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