AP Style
A classic example of a misplaced modifier is a one-liner from the 1930 comedy "Animal Crackers, starring Groucho Marx: One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas I'll never know." What is the misplaced modifier here that makes this statement funny? a. shot an elephant b. I'll never know c. one morning d. in my pajamas
A
Anderson and Rockwall ______________ contain large metropolitan areas. a. counties b. Counties
A
As a reporter, she was well aware of the protections of the __________ Amendment. a. First b. 1st
A
Athens Police stepped in to ________ the fight. a. break up b. break-up
A
Fill in the blank: Fewer/Less opportunities exist for John Maynard to find a job in Cleveland as a teacher than in Seattle, where Maynard would make twice as much money. a. fewer b. less
A
Fill in the blank: Starting guard Eric Gordon loves to flaunt/flout his flashy clothes because he thinks they make him look super cool. a. flaunt b. flout
A
John and Jackson visited the wildlife habitat at Gulf States _________________. a. Corp. b. Corporation.
A
Jones had ________ in my pocket. a. 5 cents b. $.05 c. five cents
A
The editor took steps to ______________________ accuracy was one of the guiding principles of his newspaper. a. ensure b. insure
A
The lecture for Journalism 2311 starts at _____________ . a. 3:05 p.m. b. 3:05 P.M. c. 3:05 PM
A
The video store is _______________________ down the road, he said. a. farther b. further c. Both are correct
A
What is the style for a flying disc? a. Frisbee b. frisbee
A
Which is correct: The Cuyahoga County ___________ failed to hand down an indictment. a. Grand Jury b. grand jury c. Grand jury
A
Which is correct: The philosopher was born in 360 ___________________ a. B.C. b. BC c. Before Christ
A
Which is correct? a. He was the No. 1 choice. b. He was the #1 choice. c. He was the number-one choice.
A
Which spelling is correct: a. accommodate b. accomodate
A
Which spelling is correct: a. assassination b. assasination
A
Which spelling is correct: a. committee b. commitee
A
Which spelling is correct: a. conscious b. concious
A
Which spelling is correct: a. de facto b. defacto
A
Which spelling is correct: a. knowledge b. knowlege
A
Which spelling is correct: a. millennium b. millenium
A
Which spelling is correct: a. noticeable b. noticable
A
Which spelling is correct: a. receive b. recieve
A
Which spelling is correct: a. seige b. siege
A
Which spelling is correct: a. supercede b. supersede
A
Which word is correct: She was all right/alright with scheduling biweekly meetings because she baby sat every other week. a. all right b. alright c. Both are correct
A
Which word is correct: The student couldn't wait to see his new academic adviser/advisor to discuss his Fall Semester classes. a. adviser b. advisor c. Either is correct
A
______________ the difficulty in writing a trend story, students in Jim Schaefer's online journalism class took the challenge and created great journalism. a. Despite b. In spite of c. Both are acceptable
A
Effect
A noun
Affect
A verb
"Thanks __________ for all your hard work," she told them. a. 1 million b. a million c. 1,000,000
B
Let's post the ______________ around the building so all students can see them. a. fliers b. flyers
B
The _____________ were the best decades because it opened job opportunities for women who had been closed out of jobs in corporate America. a. 70's b. '70s c. 70s
B
The child is my _______________________. a. dependant b. dependent
B
There are seven continents on __________________. a. earth b. Earth
B
Using AP style as the gauge, which is the best choice? a. Police arrested three persons in connection with the crime. b. Police arrested three people in connection with the crime. c. Police arrested three people for the crime.
