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Ask the Editor: Highlights

Ask the Editor is a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the AP Stylebook. AP Stylebook editor Paula Froke fields questions posed by subscribers to AP Stylebook Online. Below is a sampling of recent questions Paula has answered.

Click on a topic below to learn more about AP style:

Question from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Nov. 18, 2024

How do I correctly write a 5K race on first reference, when it is not in a headline?
This is for a photo caption. 

Answer

It's a 5K race. Here's the entry:

K 


The K abbreviation is acceptable in headline and statistical references to kilometers, such as a 10K race; in baseball for strikeouts: pitcher records 12 K's; and monetary amounts in thousands: employee earns $80K

Question from Mc Lean, Virginia, on Oct. 30, 2024

Hello! When writing a quote in an article/press release or in dialogue or whatever, if the person says a date, like February 20, would you abbreviate it to Feb. 20? 

"I went to the store on Feb. 20," he said. 

I realize if it was quoted from written material we would just leave it as it was written.. just curious about how abbreviations would work in writing spoken quotes. Thank you!

Answer

Abbreviate it, following this section of the quotations in the news entry:

When quoting spoken words, present them in the format that reflects AP style: No. 1, St., Gov., $3. But quotes should not be changed otherwise for reasons of style. If the speaker says towards, do not change it to toward.

Question from on Oct. 22, 2024

Is AI OK on first use, or should it be written as "artificial intelligence (AI)" first?

Answer

We don't put acronyms or abbreviations in parentheses. Use the term artificial intelligence on first reference. Then simply AI on later references.

Here are two relevant entries:

Artificial Intelligence chapter

abbreviations and acronyms

Question from Washington, District of Columbia, on Sept. 17, 2024

Is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on second use, "NHTSA," or "the NHTSA"? I've seen different federal agency abbreviations treated with and without the article, even in the stylebook, and don't know how to determine which to use in each case. Thank you.

Answer

There's no specific rule. It's idiomatic. And sometimes, such an abbreviation is commonly used both with and without the article. NHTSA is commonly referred to without the article. The FBI is commonly referred to with the article. WHO and the WHO, not to mention AP and the AP, are commonly referred to either way.

Question from Grafton, North Dakota, on Aug. 27, 2024

How do you abbreviate a state when a Senator is listed as John Doe (R-ND or N.D.) or (D-Minn. or MN)

Answer

First, we lowercase the word senator (and any title) when standing alone as in your example. Our style is Sen. John Doe, R-N.D., and Sen. Mary Hernandez, D-Minn.  No parentheses and no postal codes.

The party affiliations entry gives more detail.

Question from Fredericksburg, Virginia, on Nov. 18, 2024

When writing about the core values upon which this country was founded, ...Value1, Value2, etc., are those values proper nouns/capitalized? Individual Freedom as opposed to individual freedom, Self-Reliance vice self-reliance, and so on. 

Answer

Lowercase. They're not proper nouns.

Question from Salem, Virginia, on Oct. 29, 2024

I thought the AP Stylebook used to include guidance on whether to capitalize "independent" in terms of political affiliation, but I no longer see that. My recollection was that it is lowercase. 
Ex: "The Democratic ticket is strong, as expected in the heavily Democrat city, but a Republican or independent might win that third seat."

Answer

I don't recall that we've had guidance. But if we did, it would be to lowercase independent.

Question from Plano, Texas, on Oct. 22, 2024

Can you confirm which response is correct for if the sequential designations rule applies to Year 1, Year 1, Year 3 ... ? The last response stated that the outdated response would be deleted but it doesn't look like either of them have been deleted. Should we capitalize Year 1, Year 2?

Answer

Yes, Year 1 and Year 2 should be capitalized in keeping with this section of the numerals entry, added a year or so ago:

Sequential designations: Generally use figures, but spell out ordinal numbers ninth and under. Capitalize the first letter for a single designation: Act 3, Exit 2, Game 3, Phase 1, Room 6, Size 12, Stage 3, Category 4, Type 2. Use lowercase for plurals: sizes 6 and 8, exits 4 and 5, acts 1 and 2, verses 2 and 9. It’s Verse 1 but the first verse; Game 4 but the fourth game.

The previous answers should now be deleted; not sure why that didn't happen before, but thank you for asking. In general, if there are discrepancies, go with the most recent response. But I do very much appreciate when people bring these to my attention. Going through item by item and updating everything would be a full-time job.

Question from Washington, District of Columbia, on Sept. 25, 2024

Greetings! Popemobile - capitalized or not? Is this even an accepted term? I'd imagine it comes up at least in quotes. It seems most AP stories have lowercased it. Thanks!

