猫咪社区

This style guide is the preferred style manual for 猫咪社区! Magazine and 猫咪社区! Media. It provides a reference to common words and terms used in 猫咪社区! Magazine and 猫咪社区! Media content听and information on style issues particular to the site and print publication. It is not intended to be a comprehensive manual of grammar and style.

The preferred dictionary is听. In M-W, the first spelling of a word should generally be used. The alternate style manual is the听. Generally, AP Style trumps M-W, but any style point mentioned in this guide overrules those publications.

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abbreviations and acronyms

An acronym is a word formed from the first letter or letters of a series of words: laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation). An abbreviation is not an acronym.

If using an abbreviation or acronym of an organization鈥檚 full name later in the piece, you can place it in parentheses, or include it using another method, after the first reference. If an abbreviation or acronym does not appear later in the piece, no need to use it on first reference. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates civil aviation. The debate over genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, is by no means limited to the United States. The AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) is made up of 56 national and international unions.

Names not commonly before the public should not be reduced to acronyms solely to save a few words.

Do not use abbreviations or acronyms that the reader would not quickly recognize. Avoid confusion by using abbreviations or acronyms that are unique. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms with multiple referents. For example: the VRA stands for the Voting Rights Act,听Veterans鈥� Recruitment Appointment, or Voluntary Repayment Agreement. Spell out names in those cases. (AP style)

See LGBT, LGBTQ.

adverbial phrases

Do not hyphenate adverbial phrases like听face to face,听step by step,听inch by inch: they met face to face,听she likes to take her projects step by step. However, hyphenate compound modifiers:听face-to-face meeting,听step-by-step approach.

ages

Always use figures: The girl is 15 years old; the law is 8 years old; the 101-year-old house. When the context does not require years or years old, the figure is presumed to be years. Do not use young woman, young man, or other subjective terms that diminish age and experience. Avoid elderly. If the intent is to show that an individual鈥檚 faculties have deteriorated, cite a graphic example and give attribution for it. Where possible, be precise.

Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun. Examples: A 5-year-old boy, but the boy is 5 years old. The boy, 7, has a sister, 10. The woman, 26, has a daughter 2 months old. The race is for 3-year-olds. The woman is in her 30s (no apostrophe). (AP style)

See stereotypes.

all

When used as a pronoun or adjective, all should be adjacent to the noun 颈迟鈥檚 modifying: We all are scientists now. Not: We are all scientists now.

Awkward: The cars all sold. Preferred: All the cars sold.

al Qaeda

American dream

antifa

An abbreviated term for activists in the antifascist movement.

anti-war

BCE, CE

Use BCE (鈥渂efore the Common Era鈥�) and CE (鈥渙f the Common Era鈥�) instead of A.D. (anno Domini, 鈥渋n the year of the Lord鈥�) and B.C. (鈥渂efore Christ鈥�). Place them after the year, and 诲辞苍鈥檛 use periods.

big business

Lowercase, but capitalize when referring to specific industries: Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Ag. Do not use names a reader would not quickly recognize.

brand names

When they are used, capitalize them. Brand names normally should be used only if they are essential to a story.

In general, use a generic equivalent: Heavily armed law enforcement officers attacked unarmed civilians with rubber bullets, pepper spray, and tear gas. She scrolled through photos on her smartphone.

Brands like Mace, Styrofoam,听AstroTurf, Coke, Windex, and Frisbee are usually unnecessary and often inaccurate.

BIPOC

If BIPOC appears in original content, ask author for specificity. If author prefers BIPOC, spell out on first reference. If BIPOC appears in quotations, republished content, or content with an inaccessible author, stet, spelling out on first reference.

board of directors

If title is functioning as a proper name, capitalize (猫咪社区! Board of Directors), but 诲辞苍鈥檛 capitalize as an adjective or noun (the board of directors for 猫咪社区! Media).

breastfeed

cell phone

Two words; an exception to AP.听

cities

Capitalize city if part of a proper name, an integral part of an official name, or a regularly used nickname: Kansas City,听New York City, Windy City, City of Light, Fun City.

Lowercase elsewhere: a Texas city; the city government;听the city Board of Education; and all city of phrases: the city of Boston.

Capitalize when part of a formal title before a name: City Manager Francis McGrath. Lowercase when not part of the formal title: city Health Commissioner Frank Smith.

The following domestic cities stand alone: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C.

All other U.S. cities should include state names.

See state names.

clearinghouse

One word.

company names

Follow AP except: Do not capitalize 鈥渢he鈥� before a company name. Do not include 鈥渢he鈥� if it is not part of the name.听

compose, comprise, constitute

Compose听尘别补苍蝉听to create or put together. It commonly is used in both the active and passive voices:听She composed a song. The United States is composed of 50 states. The zoo is composed of many animals.

Comprise听尘别补苍蝉听to contain,听to include all听or听embrace. It is best used only in the active voice, followed by a direct object:听The United States comprises 50 states. The jury comprises five men and seven women. The zoo comprises many animals.

Constitute, in the sense of听form or make up, may be the best word if neither听compose听nor听comprise听seems to fit:听Fifty states constitute the United States. Five men and seven women constitute the jury. A collection of animals can constitute a zoo.

Use听include听when what follows is only part of the total:听The price includes breakfast. The zoo includes lions and tigers.听(AP style)

composition titles

Apply the guidelines listed below to book titles, computer and video game titles, movie titles, opera titles, play titles, album titles, radio and television program titles, newspapers, magazines, journals, online periodical publications, podcasts, and works of fine art:

Italicize the names of all such works except the Bible, the Quran, and other holy books, websites and blogs, and books that are primarily catalogs of reference material. In addition to catalogs, this category includes almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, gazetteers, handbooks, and similar publications. Do not italicize publication titles when they appear in small text inside a caption or photo credit in a print product.

