SMAD 210 AP Style Quiz: L-Q

Party affiliation

A political figure's party affiliation is often relevant, but not always. Include party affiliation if a politician's actions could reasonably be seen as having an effect on policy or debate, or if readers need it for understanding. But reference to party affiliation is not necessary when a story has no link to politics. If in doubt, err on the side of including party affiliation. - Party affiliation can be used on first reference when it is the most important element to connect with the subject: Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said ... - On second reference to add context between the party affiliation and the rest of the story: Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma, the senior Republican on the House Agriculture Committee, said he supports the amendment. - Leave out when the story is clearly not political: The governor attended the NCAA Tournament basketball game, having graduated from Villanova in 1995. The senator attended her daughter's high school graduation. - But use when a political connection exists: The Democratic governor sat courtside next to the top donor to his campaign. The Republican senator spoke at her daughter's graduation two weeks after voting on the education bill. In stories about party meetings, such as a report on the Republican National Convention, no specific reference to party affiliation is necessary unless an individual is not a member of the party in question. SHORT-FORM PUNCTUATION: Set short forms such as R-S.C. off from a name by commas: Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said ... Use the abbreviations listed in the entries for each state. (No abbreviations for Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah.) FORM FOR U.S. HOUSE MEMBERS: The normal practice for U.S. House members is to identify them by party and state. In contexts where state affiliation is clear and home city is relevant, such as a state election roundup, identify representatives by party and city: U.S. Reps. Ander Crenshaw, R-Jacksonville, and Frederica Wilson, D-Miami. If this option is used, be consistent throughout the story. FORM FOR STATE LEGISLATORS: Short-form listings showing party and home city are appropriate in state stories. For national stories, the normal practice is to say that the individual is a Republican or Democrat. Use a short-form listing only if the legislator's home city is relevant.

Military titles

Capitalize a military rank when used as a formal title before an individual's name. See the lists that follow to determine whether the title should be spelled out or abbreviated in regular text. On first reference, use the appropriate title before the full name of a member of the military. In subsequent references, do not continue using the title before a name. Use only the last name. Spell out and lowercase a title when it is substituted for a name: Gen. John Jones is the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. The general endorsed the idea. In some cases, it may be necessary to explain the significance of a title: Army Sgt. Maj. John Jones described the attack. Jones, who holds the Army's highest rank for enlistees, said it was unprovoked. In addition to the ranks listed on the next page, each service has ratings such as machinist, radarman, torpedoman, etc., that are job descriptions. Do not use any of these designations as a title on first reference. If one is used before a name in a subsequent reference, do not capitalize or abbreviate it. Abbreviations available in the stylebook.

Political parties and philosophies

Capitalize both the name of the party and the word party if it is customarily used as part of the organization's proper name: the Democratic Party, the Republican Party. Include the political affiliation of any elected officeholder. Capitalize Communist, Conservative, Democrat, Liberal, Republican, Socialist, etc., when they refer to a specific party or its members. Lowercase these words when they refer to political philosophy (see examples below). Lowercase the name of a philosophy in noun and adjective forms unless it is the derivative of a proper name: communism, communist; fascism, fascist. But: Marxism, Marxist; Nazism, Nazi. EXAMPLES: John Adams was a Federalist, but a man who subscribed to his philosophy today would be described as a federalist. The liberal Republican senator and his Conservative Party colleague said they believe that democracy and communism are incompatible. The Communist Party member said he is basically a socialist who has reservations about Marxism. Generally, a description of specific political views is more informative than a generic label like liberal or conservative.

Newspaper names

Capitalize the in a newspaper's name if that is the way the publication prefers to be known. Do not place name in quotes. Lowercase the before newspaper names if a story mentions several papers, some of which use the as part of the name and some of which do not. It is unnecessary to provide state identification for a newspaper cited in the body of a story if the newspaper is in the same state as the dateline. For example, a story datelined Newport, R.I., would reference the Providence Journal, not the Providence (Rhode Island) Journal. However, the state should be included and spelled out in the body of undated stories or stories datelined in other states. Where location is needed but is not part of the official name, use parentheses: The Huntsville (Alabama) Times.

