Jun, 2019 ages are like every other compound modifier that way. Styleguard features with the associated press stylebook collection avoid using redundant or overused words. The charttopping hits were played on the radio all day. Ap stylebook changes hyphen guidance, ushering in total chaos. Jan 17, 2014 a compound adjective is two or more words that join together to modify a noun. Ap style doesnt suggest hyphenating percentages and, in fact, suggests keeping hyphenation to a minimum. Taken from the 2012 ap style guide, and the 2010 yahoo. Updated regularly since its initial publication in 1953, the ap stylebook provides fundamental guidelines for spelling, language, punctuation, usage and journalistic style.
For items not covered in this district style guide, refer to the ap stylebook and websters new world college dictionary. Apr 03, 2018 the associated press stylebook advises us to hyphenate well in a compound modifier both when it precedes a noun and when the compound follows the verb to be. Its mobile optimized so you can use it on your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet. According to the online ap stylebook, but when a modifier that would be hyphenated before a noun occurs instead after a form of the verb to be, the hyphen usually must be retained to avoid confusion. The ap stylebook, the goto authority guide for all things grammar and punctuation, recently offered new recommendations on hyphens. Cite examples of modifiers that are not commonly recognized as one phrase and where the meaning is unclear and ambiguous without the hyphen. The sharpest of editors can end up debating whether hyphenation is a must in a given. Now in its sixth edition, the stylebook is the standard style. Use a hyphen to link all the words in the compound, except the adverb very and all adverbs ending in ly. May 07, 2009 the associated press was founded more than 150 years ago and now has thousands of employees working in more than a hundred countries for a readership that numbers in the millions. The guidelines help writers present clear and concise information with consistent structure to keep readers focused.
Aps rationale is that retaining the hyphen in compound modifiers after the noun helps avoid confusion. His yellowgreen teeth were visible beneath a saltandpepper mustache. In the ap stylebook entry, century is lowercase with the ordinal number. Be warned, however, that there are still a lot of conservative editors out there who believe just the opposite and go overboard on the use of hyphens in compound modifiers. One of the most common hyphen problems in submitted articles is the lack of a hyphen for compound modifiers.
Follow extra with a hyphen when it is part of a compound modifier describing a condition beyond the usual size, extent or degree. We lowercase administration as a generic term the newsom administration, like the ap. In western society, health care is one of the primary concerns of daytoday life for many people. Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of ap style.
If you have a hyphen in a headline, is the word after the hyphen capitalized. Ap stylebook online is a searchable, customizable resource for writers and editors. Sep 25, 2019 we updated our hyphen guidance this year to say no hyphen is needed in a compound modifier if the modifier is commonly recognized as one phrase, and if the meaning is clear and unambiguous without. Put commas after the day of the week, the month and the year. Hyphenating this particular part of speech can be a challenge, so apa style has some basic guidelines to follow in these situations. If the modifier comes sometime after the noun, a hyphen is not needed. Mar 07, 2020 generally, those who follow the chicago manual of style chicago style spell out numbers through one hundred, while those who follow the associated press stylebook ap style or the publication manual of the american psychological association apa style spell out singledigit numbers. Some rules and common errors around compound modifiers. Other style guides, such as the chicago manual of style cmos, use an en dash without spaces instead. Thats no surprise given that the 2015 edition almost exceeds 600 pages. The a, an entry says use the article a before consonant sounds. Ap, like many other style manuals, wants the clarity of a wellknown speaker as a hyphenated compound modifier before the noun, but also wants as a speaker, she is well known, without the hyphen, when it comes after the noun.
The longer a language is spoken and written, the more it changes. The chicago manual of style online is the venerable, timetested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. Could the answer to that last conundrum why we dont say tie a yellow ribbon round the oak old tree be that trees are primarily classified as types oak, maple, pine, et al. The most recent edition of this style guide is kept at the circulation desk and must be used within the library. Mar 27, 2020 for many of your style and citation questions, its best to go straight to the source. Compound adjectives are two or more connected words acting as one modifier e. Such combinations are generally not hyphenated if they occur after a noun. Ap style does not call for a comma before a conjunction in a simple series, but does allow it for complex series or where an integral element of the series requires a conjunction.
Wed use the hyphen in communitybased organizations. In a march stylebook update, froke said, the ap noted the difference between commonly recognized noun phrases and compound modifiers in. Ap would spell out numerals under 10, even for grade levels. Find a copy of the most recent ap style guide at the circulation desk.
