If you want to know all about the ap style state abbreviations, you have been a wise soul to click on this article. Other references, including the chicago manual of style and the gregg reference manual, were consulted in creating the uws house style guidelines. Place quotation marks around almost all composition titles, but not reference, newspaper or magazine names. Ap style recommends spelling out state names in the body of stories effective may 1, 2014 and using abbreviations in datelines. This is an ap style student reference guide mini flip book for middle school and high school journalism and yearbook students. There are eight states that should never be abbreviated in text or datelines. 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. It wouldnt be ap style without an exception or two.
Writing style guide sweet briar college communications. If were speaking about regions of the state, should it be south louisiana, north louisiana and central louisiana. For example, washington state is a university in the state of washington. It should not otherwise be used in place of and, except for some accepted abbreviations. Associated press ap citation and style guides libguides.
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. Because the associated press stylebook is not indexed and the manual for chicago style. Most of these examples were taken from the ap stylebook. This resource, revised according to the associated press stylebook 2012, offers examples for the general format of ap style. Professional journalists and business communicators in the united states commonly write in associated press ap style. Never capitalize titles used after the name or titles that stand alone. Communications the virginia tech brand virginia tech. 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. 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. It borrows heavily from the associated press stylebook. Colon capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. Boldface indicates keywords for entries in this style guide or the ap stylebook. Like the english language, there are exceptions to many of the rules, but a few of the oftenused ap style standards include.
Books and magazines often italicize newspaper names as well as book titles and magazine names as part of their inhouse 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. State capitol ap style abbreviation state capitol ap style abbreviation. Aps abbreviations for state names are different from those used by the postal service, so look them up if youre not sure. Ap style the associated press stylebook offers guidelines for news writing. Titles only capitalize formal titles when the precede an individuals name. Many entries will point the reader to other entries within the stylebook for more information. In conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base in text. Mastering the ap style rules for abbreviations bka content. This stylebook offers guidance on how to refer to various forms of art, including song titles.
Ap style does use periods in most twoletter abbreviations. Style and punctuation uw brand university of washington. See the composition titles entry in the ap stylebook. 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 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. These editorial guidelines are based on associated press style, which continues to change. 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. Other references, including the chicago manual of style and the gregg reference manual, were. 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. A primer on ap style t he ap stylebook is the second most important book you will use as.
As you can see, there are many guidelines for writing proper ap style state abbreviations in your text. Titles is under t and composition titles is under c. Capitalization avoid unnecessary capital letters avoid alphabet soup tons of abbreviations. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as. Composition titles this is the entry to consult when deciding how to render the names of books, mov. Many public relations offices and publications, such as magazines and newspapers, use ap style as a standardized writing style. Here is how each state is abbreviated in ap style with the postal code abbreviations. Jul 21, 2016 im a huge fan of abbreviations because they make communication easier and spare me from unnecessary typing. 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. The last unicorn ap style requires quotation marks around titles, not italics or underlining.
This handout will provide an introduction to ap style and a summary of common rules. 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. So when i found this article at about frequently botched ap style points. After each bullet, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each item. Ap style short cuts montclair state university communications uses a combination of ap style and. The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. How to use the ap stylebook theres a handy table of contents at the beginning of your book. Books and magazines often italicize newspaper names as well as.
Always use state abbreviations in conjunction with a city name, town, village or military. Use the state abbreviations listed at the end of this section. If a states name is standing alone or in conjunction with a city or town in your text, spell out the entire states name. The rule states that you capitalize formal titles when they precede an. The guidelines are based on the associated press ap stylebook, websters new world dictionary, and local usage. Let me know what important rules ive missed, or if you see a mistake. Youll find the list of acceptable abbreviations under state names in the hardcover and digital version of the ap stylebook. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding us postal service abbreviations, are in parentheses. Before we begin to enlist the abbreviations, it is mandatory for one to learn and garner information about what ap is, with. If you are going to write for a newspaper even some magazines you need to have your ap style. 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. 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. Capitalize chapter when used with a numeral in reference to a section of a book or legal code.
