Chicago style normally adds an apostrophe and s to singular nouns the horses mouth sandy joness theories fdrs legacy descartess philosophy 2016s top events. If the common noun is plural, both styles use just an apostrophe. Sep 15, 2016 if possession is ninetenths of the law, just imagine how important correctly signifying it in your writing is. But in this case, not thinking is actually better than thinking. For proper names like james, ap says, add an apostrophe only. However, all plural nouns are treated the same as in ap style.
If you dont have a style guide, its ok to just pick one of the methods, as long as you dont switch back and forth within the same document. Our amended style is website one word, lowercase w. 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. Descartes theories, dickens novels, kansas schools. Your style of writing can make or break your career if news release are deleted in journalists email inboxes. Ap staffers may also reference an alphabetical list of all company names, with stock ticker abbreviations. Aug 01, 2018 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. When you are using a common noun ending in s that is possessive.
You must include the full company name somewhere in the story. The ap stylebook is available as a book, website or smartphone app. Ap style is the standard for writing news release and other content for media in the united states. Mar 27, 2017 in its latest edition, the associated press stylebook a widely used reference for journalists is embracing the use of they as a singular pronoun.
Mary norriss thoughts on pesky possessives the new yorker. Ap style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. Aps david minthorn recommends avoiding the construction, as in this exchange from 20. And there exist, side by side, two conventions in forming the possessive of words ending in s, the aforementioned s and the apostrophe. Possessives learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. While this site is predominantly dedicated to ap style the style for newspapers, in this section, differences between ap and and chicago style are noted. For a singular possessive, the rule would be to add s, but this is not a singular possessive. Add apostrophe s unless the next word begins with s. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. Mar 28, 2017 the associated press stylebook, a widely used manual of journalistic writing standards, has made a shift in the use of the pronoun they to acknowledge the evolving landscape of gender identity. Strunk and whites famous book the elements of style states in rule 1 to add s no matter what the final consonant. In the following examples, those difference are noted. In general, avoid jargon in writing for general audiences. Associated press style, for example, which prevails in newspaper journalism and other less formal contexts, requires the possessive form for the spelledout name as shown here.
Written in 1918, the little book on grammar, style and usage. Even when the word already ends in s, this is the rule i follow. Ap reporters write fast, but their stylebook moves slow. Sep 01, 20 there are different apostrophe rules for different styles.
Mignon fogartywho covers english as the grammar girl on the guidance site quick and dirty tipsexplains what this means, practically speaking, for your writing. Best of ap style and grammarpunctuationspelling gps 1. Its good news that theyve accepted a plural pronouns use with a singular noun. The ap guide also says dont use a comma before the and in a series while the elements of style and oxfords guide do. The following formal names of specific degrees should always be capitalized in ap style. 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. Ap stylebook online is a searchable, customizable resource for writers and editors. Capitalize chapter when used with a numeral in reference to a section of a book or legal code. Personal pronouns, unlike regular nouns, do not use apostrophes to form possessives. There are different apostrophe rules for different styles. Therefore, in the example above, the correct usage would be adamss 20 work. Mar 24, 2017 for the first time, the associated press now permits journalists to use they as a singular pronoun. The ap stylebook now includes they as a singular, gender.
Add apostrophe s if singular, and add an apostrophe if plural. Roy peter clark settles the possessive apostrophe debate. The associated press stylebook provides an az guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. One of the most awkward singular nouns in this respect is company. Singular use of they still takes a plural verb, which i find easier on the ear, as in they walk as opposed to they walks. Add apostrophes unless the next word begins with s. Aug 12, 2019 in ap style, you use a lone apostrophe to make singular nouns and names that end with s possessive, and in chicago style, most of the time you add an apostrophe and an s, with a few rare exceptions. The office of financial services report has been delayed, so the abbreviated form is the ofs report has been delayed. If possession is ninetenths of the law, just imagine how important correctly signifying it in your writing is. This is the style guide that professional media use. The bill was signed on may 5, 20, two days before the session ended.
So our first tough issuehow to make words that end with s possessivedoesnt actually have an answer. I dont know if this will help, but for chapter style, ap says. Aps 2017 stylebook includes new rules for citing gender prsay. Authors were treated badly in the recent ebook dispute. Apr 15, 2016 the ap stylebook doesnt address the issue of a possessive title in quotation marks, but the aps ask the editor column sees repeated questions asking how it should be done. Founded in 1846, ap today is the largest and most trusted source of independent news and information. The word after of must refer to an animate object, and 2. To help with coverage of the coronavirus and covid19, the associated press has prepared a guide based on the ap stylebook and common usage in ap stories.
