30 Reminders for AP Style
- AP style is for journalists.
- APA style is for academic writing.
NUMBERS
In general, write out the numbers zero through nine and use figures for 10 and above. However, there are several exceptions:
- For percentages, use numerical figures followed by “%” with no space in between.
- For ages, dimensions and weights, always use numerical figures.
- For money, use numerical figures for precise amounts, and use a “$” for amounts greater than a dollar.
- Spell out numbers at the start of a sentence, except when the number is a year.
Here are a few examples:
Jodi Johnson bought eight apples for 75 cents and 1,028 mangoes for $263.
(note the use of a comma for precise numbers of four digits or more, such as 1,028)
Jodi Johnson, a 9-year-old entrepreneur, sold 8% of her stock for $2.6 million.
Jodi Johnson, a 9-year-old entrepreneur, sold 78% of her stock for $2,625,000.
Jodi Johnson sold me three apples for a dollar.
Jodi Johnson sold me 12 apples for $3.50.
Jodi Johnson is 5-feet, 2-inches tall and believes there are 4 billion stars in the universe.
Seventy-five students attended the rally.
2022 was a bad year for most stock-market investors.
DAYS OF THE WEEK
Use Monday, Tuesday, etc., for days of the week within seven days before or after the publication date. Use the calendar date for everything else beyond this range.
Avoid yesterday and tomorrow.
TIME
Always use numerals, followed by a.m. or p.m.
Use noon for 12 p.m. and midnight for 12 a.m.
We worked in the booth from 7 a.m. until noon. We returned at 1:30 p.m.
NO OXFORD COMMA
Unless it is needed for clarification, do not use a comma before the word “and” in a list.
We ate eggs, bacon and ham for breakfast.
TITLES WITH NAMES
Only capitalize formal job titles when they come right before an individual’s name. If a title comes after the name, use a comma or commas and lowercase.
Associate Professor of Biology John Appleseed signed the letter.
John Appleseed, an assistant professor of English literature, attended the banquet.
Also, try to avoid generic titles or descriptions immediately before names. For example, avoid ID constructions such as the following: student Billy White, protester Betty Black, coupon collector Betsy Green, gardener Danny Dirt.
INCORRECT: The suspect was student Billy White.
INCORRECT: The suspect was student, Billy White.
ACCEPTABLE: The suspect was a student, Billy White.
(Notice the use of the article a before the generic title, followed by a comma.)
ACCEPTABLE: The suspect was Billy White, a student.
MONTHS
When a month is used with a date, abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Other months are spelled out. All months are spelled out when they stand alone.
January was a cold month.
Jan. 2 was a cold day.
The riot occurred on Jan. 2, 1972, in Berlin.
STATE NAMES
In general, spell out names of states in the main text of your stories. Check the AP Stylebook, including the dateline section, for larger cities that do not require an accompanying state or country name. If you are writing for readers in Arkansas, you do not need to include a state name unless you are writing about an obscure town or a city name that could cause confusion, such as Paris (Arkansas? Texas? France?).
Bryan Jackson drove from Plano, Texas, to Fayetteville in a car stolen from a dealership in Dallas. Jackson is a resident of Paris, Arkansas.
DATELINES
Appearing before the story text, a dateline tells readers the location of the reporting. Many large cities can stand alone in a dateline without being followed by a state or country name. Here are examples of story starts with datelines:
DENVER – The president attended an environmental conference to …
CONWAY, Ark. – The governor today announced …
PARIS – An international economic summit began today …
PARIS, Texas – A French company today began manufacturing …
Some local editorial judgment is acceptable. For a local publication in Northwest Arkansas, you would not necessarily have to add state identification with Fayetteville. However, for content that reaches a national audience, you would need that state ID to clarify Arkansas instead of North Carolina (there is a city of Fayetteville in North Carolina).
STUDENT CLASSIFICATION
When writing about students, you can place a student’s classification before the name and, when applicable, include the student’s hometown.
The first singer was sophomore Willie Wonkler of Chander, Oklahoma, followed by senior Cheryl Gardner of Limon, Colorado.
The first singer was Willie Wonkler, a sophomore from Chander, Oklahoma, followed by Cheryl Gardner, a senior from Limon, Colorado.
TIME/DATE/PLACE
For information about events, the preferred order is typically time/date/place.
The first home game begins at 7 p.m. on April 2 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
TOWARD
Toward never has an “s.” Also, don’t add an “s” to forward, backward, upward or downward.
PRACTICE FOR PROFICIENCY
Below are additional usage questions based on this chapter. These questions may help you study for course assignments or a proficiency exam.
