Spell out all generic parts of street names avenue, north, road when no specific. Its updated throughout the year and valuable onlineonly resources, including ask the editor, topical guides and pronunciation guide, expand on the print books guidance. Spell out the name of a month when it is used without a specific date. To complain about ap style, write to the associated press, 450 w. Regardless, i was abusing ap style, journalists bible, my later. Ap style the associated press stylebook offers guidelines for news writing. Alley drive and road what is the best way to attribute a person in a quote. Associated press ap citation and style guides libguides. Most examples here are taken and condensed from these style books. Below is a summation of ap style guidelines when writing out addresses in your text. Neither means that the usual headlinestyle or titlestyle caps still apply, but the titlename is naked as far as quotes and italics are concerned. Ap style also calls specifically for lowercase abbreviations for a. Always consult the ap stylebook first, however many schoolspecific topics can only be found here.
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. When the formal street name appears without a numbered address, however, you. Oct 31, 2019 if you know you will be using ap style frequently, its definitely worth it to invest in a copy of the associated press stylebook 2019. Jul 21, 2016 when youre writing in ap style, you should abbreviate titles that precede names and suffixes that fall afterward. Ap style abbreviations home ap style ap style abbreviations 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. 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. Abbreviations abbreviate junior or senior after a name, but dont use a comma. All states are spelled out in the body of the text.
While acronyms are highly efficient, care needs to be taken when using them. If youre new to news writing or switching from one to another, youll want to keep this ap cheat sheet handy and. Get your the smart writers simple ap style cheat sheet guide now. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. Ap style was developed and is maintained by the associated press, the worlds oldest news service. How to write addresses grammar underground with june. 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. Some others are acceptable depending on the context. You may abbreviate avenue, boulevard or street but only when used as part of an address.
Although it is sold as a guide for reporters, it has become the leading reference. Referring to the ap style guide again, were told to use figures except for noon and midnight. Road and other related causeways such as court, drive, lane, way, etc. As ap has added entries over the years, the stylebook has grown more useful and comprehensive but also more daunting. Consult the associated press stylebook for specific cases. Although it is sold as a guide for reporters, it has become the leading reference for most forms of publicfacing corporate. A primer on ap style t he ap stylebook is the second most important book you will use as a journalist, after a dictionary.
Abbreviate saint before a city or institution, but see ap for saint. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service abbreviations, provided in parentheses. Only abbreviate avenue, boulevard and street when there is a specific numerical address beofre ex she lives at 215 far. Jack gillespie, rowan university, purdue university writing lab and ap stylebook page 2. When the formal street name appears without a numbered address, however, you should spell out the full name and capitalize it. But even for many of us who have used the stylebook for. Here are some tips for using headlinestyle capitalization.
Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. Also see chairman, chairwoman, commas and titles and individual references collegewide. The ap style as its known in the trade is quite different from the new york times style or chicago manual of style. Do not use periods in abbreviations that are in headlines, unless they are needed for clarity. These are the rules for common abbreviations following ap style. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. Abbreviate only three types of roadways with numbered addresses. Ap stylebook cannot be made available in any printed form to any other person, third party or affiliate, or used for cdrom publishing, fax on demand, audiotext, email, or any other electronic delivery service or forany other purpose than the posting of the ap stylebook on your internal computer system, without aps prior written approval. This ensures the story will be among the search results on major websites. Generally ap style omits periods in acronyms, unless doing so would spell an unrelated word.
Associated press style provides guidelines for news writing. Spell out the names of all states when used alone and in body text. Improve your writing with this cheat sheet for the associated press ap style guide for. Associated press style cheat sheet compiled with assistance from online resources, including scribd, purdue. Basics of associated press style linkedin slideshare.
As a general rule, though, you should avoid what the associated press stylebook calls alphabet soup. Do not abbreviate alaska, hawaii, idaho, iowa, maine, texas or utah. This section can be used as a primer and a quick reference, not a replacement to the gpo or ap style books. Ap stylebook online is a searchable, customizable resource for writers and editors. Associated press stylebook 2012 for addresses what should you abbreviate for street names. According to ap style you do not use a comma before inc. To subscribe to the associated press stylebook online, or to find out about purchasing hard copies of the book, start here. How to write addresses grammar underground with june casagrande. The words street, avenue, and boulevard are only abbreviated when they are a part of a. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire states name. My favorite polka band plays gin rummy on crabtree boulevard. However, there are publications that use their own styles.