Most people regularly write stuff like we went to jamess house without stopping to think whether it should be james house. Learn the major differences between chicago and ap style guides to assist. As a writer following the associated press stylebook, however, i capitalize according to the rules and not peoples egos. 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 word before of must involve only a portion of the animate objects possessions. The ap style guide changed their rules to allow the. Ap stylebook embraces they as singular, genderneutral pronoun. Add apostrophes if singular, and add an apostrophe if plural. Italicized words are still iffy for wire transmission ap stories, so book titles are enclosed in quote marks. Possessives of nouns ending in s grammar underground with. Today we will clear up possessive nouns once and for all using the ap stylebooks guidelines. Other style guides like the chicago manual of style agree largely with strunk and white, while the ap stylebook uses only an apostrophe for proper names ending in s and common nouns ending in s where the first letter of the. The best ap style cheat sheet every writer needs free download. A new stylebook entry, which was announced thursday as part of the aps session at the 21st national conference of aces.
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. If you follow ap style, youll always use just the apostrophe to make a singular noun possessive. There are quite a few rules in the ap stylebook for state names and ap style state abbreviations. Breaking down the ap stylebooks new rules on gender prsay. 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. Rules by ap stylebook, bad grammargood punctuation. We took at look at the ap stylebooks section on possessions possessives and exorcised some demons coming up with these guidelines. Use a possessive form after both words if the objects are individually owned. Authors were treated badly in the recent e book dispute. When creating the possessive form of nouns, there are eight simple rules. Sep 04, 2015 to form the possessive of a noun that ends in s, ap style has separate rules for proper names and generic nouns.
Ap style is email changed from email, but other e words are hyphenated. Mar, 2015 its conceivable that over time, e book may lose its hyphen. Both the ap stylebook and the buzzfeed style guide already recommend spelling email without the hyphen. Use a possessive form after only the last word if ownership is joint. The ap stylebook doesnt address the issue of a possessive title in quotation marks, but the aps ask the editor column sees repeated questions asking how it should be done. In this post, we will summarize all of the ap stylebook state abbreviations rules. The associated press stylebook, a widely used manual of journalistic writing standards, has made a shift in the use of the pronoun they to acknowledge the evolving landscape of.
In ap style, you use a lone apostrophe to make singular nouns and names that end with s possessive, and in chicago style, most of the time you add an apostrophe and an s, with a few rare exceptions. Punctuation, possessives, pithiness 100 years on, the elements of style holds sway over generations of writers and editors, despite its sporadic contradictions to the goto reference for modern journalists. See, for example, garners modern american usage at page 624. Ebooks currently make up two percent of my book sales. There are several unique rules that can confuse even the most seasoned writer. Questions cover word usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation as set out in the ap stylebook and other language references. Punctuation use a comma to separate a year used with a date. Make sure to read through past editions of our ap stylebook recaps. In its latest edition, the associated press stylebook a widely used reference for journalists is embracing the use of they as a singular pronoun.
The chicago manual of style online is the venerable, timetested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. Ap now suggests using a persons name in place of a pronoun or rewording sentences to avoid pronoun use altogether. James, until the sun falls from the sky by kristen ashley, sweet dreams by. Steve brown whats ap style for valentines day facebook. Don, thanks for the summary of the ap style changes. Ap style for first time allows use of they as singular pronoun. And to make things even more complicated, not all style books are in agreement about how to handle possessive nouns. Rules for capitalizing academic degrees in ap style bka content.
In many areas of life, such cavalier carelessness is a bad idea. Use whichever style matches the style guide you use for your writing. For the first time, the associated press now permits journalists to use they as a singular pronoun. The associated press stylebook says it is opening the door to use of the singular they. You must register and have a current subscription to access ap stylebook online register now. Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of ap style used in answers. All that is left is to make that plural form possessive. To form the possessive of a noun that ends in s, ap style has separate rules for proper names and generic nouns. For more details, follow ap coverage of the virus outbreak at s. Two conditions must apply for a double possessive a phrase such as a friend of johns to occur. Im going to focus on the difference between how the associated press stylebook and the chicago manual of style handle possessives for words ending in s or. Forming possessives with singular names apa style blog.
With a regular plural possessive, one simply adds an apostrophe to the end of the word the socks odor the boots leather the boston red sox record. Although this presentation may look awkward to some. Per apa style, the answer is that the possessive of a singular name is formed by adding an apostrophe and an s, even when the name ends in s see p. So i will flatter myself into thinking that something i wrote in 2010 foreshadowed this. Its conceivable that over time, ebook may lose its hyphen. The ap stylebook holds that you should abbreviate junior and senior as jr. Ap editor david minthorn fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online ap stylebook. Mistaking a stylebook for a rule book baltimore sun. What follows are summaries of some of the most common style rules.
Register to view your products, order status, shipment trackings and manage your account settings. Its updated throughout the year and valuable onlineonly resources, including ask the editor, topical guides and pronunciation guide, expand on the print books guidance. Book style is simultaneously more complex and more consistent. For proper nouns, use an apostrophe only if following ap style. Answers to questions about possessives daily writing tips. No exception is made depending on whether singular nouns preceding and following the apostrophe end and start with s, respectively. Welcome to the official ap style and usage quizzes used by ap staffers to brush up on fine points of writing and editing and now available to subscribers. Welcome to ask the editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the ap stylebook. There are clear guidelines for capitalizing academic degrees in ap style. The ap announced the style change friday at the american copy editors society conference. Its mobile optimized so you can use it on your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet.
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