Style Guides

Question 1

When does one capitalize “city”, “town,” “county”, etc.?

Answer 1

When it comes after a proper name.
E.g., the city of New York
E.g., New York City

Question 2

When does one capitalize an official title (2)?

Answer 2

1) When they are used as a direct address.
E.g., Will you take my temperature, Doctor?
E.g., We’re sorry to report, Captain, that we’re headed for choppy waters.

2) When they are used before names.
E.g., Chairman of the Board William Bly will preside at the conference.

Question 3

When are formal titles not capitalized? (2)

Answer 3

When used after a name or instead of a name.
E.g., The president will address Congress.
E.g., Joe Biden is our current president.
E.g., The senators from Iowa and Ohio are expected to attend.

Question 4

Are occupations treated the same way as formal titles?
Exceptions (2)?

Answer 4

No. Do not capitalize occupations before full names.
E.g., director Steven Spielberg, owner Helen Smith, coach Biff Sykes

Exceptions: Certain occupations, such as “professor” or “general manager” may arguably be considered titles. Check your stylebook for guidance.

Titles replacing someone’s first name are generally capitalized.
E.g., Here comes Professor Ames.

Question 5

When are kinship names capitalized?

Answer 5

ONLY when they immediately precede a personal name, or when they are used alone in place of a personal name.
o E.g., Andy and Opie loved Aunt Bee’s apple pies.
o E.g., You look good, Grandpa.

Question 6

True or false?
One must capitalize specific geographical regions.

Answer 6

True.
E.g., We had three relatives visit from the West.

Question 7

True or False?
One must capitalize the points of the compass.

Answer 7

False.
E.g., Go west three blocks and then turn left.

Question 8

True or false?
One must capitalize all proper nouns.

Answer 8

True.
E.g., the Grand Canyon

Question 9

True or false?
One must capitalize adjectives derived from proper nouns.

Answer 9

True.
E.g., a Russian song
E.g., a Freudian slip

Question 10

True or False?
One must capitalize the word “the” before proper nouns.
Exception?

Answer 10

False.
UNLESS it is an inseparable part of something’s official title.
E.g., We visited The Hague.

Question 11

True or false?
One must always capitalize art movements.

Answer 11

True.
E.g., Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism

Question 12

True or false?
One must always capitalize brand names.

Answer 12

True, UNLESS the official brand name uses a lowercase letter.
E.g., iphone

Question 13

True or false?
One must always capitalize the names of companies.

Answer 13

True, UNLESS the official company name uses a lowercase letter.

Question 14

True or false?
One must always capitalize days of the week and months of the year.

Answer 14

True.

Question 15

True or false?
One must always capitalize historical episodes and eras.

Answer 15

True.
E.g., the Inquisition, the American Revolutionary War, the Great Depression

Question 16

True or false?
One must always capitalize holidays.

Answer 16

True.

Question 17

True or false?
One must always capitalize institutions.

Answer 17

True.
E.g., Oxford College, the Juilliard School of Music

Question 18

True or false?
One must always capitalize manmade structures.

Answer 18

True.
E.g., the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, the Titanic

Question 19

True or false?
One must always capitalize manmade territories.

Answer 19

True.
E.g., Berlin, Montana, Cook County

Question 20

True or false?
One must always capitalize natural and manmade landmarks.

Answer 20

True.
E.g., Mount Everest, the Hoover Dam

Question 21

True or false?
One must always capitalize nicknames and epithets.

Answer 21

True.
E.g., Andrew “Old Hickory” Jackson; Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat

Question 22

True or false?
One must always capitalize organizations.

Answer 22

True.
E.g., American Center for Law and Justice, Norwegian Ministry of the Environment

Question 23

True or false?
One must always capitalize planets.

Answer 23

False. Only when being discussed specifically as a planet.
E.g., We learned that Earth travels through space at 66,700 mph.

Question 24

True or false?
One must always capitalize races, nationalities, and tribes.

Answer 24

True.
E.g., Eskimo, Navajo, East Indian, Caucasian, African American

Question 25

True or false?
One must always capitalize religions
and names of deities.

The Bible?