Answer

Yes, lowercase.

Question from South Carolina, on Sept. 14, 2024

Would you capitalize the categories in a pageant? Example: The Little Miss XYZ Pageant is Oct. 4. Children may be entered in the Wee Miss, Little Miss, Young Miss and Preteen Miss categories. My sense is to lowercase them, but I wanted you all to weigh in. Thank you!

Answer

We generally avoid excessive capitalization, and we lowercase sports divisions such as welterweight. But there are times when you need to do what makes most sense or "looks best," as odd as that may sound. In this case, not capitalizing wee miss or little miss looks a little off. I'd capitalize.

Question from on Oct. 18, 2024

Is it correct to write:  October 10, at 4:00 pm? Or can the comma be removed?

Answer

The comma can be removed. Our style is Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. (abbreviating the month when used with a specific date, and not using the :00)


months 


Capitalize the names of months in all uses. When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out when using alone, or with a year alone.
When a phrase lists only a month and a year, do not separate the year with commas. When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, set off the year with commas.
EXAMPLES: January 2016 was a cold month. Jan. 2 was the coldest day of the month. His birthday is May 8. Feb. 14, 2013, was the target date. She testified that it was Friday, Dec. 3, when the crash occurred.
In tabular material, use these three-letter forms without a period: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
See dates and years.


times 


Use figures except for noon and midnight. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 9-11 a.m., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Avoid such redundancies as 10 a.m. this morning, 10 p.m. tonight or 10 p.m. Monday night. Use 10 a.m. or 10 p.m. Monday, etc., as required by the norms in time element.
The construction 4 o'clock is acceptable, but time listings with a.m. or p.m. are preferred.

Question from Washington, on Jan. 31, 2024

What is the accepted way to reference a decade in AP style? Is it to spell it out (ex. 1960s) or can it be shortened (ex. '60s)?

Answer

Either is fine. The longer form is more formal and the shorter more informal, so use what's appropriate for your piece and your audience.


decades 


Use Arabic figures to indicate decades of history. Use an apostrophe to indicate numerals that are left out; show plural by adding the letter s: the 1890s, the '90s, the Gay '90s, the 1920s, the mid-1930s

.

Question from Casper, Wyoming, on Sept. 11, 2023

Hello Paula!

I have a question that is driving me crazy. Here is the sentence in question:

The event will begin with a social hour and cash bar, followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Cavigelli’s presentation will start at 7, followed by a live auction at 7:30.

The director of this event wanted :00 after 7. When I explained that that was not AP Style, she responded with an email that included a photo of her 2017 AP Stylebook and this comment: “My copy doesn’t specify that 7:00 is objectionable.  Please list it as either p.m. or :00.”
Help! Which is correct, per AP?

Thank you!

Answer

There's a line between following AP style to the letter, and doing what's necessary to keep the customer satisfied (within reason).

It's true that we don't say 7:00 is objectionable. But when we say our style is 7 p.m., it's implied that our style is not 7:00 p.m.

The good news: She gave the option of including p.m. and I think that's a reasonable option. In our heart of hearts, we think the p.m. is pretty apparent (the presentation wouldn't start at 7 a.m. following a 6:30 p.m. dinner). But including the p.m. dresses up the stand-alone 7 a bit and wouldn't strike most people as odd. 

So how about: 

The event will begin with a social hour and cash bar, followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Cavigelli’s presentation will start at 7 p.m., followed by a live auction at 7:30 p.m.

Or if the organizers are really in love with :00, then go with it. We need flexibility ...

Question from KANSAS CITY, Missouri, on April 14, 2023

Would there be a comma after 2021 in this: "between February 1, 2021 and February 22, 2023, the ..."
Thanks.

Answer

Yes, a comma after 2021. Also: In AP style, we abbreviate most months when used with a date. So our style is: between Feb. 1, 2021, and Feb. 22, 2023, the ...

Question from Austin, Texas, on Nov. 15, 2022

I see your entry on time but would like clarification. Which style would be best for this type of sentence: Join us from 9-11 a.m. OR Join us 9-11 a.m.
I typically like to use "from" and "to" when I use one or another. But I also like sticking to your style and using a hyphen. The "from" in the first example seems to make the sentence flow better.

Answer

Yes: Join us from 9-11 a.m. But, we also are just fine with no hyphen. See the end of the below section from the times entry. So you easily could write: Join us from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Use figures except for noon and midnight. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 9-11 a.m., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Question from Madison, Wisconsin, on Nov. 18, 2024

I am working on an infographic that uses a fraction. The proposed sentence is 'Over 2/3s of farmers...' 