Magazine names

Capitalize the initial letters of the name but do not place it in quotes. Lowercase magazine unless it is part of the publication's formal title: Harper's Magazine, Newsweek magazine, Time magazine. Check the masthead if in doubt.

Months

Capitalize the names of months in all uses. When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out when using alone, or with a year alone. When a phrase lists only a month and a year, do not separate the year with commas. When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, set off the year with commas. EXAMPLES: January 2016 was a cold month. Jan. 2 was the coldest day of the month. His birthday is May 8. Feb. 14, 2013, was the target date. She testified that it was Friday, Dec. 3, when the crash occurred. In tabular material, use these three-letter forms without a period: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.

Mental illness

Do not describe an individual as having a mental illness unless it is clearly pertinent to a story and the diagnosis is properly sourced. When used, identify the source for the diagnosis. Seek firsthand knowledge derived from a medical examination; ask how the source knows. Don't rely on hearsay or speculate on a diagnosis. Specify the time frame for the diagnosis and ask about treatment. A person's condition can change over time, so a diagnosis of mental illness might not apply anymore. Avoid anonymous sources. On-the-record sources may be family members, mental health professionals, medical authorities, law enforcement officials or court records. Mental illness is a general term. Specific conditions are disorders and should be used whenever possible. Avoid descriptions that connote pity. Avoid terms such as "the mentally ill." Instead: "people with mental illnesses." Do not use derogatory terms, such as insane, crazy/crazed, nuts, deranged, etc. unless they are part of a quotation that's essential to the story. Avoid using mental health terms to describe unrelated issues. Don't assume that mental illness is a factor in a violent crime, and avoid unsubstantiated statements by witnesses or first responders attributing violence to mental illness. Studies have shown that the vast majority of people with mental illnesses are not violent, and experts say most people who are violent do not have mental illnesses. Double-check specific symptoms and diagnoses. Avoid interpreting behavior common to many people as symptoms of mental illness. When practical, let people with mental disorders talk about their own diagnoses.

Obscenities, profanities, vulgarities

Do not use them in stories unless they are part of direct quotations and there is a compelling reason for them. Try to find a way to give the reader a sense of what was said without using the specific word or phrase. For example, an anti-gay or sexist slur. If a profanity, obscenity or vulgarity must be used, flag the story at the top for editors, being specific about what the issue is: Eds: Note use of vulgarity "f---" [or "s---"] However, online readers receiving direct feeds of the stories will not see that warning, so consider whether the word in question truly needs to be in the story at all. When possible, confine the offending language, in quotation marks, to a separate paragraph that can be deleted easily by editors. In reporting profanity that normally would use the words d4mn or god, lowercase god and use the following forms: d4mn, d4mn it, godd4mn it. If the obscenity involved is particularly offensive but the story requires making clear what the word was, replace the letters of the offensive word with hyphens, using only an initial letter: f---, s---. In some stories or scripts, it may be better to replace the offensive word with a generic descriptive in parentheses, e.g., (vulgarity) or (obscenity). When the subject matter of a story may be considered offensive or disturbing, but the story does not contain quoted profanity, obscenities or vulgarities, flag the story at the top: Eds: Graphic details of the killings could be offensive or disturbing to some readers.

