. 3. Numerals • Usenumerals for large numbers lower than 1 million: 3,750 for example, or 375,000. • Money always takes a dollar sign, even when you are quoting someone: – $46 – $4,600 – $4.6 million
- 12. 3. Numerals • Usenumerals for large numbers lower than 1 million: 3,750 for example, or 375,000. • Money always takes a dollar sign, even when you are quoting someone: – $46 – $4,600 – $4.6 million • The cent sign is never used. This is correct: – 46 cents
- 13. 4. Politics • Wrong:US Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is often described as having an independent streak.
- 14. 4. Politics • Wrong:US Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is often described as having an independent streak. • Right: U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is often described as having an independent streak.
- 15. 4. Politics • Werefer to President Donald Trump (including first name on first reference), but to the president (lowercase) when there’s no name.
- 16. 4. Politics • Officialtitles are capitalized when they appear before a name, but lowercased when used after a name. – Right: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson took office shortly after John Kerry stepped down. – Right: Rex Tillerson, secretary of state, took office shortly after John Kerry stepped down.
- 17. 4. Politics • Unofficialtitles are akin to job descriptions, and are lowercased whether they appear before or after a person’s name. – Right: Romney senior strategist Eric Fehrnstrom had previously worked as a reporter for the Boston Herald.
- 18. 5. Our country •Spell out United States whenever it is used as a noun. – Energy prices in the United States tend to fluctuate depending on economic activity.
- 19. 5. Our country •Spell out United States whenever it is used as a noun. • The abbreviation U.S. is sufficient when used as an adjective. – The state of the U.S. economy has a major effect on energy prices.
- 20. 5. Our country •Spell out United States whenever it is used as a noun. • The abbreviation U.S. is sufficient when used as an adjective. • The abbreviation US is always wrong. Two- letter abbreviations take periods (except AP).
- 21. 6. Punctuation • Commasand periods go inside quotation marks. – Wrong: The author will read from his new book, “Getting Rich”, today at 3 p.m. – Right: The author will read from his new book, “Getting Rich,” today at 3 p.m.
- 22. 6. Punctuation • Colonsand semicolons generally go outside the quotation marks. – We must read three novels over the summer: Herman Melville’s masterpiece, “Moby Dick”; a 1920s classic by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “This Side of Paradise”; and Ernest Hemingway’s last major work, “The Old Man and the Sea.”
- 23. 6. Punctuation • Withquestion marks and exclamation points, it depends on the context. – “Why is it taking so long to get there?” she asked. – Have you ever read “Moby Dick”?
- 24. 6. Punctuation • Weuse double quotes in all cases unless we need to use them inside quotation marks. – “He said we must read ‘Moby Dick’ before the end of the semester.” – Wrong: The sign said ‘Exit’ in bright red lights. – Right: The sign said “Exit” in bright red lights.
- 25. 6. Punctuation • Weuse double quotes in all cases unless we need to use them inside quotation marks. • No serial (Oxford) commas with AP style: – Wrong: Tom, Dick, and Harry. – Right: Tom, Dick and Harry.
- 26. 6. Punctuation • Weuse double quotes in all cases unless we need to use them inside quotation marks. • No serial (Oxford) commas. • No commas with Jr. – Wrong: Ken Griffey, Jr., was the greatest player of his era until injuries slowed him down. – Wicked wrong: Ken Griffey, Jr. was the greatest player of his era until injuries slowed him down.
- 27. 6. Punctuation • Weuse double quotes in all cases unless we need to use them inside quotation marks. • No serial (Oxford) commas. • No commas with Jr. – Right: Ken Griffey Jr. was the greatest player of his era until injuries slowed him down.
- 28. 7. Time • 1p.m. or 10:15 a.m. Not 1 o’clock in the afternoon or a quarter after 10 in the morning.