This looks weird to me, but I may be stuck with the fraction in number form. Is the above correct? 

Thank you, as always, for your help.

Answer

I can't say if it's correct because we would never write that. Think of the poor reader/viewer. Doesn't it hurt the eyes? Presumably you don't want an infographic to hurt the eyes! I'd argue strongly for a few more characters and writing out two-thirds.

Question from on Nov. 09, 2024

I've seen a few entries on this, but from what I can tell, the five hours would be spelled out for numbers under 10. This refers to an amount of time, but I don't think it references a sequence. 

"Another trail near X Park, this hike should take nearly five hours to complete."
Thanks!
 

Answer

Correct. From the numerals entry:

For time measurements (seconds, minutes, days, months, years, etc.), spell out one through nine unless it’s an age. A six-year plan, but a 6-year-old plan. A five-month checkup but a 5-day-old baby.

Question from my couch, on Oct. 14, 2024

Previous questions about how to handle television seasons — Is "Season 2" capped? Does it use a numeral or word? — haven't gotten definitive answers. Would it be possible to add an entry creating a standard for this?

Answer

First, I like your location. Second, we added a sequential designations section to the numerals entry. Our style is Season 2.

Sequential designations: Generally use figures, but spell out ordinal numbers ninth and under. Capitalize the first letter for a single designation: Act 3, Exit 2, Game 3, Phase 1, Room 6, Size 12, Stage 3, Category 4, Type 2. Use lowercase for plurals: sizes 6 and 8, exits 4 and 5, acts 1 and 2, verses 2 and 9. It’s Verse 1 but the first verse; Game 4 but the fourth game.

Question from Annapolis, Maryland, on June 26, 2024

In legal and technical writing, I sometime see numbers spelled out followed by the Arabic numeral in parenthesis, e.g., fifteen (15) units. This seems anachronistic to me. What is the correct usage?

Answer

We don't do that in AP style. Other style guides might call for it in some types of writing. There's no "correct" usage. It's a matter of which style you follow.

Question from New York, New York, on June 25, 2024

Does the numerals in headlines rule apply to ordinals? 
"For Tesla's futuristic new Cybertruck, a fourth recall"

Answer

Yes. From the headlines entry:

— Use numerals; do not spell out numbers except in casual uses or formal names: hundreds instead of 100s; Big Ten; one of the first. Spell out ordinals under 10: first, ninth, etc. But: 10th, 23rd, 104th.

Question from Atlanta, Georgia, on Nov. 14, 2024

Can you help with this predicament with the word 'athletics.' We are crafting a leadership letter where there are multiple references to this word, but, in some instances, it seems natural/better sounding to use singular verbs, but in others, plural verbs sound better. The problem is the inconsistency that it presents. Here are some examples within this one letter:

Plural:
 
  • Intercollegiate athletics don’t exist in Europe.
  • Athletics are integral to our identity and history, and they are essential to our future.
 
Singular:
 
  • Athletics provides us with our largest brand advertisement and is among the primary means by which we engage our alumni and donors.
  • Athletics is by far the leading source of our brand promotion worldwide.

Is there any guidance you can give us?

Answer

In short: Don't worry about it!

The word athletics, like data and media, can take either a plural or a singular verb depending on how it's used. Use whatever sounds right to your ear in each sentence. I'm betting your readers won't notice the inconsistency because the verb agreement is often inconsistent with this one.

Our primary dictionary, Merriam-Webster, calls it plural in form but singular or plural in construction.

The Britannica Dictionary says the same, in its own words, and gives some examples:

 [plural] US : sports, games, and exercises that require strength and skill : athletic activities◊
Athletics is plural in form but is used with both plural and singular verbs.
  • College athletics attract students from a variety of backgrounds.
  • The coach believes high school athletics is in need of reform.

Question from Chicago, Illinois, on Nov. 13, 2024

When research and development is used as the subject, it is singular or plural? For example, "Our research and development ensure/ensures fast, state-of the-art systems that...."Thanks.

Answer

It depends on whether you want to view research and development as separate concepts, or one concept (like macaroni and cheese). Either way can be correct. I'd use the singular, since the two terms very often are used and even abbreviated as one.

Question from Kansas City, Missouri, on Nov. 08, 2024

Hello! I am struggling with the subject-verb agreement of this sentence: 

"A wide range of slopes helps make Colorado popular." 

Is the singular form of "helps" correct here? Is there any scenario in which the plural would be preferred? Thank you! 