Capitalize the principal words, including adverbs, verbs, pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions of four or more letters. This includes As, Is, and It. Follow this rule for 猫咪社区! headlines. Capitalize 鈥渢o鈥� as an adverb (To and Fro) but not as an infinitive (to Become).

Capitalize an article鈥攖he, a, an鈥攐r words of fewer than four letters if it is the first or last word in a title.

Include subtitles of books on first reference only.

Apply the same guidelines but the first to the following titles: lectures, speeches, TED Talks, essays, short stories, poems, chapters, songs, podcast episodes, television episodes, journal/magazine/newspaper articles. Place name in quotes.

In general, a title is italicized if the source is self-contained and independent. A title is placed in quotes if the source is part of a larger work. Italicize the names of newsletters, as a self-contained, independent source. Place issue names in quotation marks: the 鈥淧ersonal Journeys鈥� issue.听

Use numerals for numbers in headlines that refer to steps, processes, or lists: 5 Ways Small Actions Have Huge Power.

Generally, do not include 鈥�.com鈥� in publication titles, unless the publication uses 鈥�.com鈥� as an official part of its name.

Use H2 for online subheads, not bolded text or H3.

constitution

Capitalize references to the U.S. Constitution, with or without the听U.S. modifier: The president said he supports the Constitution.

When referring to constitutions of other nations or of states, capitalize only with the name of a nation or a state: the French Constitution, the Massachusetts Constitution,听the nation鈥檚 constitution, the state constitution, the constitution.

Lowercase in other uses: the organization鈥檚 constitution.

Lowercase constitutional in all uses. (AP style)

court cases

Italicize court cases on all references, using “v.” (not “vs.”) to distinguish between plaintiff and defendant: Roe v. Wade; Brown v. Board of Education. Do not place court cases in quotes. For landmark rulings, first name is acceptable on second reference: Roe; Brown.

COVID-19

Follow AP guidance. Use COVID-19 on first reference; COVID OK on subsequent references and in headlines and decks.

Dakota Access pipeline

DAPL is acceptable on second reference.

dangling modifiers

Avoid modifiers that do not refer clearly and logically to some word in the sentence.

Dangling: Taking our seats, the game started. (Taking does not refer to the subject, game, nor to any other word in the sentence.)

Correct: Taking our seats, we watched the opening of the game. (Taking refers to we, the subject of the sentence.) (AP style)

deal breaker

(n.) deal-breaker (adj.)

directions and regions

In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction; capitalize these words when they designate regions.

Some examples: He drove west. The cold front is moving east.

A storm system that developed in the Midwest is spreading eastward. It will bring showers to the East Coast by morning and to the entire Northeast by late in the day.听Wildfires in Northern California spread quickly.

She has a Southern accent. He is a Northerner. Asian nations are opening doors to Western businessmen.听(AP style)

disabled, handicapped

In general, do not describe an individual as disabled听or听handicapped听unless it is clearly pertinent to a story. If a description must be used, try to be specific about the type of disability or symptoms.听An ad featuring actor Michael J. Fox swaying noticeably from the effects of Parkinson鈥檚 disease drew nationwide attention.听Disabilities are not necessarily injuries, and vice versa, although both can be described as听mobility issues.

Avoid descriptions that connote pity or condescension, such as听afflicted with听or听suffers from multiple sclerosis.听Avoid descriptions that infantilize and condescend, such as听empowers听or听uplifts disabled people. Rather,听has multiple sclerosis.

Some terms include:

blind:听Describes a person with complete or nearly complete loss of sight. For others, use terms such as听visually impaired听or听person with low vision.

cripple:听Considered offensive when used to describe a person who is disabled.

deaf:听Describes a person with total or major hearing loss. For others, use听partial hearing loss听or听partially deaf. Avoid using听deaf-mute. Do not use听deaf and dumb. Some object to the term听hearing impaired.

disabled:听A general term used for a physical, mental, developmental or intellectual disability. Do not use听mentally retarded.

handicap:听It should be avoided in describing a disability.

mute:听Describes a person who cannot speak. Others with speaking difficulties are听speech impaired.

wheelchair user:听People use wheelchairs for independent mobility. Do not use听confined to a wheelchair听or听wheelchair-bound. If a wheelchair is needed, say why.

Dreamer

Those undocumented immigrants protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA. The term Dreamer is based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act, which would have provided similar protections for young immigrants. The DREAM Act鈥擠evelopment, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors鈥攚as a federal proposal that offered many of the same protections as DACA but was never approved in Congress. Do not describe DACA as an executive action; it is an administrative program. If necessary, provide some context on first reference.

Earth

Capitalize when referring to the planet. Lowercase when referring to soil: The crops emerged slowly from the earth.

excerpts

Italicize excerpt information text at the end of online excerpted content.

farmers market

front line

(n.) frontline (adj.)

gender

Not synonymous with听sex.听Gender听refers to a person鈥檚 social identity while听sex听refers to biological characteristics. Not all people fall under one of two categories for听sex听or听gender, so avoid references to听both,听either,听or听opposite听sexes or genders as a way to encompass all people. When needed for clarity or in certain stories about scientific studies, alternatives include听men and women,听boys and girls,听males and females.听Language around gender is evolving and subject to a person鈥檚 preferences.

