AP Style Flashcards
If someone has an academic degree, how would you distinguish that?
Ex: “John Jones, who has a doctorate in psychology”
Do not precede names with courtesy titles
Wrong: Dr. Pam Jones, Ph.D.
Right: Dr. Pam Jones, a chemist.
What is the proper way to address academic departments?
Using lowercase EXCEPT for the words that are proper nouns or adjectives
Ex: the department of history, the history department, the department of English, the English department
If using a formal name: University of Connecticut Department of Medicine
How do you properly write addresses?
Use abbreviations like Ave., Blvd., and St. only with numbered addresses (Ex: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave)
All street names (i.e., alley, drive, road, etc) are ALWAYS spelled out
Always use numbers for an address number (Ex: 9 Morningside Circle)
Spell out First-Ninth when used as street names, use numbers for 10th and above
Abbreviate compass points when used to indicate directions in a numbered address: (Ex: 222 E. 42nd St.)
DO NOT abbreviate if there is no number (Ex: East 42nd Street)
Affect vs. Effect
Affect: To influence
Effect: To cause, result
(It is best to avoid affect as a noun)
What is the proper way to disclose a person’s age?
Always use numbers for people and animals BUT not for inanimate! (Ex: the girl is 15 years old, the law is eight years old)
Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun (Ex: A 5-year-old boy)
a.m. & p.m.
Lowercase with periods! Noon and midnight stand alone (no a.m. or p.m.)
How do you properly use apostrophes?
Use them to show possession! (Ex: the alumni’s contributions, women’s rights, Northridge’s reputation)
If the word ends with an s, put the apostrophe after the S (Ex: the campus’ appearance, the reporters’ deadlines)
If it is simply a plural, and not a possessive, do not use an apostrophe
(Ex: He has too many CDs to count)
How to abbreviate states
California would be Calif.
Wrong: Northridge, CA
Right: Northridge, Calif.
Died vs Passed Away
Use died, no euphemisms
held vs. hold
Use held only in the LITERAL sense (Ex: He held the pencil, She wants to hold the baby)
Do not use held when referring to events
Wrong: The club held its meeting on Thursday
Right: The club had its meeting on Thursday
It’s & Its
It’s: A contraction for it is or it has (Ex: It’s up to you, It’s been a long time)
Its: The possessive form of the neuter pronoun (Ex: The dog chased its tail)
How to properly refer to months in AP style
Capitalize the names in ALL uses!
When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.
Spell out these months: March, April, May, June and July
Spell out all months when using alone or with a year alone (Ex: The class ended in December, He was born in August 1980)
Numerals in AP style
Spell out one through nine, 10 and higher require numerals.
Avoid starting a sentence with a numeral
Wrong: 993 freshmen entered the college last year
Right: Last year 993 freshmen entered the college
Over vs More Than
Over generally refers to spatial relationships, but can also work when referring to a quantity (The plane flew over the city, Their salaries increased over $20 a week)
More than: “Their salaries increased more than $20 a week:
Percents in AP style
Use figures. (Ex. 1 percent, 2.5 percent)
For amounts less than 1 percent precede decimal with a 0. (Ex: The cost of living rose .06 percent)
