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This quiz is based on the 2015 edition of "the journalist's bible"--The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law. Give yourself two minutes to answer the 10 questions, and then compare your responses with the editors' answers at the end of the quiz.
- Which of the following are trademarks and should be capitalized (if, indeed, they have to be used at all): Adrenalin, Bubble Wrap, Kitty Litter, Naugahyde, Styrofoam?
- Afterward or afterwards?
- Does the abbreviationA.D. go before or after the figure for the year: A.D. 96 or 96 A.D.?
- Daylight saving time or daylight savings time?
- If you pass the GED tests, do you earn a GED diploma (or certificate) or simply a GED?
- In regard to numerals, which of the following is AP style?
(a) In general, spell out one through nine; use figures for 10 and above.
(b) In general, spell out one through ninety-nine; use figures for 100 and above.
(c) In general, do not spell out numerals; use figures for all. - Should you capitalize personifications such as Grim Reaper, Old Man Winter, and Mother Nature?
- Is it correct to use tidal wave as a synonym for tsunami?
- When conducting research, may Wikipedia be used as a primary source?
- Does writer's guide need that apostrophe?
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Answers to a Quick Quiz on the AP Stylebook
- All are trademarks and therefore should be capitalized.
- Afterward
- Before: A.D. 96. (But the abbreviation B.C. is placed after the figure for the year: 43 B.C.)
- Daylight saving time
- GED diploma (or certificate)
- (a) In general, spell out one through nine; use figures for 10 and above.
- Yes.
- No.
- No. "May contain useful links," says the AP Stylebook, "but should not be used as a primary source for stories."
- No. It's writers guide (without an apostrophe): "Do not add an apostrophe to a word ending in s when it is used primarily in a descriptive sense."
Now that you're warmed up, you might want to try 20 Questions: A Quiz on the AP Stylebook.
Feel free to disagree with any of the AP's rules. After all, these are matters of style, not articles of faith. But if you write for an American newspaper, magazine, or website (one word, lowercase--a "high-profile change" made in the 2010 edition of the AP Stylebook), you might not have much choice in the matter.