It should be noted that the rules can be a bit wishy washy for example the hyphen is optional in most cases, a matter of taste, judgment and style sense. Styles are taken from the 2017 ap stylebook and defense imagery style guide, along with established army public affairs style ar 3601. Are we hyphenating well the blue book of grammar and. As ap has added entries over the years, the stylebook has grown more useful and comprehensive, but also more daunting. Chicago style is to use the word for ages 100 and lower, and ap style is to always use the numeral for ages. Use a hyphen if its needed to make the meaning clear and avoid unintended meanings. Everything was going just fine on a sleepy wednesday afternoon and then the ap stylebook had to go and upset the apple cart with an earthshattering news bomb.
Examples include the ap stylebook aka ap style, the chicago manual of style aka cmos or chicago, the mla handbook mla or apa style. If there is no ap stylebook entry that covers a word or specific usage, we refer to the websters dictionary. Since they appear before the noun, they are hyphenated. With respect to this last correct example, the ap stylebook says, when a modifier that would be hyphenated before a noun occurs instead after a form of. The longestablished truth is that im addicted to sugar. Chicago style and ap style differ when it comes to ages. While the ap stylebook admits that there is not necessarily a standard. A hyphen is usually used in apa style when two or more words modify a common noun and that noun comes after the modifiers, for example, 7point scale or clientcentered counseling. In a march stylebook update, froke said, the ap noted the difference between commonly recognized noun phrases and compound modifiers in phrases. Last seven days of ask the editor associated press stylebook. Home healthcare or health care whats the difference. And if youre not writing for an outlet that adheres to ap rules such as bloomberg, which uses its own style, you lose precious practice. 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.
Answer questions such as should this be one word, two words, or hyphenated. Dates when months are used with specific dates, abbreviate the month. Among those guidelines was to omit a hyphen in a compound modifier if the modifier. The chicago manual of style is not set up like the associated press stylebook, meaning it doesnt contain, as ap puts it in its table of contents, an a to z listing of guides to capitalization, abbreviation, spelling, numerals and usage. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The associated press has a stylebook with rules and standards used primarily in journalistic and news writing. Hyphen, en dash or em dash which ones the right one to. The words yellow and green, and salt and pepper are adjectives modifying the nouns teeth and mustache. This doesnt mean all other words in the language are banned. An em dash, like an ellipsis, has a space before and after, except when used to introduce items in a vertical list. When multiple modifiers have a common base, the base can be omitted in all except the last modifier, but the hyphens should be retained. Writing center quick reference associate press style guide.
Compound modifiers are grammatically equivalent to singleword modifiers, and can be used in combination with other modifiers. It is optional in most cases, a matter of taste, judgment and style. How to use commas in associated press style pen and the pad. Associated press ap citation and style guides libguides. A number, a determiner, tells us how many items are in the set. The numbernoun modifier is placed before the head main noun.
When a compound modifier two or more words that express a single concept precedes a noun, use hyphens to link the words except very and adverbs that end in ly. Aps rationale is that retaining the hyphen in compound modifiers after the noun helps. Ap style guidelines for hyphen usage gatehouse newsroom. In order to avoid ambiguity, these words are usually hyphenated before a noun. Compound modifiers when a compound modifier precedes a noun, use hyphens to link all the words in the compound, except very or all adverbs ending in ly.
The associated press ap stylebook, which vela follows as its inhouse style guide, uses a hyphen with no spaces around it to indicate ranges jan. Specifically, i reported that ap is going lighter on them, arguing that if a hyphen doesnt do anything to make a compound modifier easier to understand, you can often ditch it. That is the reaction to a small change in associated press style that. The associated press stylebook advises us to hyphenate well in a compound modifier both when it precedes a noun and when the compound follows the verb to be. Here are seven hardtoremember ap style rules that send writers to their guides for a quick refresher. Specifically, i reported that ap is going lighter on them, arguing that if a hyphen. We updated our hyphen guidance this year to say no hyphen is needed in a compound modifier if the modifier is commonly recognized as one phrase, and if the meaning is clear and unambiguous without the hyphen. Ap sparks linguistic pandemonium with hyphen guidance update. Sep 25, 2019 this afternoon, some grammar lovers might react with another fit of furyor triumphalismas the ap stylebook is announcing another set of tweaks to its compound modifier guidelines that undo. A lot of stylebook entries do work this way, but the authors of the stylebook are giving us a little credit and figuring that we can tell which y theyre discouraging. A compound modifier refers to two or more words expressing a single concept. When a compound modifier two or more words that express a single conceptprecedes a noun, use hyphens to link all the words in the compound except the adverb very and all adverbs that end in ly. Buzzfeed publishes news and entertainment in the language of the web, and in our work, we rely on a style guide to govern everything from hardhitting journalism to fun quizzes.
But no hyphen is needed if the modifier is commonly recognized as one phrase. The simple rule for hyphenation with an adverb ending in ly, as stated in the chicago manual of style, is as follows compounds formed by an adverb ending in ly plus an adjective or participle such as largely irrelevant or smartly dressed are not hyphenated. Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. For example, words like the following require hyphens. The associated press stylebook and briefing on media law. Apr 12, 2016 associated press ap style rules challenge even wellestablished business reporters. The associated press was founded more than 150 years ago and now has thousands of employees working in more than a hundred countries for a readership that numbers in the millions.
