Ap stylebook rules for height, feet, inches gatehouse newsroom. The information that follows conforms to associated press ap style and websters new world college dictionary. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations. When searching for height in the ap stylebook, it refers readers to the dimensions entry. In the past we discussed how to correctly use ap style title case, and now were here to tackle the often confused topic of ap style numbers. Always use figures before the measurement 8 inches, 10 feet, 2 ounces, 200 pounds, etc.
Can you name the ap style rulesstate abbreviations test your knowledge on this geography quiz to see how you do and compare your score to others. Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of. The first publicly available edition of ap stylebook was published in 1953 under the title the associated press style book. The 2019 edition of the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law includes more than 200 new or revised entries, with chapters covering data journalism, business, fashion, food, religion and sports terms, as well as media law, news values, punctuation, social media, polls and surveys and a new chapter on health and science. I recently wrote a blog post about the future of journalism and how astonished i was to learn that my undergraduate journalism students were never made to even purchase their own copy of the ap stylebook, let alone use it. Professional journalists and business communicators in the united states commonly write in associated press ap style. Omit periods unless the result would spell an unrelated word. Sometimes its difficult to remember which rules are ap and which rules are remnants from years of college courses. In general, newspaper style guides in the united states in particular, the associated press stylebook ap and the new york times manual of style and usage recommend u. Associated press ap citation and style guides libguides. The ap stylebook 2 print edition, webbased access and style checking software. Ap style holds that a few universally recognized abbreviations are required in some instances and some other abbreviations are acceptable depending on the context, but in general, as a writer, you should avoid having your writing appear as if its alphabet soup. While relief was in sight after one more day of misery in the northeast, the south was forecast to stay hotter than usual at least through the end of the week. In a news story, can you start a sentence with an acronym.
The associated press, a guide for foreign correspondents. Ap style abbreviation state capitol ap style abbreviation. If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. Michigan appeals reports are generally consistent in style, structure, and format and that quotations and citations of authority adhere to a common set of standards. It wouldnt be ap style without an exception or two. Use a hyphen for the adjectival forms before nouns. The associated press, the ap copy book, and ap writing handbook.
Ap style isnt keen on using state abbreviations in titles, so spell them out. States should also be abbreviated when used as part of a shortform political. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as. Its mobile optimized so you can use it on your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet. Nov 06, 2015 if you want to follow the writing style used by magazines, newspapers, editors and journalists, then you need to study up on associated press style, or ap style. The e book makes it faster and easier to find a relevant style rule. Ap style for states abbreviations march 14, 2015 a. Abbreviations for states and provinces traditional abbreviations for states and provinces begin with a capital letter and end with a period.
The ebook makes it faster and easier to find a relevant style rule. The american psychological association apa publication manual, which is used for writing academic papers, agrees about using the periods. The following guidance went out on the ap wire wednesday. According to ap style, it is not acceptable to follow an organizations full name with an acronym set off by parentheses, as in. Ap stylebook online is a searchable, customizable resource for writers and editors. Mar, 2015 its conceivable that over time, e book may lose its hyphen. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. Always spell out measurements inches, feet, yards gallons, ounces, pounds etc. Alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. In this quick guide to state abbreviations, i will cover the differences between ap style and chicago style andjust to prolong your state of confusionwhen to use the common twoletter abbreviations created by the united states postal service if youre writing a research paper or dashing off a blog post, you can probably ignore all the exceptions and special cases and just lean on. Ap stylebook type search query into the search bar below. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire states name.
Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of ap style used in answers. All you need to know about titles in ap style gatehouse. Ap is not done rocking the journalism world with style changes. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage.
For words not in this book, use the firstlisted abbreviation in websters new world dictionary. Ap style is simply a standardized way of writing everything from dates to street addresses to job titles. Addresses in other countries should be presented in a style consistent with the postal requirements of that country. Instead, there are a number of style guidesfor example, the chicago manual of style cmos and the mla handbookwhich each have individual rules for the capitalization of titles. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Title case converter a smart title capitalization tool. The thumb rule for the fundamental ap style state abbreviations is that one has to in no way abbreviate the term if the readers will face the issue in identifying what the actual term is. I dont know if this will help, but for chapter style, ap says. In other words, do not use abbreviations or acronyms that your readers will. For example, the hurricane move north towards the gulf coast. It requires diligence and attention to exercise and get acquainted with the abbreviated form added by the ap fashion manual. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. Sep 19, 2012 professional journalists and business communicators in the united states commonly write in associated press ap style.
The ap stylebook, the buzzfeed style guide, the economist style guide, and the chicago manual of style all recommend hyphenating ebook, as well as most other e words such as ereader and ecommerce its conceivable that over time, ebook may lose its hyphen. Ap style rulesstate abbreviations quiz by elsieviste. Ap stylebook adds ebook edition to digital product suite. Al for alabama alaska ak this state is not abbreviated in text ariz. There is indeed a science and art behind writing a press release. This is the official style guide for the western michigan university homer stryker m. Any state name may be condensed, however, to fit typographical requirements for tabular material. Its updated throughout the year and valuable onlineonly resources, including ask the editor, topical guides and pronunciation guide, expand on the print books guidance. According to ap style, you should put quotation marks around the names of. Note that if youre only going to use an unfamiliar acronym once, its best just to spell out the original term completely and forgo the abbreviated form. Now journalists, students, public relations professionals and other writers and editors will have style guidance at the ready at all times. Italicized words are still iffy for wire transmission ap stories, so book titles are enclosed in quote marks.
