Ask the Editor Style Guidance
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 Smithfield, Virginia, on June 28, 2022
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Up to you on whether you want to follow our style.
Question from New Orleans, Louisiana, on June 25, 2022
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Question from Raleigh, North Carolina, on June 22, 2022
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If your audience commonly uses and understands the shorthand HIPAA, then it's fine to use.
Question from on June 22, 2022
What is a Public Private Partnership? (P3)
What is a Public Private Partnership (P3)?
Many thanks for your assistance.
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Question from Broomfield, Colorado, on June 01, 2022
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Question from on June 07, 2022
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Question from New York, New York, on June 07, 2022
I've reviewed the cryptocurrency/blockchain entry, but would just like confirmation/clarity on the following:
Any reference to a cryptocurrency, whether the blockchain technology or the coin itself, should now be lowercase. Before I believe the technology was capitalized, but coins were lowercase.
Thanks for the help!
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Question from on May 30, 2022
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Question from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 24, 2022
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Question from South Carolina, on May 17, 2022
1. She holds a Bachelor of Science in nursing from...
2. She holds a bachelor of science in nursing from...
3. She holds of Bachelor of Science in Nursing from...
Previous entries used #1 but a recent AP News story has all lowercase. Article link: https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-f5238ff1041bd730c66b7c38d61aa420
Thanks for any help on this!
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Question from on June 10, 2022
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Question from Boulder, Colorado, on May 16, 2022
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Question from Louisville, Kentucky, on April 19, 2022
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Question from Kalamazoo, Michigan, on April 14, 2022
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Question from Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 22, 2022
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Question from Washington DC, on June 08, 2022
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percent, percentage, percentage points
In casual uses, use words rather than figures and numbers: She said he has a zero percent chance of winning.
For a range, 12% to 15%, 12%-15% and between 12% and 15% are all acceptable.
Use percentage, rather than percent, when not paired with a number: The percentage of people agreeing is small.
Be careful not to confuse percent with percentage point. A change from 10% to 13% is a rise of 3 percentage points. This is not equal to a 3% change; rather, it’s a 30% increase.
Question from Williamstown, Massachusetts, on June 01, 2022
What is AP style when it comes to numbering but not ranking? Would it be "baby number three" or "baby No. 3" if referring to a child with two older siblings (but not necessarily two higher-ranking ones)? Thanks in advance!
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Question from on May 30, 2022
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Question from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on May 24, 2022
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Question from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 27, 2022
"I wanted to ask if there is additional information, documents, or resources you have access to."
Or,
"I wanted to ask if there are additional information, documents, or resources you have access to."
Should it be "are" because there are multiple things listed, or should it be "is" because the first listed item, "information," is singular. I also get confused because this list uses "or" instead of "and." I imagine that if this list used "and," it would be more evident that the verb tense should be plural.
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Or make it easier on yourself:
"I wanted to ask if there are additional documents, resources or other information you have access to." (Because this is a very simple series, we don't use the Oxford comma.)
And by the way, I have a Little Free Library here in Philly. Thank you for all you do!
Question from Bangalore, on June 23, 2022
Which is correct here? Do we apply "the expression 'the number of' takes the singular verb" rule here?
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Question from Denver, Colorado, on June 15, 2022
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If you are referring to that entity, use the singular verb: The City and County of Denver is planning a program to help people pay property taxes.
Note: Generally our style is to use lowercase: the city of Philadelphia. But I could see arguments for capitalizing in the Denver case when referring to the government entity. It helps specity the actual government organization and activities related to it, vs. general references to the area.
But if you're talking generally about Denver city and county, use lowercase. Or often simply Denver works.
Question from Tokyo, on June 07, 2022
Should we use a plural or singular verb here? Prevent or prevents?
"The shame and fear that they will not be believed prevent many male victims from speaking about their experiences."
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Question from Washington, District of Columbia, on May 26, 2022
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I'd rephrase it, which has the added benefit of making people sound more like people. Staff members at the hospital ...
Question from Chula Vista, California, on June 28, 2022
Various sources say he came from Bristol, England; or perhaps he was the son of a local man with connections to the provincial governor; alternatively, he was raised in Jamaica by respectable English parents and trained as a mariner.
Thank you!
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But I think breaking it into three sentences would be equally effective in a literary sort of way. That would have the added benefit of being easier for busy and easily distracted readers to read. I may be feeling particularly busy and easily distracted today.
Note: When began trying to break it into three sentences, I realized that it's not clear what the "various sources" are saying. The way it reads (either with the semicolons or as three sentences), the various sources are talking about Bristol, England. Then the next two possibilities have no attribution.
Here's another version:
His background is a bit unclear. Some say he came from Bristol, England. Others think he was the son of a local man with connections to the provincial governor. Or maybe he was raised in Jamaica by respectable English parents and trained as a mariner.
Another note: I hesitate about "respectable" in the last segment.
Question from Williamstown, Massachusetts, on June 16, 2022
- The Skeptics Guide to Acupuncture
- The Skeptics' Guide to Acupuncture
- The Skeptic's Guide to Acupuncture
It seems like it would be a descriptive phrase (option 1), but it somehow seems off. Does it make a difference if "The" describes "Skeptic" rather than "Acupuncture"?
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Question from on June 16, 2022
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Question from on June 12, 2022
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ranked choice voting
Question from New York, New York, on June 10, 2022
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From the hyphen entry:
MULTIPLE COMPOUND MODIFIERS: If the phrase is easily recognized without hyphens, use a hyphen only to link last element: They hope to spark consumer interest in department store-based shopping. She said assistant vice president-managed courses should include real estate licensing-related materials. (Again, rephrasing may be a better option.)
Question from Longmont, Colorado, on April 08, 2022
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