B
What does the acronym GOP stand for? a. grand Organization of Parties b. Grand Old Party c. Grand Organization of Platforms d. Government Organization of Platforms e. Government Office of Politics
B
When someone moves into a country, he or she: a. immigrates b. emigrates c. imigrates d. emmigrates
B
Which use is correct in the middle of a sentence? a. E-mail b. email c. e-mail d. Email
B
Which word is correct in this construction: The man pulled out a gage/gauge/guage to measure the pressure in his tires. a. gage b. gauge c. gaige
B
Which word is correct: The public address announcer asked," Is there a ________ in the house?" a. Dr. b. doctor c. Doctor
B
Which word is correct: Kate called the dressmaker to altar/alter her wedding dress yesterday because her diet had not had the effect she had hoped. a. altar b. alter
B
With careful planning, we were able to avoid both ____________________. a. crisis b. crises
B
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in New York Times ________ Sullivan had a profound impact on American journalism. a. vs. b. versus c. v.
C
The proposed city budget included __________ for a new water-treatment plant. a. 3,200,000 dollars b. 3.2 million dollars c. $3.2 million d. $3,200,000
C
Which is not acceptable style? a. fortnight b. 401(k) c. farmers' market d. Father Time e. Jell-O
C
Which of these sentences is grammatically correct: a. Flitting gaily from flower to flower, Tom Brady watched the butterfly float into the sunshine. b. The gunman ran from the police officer, still holding the money in his hands. c. The girl, having stopped running in the park, realized she had dropped her cellphone about a mile back. d. After being whipped fiercely, the cook boiled the egg. e. None is correct
C
Which kind of sentence is this: President Trump said on Wednesday that he was wiling and eager to be interviewed by Robert S. Mueler III, the special counsel investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential campaign, insisting that he has done nothing wrong.
Complex
According to the Cappon book, which of these phrases isn't a cliche? a. bite the dust b. blessing in disguise c. blissful ignorance d. burning issue e. All are cliches
E
What does the acronym GDP stand for? a. Gross domestic project b. Government direction of projects c. Great domesticity project d. Government domesticity project e. Gross domestic product
E
Which is proper style? a. Fourth of July b. July Fourth c. July 4th d. 4th of July e. More than one is correct
E
Which sentence, if any, is grammatically correct: a. Once a cold-weather destination, tourists are flocking to Miami Beach in summer, too. Left, the pool at the Standard in Miami Beach. b. Always drawn to the sciences, Mr. Kaido's interest in progressive politics grew in 1970, after he entered the law department at the University of Tokyo, a steppingstone for the country's elite. c. Wondering irresolutely what to do next, the clock struck midnight. d. If acquitted, J.P. Morgan would get the money. If convicted, the proceeds — projected by Chase Manhattan at $122 million to $300 million — would go to people who lost money in J.P. Morgan investment funds. e. The climbers, having struggled to reach the summit, stopped 100 yards from the top of Mount McKinley before the high winds forced them to turn around and head back down the mountain.
E
Numerals
Generally, spell out the numbers zero through nine and use numerals for 10 and higher. Note, however, that numbers used at the beginning of a sentence are spelled out. Example: Five hundred twenty-four students attended.
Enormity
Great wickedness
Does this sentence follow AP style: All firemen must be able to carry 75 pounds of gear up a staircase or ladder.
No
Does this sentence follow AP style: Compared to other close siblings, the Jones twins rarely quibbled among themselves.
No
Does this sentence follow AP style: Drunk driving remains a controversial issue today, especially among teenaged drivers in Ohio, Missouri and Michigan.
No
Does this sentence follow AP style: Even people who drink fewer than 3 cups of coffee a day may suffer caffeine withdrawal if they abruptly quit drinking coffee.
No
Does this sentence follow AP style: He said he was neither a Communist or a member of the Communist Party.
No
Does this sentence follow AP style: In court Friday, Defense Attorney Aaron Smith denied his client Anson Williams, 22, raped a 16-year-old woman.
No
Does this sentence follow AP style: Its not all right to drink an excessive amount of gatorade before going to the football game.
No
Does this sentence follow AP style: The 13-year-old boy often snuck into the Heartland Theatre when it was showing R-rated films.
