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Last Seven DaysQuestion from Loudonville, N.Y. on Jun 05, 2014
The Wall Street Journal uses the following example minus the hyphens. Does this look okay? "Equipment financing is a $750 billion to $800 billion a year industry." Thanks!!!!
Answer
Correct. See the millions, billions entry for guidance.
Answer
Part of that guidance that's not spelled out is: What are some uses that might lead to confusion? We often avoid putting capitalized words together in usages such as Firefighters Monday rescued ... or Firefighters Oct. 14 rescued ... because it almost looks like there's a thing called Firefighters Monday. That's different from a sentence such as He is going home Tuesday. In that sentence, the on definitely isn't needed.
Question from Liverpool, NY on Oct 20, 2017
I see there is a stylebook entry for "couple of," but what about "all of"? Are these synonymous?
Answer
No, it's not the same rule. In most cases, either all or all of is correct.
Question from Denver, CO on Oct 20, 2017
Is it okay to end a sentence with a prepositional phrase such as the following: "I made do with video games and surfing the web for the evening."
Thank you!
Thank you!
Answer
Yes, that's just fine.
Question from Maryland on Oct 20, 2017
If I am writing about an event spanning multiple days, should it be a hypen or an alternative marking. "The event is Saturday-Sunday."
Answer
Often a hyphen works just fine: The event is Oct. 21-22. But days of the week look a little off in that format. How about: The event is Saturday and Sunday.
Question from Scottdale, GA on Oct 20, 2017
AP lists bread-and-butter for the adjective. What about when it isn't one? Is it: This is her bread and butter or this is her bread-and-butter?
Answer
I'd go with This is her bread and butter.
Question from NEW YORK, NY on Oct 20, 2017
Our editors can't agree on whether the word "a" should be used once or twice in the following sentences:
1: She purchased a bag and a jacket.
2: she purchased a bag and jacket.
1: She purchased a bag and a jacket.
2: she purchased a bag and jacket.
Answer
Either is fine.
Question from NEW YORK, NY on Oct 20, 2017
Our editors can't agree on how the following sentence should be written. The sentences are supposed to point out two different types of Christmas ornaments. Can you help us settle which sentence is correct? See below:
Version 1: She also stuck with simple ornaments in both neutral and metallic tones.
Version 2: She also stuck with simple ornaments neutral and metallic tones.
Version 1: She also stuck with simple ornaments in both neutral and metallic tones.
Version 2: She also stuck with simple ornaments neutral and metallic tones.
Answer
Version 1 is good.
Question from TRUCKEE, CA on Oct 20, 2017
Sierra or Sierras? Since Sierra means range of mountains in Spanish we often cringe at the pluralization of it, but that may just be a local preference.
Answer
It's not just a local preference. We have this entry:
Sierra Nevada, the Not Sierra Nevada mountains or Sierra Nevada mountain range. (Sierra means mountain range.)
Usually we use the full name in all references. But if the context is clear, the Sierra or the northern Sierra or such is fine on second reference.
Sierra Nevada, the Not Sierra Nevada mountains or Sierra Nevada mountain range. (Sierra means mountain range.)
Usually we use the full name in all references. But if the context is clear, the Sierra or the northern Sierra or such is fine on second reference.
Question from on Oct 20, 2017
Please settle a disagreement. Is it "fire line" or "fireline"? The only reference in the stylebook is the use of "fireline" in the backfire entry. Thanks. Kathleen
Answer
Thanks for noting this. We are using fire line. We'll get the backfire entry fixed to conform.
Question from medina, MN on Oct 20, 2017
"I am waiting on Jim to arrive" or "I am waiting for Jim to arrive"?
Answer
Waiting for is more commonly used.
Question from Parker, CO on Oct 19, 2017
When referring to the military in general (they all served in the United States Military) ... should military be capitalized? Or should it be lowercase?
Answer
Lowercase, since it's not a proper name.
Question from Plymouth Meeting, PA on Oct 19, 2017
Should publications of online outlets such as Bloomberg and Reuters be italicized?
Answer
No, just as newspaper or magazine names aren't italicized or put in quote marks.
Question from Duluth, MN on Oct 19, 2017
Has the guidance on Energy Star changed? Is it still Energy Star or is it ENERGY STAR? I can see using it all caps in advertising or promotional copy, but I'm wondering about how to use it in other types of narratives. Thanks!
Answer
We use Energy Star as the style in all cases.
Answer
Putting the date in that part of the sentence creates a number of problems. You're better off to rephrase. For instance:
On Oct. 14, firefighters rescued four climbers who had been stranded on Mount Rainier for three days.
Firefighters on Oct. 14 rescued four climbers who had been stranded on Mount Rainier for three days.
On Oct. 14, firefighters rescued four climbers who had been stranded on Mount Rainier for three days.
Firefighters on Oct. 14 rescued four climbers who had been stranded on Mount Rainier for three days.