Some frequently used terms and definitions:

cisgender:听May be used if necessary to refer to people who are not听transgender in stories about gender, as a means to distinguish people from one another. Use only with explanation, such as cisgender people are those whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth. Do not use terms like normal to describe people who are not transgender.听Cisgender听refers to gender and is not synonymous with听heterosexual, which refers to sexuality.

nonbinary:听Acceptable in broad references as a term for people who do not identify (exclusively or at all) as women or men.听Some nonbinary people identify as both women and men, while some identify as neither.听The group is providing scholarships for nonbinary students.听When talking about individuals, be specific about how a person describes or expresses gender identity and behavior.听Roberta identifies as both male and female.听Not synonymous with听transgender.

intersex:听Term for people born with genitalia, chromosomes, or reproductive organs that 诲辞苍鈥檛 conform to typical definitions for males or females at birth.听Gonzalez is an intersex person. Zimmerman is intersex.听Do not use the outdated term听hermaphrodite.

gender confirmation or gender-affirming surgery: The treatments, surgeries, and other medical procedures used by transgender people to match their sex to their gender. The preferred terms over听gender reassignment or sex reassignment; do not use the outdated term听sex change.听Gender-affirming clinical treatment听or听gender confirmation surgery听is not necessary for people to transition their gender.听Balducci weighed whether to have gender-affirming surgery during his transition.

transgender: An adjective that describes people whose gender identity does not match the sex or gender they were assigned at birth. Does not require what are often known as gender confirmation procedures. Identify people as听transgender听only if pertinent, and use the name by which they live publicly. Generally, avoid references to a transgender person being听born a boy听or听girl, since describing someone as听transgender听speaks for itself and doesn鈥檛 take听intersex听babies into account.听Bernard is a transgender man. Christina is transgender.听The shorthand听trans听is acceptable on second reference and in headlines:听Grammys add first man and first trans woman as trophy handlers.

Do not use as a noun or refer to someone as a transgender, or use the term听transgendered. Not synonymous with terms like听cross-dresser听or听drag queen, which are not inherently related to gender identity. Do not use the outdated term transsexual. Do not use a derogatory term such as听tranny听except in extremely rare circumstances鈥攐nly in a quote when it is crucial to the story or the understanding of a news event.

Use the name by which a transgender person now lives:听Caitlyn Jenner. Generally avoid publishing a person鈥檚 previous name, unless unavoidable and directly relevant to the story.

Preferred: Caitlyn Jenner, who won the 1976 Olympic gold medal in the men鈥檚 decathlon…

Unnecessary: Caitlyn Jenner, who won a 1976 Olympic gold medal in decathlon as [former name] Jenner…

transition, gender transition:听The process by which听transgender people听change the physical characteristics associated with the sex or gender they were assigned at birth to those matching their own gender identity. May include gender-affirming or听gender confirmation听procedures, but not necessarily.听Washington is transitioning while helping his daughter consider universities. Chamberlain鈥檚 family offered support during her transition.

gender-neutral language

In general, avoid terms with gender bias, unless in direct quotes. Some examples: to man, manmade,听actress, right-hand man,听waitress, workman, handyman, heiress,听craftsman, everyman, wingman, and听freshman. Never use sexist or pejorative language:听soccer mom, trophy wife, gold digger, mama鈥檚 boy. See this for equivalent words.

Wrong: Volunteers manned the donation table.

Right: Volunteers staffed the donation table.

Wrong: About 8,300 more freshmen enrolled this year.

Right: About 8,300 more first-year students enrolled this year.

See stereotypes.

GMO

Genetically modified organism. GMO is acceptable on second reference. Refers to food grown from seeds that are genetically engineered in a laboratory. (AP style)

grassroots

(n. and adj.) One word.

a handful of

Use this phrase to indicate a physical quantity that fills the hand. Acceptable sometimes for abstract concepts: He had a handful of reasons for why he had never voted. Never use to describe quantities exceeding that. Wrong: A handful of senators held Town Halls before the vote on Thursday. Right: About seven senators held Town Halls before the vote on Thursday. Where possible, be precise. Otherwise, few and several are acceptable.

hashtags

Capitalize each word in a hashtag for readability, except #metoo.听

贬补飞补颈鈥榠

But:听Hawaiian.

health care

Never use a hyphen: health care reform.

to hold on to

The phrasal verb is not to hold onto. Wrong:听The industry is trying to hold onto experienced staff. Right: My daughter held on to my sleeve until she relaxed.

human-made

Never: man-made.

See gender-neutral language.

infinitives

In general, avoid awkward constructions that split infinitive forms of a verb (to leave, to help, etc.) or compound forms (had left, are found out, etc.).

Awkward: She was ordered to immediately leave on an assignment.

Preferred: She was ordered to leave immediately on an assignment.

Awkward: There stood the wagon that we had early last autumn left by the barn.

Preferred: There stood the wagon that we had left by the barn early last autumn.

Occasionally, however, a split is not awkward and is necessary to convey the meaning: During the mayor鈥檚 campaign, he promised to fully fund the program. Rideshare apps are unlikely to drastically reduce urban congestion. How has your health been? The budget was tentatively approved. (AP style)

last

Avoid the use of last as a synonym for latest if it might imply finality. The last time it rained, I forgot my umbrella, is acceptable. But: The last announcement was made at noon may leave the reader wondering whether the announcement was the final announcement, or whether others are to follow.

The word last is not necessary to convey the notion of most recent when the name of a month or day is used. Preferred: It happened Wednesday. It happened in April. Correct, but redundant: It happened last Wednesday. But: It happened last week. It happened last month. (AP style)

Latino, Latina, Latinx

Use Latino (masculine), Latina (feminine), or Latinx (gender-neutral) for a person from鈥攐r whose ancestors were from鈥攁 Spanish-speaking land or culture or from Latin America (Latino is the preferred plural term).

Follow the person鈥檚 preference. Use a more specific identification when possible, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian, or Mexican American.

the left, the right

In general, avoid these terms in favor of more precise descriptions of political philosophy. Lowercase when used as a noun, adjective, or adverb: As he got older, he became more conservative and moved further right. Avoid terms like Left Coast, red state, and blue state.

See political parties and philosophies; stereotypes.

LGBT, LGBTQ

Acceptable in all references for lesbian, gay,听bisexual and transgender, or lesbian,听gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning and/or queer. In quotations and the formal names of organizations and events, other forms such as LGBTQIA and other variations are also acceptable with the other letters explained. (AP style)

See gender.

Los Angeles

Spell out on first reference. L.A. is acceptable on second reference.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Do not precede Jr. with a comma. Dr. King or King is acceptable on second reference. When referring to the federal holiday honoring him, MLK Day is acceptable.

