Perhaps the only thing more wonderful than getting a new book is when that new book is an AP Stylebook. As much as I enjoy getting my new Stylebook each year, I don't always love the changed entries. The over/under change in 2014, for example, sent me into a tizzy. It also seems like we just get used to a rule and it changes. This year's … [Read more...]
Why I Force My Students to Learn AP Style
I've been called the "AP Style Nazi" and, frankly, I'm just fine with that. The unflattering nickname originated because I force students in all of my writing classes to learn Associated Press Style, and I quiz them on it weekly. My goal is for students to at least know what the AP Stylebook contains. Ideally they will memorize entries they … [Read more...]
June Means AP Stylebook Changes
Just when we think we grasp more AP Style than we’re confused by, the Associated Press goes and changes it. Perhaps they’re just trying to make sure we’re paying attention? The Associated Press made their annual announcement of changes to the 2016 AP Stylebook at the annual ACES conference. The changes include the adoption of 250 new or … [Read more...]
AP Changed the Internet
The internet is no longer a formal place. The Associated Press made their annual announcement of changes to the 2016 Stylebook at this week's ACES conference. The biggest changes were to web-related terms. Internet and web both will be lowercase, starting June 1. The current Stylebook rule calls for Internet to be capitalized because it is … [Read more...]
Nerd Note: Writing Academic Titles
Is it Professor Kenna Griffin or professor Kenna Griffin? If you chose the first one, you're correct. When writing academic titles, you capitalize and spell out formal titles when they precede a name. You lowercase them elsewhere, according to the Associated Press Stylebook. The rule is the same as that regarding short and long … [Read more...]
Nerd Note: Using Its Correctly
This Nerd Note addresses one of my biggest pet peeves—the inappropriate use of the possessive its. It's means it is or it has. For example, It's cold outside. There is no possessive form of its. So, unless you mean it is or it has, you never use the apostrophe with its. For example, Is the sock with its mate? Remember that … [Read more...]
Nerd Note: Writing Web Words
We don't really call the Internet the World Wide Web anymore, but we do still write a lot of web-related words. For example, website, webcam, webcast, and webmaster all are one word. If you are including a website's address (URL) in a story, use the entire address. For example, https://www.profkrg.com. But Web is capitalized when referring to … [Read more...]