The associated press stylebook advises us to hyphenate well in a compound modifier both when it precedes a noun and when the compound follows the verb to be. Regular adjectives modify nouns all the time, but a compound modifier goes much further. May 29, 2019 updated regularly since its initial publication in 1953, the ap stylebook provides fundamental guidelines for spelling, language, punctuation, usage and journalistic style. The associated press stylebook 2019 kindle edition. If youre familiar with doing things a certain way based on chicago or mla, set those practices aside when youre writing for cbsi. The associated press says compound modifiers dont need hyphens except for the sake of clarity in the latest update to the ap stylebook. Both the ap stylebook and the buzzfeed style guide already recommend spelling email without the hyphen. Use a hyphen if a compound modifier precedes a noun, except with the adverb very or for adverbs that end in ly. The chicago manual of style online is the venerable, timetested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. Aug, 2019 in english grammar, a modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that functions as an adjective or adverb to provide additional information about another word or word group called the head. Use a hyphen to separate figures in odds, ratios, scores some fractions and some vote tabulations. The bureau of labor statistics was founded in 1885 and actually predates. Sometimes the compound modifier does keep the hyphenation after the noun when it follows a form of the verb to be.
Some rules and common errors around compound modifiers. Fix style deviations that escape microsoft office spelling and grammar. We default to ap style for all items not covered in this. Ap books the associated press stylebook 2019 the associated press stylebook 2019. This is no longer a case of a compound, but rather two independent adjectives. First, i analyzed my list of compound nouns and compound adjectives aka. If the adjectives cant independently modify the noun, you connect them with a hyphen. Ap style guidelines for hyphen usage gatehouse newsroom. That is the reaction to a small change in associated press style that has. For years, the associated press stylebook advised followers. Every day, more than a billion people read, hear or see ap news. Since they appear before the noun, they are hyphenated.
Compound adjectives are two or more connected words acting as one modifier e. For line breaks, divide alreadyhyphenated words only at the hyphen. When do you need to use a hyphen for compound words. The ap stylebook is used broadly by other colleges and universities for communication and news writing. This is the basic difference in how em dashes are rendered in ap style and chicago style. Rules cms ap compound modifiers after the verb no hyphen hyphen after to be verbs dash no space before or after space before and after ellipsis hair or regular space. Last seven days of ask the editor associated press stylebook. In addition, see individual entries in this book and in websters new world. It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. If the modifier comes sometime after the noun, a hyphen is not needed.
Such combinations are generally not hyphenated if they occur after a noun. Use a hyphen to divide words at the end of a line if necessary, and make the break only between syllables. Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of ap style used in. A compound modifier requires a hyphen between two or more words modifying a noun. A compound modifier is when two or more words that express a single concept precede a noun.
In the past, ap has always been what its stylebooks lead editor described as hyphenaverse. Ap style guidelines for viral tweets mcsweeneys internet. Cms and ap style guide differences a cheat sheet of some differences between the chicago manual of style cms and the ap style manual ap. Stevens institute of technology editorial style guide page 6 compound modifiers as a general guideline, compound modifiers are hyphenated before the noun. Aps changes to the compound modifier guidelinesand its changes to.
A style point is something that is decided upon by the persons in charge or by a committee that decides to do something because of the historical use of doing something more one way than another or after analysis of the needs of all members of the group, but by whatever means agreement is reached for style points, the main use of style points is to improve consistency. His yellowgreen teeth were visible beneath a saltandpepper mustache. In a temporary compound that is used as an adjective before a noun, use a hyphen if the term can be misread or if the term expresses a single thought i. An em dash, like an ellipsis, has a space before and after, except when used to introduce items in a vertical list. Ap is calling for no hyphen between some compound modifiers, like. A compound modifier is formed when multiple words come together to describe a subsequent noun.
These questions are designed to test knowledge of the chicago manual of style, which prefers merriamwebsters collegiate dictionary, 11th edition. Perhaps, but the ap stylebooks former guidelines on compound modifiers the way of things before all this tinkeringdidnt actually dictate that they should always be hyphenated. If the compound modifiers in the above sentences come after the noun theyre modifying, they dont need to be hyphenated. In order to avoid ambiguity, these words are usually hyphenated before a noun. When a compound modifier two or more words that express a single concept precedes a noun, use hyphens to link the words except very and adverbs that end in ly.
When a compound modifiertwo or more words that express a single conceptprecedes a noun, use hyphens to link all the words in the compound except the adverb very and all adverbs that end in ly. Associated press style essentials 4 world war ii new years eve christmas not xmas 15th annual wwu fine arts festival do not capitalize student board or board of trustees or other widely used internal elements of an organization unless used as part of the formal title see organizations and institutions in ap style guide. Cms and ap style guide differences right touch editing. For compound adjectives you make up yourself, like a. Ap style relaxes its rules on hyphenating compound modifiers.