#metoo

Do not capitalize either word unless it begins a sentence, per original styling used by the movement鈥檚 creator, Tarana Burke. Utilize hashtag when discussing social media conversation. The 鈥渕e too鈥� movement is also acceptable.

million, billion, trillion

Use figures with million, billion, or trillion in all except casual uses: I鈥檇 like to make a billion dollars. But: The nation has 1 million citizens. I need $7 billion. The government ran a deficit of more than $1听trillion. Avoid line breaks by inserting nonbreaking space between figures and million, billion, or trillion.

Do not go beyond two decimal places: 7.51 million people,听$256 billion. Not:听7,542,500 people,听$2,565,750,000. Decimals are preferred where practical: 1.5 million. Not: 1 1/2 million.

Do not mix million听and billion听in the same figure: 2.6 billion. Not: 2 billion 600 million.

Do not drop the word million or billion in the first figure of a range: He is worth from $2 million to $4 million. Not: $2 to $4 million, unless you really mean $2.

Note that a hyphen is not used to join the figures and the word听million or billion, even in this type of phrase: The president submitted a $300 billion budget. (AP style)

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 accident occurred. (AP style)

Native American

Acceptable for those in the U.S. (Native is also acceptable). Follow the person鈥檚 preference. Where possible, be precise and use the name of the tribe: He is a Navajo commissioner. Such words or terms as听wampum, warpath, powwow, teepee, brave, squaw, etc., can be disparaging and offensive.

In Alaska, the indigenous groups include Aleuts, Eskimos, and Indians, collectively known as Alaska Natives (not Alaskan Natives).

First Nation is the preferred term for native tribes in Canada. (AP rule)

non-English words

If a word from another language becomes familiar through repeated use throughout a work, italicize it only on its first occurrence. If it appears only rarely, however, italics may be retained. This does not extend to proper nouns, which should be kept in Roman. Check Merriam-Webster for whether a word is 鈥淓nglish鈥� (or common usage) or not. We can consider terms on case-by-case basis as well.听

numerals

In general, spell out one through nine: The Yankees finished second. He had nine months to go. Also spell out any numeral at the start of a sentence.

Use figures for 10 or above and whenever preceding a unit of measure or referring to ages of people, animals, events, or things. Also in all tabular matter, and in statistical, and sequential forms. Never convert to figures when referring to general quantities: tens of thousands, hundreds of fans.

For ranges, use to, between/and, from/to, or an en dash: He ironed people鈥檚 clothing for the U.S. equivalent of 7 to 16 cents apiece. The act could save Medicare between $230 billion and $541 billion over the next decade. An estimated 200鈥�300 metric tons of produce were rescued last year. I鈥檒l bring five to 10 batches of cookies to the party. Never combine between or from with an en dash. About is redundant. Though an en dash is acceptable, our preference is to use to, between/and, and from/to听instead of an en dash.

To avoid confusion, do not use too many numerals in succession: In 1982, 231,700 rainbow-haired unicorns lived in 53 U.S. rainforests.

dates, years, and decades: Feb. 8, 2007, Class of 鈥�66, the 1950s. For the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 9/11 is acceptable in all references. (Note comma to set off the year when the phrase refers to a month, date, and year.)

decimals, percentages, and fractions with numbers larger than 1: 7.2 magnitude quake, 3 1/2 laps, 3.7 percent interest, 4 percentage points. Decimalization should not exceed two places in most text material. Exceptions: blood alcohol content, expressed in three decimals: as in 0.056, and batting averages in baseball, as in .324. For amounts less than 1, precede the decimal with a zero: The cost of living rose 0.03 percent. Spell out fractions less than 1, using hyphens between the words: two-thirds,听four-fifths. In quotations, use figures for fractions: 鈥淗e was 2 1/2 laps behind with four to go.鈥�

distances: He walked 4 miles. He missed a 3-foot putt.

monetary units: 5 cents, $5 bill, 8 euros, 4 pounds.

odds, proportions, and ratios: 9-1 long shot;听3 parts cement to 1 part water; a 1-4 chance, but one chance in three.

school grades: Use figures for grades 10 and above: 10th grade. Spell out for first through ninth grades: fourth grade, fifth-grader (note hyphen).

political districts: Ward 9, 9th Precinct, 3rd Congressional District.

times: Use figures for time of day except for noon and midnight: 1 p.m., 10:30 a.m., 5 o鈥檆lock, a winning time of 2:17:3 (2 hours, 17 minutes, 3 seconds). Spell out numbers less than 10 standing alone and in modifiers: I’ll be there in five minutes. He scored with two seconds left. An eight-hour day. The two-minute warning.

votes: The bill was defeated by a vote of 6 to 4, but by a two-vote margin.

ROMAN NUMERALS

They may be used for wars and to establish personal sequence for people and animals: World War I, Native Dancer II,听King George V. Also for certain legislative acts ( Title IX). Otherwise, use sparingly.

ORDINALS

Numbers used to indicate order (first, second, 10th, 25th, etc.) are called ordinal numbers. Spell out first through ninth: fourth grade,听first base, the First Amendment, he was first in line. Use figures starting with 10th. Hyphenate compound modifiers to avoid confusion: 20th-anniversary issue, 19th-century law.

See ages; hyphen (Punctuation); million, billion, trillion; percent; temperatures.

Pacific coast

percent, percentage, percentage points

Use the % sign when paired with a numeral, with no space, in most cases (a change in 2019):听Average hourly pay rose 3.1% from a year ago; her mortgage rate is 4.75%; about 60% of Americans agreed; he won 56.2% of the vote.听Use figures:听1%, 4 percentage points.听For amounts less than 1%, precede the decimal with a zero:听The cost of living rose 0.6%.

In casual uses, use words rather than figures and numbers:听She said he has a zero percent chance of winning.