No
Does this sentence follow AP style: The Mayor refused to go along with the City Council vote. "I descent," he stated.
No
Does this sentence follow AP style: Thirteen people traveled to Austin, Texas for the rally.
No
Does this sentence follow proper AP style: A United States marine was killed yesterday in Baghdad when a mine exploded under the tank he was riding on.
No
Is this sentence grammatically sound: Robert Perelman crashed a family bar mitzvah and spent most of the celebration assessing Robert Cohen's capacity, who at the time was in a wheelchair.
No
Is this sentence grammatically sound: Hoping to garner favor, my parents were sadly unimpressed with the gift.
No
Is this sentence grammatically sound: To please the neighbors, some fireworks were set off a day early.
No
Is this sentence grammatically sound: When played on an SACD player, the listener will hear the exceptional audio resolution that only a DSD recording can provide.
No
Forward, backward, toward, etc.
No "s" goes on these words, except when somebody uses them in a direct quote.
What kind of sentence is this: Astronomers at the observatory in Palo Alto, California, said they used the new $27 milion dollar telescope to discover a planet circling a star about 23.5 light years fom Earth.
Simple
Who/Whom
To check for proper usage, insert "he" every time you have used "who" in a clause. Insert "him" every time you have used "whom."
Time
To indicate time, use figures and lowercase letters (9 a.m., 6 p.m.). Put a space between the figure and the letters. Exceptions are noon and midnight. Do not say 12 noon or 12 midnight. It's redundant.
First Mention of a Person
Use a person's full name and title the first time you mention him or her in an article. For example, write Don Swanson, professor of communication, not Prof. Swanson. Once people have been fully identified, refer to them by last name only.
Numerals (Ages)
Use numerals even for ages younger than 10. This is another exception to the aforementioned number rule. When used like an adjective, say X-year-old, include the hyphen. Otherwise, don't use the hyphens. For example: The 5-year-old girl kicked her brother, who is 8 years old, in the shin.
Awhile
Use one word when "awhile" serves as an adverb modifying a verb For example: "Please stay awhile."
As/Like
Use the word "like" as a preposition to compare nouns and pronouns. The word "as" is a conjunction ["and," "but," "for," etc.], so it is the correct word for introducing a clause.
A while
Use when the object of a preposition For example: "For quite a while, he wanted to buy a new smartphone."
Does this sentence follow AP style: The fire began Tuesday morning at 3325 McDonald Drive when a microwave full of rutabagas exploded.
Yes
Does this sentence follow AP style: The 25-year-old Chrysler Imperial was the only thing my father left me in his will.
Yes
Does this sentence follow AP style: Twenty-month-old Zuri Ford was wearing an extra thick diaper, which may have saved her life.
Yes
Does this sentence follow proper AP style: Right-handed females tend to live five years longer than left-handed females; Right-handed males live 10 years longer than left-handed males.
Yes
Is this sentence grammatically sound: Frozen in the top compartment, the company's refrigerator held microwavable lunches for 18 employees.
Yes
Is this sentence grammatically sound: Known for its aggressive litigiousness and scorched-earth public relations approach, church has made its latest target The New Yorker magazine, which in February published a 25,000-word article that painted Scientology as corrupt and cultish.
Yes
Is this sentence grammatically sound: In the loveliest town of all, where the houses were white and high and the elms trees were green and higher than the houses, where the front yards were wide and pleasant and the back yards were bushy and worth finding out about, where the streets sloped down to the stream and the stream flowed quietly under the bridge, where the lawns ended in orchards and the orchards ended in fields and the fields ended in pastures and the pastures climbed the hill and disappeared over the top toward the wonderful wide sky, in this loveliest of all towns Stuart stopped to get a drink of sarsaparilla.
Yes
Formal Titles
Capitalize formal titles used before a name. For example, write Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Use lowercase when formal titles follow a name (e.g., Jeff Sessions, secretary of state). General titles, such as astronaut Neil Armstrong, pitcher Corey Kluber and actor Matt Damon, are lowercased.