The words yellow and green, and salt and pepper are adjectives modifying the nouns teeth and mustache. The ap stylebook, the buzzfeed style guide, the economist style guide, and the chicago manual of style all recommend hyphenating e book, as well as most other e words such as ereader and ecommerce its conceivable that over time, e book may lose its hyphen. But what is a compound adjective compound adjectives are two or more connected words acting as one modifier e. A compound modifier also called a compound adjective, phrasal adjective, or adjectival phrase is a compound of two or more attributive words. If a compound adjective follows the term, do not use a hyphen, because relationships are sufficiently clear without one.
Compound modifiers are hyphenated when their meaning would be unclear without the hyphen, but do not hyphenate modifiers that end in ly. We updated our hyphen guidance this year to say no hyphen is needed in a compound modifier if the modifier is commonly recognized as one phrase, and if the meaning is clear and unambiguous without the hyphen. The 2019 ap stylebook features over 200 new and revised entries and a new chapter on health and science coverage. Style points and conventions the ncbi style guide ncbi.
For line breaks in words ending in ing, if a single final consonant in the root word is doubled before the suffix, hyphenate between the consonants. We add a hyphen or hyphens to the mix to clarify this, as the meaning of a sentence can sometimes change or be obscured depending on how the ingredients of description fit together. The ap stylebook dimensions entry says use figures, which are hyphenated as modifiers, and spell out measures such as inch. Ap style, based on the associated press stylebook, is followed by journalists and many other people who work with the news and other current events. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Ap s reliance on the commonly recognized exception seems like less of an improvement and more of a were just tired of hearing about this, so do what the hell you want response. Ap style title case has a few easy rules that will help showcase your title. For example, if the hyphen is omitted in a statement such as he is a little known man, the reader might interpret it as meaning he is a known man who is little. These sentences are easily understood without hyphens. The 2019 edition of the ap stylebook has more than 200 updates. Answer questions such as should this be one word, two words, or hyphenated. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. Compound modifiers are grammatically equivalent to singleword modifiers, and can be used in combination with other modifiers. The longestablished truth is that im addicted to sugar.
The 2019 edition of the associated press stylebook and briefing on media law includes more than 200 new or revised entries, with chapters covering data journalism, business, fashion, food, religion and sports terms, as well as media law, news values, punctuation, social media, polls and surveys and a new chapter on health and science. With respect to this last correct example, the ap stylebook says, 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. When using quotes, the comma and the period go inside the closed quote. The associated press was founded more than 150 years ago and now has thousands of employees working in more than a hundred countries for a readership that numbers in the millions. Evans school style guide we default to ap style for all items not covered in this document.
This guide helps santa monica college communicators follow a consistent style appropriate for print and online materials written for and about the college. Today, with over 3,700 employees in 121 countries, the ap is the worlds single largest news organization. May 16, 2018 compound modifiers ending in ly compound modifiers that include an adverb ending in the suffix ly do not get hyphenated. Writing center quick reference associate press style guide.
Compound modifiers when a compound modifier precedes a noun, use hyphens to link all the words in the compound, except very or all adverbs ending in ly. These words work together to create a single concept that modifies a noun. Ap, like many other style manuals, wants the clarity of a wellknown speaker as a hyphenated compound modifier before the noun, but also wants as a speaker, she is well known, without the hyphen, when it comes after the noun. Here is how the chicago manual of style the rulebook people use to edit books explains it in section 7. As the leading authority of writing style in journalism, ap publishes the associated press stylebook and updates it yearly to reflect changing style preferences for grammar, politics, culture, and every other topic. Associated press style basics journalists resource. Last week the ap updated its style guide and sortabutnotquitekilled the rule on hyphens.
If you would happen to know what ap rule this would fall under. I have looked under ap style guidelines, but have come up clueless. A primer on ap style t he ap stylebook is the second most important book you will use as a journalist, after a dictionary. Hyphenate numerals with units of time before nouns. However, compound modifiers seem to be pretty simple in general. A hyphen is usually used in apa style when two or more words modify a common noun and that noun comes after the modifiers, for example, 7point scale or clientcentered counseling. Quick rules rules cms ap compound modifiers after the verb no hyphen hyphen after to be verbs dash no space before or after space before and after ellipsis hair or regular space before and after. Dont hyphenate if both elements of the compound modifier are nouns. Everybodys seen me freak out over such things as comma splices, the singular they not on my watch and compound modifiers yes, you need a hyphen, geez you cant just leave it out because thats not the way we do it. A compound modifier refers to two or more words expressing a single concept. Ap sparks linguistic pandemonium with hyphen guidance. These rules are the exact same for apa style, the only difference being that ap style does not recommend the use of title case for newspaper headlines, but rather sentence case. According to the ap stylebook hyphen entry, use of the hyphen is far from standardized. Ap would spell out numerals under 10, even for grade levels.