At the start of a sentence: Try to avoid this construction. If 颈迟鈥檚 necessary to start a sentence with a percentage, spell out both:听Eighty-nine percent of sentences 诲辞苍鈥檛 have to begin with a number.

Constructions with the % sign take a singular verb when standing alone or when a singular word follows an of construction:听The teacher said 60% was a failing grade. He said 50% of the membership was there.

It takes a plural verb when a plural word follows an of construction:听He said 50% of the members were there.

Use decimals, not fractions, in percentages:听Her mortgage rate is 4.5%.

For a range,听12% to 15%,听12%鈥�15%,听and听between 12% and 15%听are all acceptable.

Use听percentage, rather than听percent, when not paired with a number:听The percentage of people agreeing is small.

Be careful not to confuse听percent听with听percentage point. A change from 10% to 13% is a rise of 3 percentage points. This is not equal to a 3% change; rather, 颈迟鈥檚 a 30% increase.

Usage:听Republicans passed a 0.25 percentage point tax cut.听Not:听Republicans passed a 0.25 percentage points tax cut听or听Republicans passed a tax cut of 0.25 of a percentage point.听(AP style)

photo captions and credits

Don鈥檛 italicize. Use a period at the end of the photo caption, but not the photo credit.听

political campaigns

Capitalize proper names: Defund DAPL, Medicare for All, The Movement for Black Lives, Fight for $15.

political movements

Lowercase civil rights movement, women鈥檚 movement, etc., but capitalize any proper names: the United Farm Workers movement.

political parties and philosophies

Capitalize both the name of the party and the word party if it is customarily used as part of the organization’s proper name: the Democratic Party, the Republican Party.

Include the political affiliation of any elected officeholder.

Capitalize Communist, Conservative, Democrat, Liberal, Republican, Socialist, etc., when they refer to a specific party or its members. Lowercase these words when they refer to political philosophy (see examples below).

Lowercase the name of a philosophy in noun and adjective forms unless it is the derivative of a proper name: communism, communist;听fascism, fascist. But: Marxism, Marxist; Nazism, Nazi.

Generally, a description of specific political views is more informative than a generic label like liberal or conservative. (AP style)

protesters

pullquotes

In the online versions of articles, if the selected quote is not by the author, the person being quoted should be attributed after the pullquote, with an em dash (since it won鈥檛 be obvious upon reading that 颈迟鈥檚 not the person with the byline saying it). Our preference is to use the author鈥檚 words and not others鈥� quotes.

races and ethnicities

Capitalize Black, African American, Brown, Native (American), Indigenous, Asian when referring to people’s racial identities (e.g. skin color).

Where possible, be precise: Sonia Sotomayor is the first Latina justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Jeremy Lin is the first American-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent. The Caribbean American chef opened his third restaurant on Saturday.

All races (except white) are either capitalized or lowercased in a story; do not make exceptions for one race versus another, unless the author feels strongly.

When referring to race-based ideologies, follow the guidelines above: white supremacy; Black nationalism; Indigenous sovereignty.

As of November 2022, we鈥檙e reversing our previous rule to follow AP鈥檚 guidance on lowercasing white.

See Native American; stereotypes; hyphen (Punctuation).

recipes

Spell out measurement units (cups, quarts, ounces, etc.). Use numerals for all ingredients and throughout body copy to make the recipes easier to read: Juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon flour.听

rural

People living in rural areas represent about 20% of the total U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The term is often used colloquially but inaccurately.

Use rural for areas with populations below 2,500. Use rural for those residents, counties, communities, or regions. Do not use rural for individuals, countries, or states, which comprise both rural and urban areas.

See stereotypes.

slang

In general, avoid slang, the highly informal language that is outside of conventional or standard usage. When used as a pejorative or ironic device, place between quotation marks:听A man who openly bragged about grabbing women 鈥渂y the pussy鈥� was elected president.

See quotation marks (Punctuation).

smart technology

Two words when referring to smart home, smart car, smart meter, or other devices programmed to function semi-independently. Exceptions: smartphone, smartwatch.

social media handles

Keep all letters in social media handles lowercase. Use someone鈥檚 full name and not their Twitter handle when referencing a tweet. Reach out for their full name if you 诲辞苍鈥檛 have it from context. Print layout kicker bio format: Twitter: @handlename听(no period after the handle in print).

staff

The plural noun takes a singular verb: The staff is attending the retreat.

state names

The names of the 50 U.S. states should be spelled out when used in the body of a story, whether standing alone or in conjunction with a city, town, village, or military base. Abbreviate in headlines and captions or where space is limited. Do not include state name if city stands alone.

Following are the state abbreviations (postal code abbreviations in parentheses): Ala. (AL), Ariz. (AZ), Ark. (AR), Calif. (CA), Colo. (CO), Conn. (CT), Del. (DE), Fla. (FL), Ga. (GA), Ill. (IL), Ind. (IN), Kan. (KS), Ky. (KY), La. (LA), Md. (MD), Mass. (MA), Mich. (MI), Minn. (MN), Miss. (MS), Mo. (MO), Mont. (MT), Neb. (NE), Nev. (NV), N.H. (NH), N.J. (NJ), N.M. (NM), N.Y. (NY), N.C. (NC), N.D. (ND), Okla. (OK), Ore. (OR), Pa. (PA), R.I. (RI), S.C. (SC), S.D. (SD), Tenn. (TN), Vt. (VT), Va. (VA), Wash. (WA), W.Va. (WV), Wis. (WI), Wyo. (WY)

The names of eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text:听Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah.

Place one comma between the city and the state name, and another comma after the state name, unless ending a sentence or indicating a dateline: He was traveling from Nashville, Tennessee, to Austin, Texas, en route to his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She said Cook County, Illinois, was Mayor Daley鈥檚 stronghold.

Use New York state when necessary to distinguish the state from New York City.

Use state of Washington or Washington state within a story when 颈迟鈥檚 necessary to differentiate the state name from the U.S. capital.