Names
Capitalize names of people, places or things to set them apart from a general group. These include proper nouns such as Mike, Canada, Hudson River, and St. John's Church. But use lowercase for common nouns (i.e. nouns not coupled with a proper name), such as the river or the church. Also, put a word in lowercase when you have more than one proper noun sharing the word. Example: Ocean and Monmouth counties. Capitalize the first word in a sentence.
Which kind of sentence is this: Prices for washing machines and solar panels are likely to rise while tens of thousands of Americans could lose jobs after President Trump's decision to slap hefty tariffs on imports of those products in a bid to aid U.S. manufacturers, industry officials say.
Complex
What kind of sentence is this: Facebook is fessing up to what many people have known for a long time: The giant social network can be bad for democracy.
Compound
Acronyms
Spell out abbreviations or acronyms on the first reference. For example, use Cuyahoga Community College the first time you refer to the college in a story. You may use CCC on any references made after the first. (AP makes allowances, however, for commonly used acronyms such as AAA, AARP, PTA, DNA, ABM, FBI, CIA, JPEG, GIF, NAACP, NCAA, NATO, NFL, NBA, ACLU or AFL-CIO.)
Percent
Spell out the word "percent" but use numerals for the actual number. Examples: Participation increased 5 percent. Nearly 28 percent of all students don't like algebra. Exception: You may use the % sign in headlines.
Either they or he _______________ going. a. is b. are
A
Mark enjoys watching the _______________ every night. a. "Wheel of Fortune" b. Wheel of Fortune
A
Martha placed a _____________________ on her daughter's knee. a. Band-Aid b. band-aid
A
Scripps Hall is a _____________ building where few of the journalism classes are held these days. a. 70-year-old b. 70 year-old c. seventy-year-old
A
The Creegans traveled ______________________________ on Interstate 75. a. north b. North
A
Does this sentence follow AP style: As a joke with her best friend, Miss Smith bet $150 that her younger brother weighed more than the Suzuki scooter he drove around Cleveland.
No
Does this sentence follow AP style: The state capital of Louisiana is located at 3722 Dagwood Rd.
No
Does this sentence follow proper AP style: Residents of Cuyahoga County may register to vote at the county clerk's office on Tuesday from 8 in the morning to 9 at night.
No
Does this sentence follow proper AP style: She was sitting in her living room at 11:30 p.m. Monday night when robbers burst into her home.
No
Does this sentence grammatically sound: After reading all of J.K. Rowling's books, the movies proved a disappointment.
No
Does this sentence reflect proper AP style: 10-month-old Brandi Ford was wearing an extra thick diaper, which may have saved her life.
No
Is this sentence grammatically sound: Like Albert Einstein once said, "all knowledge is relative."
No
States (Not Abbreviated)
Alaska Hawaii Idaho Iowa Maine Ohio Texas Utah
Months when Used with Days
Abbreviate months when used with days, and use numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) not ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, etc.). Exceptions are March, April, May, June and July -- write them out, don't abbreviate. For example, write Sept. 2, 2008.
Cameron's feature story should have included his _______________. a. by-line b. byline
B
Fill in the blank: Coach Gary sent Dr. Greg Johnson and Dr. Adrienne Green an ___________ to tell them that he had neither scheduled an appointment nor picked up his prescription. a. e-mail b. email
B
Fill in the blank: He ______________________ the rules. a. flaunted b. flouted
B
Fill in the blank: Tom Brennan borrowed Jim Schaefer's cellphone to call the theater's box office to make sure he could bring his _____________________ brother to see the film. a. eight-year-old b. 8-year-old c. 8 year old
B
He miscalculated the _____________ of his actions. a. affect b. effect
B
The average student at the Scripps School spends _______________ on meals each day. a. 20 dollars b. $20 c. $20.00 d. twenty dollars
B
The editor of The Wall Street Journal took steps to _________________________ accuracy of every story on President Trump. a. insure b. ensure
B
Which is correct? a. The meeting begins at 12 noon. b. The meeting begins at noon. c. The meeting begins at 12 p.m. noon.