Legislative titles

FIRST-REFERENCE FORM: Use Rep., Reps., Sen. and Sens.as formal titles before one or more names. Spell out and lowercase representative and senator in other uses. Spell out other legislative titles in all uses. Capitalize formal titles such as chair, city councilor, delegate, etc., when they are used before a name. Lowercase in other uses. Add U.S. or state before a title only if necessary to avoid confusion: Former state Attorney General Dan Sullivan, a Republican, defeated U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, a Democrat from Alaska, during the 2014 general election. In stories with international datelines, include U.S. before legislative titles. FIRST-REFERENCE PRACTICE: The use of a title such as Rep. or Sen. in first reference is normal in most stories. It is not mandatory, however, provided an individual's title is given later in the story. Deletion of the title on first reference is frequently appropriate, for example, when an individual has become well known: Barack Obama declared Americans were ready to "cast aside cynicism" as he looked for a convincing win in the Democratic contest. The Illinois senator was leading in the polls. SECOND REFERENCE: Do not use legislative titles before a name on second reference unless they are part of a direct quotation. CONGRESSMAN, CONGRESSWOMAN: Rep. and U.S. Rep.are the preferred first-reference forms when a formal title is used before the name of a U.S. House member. In stand-alone references, the terms U.S. House representative, representative, member of Congress are preferred. Congressman and congresswoman are acceptable. Do not use congressperson. Congressman and congresswoman should appear as capitalized formal titles before a name only in direct quotation. ORGANIZATIONAL TITLES: Capitalize titles for formal, organizational offices within a legislative body when they are used before a name: House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, President Pro Tem Orrin Hatch, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley.

Fact checks

Fact-checking is essential in debunking fabricated stories or parts of stories, or other misinformation. This requires reporting or research to verify facts that affirm or disprove a statement, or that show a gray area. The goal of fact-checking is to push back on falsehoods, exaggeration and political spin, and to hold politicians and public figures accountable for their words. Basic fact-checking should always be part of the main story, including wording noting when an assertion differs with known facts. Often, however, additional reporting is required to explore disputed points or questions more fully. In those cases, a separate fact check piece should be done. Some points: Present the assertion that's being checked, and quickly state what's wrong with it or what is correct. Use the exact quote or quotes that are being examined. Follow with the facts, backed by appropriate citations and attribution. Stick to checking facts, rather than opinion. A person's personal tastes and preferences might lie outside the mainstream, but as opinions they are not a topic for a fact check. Fact checks need not show statements to be clearly correct or clearly incorrect. Words can be true, false, exaggerated, a stretch, a selective use of data, partly or mostly true, etc. Use the most apt description that's supported by what the facts show. If a statement can't be confirmed, or can't be immediately confirmed, say so. But describe the efforts made to confirm it. Usage notes: fact check and fact-checking (n.), to fact-check (v.)

Media

Generally takes a plural verb, especially when the reference is to individual outlets: Media are lining up for and against the proposal. The word is often preceded by "the." Sometimes used with a singular verb when referring to media as a monolithic group: The media plays a major role in political campaigns.

Legislative bodies

In general, capitalize the proper name of a specific legislative body abroad: the Knesset, the Diet. The most frequent names in use are Congress, National Assembly and Parliament. GENERIC USES: Lowercase parliament or a similar term only when used generically to describe a body for which the formal name is being given: the Diet, Japan's parliament. PLURALS: Lowercase parliament and similar terms in plural constructions: the parliaments of England and France, the English and French parliaments. .INDIVIDUAL HOUSES: The principle applies also to individual houses of the nation's legislature, just as Senate and House are capitalized in the United States. Lowercase assembly when used as a shortened reference to national assembly. In many countries, national assembly is the name of a unicameral legislative body. In some, such as France, it is the name for the lower house of a legislative body known by some other name such as parliament.

Numerals

In general, spell out one through nine: The Yankees finished second. He had nine months to go. Use figures for 10 or above and whenever preceding a unit of measure or referring to ages of people, animals, events or things. Also in all tabular matter, and in statistical and sequential forms. TONS of examples in the Stylebook.

Names

In general, use only last names on second reference. When it is necessary to distinguish between two people who use the same last name, generally use the first and last name on subsequent references. Generally use the name a person prefers: Thomas or Tom, depending on preference; Martine McCarthy Chang may prefer McCarthy Chang or Chang on second reference. If an individual requests it, a public name rather than a real name may be used for a political dissident, or a nom de guerre for a rebel leader, if the person's safety is an issue. In general, call children 15 or younger by their first name on second reference. Use the last name, however, if the seriousness of the story calls for it, as in a murder case, for example. For ages 16 and 17, use judgment, but generally go with the surname unless it's a light story. Use the surname for those 18 and older.

