Dates
Which date is written correctly in AP style?
A. February 14th, 2025
B. Feb. 14, 2025
C. February 14, 2025
D. Feb 14th, 2025
B
AP style abbreviates months with six or more letters when used with a specific date.
Which sentence follows AP Style correctly?
A. The meeting will be held on September 15, 2026.
B. The meeting will be held on Sept. 15, 2026.
C. The meeting will be held on Sept 15, 2026.
D. The meeting will be held on September. 15, 2026.
✅ Answer: B.
Because September is used with a specific date, it should be abbreviated to Sept. and include a period. The other choices either spell out the month incorrectly for AP Style, omit the period, or place the period incorrectly.
A. The conference will be held in Phoenix, Arizona.
B. The conference will be held in Phoenix, Ariz.
C. The conference will be held in Phoenix AZ.
D. The conference will be held in Phoenix, AZ.
Answer: ✅ B. The conference will be held in Phoenix, Ariz.
Explanation:
In AP Style, certain state names are abbreviated when used with a city. Arizona is abbreviated as Ariz.
Which sentence follows AP Style correctly?
A. The company hired 7 employees last month.
B. The company hired seven employees last month.
C. The company hired 07 employees last month.
Answer: B. The company hired seven employees last month.
Explanation: In AP Style, numbers one through nine are spelled out, while 10 and above are written as numerals.
1. Which sentence follows AP style correctly for a day of the week?
A. The meeting will be held on Tues. at noon.
B. The meeting will be held on Tuesday at noon.
C. The meeting will be held on Tue. at noon.
D. The meeting will be held on TUESDAY at noon.
✅ Answer: B
Explanation: In AP style, days of the week are generally spelled out when used alone in text. Abbreviations such as "Tue." or "Tues." are only used in some date references, not in regular sentences.
Which sentence follows AP style correctly?
A. The meeting starts at 9:00 a.m.
B. The meeting starts at 9 AM.
C. The meeting starts at 9 a.m.
D. The meeting starts at nine a.m.
Answer: C. The meeting starts at 9 a.m.
Explanation: AP style uses numerals for time and lowercase a.m. and p.m. with periods. For times on the hour, do not use unnecessary zeros.
1. According to AP Style, when should a job title be capitalized?
A. Always
B. Only when it follows a person's name
C. When it comes directly before a person's name and is a formal title
D. Never
Answer C
Explanation: AP Style capitalizes formal job titles only when they appear immediately before a person's name. For example, Chief Executive Officer Maria Garcia. When the title appears after the name, it is generally lowercase.
Which sentence follows AP style?
A. The meeting is scheduled for April 5th.
B. The meeting is scheduled for Apr. 5.
C. The meeting is scheduled for April 05.
D. The meeting is scheduled for Apr 5th.
Answer: B.
Which month should not be abbreviated in AP Style, even when used with a date?
A. January
B. February
C. March
D. September
Which month should not be abbreviated in AP Style, even when used with a date?
✅ Answer: C. March
A. She moved to Miami, Fla., in 2024.
B. She moved to Miami Florida in 2024.
C. She moved to Miami, FL, in 2024.
D. She moved to Miami, Florida, in 2024.
Answer: ✅ A. She moved to Miami, Fla., in 2024.
Explanation:
AP Style uses traditional state abbreviations, not postal abbreviations. Florida is abbreviated as Fla. when paired with a city.
A. She has 15 cats and eight dogs.
B. She has fifteen cats and eight dogs.
C. She has 15 cats and 8 dogs.
D. She has fifteen cats and 8 dogs.
Answer: C. She has 15 cats and 8 dogs.
Explanation: When a sentence contains related numbers and one of them is 10 or greater, AP Style generally uses numerals for both numbers to maintain consistency.
A. The company was founded in the year of 1998.
B. The company was founded in '98.
C. The company was founded in 1998.
D. The company was founded during 1,998.
✅ Answer: C
Explanation: AP style uses years as numerals without commas. Writing "1998" is clear and correct. The phrase "the year of 1998" is unnecessary, "'98" is too informal for most news writing, and years should never contain commas.
Which is the correct AP style for noon?
A. 12:00 noon
B. 12 p.m.
C. Noon
D. noon
Answer: D. noon
Explanation: AP style recommends using noon and midnight rather than 12 p.m. or 12 a.m. to avoid confusion. The word is lowercase unless it begins a sentence.
Which sentence follows AP Style correctly?
A. The President of the company spoke at the event.
B. Company President Maria Lopez spoke at the event.
C. Maria Lopez, President of the company, spoke at the event.
D. The president Maria Lopez spoke at the event.
Answer: B
Explanation: In AP Style, a formal title directly before a name is capitalized. "Company President Maria Lopez" is correct. In choice C, "president" should be lowercase because it follows the name.
Which month should not be abbreviated in AP style when used with a date?
A. January
B. February
C. March
D. August
Answer: C. March
March, along with April, May, June, and July, is never abbreviated in AP style.
Which sentence is correct according to AP Style?