Follow these associated press guidelines for the u. In ap style, magazine names are capitalized but not italicized or set off in quotes. Do not use quotations around the names of magazine, newspapers, the bible. 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. A manual of style, grammar, usage, and formatting by william a. As ap has added entries over the years, the stylebook has grown more useful and comprehensive, but also more daunting. The stylebook says to use the ampersand when it is part of a companys formal name or composition title. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state. Also, be sure to use a lowercase state in both of these instances to avoid any confusion. A second recommended reference is a recent edition of websters new world college dictionary. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. Ap style was developed and is maintained by the associated press, the worlds oldest news service. Do not use periods in abbreviations that are in headlines, unless they are needed for clarity. To help them out, ive pulled together some of the most essential rules.
Ap style state abbreviations for press release dateline follow these associated press guidelines for the u. Omit state abbreviations in datelines for wellknown u. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules. 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. Generally ap style omits periods in acronyms, unless doing so would spell an unrelated word. The prosecutor hails from california, a traditionally liberal state. As ap has added entries over the years, the stylebook has grown more useful and comprehensive but also more daunting. Most of the book is the actual stylebook, which reads like a dictionary.
A second recommended reference is a recent edition of. Ap style is simply a standardized way of writing everything from dates to street addresses to job titles. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law official. In ap style, the names of newspapers and magazines are not italicized or set off in quotation marks. Can you name the ap style rules state abbreviations test your knowledge on this geography quiz to see how you do and compare your score to others.
Associated press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. Select time references as if the story were being written today for publication tomorrow morning. How to cite titles of a song in ap style our pastimes. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. Composition titles use quotation marks around the titles of books. The latter part of the book is broken down into special interests. Punctuation congress editing marks a abbreviations and acronyms academic degrees academic departments academic titles acceptexcept addresses adult adverseaverse. 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. Never capitalize a title used alone, no matter how important it seems. I dont know if this will help, but for chapter style, ap says. Mar 14, 2015 below is a list of ap style state abbreviations.
Follow ap style, which means no italics for composition titles. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. A primer on ap style t he ap stylebook is the second most important book you will use as a journalist, after a dictionary. 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. These are the rules for common abbreviations following ap style. The university of tampa style guide provides guidelines for writers on campus. Aps guidance is especially important in higher education, given our. For composition titles such as books, video games, films, tv shows, works of art, speeches, etc. The main references for all university of washington communications are the current editions of the associated press stylebook and websters new world college dictionary.
Ap style rulesstate abbreviations quiz by elsieviste. Ap itself along with gi and eu are exceptions to this rule. For items not referenced in this document, consult a recent edition of the associated press stylebook. Italicized words are still iffy for wire transmission ap stories, so book titles are enclosed in quote marks. 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. So, i am providing a reference for those who may be interested.
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. We hope it is a valuable source of information for writers and editors anywhere on campus. There is indeed a science and art behind writing a press release. Ap style isnt keen on using state abbreviations in titles, so spell them out. Some states are abbreviated with two letters, three letters, four letters, or initials. Only capitalize formal titles when they precede an individuals name. The actual stylebook makes up most of the ap stylebook. One of the first things a student in a beginning journalism course learns about is associated press style or ap style for short. 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. 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.
In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. The bible, reference books and software programs do not need quotations. In addition to the stylebook entries below, you should be knowledgeable of the following chapters in the ap stylebook. This guide is intended to facilitate consistency in written. Also omit state abbreviations in datelines for wellknown u. That includes newspaper names and magazine references. 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. Ap style state abbreviations differ from their corresponding united states postal service abbreviations, provided in parentheses.
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. 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. The purpose is to help produce consistency throughout the universitys publications and website. Spell out the names of the 50 states when they stand alone in. 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. Select the sentence free of errors in ap style for addresses, abbreviations, capitalization, numerals, punctuation and spelling and time in print copy. We pasted our newspaper dummies together with wax and made type changes with a dull razor. This is the style guide that professional media use. Professional and honorary titles capitalize brief titles when used before the individuals name. 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. Crash course on ap style writing visual storytelling. 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. Sep 19, 2012 professional journalists and business communicators in the united states commonly write in associated press ap style.
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