For items not referenced in this document, consult a recent edition of the associated press stylebook. Some states are abbreviated with two letters, three letters, four letters, or initials. This being said, however, the ap stylebook does go on to list some more specific guidelines that are to be followed when using various titles in your text. A second recommended reference is a recent edition of. In addition to the associated press stylebook hereafter called the ap stylebook, colorado state communications specialists also consult other sources, including the gregg reference manual. Always use state abbreviations in conjunction with a city name, town, village or military. Ap style rulesstate abbreviations quiz by elsieviste. Composition titles use quotation marks around the titles of books. Aps abbreviations for state names are different from those used by the postal service, so look them up if youre not sure. Bonaventure university writing style guide this writing style guide was created as a tool for anyone writing for print or electronic publications on behalf of st.
Spell out the names of the two states that are not part of the contiguous united states and of the continental states that are five letters or fewer. Ap style was developed and is maintained by the associated press, the worlds oldest news service. Mastering the ap style rules for abbreviations bka content. Titles only capitalize formal titles when the precede an individuals name. Home ap style ap style composition titles the following guidelines are rules set out in the ap stylebook for ap style book titles, computer game titles, ap style movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album titles, ap style song titles, radio and television titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches, and work of art. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official. Generally ap style omits periods in acronyms, unless doing so would spell an unrelated word. Ap style isnt keen on using state abbreviations in titles, so spell them out. This resource, revised according to the associated press stylebook 2012, offers examples for the general format of ap style. The bible, reference books and software programs do not need quotations. A manual of style, grammar, usage, and formatting by william a. Omit state abbreviations in datelines for wellknown u. So when i found this article at about frequently botched ap style points. This guide is intended to facilitate consistency in written.
Books and magazines often italicize newspaper names as well as. The actual stylebook makes up most of the ap stylebook. The purpose of a style guide is to provide editorial guidance for individuals producing collegerelated text, for print or the web, particularly in instances when empire state college has determined a style specific to the institution. Composition titles this is the entry to consult when deciding how to render the names of books, mov. Jul, 2019 one of the first things a student in a beginning journalism course learns about is associated press style or ap style for short. How to cite titles of a song in ap style our pastimes. The rule states that you capitalize formal titles when they precede an. Punctuation congress editing marks a abbreviations and acronyms academic degrees academic departments academic titles acceptexcept addresses adult adverseaverse. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines.
If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. If you are going to write for a newspaper even some magazines you need to have your ap style. Please use this guide and check back for updates when writing media and press releases, and copy for stockton university webpages and publications the stockton times, stockton now ezine, the presidents newsletter, etc. The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. A primer on ap style t he ap stylebook is the second most important book you will use as. This handout will provide an introduction to ap style and a summary of common rules. Like the english language, there are exceptions to many of the rules, but a few of the oftenused ap style standards include. Composition titles apply the guidelines listed here to book titles, computer game titles, movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album and song titles, radio and television program titles. Italicized words are still iffy for wire transmission ap stories, so book titles are enclosed in quote marks.
Here is how each state is abbreviated in ap style with the postal code abbreviations. Most of the book is the actual stylebook, which reads like a dictionary. Improve your writing with this cheat sheet for the associated press ap style guide for writers. These editorial guidelines are based on associated press style, which continues to change. It borrows heavily from the associated press stylebook. Many public relations offices and publications, such as magazines and newspapers, use ap style as a standardized writing style.
Other references, including the chicago manual of style and the gregg reference manual, were. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state. One of the first things a student in a beginning journalism course learns about is associated press style or ap style for short. Let me know what important rules ive missed, or if you see a mistake. Select the sentence free of errors in ap style for addresses, abbreviations, capitalization, numerals, punctuation and spelling and time in print copy. As you can see, there are many guidelines for writing proper ap style state abbreviations in your text. After each bullet, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each item. Mar 14, 2015 below is a list of ap style state abbreviations. These resources provide an overview of journalistic writing with explanations of the most important and most often used elements of journalism and the associated press style. Professional and honorary titles capitalize brief titles when used before the individuals name.
There is indeed a science and art behind writing a press release. Apply the guidelines listed here to book titles, computer and video game titles, movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album and song titles, radio and television program titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches and works of art. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service abbreviations, provided in parentheses. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. This stylebook offers guidance on how to refer to various forms of art, including song titles. A primer on ap style t he ap stylebook is the second most important book you will use as a journalist, after a dictionary.
In conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in text. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. We pasted our newspaper dummies together with wax and made type changes with a dull razor. Never capitalize titles used after the name or titles that stand alone. Spell out the names of the 50 states when they stand alone in. How to use the ap stylebook theres a handy table of contents at the beginning of your book.
Use quote marks around book titles, computer game titles, movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album and song titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches, and works of art. That includes newspaper names and magazine references. Crash course on ap style writing visual storytelling. Ap style state abbreviations for press release dateline follow these associated press guidelines for the u.
Home ap style ap style titles the ap stylebook holds that capitalization, in general, should be confined to formal titles that are used directly before an individuals name. Aps guidance is especially important in higher education, given our. But even for many of us who have used the stylebook for. There are eight states that should never be abbreviated in text or datelines. To help them out, ive pulled together some of the most essential rules. Apply the following guidelines to the titles of books, computer games, movies, operas, plays, poems, albums, songs, radio and television programs, lectures, speeches and works of art. The following guidelines are rules set out in the ap stylebook for ap style book titles, computer game titles, ap style movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem. As ap has added entries over the years, the stylebook has grown more useful and comprehensive but also more daunting. Colon capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. The reference guide includes covers the basic of ap style including ages, composition titles, dates, days of the week, monetary units, names, numbers, percentages, punctuati.
