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Question from Canada on Dec. 06, 2019

Regarding apostrophes for a product to be sold, would it be:

  1. We sell carpenters workbenches
  2. We sell carpenters' workbenches
  3. We sell carpenter's workbenches
  4. We sell carpenter workbenches

Based on the guidance that if you can turn the text around and add "for" rather than "of" (workbenches for carpenters), then no apostrophe is needed, right? In which case, 1. is correct.
But none of the options seem quite right to me. "We sell workbenches for carpenters" sounds best in normal speech, but the "Carpenters Workbench" is a product, so we can't really change the text around.

Thanks!

Answer

Yes, the first option is right. The second isn't necessarily wrong; it's just not our style. The fourth option is fine, too. I wouldn't use the third.

Question from Preston, MD on Dec. 06, 2019

Singular or plural verb in these examples: 

1.   Leadership and management effectiveness has/have been discussed, studied and taught ...
2.  Identifying and cultivating these habits and practices (or recruiting people who possess them) is/are necessary
3.  Fish and wildlife management is complex and budgets are shrinking

Thank you! 

Answer

Leadership and management effectiveness has been discussed, studied and taught ...  (effectiveness has been discussed, etc.)

Identifying and cultivating these habits and practices (or recruiting people who possess them) is necessary

Fish and wildlife management is complex and budgets are shrinking

Question from Fairbanks, AK on Dec. 06, 2019

This always confounds me: Should document types be capitalized? I am editing a piece that has this sentence:

In 2010, the agency initiated work on an Integrated Activity Plan for the entire National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska…


Answer

We wouldn't use caps in that use.

Question from Dallas, TX on Dec. 06, 2019

Would you hyphenate "in town" in the following sentence: "The business has three in town billboards" (as opposed to billboards that are located farther out from the city center)? If I were to then list the billboards by location and titled those lists "In town" and "Out of town," should I hyphenate the phrase even if "billboards" is not part of the list title or included after "in town"?

Answer

Yes, three in-town billboards.

No hyphens in the titles of lists presented as you describe.

Question from on Dec. 06, 2019

Please tell me if this puncutation is correct using both period and exclamation as such: You can bring one personal bag and sleeping bag/pillow (Tip: tie them together!). Thank you!

Answer

How about this instead:

You can bring one personal bag and sleeping bag/pillow. Tip: Tie them together!

Question from nyack, NY on Dec. 06, 2019

Please tell me if this sentence is correct: Moms can stay in their room once their baby is born.

Answer

Yes, that's fine.

Question from Dallas, TX on Dec. 05, 2019

How should "red meat based diet" be hyphenated? "red-meat-based diet"? "red meat-based diet"?

Answer

I think red meat is understandable as a term and this is clear with just one hyphen: red meat-based diet.

Question from New York, NY on Dec. 05, 2019

Hi,

Is there a preference for using "former" vs. "ex-" when referring to a person's previous position.

In that case, is former only applied to the person who held a position immediately prior to the person currently in office?

Ex: Former President Barack Obama vs. ex-President Jimmy Carter

Thanks!

Answer

We prefer former, but ex- is fine too. Ex- is especially helpful in headlines, where space is at a premium. Both former and ex- can apply to anyone who previously held the position.

Here's the entry:

ex- 

Use no hyphen for words that use ex- in the sense of out of:
excommunicate | expropriate
Hyphenate when using ex- in the sense of former:
ex-convict | ex-president
Do not capitalize ex- when attached to a formal title before a name: ex-President Richard Nixon. The prefix modifies the entire term: ex-New York Gov. Mario Cuomo; not New York ex-Gov.
Usually former is better.

Question from New York, NY on Dec. 05, 2019

Is it correct to use as a noun "union busting"  as two words and when used as an adjective use union-busting?

Answer

Ýes, that's correct. 

Question from San Diego, CA on Dec. 05, 2019

We are writing an article for our internal magazine. The spread has three separate stories about the event. In the first story, we spell out names and titles for quotes. The person we are quoting is also quoted in the second and third stories, do we spell out his title again, or just use his last name? 

Answer

Use his full name and title in every story. You can't assume that readers will read all three stories, or that they will read them in order. Or that they would remember the full name and title from one story to the next.

Question from Charlotte, NC on Dec. 05, 2019

Here's another argument, which I think deals with essential clauses again. In this phrase, two people have said there should be a comma before the person's name, but I disagree. Who is right?
This course was led by Central High School alumnus and former Phantom cast member John Smith.
Likewise, there would be no comma before the name in this phrase, correct:
... said IBM President Sally Smith.
But there would be in this case, right:
... said IBM's president, Sally Smith.

Answer

You are correct in every example!

Both of these are correct. The addition of the article a in the second example makes for a different construction:

This course was led by Central High School alumnus and former Phantom cast member John Smith.
This course was led by a Central High School alumnus and former Phantom cast member, John Smith.

And your two IBM examples are right.

Question from Canton, OH on Dec. 05, 2019

I have a question on possessives. One of my company's subsidiaries is abbreviated TMS, with the "S" standing for "Services." In a possessive situation, should it be TMS' or TMS's?

