Grammar Issues
What is the capitalization rule for video games and movies? They can have different rules...
Guitar Hero (capitalized, not in quotations)
"Star Wars" (both capitalized and in quotations)
Are DUI and DWI interchangeable terms?
Yes.
What is the difference between "canvas" and "canvass"?
Canvas = (n) a heavy cloth
Canvass = (n) a survey or (v) or collect survey results
When is city council capitalized?
When part of a proper name: the Sioux Center City Council
Which of the following words, alter or altar, is used in a religious service and which is a verb meaning "to change"?
Alter = to change
Altar = table-like platform used for religious services
Which is correct?
The 5-foot-6 woman...
The five-foot-six woman...
The 5-ft-6 woman...
The 5 foot 6 woman...
The 5 ft 6 woman...
The 5-foot-6 woman
Is detective ever abbreviated or capitalized?
Abbreviated = no.
Capitalized = yes, when used before a name. Example: Detective Johnson
What's the difference between "differ from" and differ with"?
Differ from = to be unlike
Differ with = to disagree
How are Colorado and South Dakota abbreviated in a dateline?
Colorado (Colo.)
South Dakota (S.D.)
What eight states are never abbreviated?
Hint: Iowa is one of them.
Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah
When are directions capitalized?
When they refer to regions or regional attributes, such as "the Midwest" or "Southern accent."
List three cities that start with A - D that stand alone in datelines (they don't need their state identified).
Datelines are the locations separated with a dash from the rest of the story.
Ex. Omaha, Neb.--Insert Lede Here
Hint: There are 8 cities that start with A - D that do this.
Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver
What's the difference between "date line" and "dateline"?
Date line = the imaginary but literal line that separates one day from another (on the globe)
Dateline = Before a story where the place name, in all caps, is followed by the state, country or territory where the city is located.
Why can't a person say something is totally demolished or totally destroyed?
Demolished and destroyed already imply that something is done away with completely. To add totally is redundant.
How are court decisions written in a news story? For example, how would you write that the Supreme Court passed something with a vote of five people for and four people against it?
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4, a 5-4 decision.
According to AP style, which is correct?
The man is 55 years old.
or
The man is 55-years-old.
The man is 55 years old.
If hyphens were used, it would be: "The 55-year-old man..."
According to the AP stylebook, how do you write out the date that something occurred on?
(There are three ways that are correct.)
Do not use st, nd, rd, or th with dates, and use Arabic figures.
Always capitalize months. Spell out the month unless it is used with a day or day + year. Spell out if used with only the year.
When used with a date, abbreviate only the following months: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.
EXAMPLE: Classes begin Aug. 25. Purdue University was founded Dec. 6, 1869. The semester begins in January 2025.
What is the difference between affect and effect?
Affect = a verb, meaning "to influence"
Effect = a verb, meaning "to cause" or a noun, meaning "result"
Does dilemma refer to one or two problems?
Two. Dilemma means there's a choice between two unattractive alternatives.
What does the abbreviation NFT stand for and what is the rule for using it in a story?
non-fungible token = NFT
Rule: NFT is acceptable on first reference, but must be defined in the upper portion of the story and its meaning explained.
[FUNG] + [JUH] + [BUHL]
What is the grammar rule for using "a while" and "awhile"?
When used as a noun phrase ”a while” it typically follows a preposition.
Example: I think I'll stay for a while.
When it is used as an adverb, it takes the one-word format and follows verbs, never a preposition.
Example: If it's all right with you, I'll stay awhile.
What is the rule for how you write distances (in miles) according to AP style?
My flight covered 1,113 miles. The airport runway is three miles long.
What is the difference between agnostic and atheist?
Agnostic = believes it is impossible to know whether or not deities exist
Atheist = believes no deities exist
When referring to the holiday season, is it "Christmastime" or "Christmas Time" or "Christmas time?"
One word = Christmastime
PART 1: How do you write out a full address according to AP style? You can show this as an example.
PART 2: What three street types should you abbreviate? Think circle, boulevard, street, avenue, road, parkway, etc.
109 Morningside Circle
The only three that are abbreviated when the house number is used: Blvd., St., and Ave.