See cities.

stereotypes

Stereotypes deny the individuality and complexity of people or groups by conforming them to false assumptions. They can be positive or negative. Never use terms that perpetuate ageism, sexism, racism, classism, and ableism in both language and content. Be careful with euphemisms and metaphors. The following are some examples:

sexism: soccer mom, first lady, damsel in distress,听mama鈥檚 boy, housewife, househusband,听sensitive, career woman, manly, beauty, girl, petite.

racism: model minority, illegals, urban,听athletic, wise, chief, ghetto, thug, primal, articulate, buck, boy,听girl, Oriental, peon, pimp, powwow, refugee, soulful, token.

classism: Hillbilly, redneck, uneducated, Okie, mountain people, shiftless, white trash, backwoods, simple,听down and out, rural, scrappy, lazy, violent, ignorant.

suicide

Avoid using听committed suicide听except in direct quotations from authorities. Alternate phrases include听killed himself,听took her own life,听or听died by suicide. The verb听commit听with听suicide听can imply a criminal act. Laws against suicide have been repealed in the United States and many other places.

Do not refer to an听unsuccessful suicide attempt. Refer instead to an听attempted suicide.听(AP style)

superrich

temperatures

Use figures for all except zero. Use a word, not a minus sign, to indicate temperatures below zero. Temperatures get higher or lower, but they 诲辞苍鈥檛 get warmer or cooler. (AP style)

they, them, their

In most cases, a plural pronoun should agree in number with the antecedent:听The children love the books their uncle gave them.

They/them/their is acceptable in limited cases as a singular and/or gender-neutral pronoun. Always confirm a source鈥檚 pronouns. Follow the person鈥檚 preference. (AP style)

thumbs-up, thumbs-down

tipi

Never: teepee.

titles

In general, capitalize formal titles (including professional roles) used directly before an individual鈥檚 name. Refer to subjects using last name (without title) on subsequent references. Lowercase and spell out titles in constructions that set them off from a name by commas, or in constructions where the title follows the individual鈥檚 name: The vice president, Mike Pence, was elected in 2016. Pope Francis, the current pope, was born in Argentina. 猫咪社区! Media Executive Director Christine Hanna joined the team in 2017, while Sunnivie Brydum joined as editorial director in 2019.

Capitalize formal and professional titles when they appear in a list format, on their own line below a name, such as in 鈥淧eople We Love.鈥�

Capitalize formal titles when they are used immediately before one or more names: Pope Francis, President Donald Trump, Vice Presidents John Jones and William Smith.

A formal title generally is one that denotes a scope of authority, professional activity, or academic activity: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Dr. Benjamin Spock, retired Gen. Colin Powell. Use Dr. in first reference as a formal title before the name of an individual who holds a doctor of dental surgery, doctor of medicine, doctor of optometry, doctor of osteopathic medicine, doctor of podiatric medicine, or doctor of veterinary medicine. Dr. may also be used as an honorific for notable historical figures, if the honorific is commonplace in colloquial references to the individual: Dr. Martin Luther King. Other individuals with academic doctorates may be recognized by the inclusion of Ph.D., after their full name on first reference.

Other titles serve primarily as occupational descriptions: professor Marcus Green,听astronaut John Glenn, actor Mark Ruffalo, peanut farmer Jimmy Carter.

The following formal titles are capitalized and abbreviated as shown when used before a name both inside and outside quotations: Dr., Gov., Lt. Gov., Rep., Sen. and certain military rank. (AP style)

tribe, tribal

Lowercase, but capitalize only if an integral part of proper name:听Standing Rock Sioux tribe, but the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma. (AP style)

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Capitalize when referring to a formal body facilitating conflict resolution, often between law enforcement and marginalized communities. Lowercase when referring to a process. TRC is acceptable on second preference, although the commission is preferred.

URLs

Omit 鈥渨ww.鈥� and 鈥渉ttps://鈥� when referencing URLs.听

U.S.

The abbreviation is acceptable as a noun or adjective for United States. Spell out on first reference. (AP style)

victims, survivors

These terms are not interchangeable. Survey statistics on rape and sexual assault typically use victims and offenders, but anti-rape networks often use survivors. Accuracy is key. Follow the user鈥檚 practice.

war on drugs

We the People

A phrase from the preamble to the Constitution, often used in commentary to emphasize political power of electorate. Do not italicize or place in quotes.

wild

Avoid using this term to describe natural or urban areas with plant life. This term usually implies that an area has not been directly controlled or influenced by human activity, therefore 颈迟鈥檚 often inaccurate.

workers rights

猫咪社区! Magazine

Italicize and spell out听猫咪社区! Magazine听on all references to the print or digital publication, except in photo or illustration credits printed in small type. Use 猫咪社区! or 猫咪社区! Media to refer to the nonprofit organization that publishes 猫咪社区! Magazine,听as well as online content published solely on听.

Punctuation

apostrophe (鈥� 鈥�)

The following guidelines are for curly apostrophes. Render them by following the keyboard shortcuts on your device.

plural nouns not ending in s: Add 鈥檚: the alumni鈥檚 contributions, women鈥檚 rights.

plural nouns ending in s: Add only an apostrophe: the churches鈥� needs,听the girls鈥� toys, the horses鈥� food,听the ships鈥� wake, states鈥� rights, the VIPs鈥� entrance.

nouns plural in form, singular in meaning: Add only an apostrophe: mathematics鈥� rules, measles鈥� effects. Apply the same principle when a plural word occurs in the formal name of a singular entity: General Motors鈥� profits, the United States鈥� wealth.

nouns the same in singular and plural: Treat them the same as plurals, even if the meaning is singular:听one corps鈥� location, the two deer鈥檚 tracks, the lone moose鈥檚 antlers.

singular nouns not ending in s: Add 鈥檚: the church鈥檚 needs, the girl鈥檚 toys,听the horse鈥檚 food, the ship鈥檚 route, the VIP鈥檚 seat.

singular common nouns ending in s: Add 鈥檚: the hostess鈥檚 invitation,听the hostess鈥檚 seat; the witness鈥檚 answer, the witness鈥檚 story.

singular proper names ending in s: Use only an apostrophe: Achilles鈥� heel, Agnes鈥� book,听Ceres鈥� rites, Descartes鈥� theories,听Dickens鈥� novels, Euripides鈥� dramas,听Hercules鈥� labors, Jesus鈥� life, Jules鈥� seat,听Kansas鈥� schools, Moses鈥� law, Socrates鈥� life, Tennessee Williams鈥� plays, Xerxes鈥� armies.

pronouns: Personal interrogative and relative pronouns have separate forms for the possessive. None involves an apostrophe: mine, ours,听your, yours, his, hers, its, theirs, whose.