✅ Answer: B. Classes begin in September.
Explanation:
When a month stands alone without a specific date, it should always be spelled out. Since there is no date in the sentence, September is correct. Abbreviations are only used when a specific date follows the month.
Which state name should not be abbreviated in AP Style when used with a city?
A. Texas
B. California
C. Alabama
D. Nevada
Answer: ✅ A. Texas
Explanation:
AP Style does not abbreviate several state names, including Texas, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, and Utah.
Which sentence follows AP Style correctly for percentages?
A. Only five percent of employees attended the meeting.
B. Only 5 percent of employees attended the meeting.
C. Only five % of employees attended the meeting.
D. Only 5% of employees attended the meeting.
Answer: B. Only 5 percent of employees attended the meeting.
Explanation: AP Style uses numerals with percent. The correct format is 5 percent, not five percent or 5% (unless following updated AP guidance that permits the % symbol in some contexts; many AP Style exercises still test "percent" spelled out).
3. When should days of the week be abbreviated in AP style?
A. Always
B. Never
C. Only when used with a specific date in certain formats
D. Only in headlines
✅ Answer: C
Explanation: AP style abbreviates certain days of the week (Mon., Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri.) only when they are used with a specific date, such as "Mon., Sept. 14." Otherwise, the day should be spelled out.
Which sentence contains an AP style error?
A. The game begins at 7:30 p.m.
B. The store opens at 8 a.m.
C. The briefing starts at 10 a.m. Monday morning.
D. The concert ends at midnight.
Answer: C. The briefing starts at 10 a.m. Monday morning.
Explanation: AP style avoids redundancy. Since a.m. already indicates morning, writing"10 a.m. Monday morning" is unnecessary.
Which job title should be lowercase in AP Style?
A. Chief Executive Officer Jane Smith
B. Mayor John Davis
C. Jane Smith, chief executive officer, announced the plan.
D. Senator Amy Clark
Answer: C
Explanation: AP Style uses lowercase job titles when they appear after a person's name. Therefore, "chief executive officer" is lowercase in this example. The titles in A, B, and D appear before the names and should be capitalized.
Rewrite this date in AP style:
September 8th, 2024
Answer: Sept. 8, 2024
Remove the ordinal ending (th) and abbreviate September to Sept.
Which months should be abbreviated in AP Style when used with a specific date?
A. January, February, August, September, October, November, December
B. January, February, August, September, October, November, December only when paired with a date
C. All months
D. No months
Answer: B. January, February, August, September, October, November, December only when paired with a date
Rewrite the following sentence in AP Style:
The meeting is scheduled in Sacramento, CA, on Tuesday.
✅ The meeting is scheduled in Sacramento, Calif., on Tuesday.
Explanation:
AP Style uses Calif. instead of the postal abbreviation CA when a state is listed with a city.
4. Rewrite this sentence in AP Style:
Original: Twenty-two students attended the meeting.
Answer: 22 students attended the meeting.
Explanation: Numbers 10 and above should be expressed as numerals in AP Style.
4. Rewrite this sentence in AP style:
The event will take place on Thurs., March 15, 2027.
✅ Answer: The event will take place on Thursday, March 15, 2027.
Explanation: Since the day of the week is not being used in a shortened date format, AP style calls for spelling out "Thursday." The year remains written as numerals.
Rewrite this sentence in AP style:
The press conference will begin at 11:00 AM.
Answer:
The press conference will begin at 11 a.m.
Explanation: AP style uses lowercase a.m., includes periods, and drops unnecessary zeros when the time falls exactly on the hour.
Correct the sentence
John Doe the Principal, spoke at the event
John Doe, the principal spoke at the event
explanation when the name comes first the title is capitalized
Rewrite the following in AP style:
The event will take place on December 12th, 2026.
Answer: The event will take place on Dec. 12, 2026.
December is abbreviated when used with a specific date.
Edit this sentence according to AP Style:
"The conference starts on November 8 and ends on November 10, 2026."
What is the correct AP Style version?
The conference starts on Nov. 8 and ends on Nov. 10, 2026.
Explanation:
Since November is paired with specific dates (8 and 10), it should be abbreviated as Nov. according to AP Style. The abbreviation requires a period after it.
The company opened a new office in Columbus, Ohio.
✅ The company opened a new office in Columbus, Ohio.
Explanation:
In AP Style, Ohio is never abbreviated, even when used with a city name.
The soccer team won the match by a final score of three to one
3 to 1 scores the number is written out
The conference will begin on Mon., July 12, 2028.
✅ Answer: The conference will begin on Monday, July 12, 2028.
Explanation: AP style generally spells out the days of the week in regular text. Although abbreviations such as Mon. may be used in certain date references, they are not needed in this sentence. The year 2028 is correctly written as numerals without commas.
Rewrite the sentence so its correct
The game went into triple overtime so it didn't end until 12:00 a.m.
Midnight
Explanation: noon and midnight just get written out
Make a sentence using the proper way of writing a job title
Job Title, Person, action