None

It usually means no single one. When used in this sense, it always takes singular verbs and pronouns: None of the seats was in its right place. Mass nouns — things that can't be counted — also are singular: None of the coffee was poured. Use a plural verb only if the sense is no two or no amount of these things: None of the consultants agree on the same approach. None of the taxes have been paid.

Majority, plurality

Majority means more than half of an amount. Plurality means more than the next highest number. COMPUTING MAJORITY: To describe how large a majority is, take the figure that is more than half and subtract everything else from it: If 100,000 votes were cast in an election and one candidate received 60,000 while opponents received 40,000, the winner would have a majority of 20,000 votes. COMPUTING PLURALITY: To describe how large a plurality is, take the highest number and subtract from it the next highest number: If, in the election example above, the second-place finisher had 25,000 votes, the winner's plurality would be 35,000 votes. Suppose, however, that no candidate in this example had a majority. If the first-place finisher had 40,000 votes and the second-place finisher had 30,000, for example, the leader's plurality would be 10,000 votes. USAGE: When majority and plurality are used alone, they take singular verbs and pronouns: The majority has made its decision. If a plural word follows an of construction, the decision on whether to use a singular or plural verb depends on the sense of the sentence: A majority of two votes is not adequate to control the committee. The majority of the houses on the block were destroyed.

Older adult(s), older person/people

Preferred over senior citizens, seniors or elderly as a general term when appropriate and relevant. It is best used in general phrases that do not refer to specific individuals: concern for older people; a home for older adults. Aim for specificity when possible: new housing for people 65 and over; an exercise program for women over 70. Definitions and understandings vary about the age range denoted by the term older adult, as well as by the terms senior citizen, senior and elderly. When an official or organization uses one of these terms, ask for specifics. Provide context and specifics to make the meaning clear. For example, a story might begin by referring to cuts in programs for older adults, but explain soon thereafter that the programs are for people 62 and older. Another example: The researchers found that weekly exercise decreased the risk of diabetes among people in their 70s and 80s. The term elderly is acceptable in headlines when relevant and necessary because of space constraints. But aim for specificity when space allows: Couple in their 90s die in Manhattan luxury high-rise blaze rather than Elderly couple die in Manhattan luxury high-rise blaze. Terms like senior citizen and elderly are acceptable in reference to an individual if that person prefers them. Do not use the elderly in reference to a group.

Possessives (common nouns ending with an S and proper nouns ending in S)

SINGULAR COMMON NOUNS ENDING IN S: Add 's: the virus's reach, the virus's spread; the witness's answer, the witness's story. (A change from previous guidance calling for just an apostrophe if the next word begins with s.) SINGULAR PROPER NAMES ENDING IN S: Use only an apostrophe: Achilles' heel, Agnes' book, Ceres' rites, Descartes' theories, Dickens' novels, Euripides' dramas, Hercules' labors, Jesus' life, Jules' seat, Kansas' schools, Moses' law, Socrates' life, Tennessee Williams' plays, Xerxes' armies.

Prefixes

See separate listings for commonly used prefixes. The Stylebook's preferences on whether to use a hyphen following a prefix are based largely on usage and Webster's New World College Dictionary. Generally we do not hyphenate when using a prefix with a word starting with a consonant. But there are exceptions. See individual entries and the dictionary. Three rules are constant: — Use a hyphen if the prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows begins with the same vowel. Exceptions: cooperate, coordinate, and double-e combinations such as preestablish, preeminent, preeclampsia, preempt. — Use a hyphen if the word that follows is capitalized. — Use a hyphen to join doubled prefixes: sub-subparagraph.