If you are using an apostrophe with a pronoun, always double check to be sure that the meaning calls for a contraction: 测辞耻鈥檙别, 颈迟鈥檚, 迟丑别谤别鈥檚, 飞丑辞鈥檚. Follow the rules listed above in forming the possessives of other pronouns: another鈥檚 idea, others鈥� plans, someone鈥檚 guess.

compound words: Applying the rules above, add an apostrophe or 鈥檚 to the word closest to the object possessed: the major general鈥檚 decision, the major generals鈥� decisions,听the attorney general鈥檚 request, the attorneys general鈥檚 request.

Also: anyone else鈥檚 attitude, John Adams Jr.鈥檚 father, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania鈥檚 motion. Whenever practical, however, recast the phrase to avoid ambiguity: the motion by Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania.

joint possession, individual possession: Use a possessive form after only the last word if ownership is joint: Fred and Sylvia鈥檚 apartment, Fred and Sylvia鈥檚 stocks.

Use a possessive form after both words if the objects are individually owned: Fred鈥檚 and Sylvia鈥檚 books.

descriptive phrases: Do not add an apostrophe to a word ending in s when it is used primarily in a descriptive sense: citizens band radio,听a Cincinnati Reds infielder, a teachers college, a Teamsters request, a writers guide.

Memory aid: The apostrophe usually is not used if for or by rather than of would be appropriate in the longer form: a radio band for citizens, a college for teachers, a guide for writers, a request by the Teamsters.

An 鈥檚 is required, however, when a term involves a plural word that does not end in s: a children鈥檚 hospital,听a people鈥檚 republic, the Young Men鈥檚 Christian Association.

descriptive names: Some governmental, corporate, and institutional organizations with a descriptive word in their names use an apostrophe; some do not. Follow the user鈥檚 practice: Actors鈥� Equity, Diners Club, the Ladies鈥� Home Journal, the National Governors Association .

quasi possessives: Follow the rules above in composing the possessive form of words that occur in such phrases as a day鈥檚 pay, two weeks鈥� vacation, three days鈥� work, your money鈥檚 worth.

Frequently, however, a hyphenated form is clearer: a two-week vacation, a three-day job.

double possessive: Two conditions must apply for a double possessive鈥攁 phrase such as a friend of John鈥檚鈥攖o occur: 1. The word after of must refer to an animate object, and 2. The word before of must involve only a portion of the animate object鈥檚 possessions.

Otherwise, do not use the possessive form of the word after of: The friends of John Adams mourned his death. (All the friends were involved.) He is a friend of the college. (Not 肠辞濒濒别驳别鈥檚, because college is inanimate).

Memory aid: This construction occurs most often, and quite naturally, with the possessive forms of personal pronouns: He is a friend of mine.

inanimate objects: There is no blanket rule against creating a possessive form for an inanimate object, particularly if the object is treated in a personified sense. See some of the earlier examples, and note these: death鈥檚 call, the wind鈥檚 murmur.

In general, however, avoid excessive personalization of inanimate objects, and give preference to an of construction when it fits the makeup of the sentence. For example, the earlier references to mathematics鈥� rules and measles鈥� effects would better be phrased: the rules of mathematics, the effects of measles.

omitted letters: 滨鈥檝别, 颈迟鈥檚, 诲辞苍鈥檛, rock 鈥檔鈥� roll, 鈥�tis the season to be jolly. He is a ne鈥檈r-do-well.

omitted figures: The class of 鈥�62. The Spirit of 鈥�76. The 鈥�20s.

plurals of a single letter: Mind your p鈥檚 and q鈥檚. He learned the three R鈥檚 and brought home a report card with four A鈥檚 and two B鈥檚. The Oakland A鈥檚 won the pennant.

colon (:)

A colon should not separate a verb and its direct object in a sentence. To introduce a list, use either a complete sentence or a short phrase before the colon. Correct: Our partners: or These are our partners: Incorrect: Our partners are:

Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence:听He promised this: The company will make good all the losses. But: There were three considerations: expense, time, and feasibility.

comma (,)

Use commas to separate elements in a series and equal adjectives: The flag is red, white, and blue; a thoughtful, precise manner; a dark, dangerous street.

Use commas with introductory phrases and clauses: When he had tired of the mad pace of New York, he moved to Dubuque. And nonessential phrases and clauses:听David and his wife, Fran, worked to end global poverty; The yellow car in the driveway belongs to Jim (where two yellow cars are on the property).

When a conjunction such as and, but, or for links two clauses that could stand alone as separate sentences, use a comma before the conjunction in most cases: She was glad she had looked, for a man was approaching the house.

As a rule of thumb, use a comma if the subject of each clause is expressly stated: We are visiting Washington, and we also plan a side trip to Williamsburg. We visited Washington, and our senator greeted us personally. But no comma when the subject of the two clauses is the same and is not repeated in the second: We are visiting Washington and plan to see the White House.

ellipsis (鈥�)

Use an ellipsis to indicate the deletion of one or more words in condensing quotes, texts and documents. Render an ellipsis by following the keyboard shortcut for your device. Be especially careful to avoid deletions that would distort the meaning. Avoid excessive ellipses by paraphrasing or using partial quotes.