Mar 27, 2020 for many of your style and citation questions, its best to go straight to the source. This can be particularly tricky with the titles of major works, so heres a few rules to brush up on. The associated press stylebook recommends using lowercase when referring to degrees in general but capitalizing when they follow a name. Sep 20, 2015 at more than 5,000 entries, the 2015 ap stylebook is the biggest edition in its more than six decades of publication. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style. Associated press style quick reference guide to subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard copies of the book, start here. Ap stylebook rules for height, feet, inches gatehouse. Jun 15, 2009 note that if youre only going to use an unfamiliar acronym once, its best just to spell out the original term completely and forgo the abbreviated form. It covers much more than the ap stylebook, which generally covers only common words and their usage.
Plase one comma between the city and the state name, and another comma after the state name, unless ending a sentence or indicating a dateline. Washington ap sweltering temperatures across half the country had people doing what they could to stay cool today. Ap stylebook has provided a list indicating exactly how the states should be shortened. On wednesday, professor james currier, who has a doctorate in biology and a masters in economics, will argue that improving automobile fuel efficiency from an average of 17 to 22 miles per gallon would save billions of dollars and protect endangered.
As the ap style book writes, names not commonly before the public should not be reduced to acronyms solely to save a few words. However, there is a consensus about the basic rules. The associated press stylebook states that in contexts other than mailing addresses, the traditional state abbreviations should be used. The most recent edition of this style guide is kept at the circulation desk and must be used within the library. If you want to follow the writing style used by magazines, newspapers, editors and journalists, then you need to study up on associated press style, or ap style. For slide presentations of ap style basics, go here. Select the sentence free of errors in ap style for abbreviations for print publications. Before we begin to enlist the abbreviations, it is mandatory for one to learn and garner information about what ap is, with a brief, supplementary note on the history of the same. Those states are alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas, and utah. Its often used by news organizations, magazines, and web publications, but brands often use it to form the basis of their own style guides, too. Ebooks currently make up two percent of my book sales. Ap style was developed and is maintained by the associated press, the worlds oldest news service. Some others are acceptable depending on the context. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines.
Lowercase directions and regions of a nation unless they are a part of a proper name or are used to designate a politically divided nation. The ap stylebook says state abbreviations are used in both datelines and in text. Quiz by elsieviste ap style rulesstate abbreviations quiz by elsieviste. At more than 5,000 entries, the 2015 ap stylebook is the biggest edition in its more than six decades of publication. State abbreviations according to ap style gatehouse newsroom. The students attend michigan state university msu located in east lansing. The chicago manual of style recommends writing academic degrees in lowercase except when using the degree as a title. One of the first things a student in a beginning journalism course learns about is associated press style or ap style for short. The names of eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law. Addresses writing style guide western michigan university. Oct 30, 2015 remember back in college when you had to keep track of all the different ap rules for your student newspaper on top of the chicago manual of style for your academic classes. Eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text. Ap stylebook, also known by its full name the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law, is an english grammar style and usage guide created by american journalists working for or connected with the associated press to standardize mass communication.
However, the chicago manual of style now recommends use of the uppercase twoletter abbreviations, with the traditional forms as an option. Youll need to be familiar with associated press ap style. If youd like a more visually appealing way to reference ap style state name abbreviations, save this map weve created with all the names you need. There are eight states that should never be abbreviated in text or datelines. Ap style holds to the general rule of lowercasing compass directions and capitalizing regions. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official style guide of the associated press, a notforprofit news agency thats been around since 1846. Authors were treated badly in the recent e book dispute. For words not in this book use the firstlisted abbreviation in websters new world college dictionary. Capitalize chapter when used with a numeral in reference to a section of a book or legal code. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service abbreviations, provided in parentheses. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free.
Our blog capitalization of academic degrees addresses this. The first edition of the book was 203 pages, which has since evolved into a book that is more than 1,000 pages. Much of this confusion stems from differences between the primary style manuals, as demonstrated below. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service.
This style manual will be maintained and updated as needed, with consultation from the. May 21, 2009 for words not in this book use the firstlisted abbreviation in websters new world college dictionary. The president has nominated new leaders for the cia, the department of hhs and the epa, and he named a new ambassador to the u. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. Mar 14, 2015 ap style for states abbreviations march 14, 2015 a. Generally, omit periods in acronyms unless the result would spell an unrelated word. Jul 06, 2017 when searching for height in the ap stylebook, it refers readers to the dimensions entry. If an abbreviation not listed in this book or in the dictionary achieves widespread acceptance, use capital letters.
Publishers locations for apa referencing when you write an apastyle reference list, you need to provide the publishing details publishers name and location when writing reference entries for books, reports, brochures, and other separate, non periodical publications. In fact, the sheer number of conflicting guidelines can make you feel like youve driven right off the grammar map. Those are alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. Both the ap stylebook and the buzzfeed style guide already recommend spelling email without the hyphen. Find a copy of the most recent ap style guide at the circulation desk. The michigan appellate opinion manual sets forth those standards observed in the editing of opinions for publication.