Answer

I'd go with the singular here. That's the strict grammatical interpretation, with range as the subject. On the other hand, you could look at it from what's often known as a notional agreement perspective: What's the intended meaning, rather than what's the strict rule of grammar? A notional rewrite of that sentence might be something like: Slopes help make Colorado popular, and there is a wide range of them. From that perspective, the plural verb would work. But I think you're better off with the singular in this case. Or, rephrase the sentence to avoid the problem. 

Question from Madison, Wisconsin, on Nov. 08, 2024

In the following sentence, should I use "less" or "fewer"?

This award is presented annually to a physician who has completed pediatric infectious diseases fellowship training seven years or less/fewer from the award date.

Answer

This question could cause endless arguments among some grammarians. Technically, since years are countable, you many would say you should use fewer as is generally the case with countable nouns. But. Both I and our friends at Merriam-Webster agree that in this case, less is a better choice.

See this section in particular from the above-linked Merriam-Webster guidance: 


Exceptions to the Rule

Despite the rule, less used of things that are countable is standard in many contexts, and in fact is more likely than fewer in a few common constructions, especially ones involving distances (as in "less than three miles"), sums of money (as in "less than twenty dollars"), units of time and weight (as in "less than five years" and "less than ten ounces"), and statistical enumerations (as in "less than 50,000 people")—all things which are often thought of as amounts rather than numbers.

The use of less to modify ordinary plural count nouns (as in "made less mistakes") is pretty rare in writing and is usually better avoided, though it does occur frequently in speech.

But less is actually preferred in phrases like "an essay of 250 words or less." It's also—to the chagrin of some—the preferred choice in the supermarket checkout line's "twelve items or less" sign. (Some grocery stores have apparently been convinced by the chagrin, though, and use "items or fewer." They are still very much in the minority.)

Question from on July 01, 2024

"A group of Republicans in Congress has/have introduced a proposal"?

Does the answer depend on whether the subject of the sentence is "group" or "Republicans" (and in that case which is it)? Or is the answer determined by whichever word is closest to the verb?

Answer

A group ... has proposed. Yes, the subject is group and that dictates the singular verb.

Question from Hays, Kansas, on Nov. 13, 2024

Is the use of commas around a non-essential phrase necessary here? It's a caption for a photo of two men and one woman. Bill can have only one wife (which would normally make the name Cathy set off by commas).

"Bill socializes with his future wife Cathy and friend Kelly Howard."

Answer

That one is a bit challenging. My first thought was that unless Bill is planning to have two future wives at the same time, you need commas:

Bill socializes with his future wife, Cathy, and friend Kelly Howard.

But that could be read as if he were socializing with three people, at least for Oxford comma adherents. His future wife is one. The mysterious Cathy is the second. And friend Kelly Howard is the third. 

How about rephrasing: Bill socializes with friend Kelly Howard and his future wife, Cathy.

Not ideal, but probably the best option.

Question from Phoenix, Arizona, on Nov. 05, 2024

I am having difficult understanding the prefix entry regarding hyphens with the prefix "multi" ...
 Would it be multiyear or multi-year? Multijurisdictional? Multidisciplinary?

Answer

Multi- is included in the list of prefixes that generally take no hyphen. Thus, no hyphen in all of your examples. Here is the start of that list:

Three rules are constant:
  • Use a hyphen if the prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows begins with the same vowel. Exceptions: cooperate, coordinate, and double-e combinations such as preestablish, preeminent, reenact, reelect.
  • Use a hyphen if the word that follows is capitalized: un-American, for example.
  • Use a hyphen to join doubled prefixes: sub-subparagraph.
Here is the style for some commonly used prefixes. (Measurement-related prefixes such as centi- and milli- are listed individually in the book.)

In general, no hyphen with these prefixes except as noted in the above three rules:

(and multi- is in the list that follows)

Question from Williamstown, Massachusetts, on Nov. 05, 2024

Is the term "not-for-profit" hyphenated in cases where it doesn't precede the noun?
Which is correct?
The school is proudly not for profit.
The school is proudly not-for-profit.

Answer

That's a stylistic choice; there's no absolute right or wrong. I wouldn't use a hyphen when that term doesn't precede the noun. That follows this general guidance in the hyphen entry:

Many combinations that are hyphenated before a noun are not hyphenated when they occur after a noun: She works full time. She is well aware of the consequences. The children are soft spoken. The play is second rate. The calendar is up to date. (Guidance changed in 2019 to remove the rule that said to hyphenate following a form of the verb to be.)

Question from Sarnia, ON, on Oct. 28, 2024

Regarding conjunctions at the beginning of sentences ... comma or no comma?

Examples: 
But, that was not his trade.
Or, would you rather I shovel the snow?
And, you'll get a discount if you order now.

