UCLA+AP Style Guide for Common Terms Time Correct: 6 p.m. PST Incorrect: 6:00pm PT Correct: 8-10 a.m. OR 6-8 p.m. OR 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Incorrect: 8:00-10:00am OR 6-8:00pm OR 10:00am – 2:00pm Always use “Noon” or “noon” NEVER 12 p.m. - Example: 10 a.m. – Noon ; NEVER 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Always use “Midnight” or “midnight” NEVER 12 a.m. - Example: 9 p.m. – Midnight ; NEVER 9 p.m. – 12 a.m. Date The following months are abbreviated when followed by a date: - Jan. - Feb. - Aug. - Sept. - Oct. - Nov. - Dec. If not followed by a date, spell out the full month. The following months are NEVER abbreviated: - March - April - May - June - July The year is NEVER included if the date referenced happens within the current calendar year. - Example if the year is 2014 and the UCLA Alumni Day being referenced is in 2014: o “UCLA Alumni Day will occur on May 17.” - Example if the year is 2014 and the UCLA Alumni Day being referenced is in 2015: o “UCLA Alumni Day will be returning on May 16, 2015.” Seasons - spring, summer, fall and winter are not capitalized Numbers Numbers one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine are ALWAYS written out. - Example: “Nine students volunteered with UCLA Alumni Affairs on Saturday.” Numbers 10 and greater are written in numerals unless they begin a sentence. - Example: “Eleven students paid $10 at UCLA Alumni Day.” Phone numbers, use the dash: 310-825-2486 More than vs. Over When referring to a quantity always use “more than.” - Ex: “More than 426,000 living alumni.” NEVER: “Over 426,000 living alumni.” “More than” refers to quantity, “over” refers to location. Nearly all references made in alumni marketing materials that use the word “over” in this sort of context are using it incorrectly. All should be edited to read as “more than.” Alumni, Alumna, Alumnus…YES! Alum…No! Alumna – singular, female term for a graduate of the university Alumnus – singular, male term for a graduate of the university Alumnae [pronounced al-um-nee] – plural, female term for multiple female graduates of the university (ex: Prytanean Alumnae Network) Alumni – plural, male and female combined term for graduates of the university UCLA alumni - only cap alumni when referring to the organization “NEVER use ‘alum’ or ‘alums’!” If you want to use a singular, non-gender-specific term, use “UCLA graduate” or “Bruin.” Degrees and Academic Departments/Titles - - Academic departments and titles should be lowercase unless they are proper nouns or used as part of the department name or with an individual’s formal name. o sociology, psychology, engineering, theater, etc. o UCLA Department of Sociology o Always cap English, Spanish, Italian o Chancellor Gene Block is the chancellor of UCLA Abbreviated degrees include periods: B.A., M.A., M.B.A., Ph.D. o master’s degree or master’s is conjunction for Master of Arts degree Grammatical Symbols • • • • Be careful not to overuse the exclamation point. A comma is not needed before the and in a simple list of items, but should be used for a complex list of items. o (Simple) She ordered pens, pencils, notebooks, binders and highlighters. o (Complex) She ordered a small coke, chips, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Use the apostrophe that opens left for degree ears: (Joe Bruin ’97) Place quotation marks around composition titles: (books, songs, articles, movies, etc.) State Abbreviations Some states are never abbreviated in AP Style and this is represented below. Name AP Style Guide Abbreviation Alabama Ala. Alaska Alaska Arizona Ariz. Arkansas Ark. California Calif. Colorado Colo. Connecticut Conn. Delaware Del. District of Columbia D.C. Florida Fla. Georgia Ga. Hawaii Hawaii Idaho Idaho Illinois Ill. Indiana Ind. Iowa Iowa Kansas State Kan. Kentucky Ky. Louisiana La. Maine Maine Maryland Md. Massachusetts Mass. Michigan Mich. Minnesota Minn. Mississippi Miss. Missouri Mo. Montana Mont. Nebraska Neb. Nevada Nev. New Hampshire N.H. New Jersey N.J. New Mexico N.M. New York N.Y. North Carolina N.C. North Dakota N.D. Ohio Ohio Oklahoma Okla. Oregon Ore. Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Pa. R.I. S.C. S.D. Tenn. Texas Utah Vt. Va. Wash. W.Va. Wis. Wyo.