Ap style does use periods in most twoletter abbreviations. Most notably, the new york times use their own style of the same name. 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. Too many, the ap style guide warns, produces alphabet soup. The following guidance went out on the ap wire wednesday. Introduction the associated press style of writing is designed for journalisticnews writing. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Ap stylebook cannot be made available in any printed form to any other person, third party or affiliate, or used for cdrom publishing, fax on demand, audiotext, email, or any other electronic delivery service or forany other purpose than the posting of the ap stylebook on your internal computer system, without ap s prior written approval. Only abbreviate street, avenue and boulevard when they are included in a numbered address. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules.
Abbreviate months with six or more letters if they are used with a specific date. Associated press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. She read the new york times before she turned on the television to watch survivor. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free. Sep 17, 2014 neither do some international cities such as london, paris and tokyo. Refer to aps datelines entry for use of certain wellknown city names alone. Search for acronym meaning, ways to abbreviate, or lists of acronyms and abbreviations. This deviates from ap style, which uses sentencestyle capitalization. If you know you will be using ap style frequently, its definitely worth it to invest in a copy of the associated press stylebook 2019. Books, movies, recordings, television shows, and similar works are set off in. Titles of movies, books and tv shows go in quotation marks.
Ap style tip sheet knight chair in political reporting. And, as always, count on proofreadingpal to catch and correct any style, usage, grammar, or other errors you may make to ensure your finished writing is. Work management processes that drive the best results. Abbreviate avenue, boulevard and street in numbered addresses. Postal service abbreviations for states unless you.
The suspect was identified as michael shawn of 1512 n. A few universally recognized abbreviations are required in some circumstances. A hallmark of ap style is the omission of the comma before the conjunction in a simple series. After each bullet, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each item.
A complete list of these abbreviations is in the ap style guide. These can be names of organizations nato, nations usa, and phrases faq. 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. Abbreviate junior or senior directly after a name, with no comma to set it off. Quotation marks are used to enclose direct quotations. Associated press style essentials this ap short guide is modeled on one made available in the past by. Effective may 1, the ap will spell out state names in the body of.
Do not abbreviate words like drive, lane, way, etc. Many types of media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, and press releases use the ap style. Ap itself along with gi and eu are exceptions to this rule. Sep 19, 2012 ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. Ap style is simply a standardized way of writing everything from dates to street addresses to job titles. Colon capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. 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. The webs largest and most authoritative acronyms and abbreviations resource. Writing style guide communications and marketing suny.
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. For addresses what street names should you spell out. Jun 15, 2009 acronyms are words formed from the initial letters of a multiword term. Use quotation marks around the titles of books, songs, television shows, computer. Use twoletter postal abbreviations only in mailing addresses which include a zip code. And, as always, count on proofreadingpal to catch and correct any style, usage, grammar, or other errors you may make to ensure your finished writing is in great shape. You must include the full company name somewhere in the story. Ap stylebook type search query into the search bar below. Although that rule strays from the one taught in english composition classes, it is done intentionally to achieve brevity and clear communication.
Before you start in on a writing project for a client, be sure to ask them what style guide they use. In other kinds of writing, where a more formal style is appropriate, use abbreviations sparingly. 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. Find out what is the most common shorthand of boulevard on.
A recent ap stylebook says, when a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only jan. Register to view your products, order status, shipment trackings and manage your account settings. As ap has added entries over the years, the stylebook has grown more useful and comprehensive, but also more daunting. Writing style guide college writing style guide 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. You also can abbreviate words such as company and corporation when they appear after the name of a business entity. Acronyms are words formed from the initial letters of a multiword term. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. For the style and spelling of words not found in ap or gpo, see websters new world college dictionary. You must register and have a current subscription to access ap stylebook online. 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 communications. There might be a rare occurrence when we deviate from the ap stylebook. The associated press style is the goto style for journalism and news writing. For composition titles such as books, video games, films, tv shows.
English is a tricky languageand how you write it can be even trickier. Mastering the ap style rules for abbreviations bka content. Abbreviation for boulevard in locations all acronyms. Do not use post office abbreviations for state names. Following is the breakdown between ap style and chicago style. We use headlinestyle capitalization, also called title case, which means the main words are capitalized and the less important words are lowercased in titles and headings. California, when part of an address, is not ca but calif. Street, avenue and boulevard are only abbreviated when with numbered addresses. Ap is not done rocking the journalism world with style changes. This is intended as a quick rundown or cheat sheet. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language.