As ap has added entries over the years, the stylebook has grown more useful and comprehensive, but also more daunting. Assuming your audience would understand the terms, id use two words in each case if you need. Compound modifiers with words ending in ly grammar party. In other words, this sentence suspends the use of degree. Ap style doesnt suggest hyphenating percentages and, in fact, suggests keeping hyphenation to a minimum. One of the most common hyphen problems in submitted articles is the lack of a hyphen for compound modifiers. Academic disciplines have their own style guides e. Mla, apa, and ieee that should be followed by students and faculty when writing academic documents. We use the associated press stylebook for our published content, with very few exceptions.
As explained below, there are exceptions to the rule of hyphenating compound modifiers. When she called her cats chardonnay, patron and guinness. Ap wants hyphens to literally go the way of the oxford. And it just goes to show you what a great resource ap s twitter feed can be. The latest guidance involves compound modifiers that precede nouns.
Gary pruitt, president and ceo of ap, notes that some of the most interesting changes came about as a result of conversations on twitter. Styleguard features with the associated press stylebook collection avoid using redundant or overused words. In ap style, ly words mostly adverbs and very dont get hyphens as compound modifiers. The soup was waterthin, but delicious all the same. Ap style c study guide by mcgrief includes 15 questions covering vocabulary, terms and more. The associated press is reversing some of its march 2019 guidance on. Last updated 7615 page 1 of 6 academic departments use lowercase i. Mar 19, 2010 stacked modifiers often complicate your sentences needlessly. We also see a lot of numberrelated compound modifiers requiring hyphenation. Definition and examples of modifiers in english grammar.
Spiralbound book, updated each spring 2019 ap stylebook. If youre new to either chicago or ap, see this summary of chicago relative to apand mla and apa. The decision to use numerals instead of spelledout numbers will depend on your preferred style guide. When multiple modifiers have a common base, the base can be omitted in all except the last modifier, but the hyphens should be retained. The associated press wire service has been shaping writing, grammar and style choices around the world since its founding in 1846. Examples include the ap stylebook aka ap style, the chicago manual of style aka cmos or chicago, the mla handbook mla or apa style. Submit a bargain ebook submit a free ebook check bargain book openings. When she called her cats chardonnay, patron and guinness the neighbors came running. The associated press was founded in 1848 as a cooperative effort among six new york newspapers that wished to pool resources for gathering international news. When a compound modifier two or more words that express a single conceptprecedes a noun, use hyphens to link all the words in the compound except the adverb very and all adverbs that end in ly. Hyphenating this particular part of speech can be a challenge, so apa style. Aps rationale is that retaining the hyphen in compound modifiers after the noun helps avoid confusion.
Be warned, however, that there are still a lot of conservative editors out there who believe just the opposite and go overboard on the use of hyphens in compound modifiers. The shelves were buckling under the weight of dustcovered books. It should be noted that the rules can be a bit wishy washy for example the hyphen is optional in most cases, a matter of taste, judgment and style sense. According to the ap stylebook, the exception to this occurs when very begins the compound modifier. Instead, it set as a goal clarity of the sentence over a specific rule that could be applied in every possible instance. The ap stylebook is updated annually and, like chicago, published both as a book and online. Ap sparks linguistic pandemonium with hyphen guidance update. In the past, ap has always been what its stylebook s lead editor described as hyphenaverse. Jun 30, 2019 read front edge publishings summary of the 2019 changes to the associated press style guide. This guide is for use in workplace and public writing, not academic writing. In a march stylebook update, froke said, the ap noted the difference between commonly recognized noun phrases and compound modifiers in phrases. The chicago manual of style is not set up like the associated press stylebook, meaning it doesnt contain, as ap puts it in its table of contents, an a to z listing of guides to capitalization, abbreviation, spelling, numerals and usage. Most compound adjective rules are applicable only when the compound adjective precedes the term it modifies.
Ap style is designed to address the challenges of the organizations large size and readership. Remember this when ratioing journalists for suggesting that your home states bread scene is anything less than yeasttacular. The slcc style guide provides common editing guidelines based upon the associated press ap style guide. You dont need a hyphen when multiple modifiers work independently to modify a noun e.
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