These words work together to create a single concept that modifies a noun. Its updated throughout the year and valuable onlineonly resources, including ask the editor, topical guides and pronunciation guide, expand on the print book s guidance. It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. Perhaps, but the ap stylebook s former guidelines on compound modifiers the way of things before all this tinkeringdidnt actually dictate that they should always be hyphenated. Style guide, along with established army public affairs style, or common usage. General principle 2 in a temporary compound that is used as an adjective before a noun, use a hyphen if the term can be misread or if the term expresses a single thought i.
Ap sparks linguistic pandemonium with hyphen guidance. Ap style is designed to address the challenges of the organizations large size and readership. Use a hyphen to separate figures in odds, ratios, scores some fractions and some vote tabulations. When the number is two or above, the noun takes the plural form. Imho your first instinct was correct and a suspensive hyphen is required here, as you could say either 12inches tall or 24inches tall, hence the 12 to 24inches tall.
We hyphenate compound modifiers when it helps with clarity. Regular adjectives modify nouns all the time, but a compound modifier goes much further. A primer on ap style t he ap stylebook is the second most important book you will use as a journalist, after a dictionary. Conversely, most books and other formal publications and their style guides, including the chicago manual of style, do apply it cmos recommends using it sparingly. The ap stylebook is widely used as a writing and editing reference in newsrooms, classrooms and corporate offices worldwide. A full suite of products to help you stay in style, whether on your desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet. Ap wants hyphens to literally go the way of the oxford. This is the basic difference in how em dashes are rendered in ap style and chicago style. A compound modifier also called a compound adjective, phrasal adjective, or adjectival phrase is a compound of two or more attributive words. The rush to hyphenate cheryl haium on december 17, 2010 10. Fix style deviations that escape microsoft office spelling and grammar.
When i completed quiz 9 it told me that i finished quiz 8 at the bottom. A compound modifier is when two or more words that express a single concept precede a noun. A few weeks ago, cjr wrote about a disturbance in the force caused by what was perceived as sudden and inexplicable changes in the associated press stylebook s hyphenation guidelines. The 2019 ap stylebook features over 200 new and revised entries and a new chapter on health and science coverage. The noun takes singular form unless the noun exists as plural form only.
Last week the ap updated its style guide and sortabutnotquitekilled the rule on hyphens. Associated press style basics journalists resource. 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. Ap style dictates specific comma placement in a series and with dialogue, dates, numbers. When do you need to use a hyphen for compound words. As with commas, theres some wiggle room when it comes to deciding when and when not to employ the compound modifier hyphen. When she called her cats chardonnay, patron and guinness. According to the ap stylebook, the exception to this occurs when very begins the compound modifier. When twoword phrases are used frequently, they often become hyphenated or compounded. The article points out that many daily publications and their supporting style guides, such as the associated press stylebook, do not use the en dash for compound descriptors. Punctuating compounds that precede grammar and punctuation. Aug 28, 2019 apparently, the longstanding practice of inserting a hyphen in a compound modifier was reexamined and deemed unnecessary if the modifier is commonly recognized as one phrase, and if the.
If youre familiar with doing things a certain way based on chicago or mla, set those practices aside when youre writing for cbsi. While many style guides exist, communications generally conforms to ap style because this is most commonly used by media. On twitter, the stylebook s official account declared that hyphens were no longer needed for compound modifiers if the modifier is commonly recognized as one phrase, and if the meaning is clear. The associated press stylebook, first published in 1977, clarified the news organizations rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage.
Even though the guidelines were not sudden, and even though ap explained them thoroughly, people were upset. On twitter, the stylebooks official account declared that hyphens were no longer needed for compound modifiersif the modifier is commonly. A number and a noun may combine to quantify a characteristic of a noun. No hyphen is needed in a compound modifier if the modifier is commonly recognized as one phrase, and if the meaning is clear and unambiguous without the hyphen. Following are preferred styles and correct usages for written material at seattle public schools. The ap therefore strives to keep its writing style easy to read, concise and free of bias. Everything was going just fine on a sleepy wednesday afternoon and then the ap. Dont hyphenate a predicate adjective an adjective that complements the subject of a sentence and follows a linking verb unless the microsoft writing style guide specifically recommends it.
1033 1385 1439 1374 468 379 1173 1508 77 202 454 1161 718 1097 1114 904 1032 926 741 647 1275 698 694 541 1061 728 1439 1415 363 1609 1245 1649 1561 110 223 638 1123 294 912 1310 96 986 610 1195 612