Question from Missoula, MT on Oct 19, 2017
When referencing an endowed dean, should it capitalized? Ex.) ... the Sprunk and Burnham Endowed Dean of the School of Business ... (or) ... the Sprunk and Burnham endowed dean of the School of Business?
Answer
Lowercase endowed dean in that usage, just as you'd lowercase the president of the United States or the governor of Maryland.
Question from Austin, TX on Oct 19, 2017
Which is correct? In this instance, the writer is trying to convey that it could be one organization that needs to step up, but it could also be more than one organization.
1. Creating the group requires a separate organization(s) to step up.
2. Creating the group requires separate organization(s) to step up.
Answer
How about: Creating the group requires one or more organizations to step up.
Question from Austin, TX on Oct 19, 2017
I believe you incorrectly answered this question:
QUESTION from lakeland, Fla. on Sep 01, 2015
QUESTION from lakeland, Fla. on Sep 01, 2015
ANSWER On first reference, The New York Times. On second reference, the Times is acceptable: The event will feature author John Smith, whose books were twice on The New York Times best-seller list. John Smith, whose book was No. 1 on The New York Times best-seller list, will be featured. The author has written 15 books, all listed as best-sellers by the Times.
This is less a question about first and second reference than it is about whether to use the "The" when there is an adjective right before the name. Recasting may be optimal, but it's not always an option and you have to run "a two-time New York Times best-selling author" where "New York Times is acting as an adjective; "a two-time The New York Times best-selling author" would sound terrible. Also, in the example you give, the "The" instances in bold above are not part of the name. "New York Times" is acting as the adjective and "the" is an article required as part of the sentence. It's like saying "I watched the Sopranos television show" and "I watched The Sopranos." Both are correct. The article is not acting as part of the name in the first instance. It should be able to stand alone without the adjective: "whose books were twice on the best-seller list." Anyway, this question as posed by the user comes up a lot and I think you should change your answer to reflect the actual question.
This is less a question about first and second reference than it is about whether to use the "The" when there is an adjective right before the name. Recasting may be optimal, but it's not always an option and you have to run "a two-time New York Times best-selling author" where "New York Times is acting as an adjective; "a two-time The New York Times best-selling author" would sound terrible. Also, in the example you give, the "The" instances in bold above are not part of the name. "New York Times" is acting as the adjective and "the" is an article required as part of the sentence. It's like saying "I watched the Sopranos television show" and "I watched The Sopranos." Both are correct. The article is not acting as part of the name in the first instance. It should be able to stand alone without the adjective: "whose books were twice on the best-seller list." Anyway, this question as posed by the user comes up a lot and I think you should change your answer to reflect the actual question.
Answer
You are correct. Thanks very much for pointing this out. We will correct the previous answer.
Question from Chicago, IL on Oct 19, 2017
"3 Types of Desserts," or "3 Types of Dessert?" When I substitute with another noun (e.g. types of books) the plural makes sense, but I'm questioning it in the first example. Is there a countable/noncountable noun rule at play I'm missing? Thanks!
Answer
That's an excellent idea about the countable/noncountable issue. Your theory seems on target. Dessert can be a noncountable noun, so go with the singular. Also, note that our style would call for three to be written as a word, not a numeral, in this usage.
Answer
There isn't a difference. We'll delete the answer referring to non-cigarette. Thanks for pointing it out.
Question from Fort Wayne, IN on Oct 19, 2017
We would appreciate some clarification on "phases." Our city has a started a project that will be done in phases. Should it be Phase 1, Phase One, Phase II, phase 1, phase one, phase II?
Answer
We've discovered that the guidance on this point is a bit contradictory, and we'll be addressing that in the coming months. For now, either is OK!
Question from Issaquah, WA on Oct 18, 2017
If a person is from Lithuania and living in the U.S., would he be a Lithuanian emigrant since he emigrated from Lithuania? Or a Lithuanian immigrant since he is living in the U.S.?
Answer
Both, although we'd most likely use the latter, since the focus probably would be on his life in the United States after he immigrated.
Question from Cassopolis, MI on Oct 18, 2017
Which is correct: "A 1.5-inch slot around its outside edge..." or "A 1 1/2 inch slot around its outside edge..."?
Answer
Use 1.5 inch. The Stylebook says, "Use figures for precise amounts larger than 1, converting to decimals whenever practical."
Question from Cassopolis, MI on Oct 18, 2017
Re: dimensions, is this correct format? "...features a wire-covered nesting area, 10 feet by 50 feet on shore, along with a 16-foot-square extension that protrudes into the lake and then drops 16 inches below the surface."
Answer
The punctuation in both cases is correct. But typically the phrasing is 16-square-foot extension, not 16-foot-square.
Question from New Jersey on Oct 18, 2017
Computer viruses or cyberrattacks that have names -- such as the Petya and WannaCry ransomware attacks -- name is capped, but do they go in quotes? WannaCry ransomware or "WannaCry" ransomware? Thanks!
Answer
The AP does not place quotes around ransomware names. To quote the Stylebook: "If punctuation does not help make clear what is being said, it should not be there."
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