Should these sentences have commas after the conjunction or not?

Thank you, Editor! 

Answer

Adding a comma provides a bit more emphasis. Think of it as if you were saying the sentences out loud. Would you pause after the conjunction or not? Either can be correct. I think without the comma is more common, but that's just my instinct. The second sentence makes me think of a parent speaking to a wayward child:

Would you like to be nice to your sister? Or, would you rather do extra tasks for the next week?

Question from Pittsford, New York, on Oct. 27, 2024

Where do we stand with commas within commas? As in, commas used inside commas setting aside a nonessential phrase/clause? For example, would this be correct or should I use dashes instead of the commas to mark a nonessential phrase:
Interactions with intelligent software features, such as accepting or rejecting
spelling suggestions, or reporting spam, are anonymized.

Answer

I'd probably use dashes in this example:  Interactions with intelligent software features – such as accepting or rejecting
spelling suggestions, or reporting spam – are anonymized. 

Using commas instead isn't wrong. But using too many commas in one sentence can make it hard to read. You also don't want to overuse dashes, though. So take a look at the overall piece and be sure it's not filled with dashes.

Question from California, on June 26, 2024

This entry suggests the use of an apostrophe for "how-to's":
https://apstylebook.com/ask_the_editors/40160?sconvid=15849

But it seems that Merriam Webster omits the apostrophe ("how-tos"):
https://apstylebook.com/merriam_webster/merriam-webster-h-how-to-2?sconvid=15849

Can you please clarify?

Answer

We have one style; Merriam-Webster has another. Either can be correct. Choose the one you prefer. (We are generally, but not always, in synch with our primary dictionary. That's always been the case.)

Question from Corvallis, Oregon, on July 19, 2022

The official stylebook entry for FAQ says just that — FAQ. That entry was created in 2002. But an Ask the Editor response from 2020 says FAQs. Which is correct? Thanks in advance.

Answer

It's FAQ for one set of questions/answers: Please read the FAQ on track racing. If you have separate FAQs on different topics, it's FAQs: Please read the FAQs on track racing and mountain bike racing.

Question from Longmont, Colorado, on April 08, 2022

How should I pluralize PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substance)?

Answer

Our style is PFAS for both the singular and plural. Here's the entry.

Question from Pawcatuck, Connecticut, on Oct. 22, 2024

Hello! I would appreciate clarification the AP Stylebooks stance on "childcare" versus "child care." An older entry in the Stylebook says it should always been two words, but Merriam Webster says it is one word. Any updated guidance? 

Answer

We don't always agree 100% with our primary dictionary. In this case, our style is two words. Merriam-Webster uses one word. Either can be correct; they're just different styles. Up to you which you want to use.

Question from on Oct. 03, 2024

If AP is sticking with timeline as one word, contrary to the dictionary entry as two words, it would be helpful if you added a specific entry in the style section for timeline. 

Answer

Happy news: Merriam-Webster is changing to one word for timeline. That update should appear in the near future.

Question from United States, on Oct. 02, 2024

Is it half time, halftime or half-time when referencing a student or employment and not a sports-related term?

Answer

It's half-time outside sports contexts. Here's the relevant section of the prefixes entry:

half- Hyphenated combinations include half-baked, half-life, half-truth, half-moon, half-cocked, half-hearted (the latter a 2024 change). Two-word combinations without a hyphen include half dozen, half brother, half off. One word, no hyphen, for some words including halfback, halftone.

Also: halftime as a noun, in keeping with widespread practice in sports copy. But half-time as an adjective outside sports contexts.

Question from Evanston, Illinois, on Aug. 27, 2024

AP has changed guidance on using hyphens in anti constructions but has a number of exceptions. Should it be anti-tumor and anti-cancer, or antitumor and anticancer?

Answer

Our style is antitumor and anticancer, which is our general style for anti- and is the style used by Merriam-Webster for both of those.

Question from on July 15, 2024

Hi Paula and the AP Team,
Meriam-Webster closes both "countrywide" and "citywide". In a document that uses both words, how would you style "Kingdom wide" as a postpositive adjective? 
Kingdom wide
Kingdomwide
Kingdom-wide
Thank you!

Answer

Note the second part of that section of the suffixes entry. Could you rephrase?

-wide No hyphen for commonly recognized terms such as citywide, countywide, statewide, storewide, worldwide. But use a hyphen — or don’t use the construction at all — when combining with a proper noun and/or when the unhyphenated form would be awkward or hard to read, such as hospitalwide, NASAwide, Europewide. Often, it’s better to rephrase.

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