Answer 25

True.
E.g., Catholic church, Satanist

“Bible” is capitalized. “Biblical” is not.

Do not capitalize “the devil,” “heaven,” “hell,” or satanic.

Question 26

True or false?
One must always capitalize special occasions.

Answer 26

True.
E.g., the Olympic Games, the Cannes Film Festival

Question 27

True or false?
One must always capitalize streets and roads.

Answer 27

True.

Question 28

True or false?
One must always capitalize animals.

Answer 28

False. (Unless the name includes a proper noun.)
E.g., antelope, black bear, Bengal tiger, yellow-bellied sapsucker, German shepherd.

Question 29

True or false?
One must always capitalize elements.
Tip?

Answer 29

False: Always lowercase, even when the name is derived from a proper noun
E.g., einsteinium, nobelium, californium

Question 30

True or false?
One must always capitalize foods.
Exceptions?

Answer 30

False.
EXCEPTIONS: brand names, proper nouns and adjectives, or custom-named recipes.

E.g., Tabasco sauce, Russian dressing, pepper-crusted bluefin tuna, Mandy’s Bluefin Surprise

Question 31

True or false?
One must always capitalize heavenly bodies besides planets.

Answer 31

False.
E.g., moon, sun.

Question 32

True or false?
One must always capitalize medical conditions.

Answer 32

False, except when they include a proper noun.
E.g., Epstein-Barr syndrome, tuberculosis, Parkinson’s disease

Question 33

True or false?
One must always capitalize minerals.

Answer 33

False.

Question 34

True or false?
One must always capitalize “The National Anthem.”

Answer 34

False.

Question 35

True or false?
One must always capitalize plants, veggies, and fruits.

Answer 35

False.
EXCEPTIONS: Proper names and brands.
E.g., poinsettia, Douglas fir, Jerusalem artichoke, organic celery, Golden Delicious apples

Question 36

True or false?
One must always capitalize seasons and seasonal data.

Answer 36

False.
E.g., spring, summertime, the winter solstice, the autumnal equinox, daylight saving time

Question 37

When to spell out numbers:
AP?
Chicago?

Answer 37

AP: In general, spell out 1-9 and use figures for numbers 10 and above.

Chicago: In general, spell out numbers 0-100. Numbers followed by hundred, thousand, or hundred thousand should also be spelled out.

Question 38

Which compound numbers are hyphenated?

Answer 38

Hyphenate all compound numbers from twenty-one through ninety-nine.

E.g., Forty-three people were injured in the train wreck.

Question 39

True or False?
Spell out all numbers beginning of a sentence.
Exception?

Answer 39

True.
E.g., Twenty-three hundred sixty-one victims were hospitalized.

EXCEPTION: AP makes an exception for years; whereas, Chicago requires you to spell out years.

Question 40

Two tips for expressing large numbers:

Answer 40

1) The simplest way to express large numbers is usually best.

E.g., twenty-three hundred (simpler than two thousand three hundred)

2)When writing out a number of three or more digits, the word “and” is not necessary. EXCEPTION: Use the word “and” to express any decimal points that may accompany these numbers.

E.g., one thousand one hundred fifty-four dollars
E.g., one thousand one hundred fifty-four dollars and sixty-one cents
Simpler: eleven hundred fifty-four dollars and sixty-one cents

Question 41

How do you express fractional quantities in the millions or more?

Style Tip?

Answer 41

Use a figure-word combo.
* E.g., He won 1.4 million dollars.

Style Tip: In Chicago style the general number rule applies to whole numbers, but if a fraction of a million is expressed in a range, you must maintain consistency:

E.g., According to some scientists, the universe is between 13.5 billion and 14 billion years old.

Question 42

True or False?
A hyphen is not used to join figures and the word “million” or “billion,” even in an adjectival phrase such as: The president submitted a $300 billion budget.

Answer 42

True. Hyphens are not used, even with adjective forms.

Question 43

True or false?
Commas are used with figures of four or more digits.
Exception?

Answer 43

True.
EXCEPTION: Do not use commas when writing out numbers above 999.