Answer

It's TMS' 

Here's the rule:

SINGULAR PROPER NAMES ENDING IN S: Use only an apostrophe: Achilles' heel, Agnes' book, Ceres' rites, Descartes' theories, Dickens' novels, Euripides' dramas, Hercules' labors, Jesus' life, Jules' seat, Kansas' schools, Moses' law, Socrates' life, Tennessee Williams' plays, Xerxes' armies.

Question from Elgin, IL on Dec. 05, 2019

This isn't a question; it's a note. Had to look up "speaker of the house" and noticed the entry for Nancy Pelosi says she is the former speaker of the house. Since she's the speaker once again, the "former" in this entry needs to be deleted.

Answer

Thanks. We'll fix it in the pronunciation guide.

Question from Cortland, NY on Dec. 05, 2019

Hi, Paula, I submitted a question about whether “Iroquois” or “Haudenosaunee” is the preferred term for a story we were working on. While waiting for an answer, we got in touch with a professor of Native American studies with the same question. I'm sharing his response in case that's helpful for you or others with the same question:

To answer your question, the preferred term is Haudenosaunee (literally, “the people of the longhouse”).
 
“Iroquois” has fallen out of favor among some because it is a term derived from French, not a term that the Haudenosaunee historically called themselves. “Six Nations” is appropriate but often used in the Canadian context of the Six Nations Reserve, a reservation community in Ontario.
 
You might find the book “Elements of Indigenous Style” by Gregory Younging useful for queries that aren’t covered by the AP.

Thank you!

Answer

Thanks! I hadn't had a chance to research that yet. I've added it to our list of issues to discuss.

Question from Austin, TX on Dec. 04, 2019

I can't seem to find the answer to my question. Is it correct to say 1-in-7 adults suffer from mental illness, or one-in-seven, or 1 in 7, or one in seven? This is regards to statistics. Also if the stat includes a number greater than 10, for example, 9-in-10 adults, would the rule change?

Answer

Here's the entry:

ratios 


Use figures and hyphens: the ratio was 2-to-1, a ratio of 2-to-1, a 2-1 ratio, 1 in 4 voters. As illustrated, the word to should be omitted when the numbers precede the word ratio.Always use the word ratio or a phrase such as a 2-1 majority to avoid confusion with actual figures.

So it's 1 in 7 adults suffer from mental illness. If at the start of a sentence: One in 7 adults, since we almost always spell out numbers at the start of a sentence.

Question from Milwaukee, WI on Dec. 04, 2019

Unsure whether "T-zone" would be capitalized or not? If "T-shirt" is, then would it follow that T-zone would be as well? 

Answer

Yes, I'd use T-zone following the T-shirt style. 

Question from Charlotte, NC on Dec. 04, 2019

Hi. This should be an easy answer, but I'm not sure how to even search for it. When using a sentence structured like one of these, should the comma go after the person's name: 
We’re thankful for the support of John Smith who has done so much through his work with such-and-such program.
Among those who are key to our success is John Smith who oversees the myriad setups at such-and-such place. 
Thanks.

Answer

Yes, there should be a comma after the name. This entry provides the general guidance.

Question from El Cajon, CA on Dec. 04, 2019

Can you let me know the adjective for walkthrough? Is it walk-through or walkthrough?

Ex: Walkthrough tasks. 

Answer

It's walk-through as both a noun and an adjective, according to Webster's New World College Dictionary. As a verb: walk through.

Question from on Dec. 04, 2019

For once, I did my homework. 

Is the comma needed? 

Answer

Yes.

Question from on Dec. 04, 2019

I'm starting to see articles come in using fintechs as a noun to mean fintech companies. Is this acceptable? What about biotechs?

Answer

We don't use those terms as nouns. If they're common as nouns for your particular audiences, you might decide those uses are OK for your readers.

Question from on Dec. 04, 2019

How would you do the punctuation in this? "A St. Louis, Missouri-based organization" since you have to have a comma after "Missouri" but you also have to hyphenate "Missouri based." Is it possible or does this have to be recast? Thank you!

Answer

I'd recast it. On first read it could be confusing as you have it written. And adding the second comma doesn't work before the hyphen. 

Question from on Dec. 04, 2019

When referring to a monarch butterfly waystation, is AP’s preference to use two words “way station” or one “waystation”? 

Answer

Two words. 

Question from on Dec. 04, 2019

Hi in this entry about "fiscal year", could I please ask for a ruling on whether the first or second example is correct? Is the correct abbreviation FY20-22 or FY20-FY22? Thanks!

Answer

As that entry notes, we use fiscal year in AP style, not FY.  So we don't have a style for any version of FY plus a year or a shortened year. Freedom to do what you want!

Question from on Dec. 04, 2019

Does ABC seek membership of or in XYZ?

I know we can usually rephrase to "ABC seeks XYZ membership," but what if that can't work?

Thank you!

Answer

It's a little hard to tell without knowing that ABC and XYZ are. But generally, you seek membership in something.

Question from San Diego, CA on Dec. 04, 2019

Is it correct to say someone's legs are amputated above the knee? Should it be "have been amputated..."? It wasn't a recent amputation; this is this person's way of living for some time.

Answer

Presumably you're giving the full context (and the amputation is relevant to the story). Something like: His legs were amputated above the knee after a 2005 motorcycle crash. I can't think of a situation in which have been would work.

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