An ellipsis also may be used to indicate a thought that the speaker or writer does not complete.

If the words that precede an ellipsis constitute a grammatically complete sentence, either in the original or in the condensation, place a period at the end of the last word before the ellipsis. Follow it with a regular space and an ellipsis: I no longer have a strong enough political base. …

If the words preceding an ellipsis constitute a fragment or an incomplete thought, end the sentence with an ellipsis, set off by a space. I wish you wouldn鈥檛 …听

If the ellipses is being used as a pause rather than to omit words, consider using end punctuation or an em dash instead. If using an ellipsis rhetorically, insert a space on either side: I like bananas 鈥� until I 诲辞苍鈥檛.

听em dashes (鈥�)

Use em dashes to denote an abrupt change in thought in a sentence or an emphatic pause: Through her long reign, the queen and her family have adapted鈥攗sually skillfully鈥攖o the changing taste of the time. But avoid overuse of dashes to set off phrases when commas would suffice. Do not insert spaces on either side. Render em dashes by following the keyboard shortcut for your device.

When a phrase that otherwise would be set off by commas contains a series of words that must be separated by commas, use dashes to set off the full phrase: He listed the qualities鈥攊ntelligence, humor, conservatism, independence鈥攖hat he liked in an executive.

Use a dash before an author鈥檚 or composer鈥檚 name at the end of a quotation: 鈥�Who steals my purse steals trash.鈥� 鈥擲hakespeare.

en dashes (鈥�)

Use en dashes to denote numeric range, a partnership or pairing where both parts are equal, or as a stand-in for versus:听the Trump鈥揅linton debate; 40鈥�50 people; the Spanish鈥揂merican War. Do not insert spaces on either side. Render en dashes by following the keyboard shortcut for your device.

hyphen (-)

Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity or to form a single idea from two or more words.

avoid ambiguity: Use a hyphen whenever ambiguity would result if it were omitted: The president will speak to small-business owners. Others: He recovered his health. He re-covered the leaky roof. The story is a re-creation. The park is for recreation. Per AP, do not hyphenate double-vowel combinations with prefixes like pre-, re-, and co-, but retain the hyphen for these words: re-entry, re-examine, co-op, re-create.听

compound modifiers: When a compound modifier鈥攖wo or more words that express a single concept鈥攑recedes a noun, use hyphens to link all the words in the compound except the adverb very and all adverbs that end in –ly:听a first-quarter touchdown, a bluish-green dress,听a full-time job, a well-known man,听a better-qualified woman,听a know-it-all attitude, a very good time, an easily remembered rule, the 19th-century law.

Exceptions: high school student, real estate market,听natural gas pipeline, fossil fuel infrastructure,听fast food chain, open source technology, climate change plan, human resources department. These compound modifiers are adequate without hyphens.

Many combinations that are hyphenated before a noun are not hyphenated when they occur after a noun: The team scored in the first quarter. The dress, a bluish green, was on sale. She works full time. His attitude suggested that he knew it all.

But when a modifier that would be hyphenated before a noun occurs instead after a form of the verb to be, the hyphen usually must be retained to avoid confusion: The man is well-known. The teacher is sharp-tongued. The children are soft-spoken. The play is second-rate.

The principle of using a hyphen to avoid confusion explains why no hyphen is required with very and –ly words. Readers can expect them to modify the word that follows. But if a combination such as little-known man were not hyphenated, the reader could logically be expecting little to be followed by a noun, as in听little man. Instead, the reader encountering little known would have to back up mentally and make the compound connection on his own.

Use an en dash between the last element in compound modifiers of three or more words that include a proper noun, leaving the space between the words in the proper noun open: East Lansing鈥揵ound bus, South Dakota鈥揵ased organization.

suspensive hyphenation: Use these forms to shorten a compound modifier or a noun phrase that shares a common word:

When the elements are joined by and or or, expressing more than one element: 10-, 15- or 20-minute intervals; 5- and 6-year-olds. But: The intervals are 10, 15 or 20 minutes; the children are 5 to 6 years old.

When the elements are joined by to or by, expressing a single element: a 10-to-15-year prison term; an 8-by-12-inch pan. But: The prison term is 10 to 15 years; the pan is 8 by 12 inches.

quotation marks (鈥� 鈥�)

Use curly open-quote marks (鈥�) and close-quote (鈥�) marks to surround the exact words of a speaker or writer when reported in a story. Render curly quotation marks by following the keyboard shortcuts for your device.

running quotations: If a full paragraph of quoted material is followed by a paragraph that continues the quotation, do not put close-quote marks at the end of the first paragraph. However, do put open-quote marks at the start of the second paragraph. Continue in this fashion for any succeeding paragraphs, using close-quote marks only at the end of the quoted material.

irony: Put quotation marks around a word or words used in an ironical sense: The 鈥渄ebate鈥� turned into a free-for-all.

unfamiliar terms: A word or words being introduced to readers may be placed in quotation marks on first reference:

Broadcast frequencies are measured in 鈥渒ilohertz.鈥�

Do not put subsequent references to kilohertz in quotation marks.

avoid unnecessary fragments: Do not use quotation marks to report a few ordinary words that a speaker or writer has used:

Wrong: The senator said he would 鈥済o home to Michigan鈥� if he lost the election.

Right: The senator said he would go home to Michigan if he lost the election.

partial quotes: When a partial quote is used, do not put quotation marks around words that the speaker could not have used. Do not capitalize the first word of a partial quote, unless 颈迟鈥檚 the first-person singular pronoun or a proper noun.

Suppose the individual said, 鈥�I am horrified at your slovenly manners.鈥�

Wrong: She said she 鈥渨as horrified at their slovenly manners.鈥�

Right: She said she was horrified at their 鈥渟lovenly manners.鈥�

Better when practical: Use the full quote.