Incorrect: one thousand, one hundred fifty-four dollars, and sixty-one cents

Correct: one thousand one hundred fifty-four dollars and sixty-one cents

Question 44

How does the AP express figures in the millions and billions?

Exception?

Answer 44

The AP uses a figure and word combo with “million,” “billion,” or “trillion” in all except casual uses.

Do not drop the word million or billion in the first figure of a range. Same applies for dollar signs if applicable.

E.g., The nation has 1 million citizens.
E.g., I’d like to make a billion dollars.

Question 45

How does Chicago express figures in the millions and billions?

Answer 45

Chicago follows the general rule: Spell out figures from 0-100.

E.g., The city had grown from three million in 1960 to fourteen million in 1990.

Do not drop the word million or billion in the first figure of a range. Same applies for dollar signs if applicable.

E.g., The survey was administered to more than half of the city’s 220 million inhabitants.

Question 46

How should simple fractions (less than one) be expressed?
Are they hyphenated?

Tip?

Answer 46

Spell out simple fractions less than one, and hyphenate all spelled-out fractions.

E.g., We recovered about two-thirds of the stolen cash.

TIP: Do not hyphenate casual terms like “a third” or “a half.”

Question 47

How should mixed fractions be expressed?
Exception?

Style Tip?

Answer 47

Mixed fractions are best expressed in figures unless they begin a sentence.
E.g., We expect a 5 1/2 percent wage increase.
E.g., Five and one-half percent was the expected wage increase.

TIP: Chicago has more tolerance for exceptions as long as the result is simple.
E.g., We walked one and one-third miles.

Question 48

How are decimals best expressed? (3)
Exceptions? (3)

Answer 48

Use figures for decimals, and do not exceed 2 decimal points. For amounts less than 1, precede the decimal with a zero.
E.g., The cost of living rose 0.03%

EXCEPTIONS: Blood alcohol content, firearm caliber, and batting averages.
E.g., A batting average of .324.
E.g., A .22-caliber bullet
E.g., a blood alcohol content of 0.056

Question 49

How should percentages be expressed?
Exception?

Should the % symbol be used?
AP?
Chicago?

Answer 49

Use figures.
e.g., 1%, 4 percentage points

EXCEPTION: Spell it out when starting a sentence.

Depends on the style used:
AP: Yes. Use the % sign when paired with a number — no space. For amounts less than 1%, precede the decimal with a zero.
E.g., He won 56.2% of the vote.
E.g., The cost of living rose 0.6%.

Chicago: Only use the % symbol (no space) for scientific or statistical reference. Otherwise, use the word “percent.”
E.g., He won 54 percent of the vote.
E.g., Only 20% of the ants were observed to react to the stimulus.

Question 50

True or false?

One should not add the word “dollars” to figures preceded by a dollar sign.

Answer 50

True.

Incorrect: I have $1,250 dollars in my checking account.

Correct: I have $1,250 in my checking account.

Question 51

How are sums less than a dollar expressed in casual, in-text use?
AP?
Chicago?

Are decimals and dollar signs used?

What is the proper numerical form?

Answer 51

AP: Use numerals for amounts less than one dollar. No dollar signs or decimals are necessary. Spell out and lowercase the word “cents.”
E.g., He had only 60 cents.

Chicago: General number rules apply. (Spell out numbers 0-100.) No dollar signs or decimals are necessary. Spell out and lowercase the words “cents.”

Rules for decimals apply. Dollar signs are used.

Question 52

How does the Chicago Manual express times?

Spelled out or numerals?

Hyphens?

O’clock?

How and when are the ante meridiem and post meridiem used?

Answer 52

Spell out times of day in even, half, and quarter hours in-text (no hyphens).
E.g., The meeting continued until half past three.
E.g., He left the office at a quarter of four (or a quarter to four).
E.g., We will resume at ten thirty.

With “o’clock,” the number is always spelled out.
E.g., Her day begins at five o’clock in the morning.

Use numerals when exact times are emphasized.

When times are expressed as numerals, Chicago recommends lowercase a.m. and p.m.
* E.g., The first train leaves at 5:22 a.m. and the last at 11:00 p.m.

Leave a space between the time and the abbreviation.