Lay, lie, lays

The action word is lay. It takes a direct object. Laid is the form for its past tense and its past participle. Its present participle is laying. When lie means to make an untrue statement, the verb forms are lie, lied, lying. Lie also has various other meanings, including to recline, to be situated or to exist. It does not take a direct object. Its past tense is lay. Its past participle is lain. Its present participle is lying. Examples: I will lay the book on the table. I laid the book on the table. I am laying the book on the table. I will lay down. I lay down. I am lying down.

Misinformation, fake news

The term misinformation refers to false information shared about a particular topic that could be mistaken as truth. It can include honest mistakes, exaggerations, and misunderstandings of facts, as well as disinformation, which refers to misinformation created and spread intentionally as a way to mislead or confuse. Misinformation can be transmitted in any medium, including social media, websites, printed materials and broadcast. It includes photography or video and audio recordings that have been created, manipulated or selectively edited. The term typically excludes opinions, as well as satire and parody. It does include hoaxes, propaganda and fabricated news stories. When used broadly, the term misinformation is preferable to the term fake news. The term fake news may be used in quotes or as shorthand for deliberate falsehoods or fiction masked as news. When using either term, be specific in describing what is false and back up that description with facts. Avoid amplifying the false claim. Do not label as fake news specific or individual news items that are disputed. If fake news is used in a quote, push for specifics about what is meant. Alternative wording includes false reports, erroneous reports, unverified reports, questionable reports, disputed reports or false reporting, depending on the context.

Millions, billions, trillions

Use figures with million, billion or trillion in all except casual uses: I'd like to make a billion dollars. But: The nation has 1 million citizens. I need $7 billion. The government ran a deficit of more than $1 trillion. Do not go beyond two decimal places. 7.51 million people, $256 billion, 7,542,500 people, $2,565,750,000. Decimals are preferred where practical: 1.5 million. Not: 1 1/2 million. Do not mix millions and billions in the same figure: 2.6 billion. Not: 2 billion 600 million. Do not drop the word million or billion in the first figure of a range: He is worth from $2 million to $4 million. Not: $2 to $4 million, unless you really mean $2. Note that a hyphen is not used to join the figures and the word million or billion, even in this type of phrase: The president submitted a $300 billion budget. In headlines, abbreviate only millions, billions: $5M lawsuit, $17.4B trade deficit

People, persons

Use person when speaking of an individual: One person waited for the bus. The word people is preferred to persons in all plural uses. For example: Thousands of people attended the fair. What will people say? There were 17 people in the room. Persons should be used only when it is in a direct quote or part of a title as in Bureau of Missing Persons. People also is a collective noun that takes a plural verb when used to refer to a single race or nation: The American people are united.

Percent, percentage, percentage points

Use the % sign when paired with a number, with no space, in most cases (a change in 2019): Average hourly pay rose 3.1% from a year ago; her mortgage rate is 4.75%; about 60% of Americans agreed; he won 56.2% of the vote. Use figures: 1%, 4 percentage points. For amounts less than 1%, precede the decimal with a zero: The cost of living rose 0.6%. In casual uses, use words rather than figures and numbers: She said he has a zero percent chance of winning. At the start of a sentence: Try to avoid this construction. If it's necessary to start a sentence with a percentage, spell out both: Eighty-nine percent of sentences don't have to begin with a number. Constructions with the % sign take a singular verb when standing alone or when a singular word follows an of construction: The teacher said 60% was a failing grade. He said 50% of the membership was there. It takes a plural verb when a plural word follows an of construction: He said 50% of the members were there. Use decimals, not fractions, in percentages: Her mortgage rate is 4.5%. For a range, 12% to 15%, 12%-15% and between 12% and 15%are all acceptable. Use percentage, rather than percent, when not paired with a number: The percentage of people agreeing is small. Be careful not to confuse percent with percentage point. A change from 10% to 13% is a rise of 3 percentage points. This is not equal to a 3% change; rather, it's a 30% increase. Usage: Republicans passed a 0.25 percentage point tax cut. Not: Republicans passed a 0.25 percentage points tax cut or Republicans passed a tax cut of 0.25 of a percentage point.