AP style: abbreviations (titles and names)
first lieutenant
1st Lt.
first sergeant
1st. Sgt
second lieutenant
2nd Lt.
admiral
Adm
airman
Airman
airman first class
Airman 1st class
brigadier general
Brig. Gen
captain
Capt
Chief Petty officer
Chief Petty Officer
commander
Cmdr
colonel
Col
corporal
Cpl
When do you use courtesy titles?
Direct quotation when the person requests
Doctor
Dr.
ensign
Ensign
general
Gen
lieutenant
Lt
lieutenant commander
Lt. Cmdr
lieutenant colonel
Lt. Col
lieutenant general
Lt. Gen
liuetenant junior grade
Lt. j.g.
major
Maj
major general
Maj. Gen
master sergeant
Master Sgt.
private first class
Pfc.
private
Pvt
rear admiral
Rear Adm
Representative
Rep
seaman
Seaman
Seaman apprentice
Seaman Apprentice
Senator
Sen.
sergeant first class
Sgt. 1st Class
sergeant majot
Sgt. Maj
specialist four
Spec. 4
technical sergeant
Tech. Sgt
the reverend
The Rev.
Use Mrs. when?
a woman requests that her husband's first name be used
when 1st and 2nd is in a title, spell out when used
at the beginning of a sentence
place an abbreviated title ______ a name
before
commodore
commodore
refer to both men and women how on the first mention?
first and last name
always spell out
fort
an abbreviated title must be used with the ____ name
full
When a title is standing alone, it is _________ and _______ ________
lowercase and spelled out
when a title is standing alone it is _________ and _______ ___
lowercase and spelled out
in stories where people share the same last name (brothers and sisters) first and last names _____ ____ ___________ where necessary for clarity or courtesy titles ___ ___ ________
may be repeated can be used
courtesy titles
miss, ms, mrs, mr
abbreviate Christmas?
no
abbreviate assistant?
no
abbreviate association?
no
abbreviate attorney general?
no
abbreviate commandant?
no
abbreviate department?
no
abbreviate deputy?
no
abbreviate detective?
no
abbreviate district attorney?
no
abbreviate general manager?
no
abbreviate manager?
no
abbreviate president?
no
abbreviate secretary?
no
abbreviate superintendent?
no
abbreviate treasurer?
no
abbreviate vice president?
no
abbreviate professor?
o
names to NOT abbreviate
president vice president secretary treasurer association assistant department deputy manager general manager district attorney attorney general superintendent detective professor commandant Christmas
Which titles should always be abbreviated when appearing before a name?
senator representative governor lieutenant governor the reverend doctor police titles military titles
How do you use a name in a news story?
use full name once and that is upon first mention; afterward you use last name
Professional titles in a story?
use full title upon first mention and that is usually before or following the name
vice admiral
vice Adm
abbreviate Governor before a name?
ye
Abbreviate the reverend before a name?
yes
abbreviate Lieutenant Governor before a name?
yes
abbreviate Representative before a name?
yes
abbreviate Senator before a name?
yes
abbreviate doctor before a name?
yes
