Usage & Grammar
As a verb this word means "to influence" and is generally avoided as a noun.
It's often confused with a similar sounding word that only has one vowel different in its spelling.
Answer: Affect
Affect is used as a verb (affect change)
Effect is used as a noun and means cause.
Which is correct?
She was five years old when her mother died.
She was 5 when her mother died.
Answer: She was 5 when her mother died.
AP Style says that years old is generally understood and not necessary when talking about ages. Always use figures with ages.
Governor, senator and representative are political titles and should always be spelled out.
Answer: Wrong.
Political titles before a name can be abbreviated.
If you're speaking generically about people with this title, you'd spell out the word in a story.
Accommodate
Acomodate
Answer: It always takes two c's and two m's to spell accommodate.
Correct this address so it is in AP Style.
1000 North 9th Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65202
What is: With the abbreviations Ave. or Blvd.
Example: 1000 N. Ninth St., Columbia, MO 65202
Jefferson City is the Capitol, capitol, capital or Capital of Missouri?
Answer: capital
Capitol is the building in Washington or Jefferson City, and it is usually capitalized. Capital is the seat of state government and it not generally capitalized.
When writing about a height or dimension, you need to...
spell out in words.
always use figures.
Answer: Use figures for things that are measurable such as a height or dimension.
When referring to the President of the United States, you must always capitalize his/her title.
Answer: Wrong.
As a formal title before a name, it should be capitalized.
Which is correct in AP Style?
Adviser
Advisor
Answer: Adviser is spelled with the e.
The only months that aren't abbreviated in AP Style.
March, April, May, June and July.
This is where a person goes to await a trial before sentencing.
Answer: What is jail.
Jail is where a person goes before a trial.
Prison is where a person goes after being convicted and sentenced for a crime.
This range of numbers should always be spelled out in copy, according to AP Style.
You use figures for 10 and above or in measurements or ages.
Sports titles such as trainer, team doctor or coach are capitalized according to AP style.
Answer: Wrong.
AP rules say to capitalize formal titles before a name but lowercase job descriptions or field positions.
Which is correct in AP Style?
backward
backwards
Which is correct as an abbreviation for the European Union?
EU
E.U.
What is: EU (without punctuation)
This is different from rules about using periods for U.S. or U.N. as abbreviations.
She wasn't phased or fazed by the large, rowdy crowds at the concert because she had grown up going to many music festivals.
Fazed
Monetary units are typically written how?
What is: Figures and words.
Examples: 5 cents or $2 billion
These titles are often used by police departments and should be abbreviated according to AP Style rules.
Which is correct in AP Style?
gray
grey
Answer: AP's preferred spelling is gray.
AP Style uses figures for times except in two instances where words are necessary.
What are those times?
What is: noon and midnight.
AP says to avoid using midnight since the term is ambiguous. Noon doesn't need a 12 in front of it, but 12 p.m. is acceptable.
This punctuation is used for offsetting nonessential clauses in a sentence.
Answer: Commas
You use commas around phrases that start with which because that signals nonessential information.
Temperatures are typically written in figures according to AP Style, with one exception. What is it?
Answer: What is zero.
Example: It was 8 degrees below zero OR minus 8.
Long titles after a name should be separated by which piece of punctuation.
A comma.
Use the comma to offset the title and continue your sentence.
Example: Omar Robinson, the undersecretary for economic affairs, spoke at the convention.
Which is the correct spelling in AP Style?
Theatre
Theater
Answer: AP says to spell it theater unless the proper name is Theatre.
Journalists should always use acronyms on first reference in their stories
What is: Sometimes. It depends on the context and the acronym being used. FBI is always acceptable, for example.