It wouldnt be ap style without an exception or two. These are the rules for common abbreviations following ap style. This is the style guide that professional media use. Ap style cheat sheet for wjeas writeoff contests and beyond student journalists should have at least these two sources available to answer basic style questions. Also omit state abbreviations in datelines for wellknown u.
The guidelines are based on the associated press ap stylebook, websters new world dictionary, and local usage. Capitalization avoid unnecessary capital letters avoid alphabet soup tons of abbreviations. Those are alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, ohio, texas and utah. I dont know if this will help, but for chapter style, ap says. For composition titles such as books, video games, films, tv shows, works of art, speeches, etc. Ap style does use periods in most twoletter abbreviations. Follow ap style, which means no italics for composition titles. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations. So, i am providing a reference for those who may be interested. 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.
The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as. State capitol ap style abbreviation state capitol ap style abbreviation. The office of communications uses the below writing style guide along with the associated press ap stylebook and websters dictionary as the standard for writing web content, employee communications, news releases, broadcast information, articles and other materials. Colorado state university writers style guide about this style guide the colorado state university writers style guide supplements the associated press stylebook and addresses editorial questions specific to the university. Before we begin to enlist the abbreviations, it is mandatory for one to learn and garner information about what ap is, with. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding us postal service abbreviations, are in parentheses. The last unicorn ap style requires quotation marks around titles, not italics or underlining. 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. The university of tampa style guide provides guidelines for writers on campus. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. Boldface indicates keywords for entries in this style guide or the ap stylebook.
Ap style the associated press stylebook offers guidelines for news writing. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire states name. Never capitalize a title used alone, no matter how important it seems. Follow these associated press guidelines for the u. There are a few guiding ap style rules to memorize, but keep a hard copy or online version of the book handy for reference when other questions emerge. Books and magazines often italicize newspaper names as well as book titles and magazine names as part of their inhouse style. The stylebook says to use the ampersand when it is part of a companys formal name or composition title. Capitalize chapter when used with a numeral in reference to a section of a book or legal code. Associated press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. Do not use quotations around the names of magazine, newspapers, the bible. The following guidelines are rules set out in the ap stylebook for ap style book titles, computer game titles, ap style movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album titles, ap style song titles, radio and television titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches, and work of art.
This is an ap style student reference guide mini flip book for middle school and high school journalism and yearbook students. Jul 21, 2016 im a huge fan of abbreviations because they make communication easier and spare me from unnecessary typing. In ap style, magazine names are capitalized but not italicized or set off in quotes. The latter part of the book is broken down into special interests. The good news the positive here is that the grammar gods dont care either way, so if these rules arent in line with your house style or your clients way of writing, then scrap the. Communications the virginia tech brand virginia tech. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. Only capitalize formal titles when they precede an individuals name.
Associated press ap citation and style guides libguides. See the composition titles entry in the ap stylebook. Select time references as if the story were being written today for publication tomorrow morning. In ap style, the names of newspapers and magazines are not italicized or set off in quotation marks. Quiz by elsieviste ap style rules state abbreviations quiz by elsieviste. Writing style guide sweet briar college communications. The goal of the wsu writing style guide is to provide help on that which is not addressed in ap style and that which is an exception to ap. It should not otherwise be used in place of and, except for some accepted abbreviations. Titles is under t and composition titles is under c. Many entries will point the reader to other entries within the stylebook for more information. If were speaking about regions of the state, should it be south louisiana, north louisiana and central louisiana. We hope it is a valuable source of information for writers and editors anywhere on campus. Place quotation marks around almost all composition titles, but not reference, newspaper or magazine names.
Ap style short cuts montclair state university communications uses a combination of ap style and. Most of these examples were taken from the ap stylebook. Ap itself along with gi and eu are exceptions to this rule. The prosecutor hails from california, a traditionally liberal state. Also, be sure to use a lowercase state in both of these instances to avoid any confusion.
In addition to the stylebook entries below, you should be knowledgeable of the following chapters in the ap stylebook. For example, washington state is a university in the state of washington. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. A second recommended reference is a recent edition of websters new world college dictionary. Ap style is simply a standardized way of writing everything from dates to street addresses to job titles. Professional journalists and business communicators in the united states commonly write in associated press ap style. Aug 15, 2019 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. Use the state abbreviations listed at the end of this section. Other references, including the chicago manual of style and the gregg reference manual, were consulted in creating the uws house style guidelines. Do not use periods in abbreviations that are in headlines, unless they are needed for clarity. Because the associated press stylebook is not indexed and the manual for chicago style. The ap uses a definitive style in punctuation and grammar for these stories, and produces a stylebook that has been adopted by most members of the organization.
The purpose is to help produce consistency throughout the universitys publications and website. Associated press website faq this faq webpage from the ap is a great source of information on current issues of grammar, style, punctuation, abbreviations, and other style questions. The main references for all university of washington communications are the current editions of the associated press stylebook and websters new world college dictionary. As ap has added entries over the years, the stylebook has grown more useful and comprehensive, but also more daunting.
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