B
Which is correct? a. The team, that finished last a year ago, is in first place. b. The team, which finished last a year ago, is in first place.
B
Which spelling is correct: a. curiousity b. curiosity
B
Which spelling is correct: a. debute b. debut
B
Which spelling is correct: a. delemma b. dilemma c. dilemna
B
Which spelling is correct: a. harrassment b. harassment
B
Which spelling is correct: a. interupt b. interrupt
B
Which spelling is correct: a. occured b. occurred
B
Which spelling is correct: a. resistence b. resistance
B
Fill in the blank: That is what it is _______ for. a. They're b. Their c. There
C
Some students were asked to report for Bobcat Orientation two days after _____________ . a. July 4 b. 4th of July c. Fourth of July
C
Sophomores began preparing for classes at Ohio University after a three-day seminar in _______________. a. Louisville b. Louisville, Ky. c. Louisville, Kentucky
C
When students go to Argentina this spring, they will go as part of ____________________ Jim Schaefer's class in Online Journalism. a. Prof. b. Professor c. professor
C
Which word is correct: The operation was performed by _____________ Louis Johnson and Francine Jones a. Doctors b. doctors c. Drs.
C
How many prepositions are in the following construction: She lost the diamond ring, which belonged to her grandmother, at the beach, and she drew a picture of it with a crayon as she tried to get help fom people in the area to do whatever she could to find the priceless heirloom. a. 3 b. 4 c. 5 d. 6 e. 7
D
According to the AP Stylebook, eight states are never abbreviated in either datelines or text. Which is not one of those eight states? a. Hawaii b. Idaho c. Alaska d. Alabama e. All are abbreviated
E
Which of these constructions is grammatically correct: a. If acquitted, J.P. Morgan would get the money. If convicted, the proceeds — projected by Chase Manhattan at $122 million to $300 million — would go to people who lost money in J.P. Morgan investment funds. b. Louisiana's population of nutria, once estimated to be the largest at 20 million, has fallen after instituting a bounty program for pelts. c. In this competition, a mutt is as welcome, if not more, than a purebred. d. More than some other large banks, Bank of America's fate is also heavily intertwined with that of consumers. e. As she crossed toward the pharmacy at the corner she involuntarily turned her head because of a burst of light that had ricocheted from her temple and saw, with that quick smile with which people greet a rainbow or a rose, a blindingly white parallelogram of sky being unloaded from the van — a dresser with mirrors across which, as across a cinema screen, passed a flawlessly clear reflection of boughs sliding and swaying not arboreally, but with a human vacillation, produced by the nature of those who were carrying this sky, these boughs, this gliding façade.
E
Which sentence is correct: a. The F.B.I. and the D.E.A. collaborated in mass arrests of major cocaine distributors in CA, TX, Hawaii, N.Y. and Ill. b. The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Agency collaborated in mass arrests of major cocaine distributors in California, Texas, Hawaii, New York, and Illinois. c. The FBI and the D.E.A. collaborated in mass arrests of major cocaine distributors in Calif., Texas, Hawaii, N.Y. and Ill. d. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the D.E.A. collaborated in mass arrests of major cocaine distributors in California, Texas, Hawaii, New York, and Illinois. e. None
E
Fill in the blank: There are __________________ people here than the organizers expected. a. fewer b. less
Fewer
Does this sentence follow AP style: Don't park the car on Rodeo Drive. Instead, park it at 112 E. Davies St.
Yes
Does this sentence follow AP style: During the 1970s, everybody wore bell-bottom jeans to church.
Yes
Does this sentence follow proper AP style: 2001 was a year most Americans won't forget.
Yes