- 29. 7. Time • 1p.m. or 10:15 a.m. Not 1 o’clock in the afternoon or a quarter after 10 in the morning. • Midnight and noon are rendered just like that, without a 12. – The Rotary Club will meet from noon to 1:30 p.m.
- 30. 7. Time • Monthsare spelled out when used without a date. – She is hoping to take two weeks off in August.
- 31. 7. Time • Monthsare spelled out when used without a date. – She is hoping to take two weeks off in August. • Months are abbreviated when used with a date. – She plans to begin her vacation on Aug. 13. (Please note that it’s not 13th.)
- 32. 7. Time • Monthsare spelled out when used without a date. – She is hoping to take two weeks off in August. • Months are abbreviated when used with a date. – She plans to begin her vacation on Aug. 13. (Please note that it’s not 13th.) • We do not specify the year unless it’s in the past or the future.
- 33. 8. Addresses • Streetnames are spelled out when not used with a specific address. – He lives on Whalley Avenue.
- 34. 8. Addresses • Streetnames are spelled out when not used with a specific address. – He lives on Whalley Avenue. • Street names are abbreviated when used with a specific address. – He lives at 7 Whalley Ave.
- 35. 8. Addresses • Streetnames are spelled out when not used with a specific address. • Street names are abbreviated when used with a specific address.
- 36. 8. Addresses • Streetnames are spelled out when not used with a specific address. • Street names are abbreviated when used with a specific address. • Some types of streets are always spelled out, the most common example of which is road.
- 37. 8. Addresses • Streetnames are spelled out when not used with a specific address. • Street names are abbreviated when used with a specific address. • Some types of streets are always spelled out, the most common example of which is road. • Lowercase when referring to more than one. – The intersection of Smith and Jones streets. – The intersection of Smith Street and Jones Road.
- 38. 9. Possessives • Somestyle guides form the possessive of a proper name ending in s with ’s. – Fred Jones’s car is a rusting hulk of metal and random wires.
- 39. 9. Possessives • Somestyle guides form the possessive of a proper name ending in s with ’s. – Fred Jones’s car is a rusting hulk of metal and random wires. • AP style eliminates the second s. – Fred Jones’ car is a rusting hulk of metal and random wires.
- 40. 10. Titles • APstyle does not use italics at all except, incongruously enough, in the AP Stylebook in order to distinguish rules from examples, as is also the case with this slideshow.
- 41. 10. Titles • Thenames of newspapers, websites and magazines are rendered without any punctuation or italicization. – The Boston Globe (capitalize The because it is part of the name; always check) – BuzzFeed – Entertainment Weekly – Talking Points Memo
- 42. 10. Titles • Thenames of books, movies, TV shows, albums, songs, video games and the like should be in quotation marks. – “Spotlight” – “In Cold Blood” – “30 Rock” – “Call of Duty: Black Ops” – “Highway 61 Revisited”
- 43. 11. People • Peopleare referred to only by their last name on second reference. – John Smith is Smith – Mary Jones is Jones – Honorifics (Mr., Ms., Mrs.) are generally used in obituaries – Reintroducing someone by his or her first and last name is good practice when writing a long story
- 44. 12. Special digitalconsiderations • The AP has modernized its approach to the internet in recent years. Thus: – The word web is always lowercase – The word website is lowercase – The word internet is lowercase
- 45. 13. A grammaticaltip • Spend some time reading and understanding the stylebook’s sections on essential and nonessential clauses and phrases. • If you can understand why this sentence is telling us that Mary Smith has more than one husband, then you’re starting to get it: – Mary Smith and her husband John Jones appeared before the Planning Board on Tuesday.
- 46. Must-read stylebook entries •abbreviations • capitalization • datelines • essential clauses/nonessential clauses • essential phrases/nonessential phrases • numerals • possessives • A Guide to Punctuation
- 47.
- 48. Credit • This presentationis based on the short guide to AP style in “Writing and Reporting for the Media” (11th edition), by Bender, Davenport, Drager and Fedler.