In ranges that take place entirely in the morning or evening, use an abbreviation only once.
E.g., The appointment is at 5:30pm and the last at 7:30 .

Question 53

How does the AP express times? (2)

Exceptions? (2)

How and when are the ante meridiem and post meridiem used?

Answer 53

Use figures for time of day except for noon and midnight.
Double naughts are not necessary with even hours.
E.g., 1 p.m.; 10:30 a.m.; 5 o’clock; 8 hours, 30 minutes, 20 seconds

Exception: Spell out numbers less than 10 standing alone and in modifiers:
E.g., I’ll be there in five minutes.
E.g., An eight-hour day.
E.g., The two-minute warning.

AP recommends lowercase a.m. and p.m.
Leave a space between the time and the abbreviation.
E.g., The first train leaves at 5:22 a.m. and the last at 11:00 p.m.

In ranges that take place entirely in the morning or evening, use an abbreviation only once.
E.g., The appointment is from at 5:30 p.m. and the last at 7:30 p.m.

Question 54

How should years be expressed?
Exception?

Answer 54

Years are expressed in numerals.
EXCEPTION: Chicago Manual makes an exception for the beginning of a sentence.

Question 55

How do you make a true apostrophe (not a single quote) on a Mac?

Answer 55

Option + Shift +}

Question 56

When may a year be replaced with a two-digit number?
How is it expressed?

Answer 56

In informal contexts, the first two digits of a particular year may be replaced by an apostrophe (not an opening single quotation mark).
E.g., the class of ’06
E.g., the spirit of ’76 (not ‘76)

Question 57

How are specific dates expressed?

Answer 57

Use cardinal numbers. A comma is placed between the day and year and also following the year in mid-sentence.
E.g., May 26, 2008, was a sad day for film buffs.

Question 58

When a day is mentioned without the month or year, how is it best expressed?

Answer 58

The number is usually spelled out in ordinal form.
E.g., On November 5, McManus declared victory. By the twenty-fifth, most of his supporters had deserted him.

Question 59

How are specific centuries expressed?

Answer 59

Spelled out and lowercase.
E.g., the twenty-first century
E.g., from the ninth to the eleventh century
E.g., the eighteen hundreds (the nineteenth century)

Question 60

How are decades expressed?
Is an apostrophe necessary?

Answer 60

Typically expressed with numerals.
When spelled out, decades should be lowercase.
E.g. the 1980s and 1990s
E.g., the nineties

An apostrophe is not necessary.

Question 61

How are ages expressed?
Hyphens?

AP?
Chicago?

Answer 61

AP: Numerals. Hyphens used only in the adjectival form or when age is used as a compound noun.
E.g., a 5-year-old boy, the boy is 5 years old. The race is for 3-year-olds.

Chicago: Standard number rule applies. Hyphens used only in the adjectival form or when age is used as a compound noun.
E.g., a five-year-old boy, the boy is five years old. The race is for three-year-olds.

Question 62

Correct abbreviation for “also known as”?

Answer 62

AP: aka
Chicago: a.k.a.

Question 63

True or false:
One must capitalize the second word in a hyphenated compound when it is part of a title.

Exceptions?

Answer 63

True.

EXCEPTIONS:
Articles, prepositions, coordinating conjunctions
E.g., Bed-and-Breakfast Options in Upstate New York

If the first element is merely a prefix that could not stand by itself as a word (anti, pre, etc.), do not capitalize the second element unless it is a proper noun or proper adjective.
E.g., Anti-intellectual Pursuits

Question 64

When are adjectives like “Southern” or “Western” capitalized?

When are they not?

Exceptions?

Answer 64

When they are being used as the adjective form of a proper noun. (Regions (and anything described as being from that region) are proper nouns.)

Compass directions are not proper nouns and should not be capitalized UNLESS they are:
-Part of a proper noun, e.g., West Virginia

-Denoting a widely known area, e.g., Southern California

-Combined with another common noun to form the name or a region or location, e.g., West Coast, North Pole, etc.

Question 65

What gets capitalized in a title when using sentence case?

Answer 65

The first word of the title.
Any word that comes after punctuation within the title.
Proper nouns and adjectives derived from proper nouns.