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AP Style Vocab

Instructions:

Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
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Match each statement with the correct term.
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This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.

1. Adviser
A rifle that is capable of being fired in fully automatic and semi-automatic modes - at the user's option. Designed for - and used by - military forces. Also used by some law enforcement agencies. The form: an M16 assault rifle.
No O
Equals 1000 hertz (1000 cycles Per second) - replacing kilocycles as the correct term in applications such as broadcast frequencies. Abbrev.: kHz.
Capitalize in religious references; lowercase to mean a period of rest

2. imperial quart
Acceptable on first reference - but the story should contain a phrase identifying it as the former Russian secret police and intelligence agency. The initials stand for the Russian words meaning Committee for State Security
Always spell out and use figures and decimals NOT fractions
One-fourth of an imperial gallon
Spatial relationships

3. compose
Equals 1000 hertz (1000 cycles Per second) - replacing kilocycles as the correct term in applications such as broadcast frequencies. Abbrev.: kHz.
Create or put together
Most ending in z or es or s add es: Joneses - Gonzalezes - Charleses
Acceptable in all references for severe acute respiratory syndrome - but it should be spelled out somewhere in the story

4. IBM
Acceptable as first reference for International Business Machines Corp. Headquarters is in Armonk - NY
Abbreviate St. in the names of saints - cities - and other places: St. Jude - St. Paul - Minn.; St. John's - Newfoundland; St. Lawrence Seaway
Acceptable on second reference for surface-to-air missile(s)
Extension of time or degree

5. a.m. - p.m.
Lowercase with periods avoid the redundant 10 a.m. this morning
Tablecloth
Acceptable on first reference - but the story should contain a phrase identifying it as the former Russian secret police and intelligence agency. The initials stand for the Russian words meaning Committee for State Security
To receive

6. illegal immigrant
Impostor
Use illegal only to mean a violation of the law. Be especially careful in labor management disputes - where one side often calls an action by the other side illegal. Usually it is a charge that a contract or rule - not a law - has been violated
Used to describe those who have entered the country illegally - it is the preferred term - rather than illegal alien or undocumented worker. Do not use the shortened term illegals
See AT&T Inc.

7. flyer
Tail wind
Sandwich
Inasmuch as
Proper name of some trains and buses

8. anti-aircraft
Take up (v.) takeup (n. and adj.)
Precede with a hyphen: break-in - cave-in - walk-in - write-in
Use singular verb and pronoun 'it' when referring to the team as a collective unit. However - the team name takes a plural verb: The Orlando Magic are close to setting a franchise record
A cannon or other weapon designed for defense against air attack. The form: a 105 mm anti-aircraft gun.

9. ICBM - ICBMs
Follow the guidelines in composition titles. Put quotation marks around show only if it is part of the formal name. The word show may be dropped when it would be cumbersome - such as in a set of listings. In text or listing - treat programs named aft
Acceptable on first reference for intercontinental ballistic missile(s) - but the term should be defines in the body of a story. Avoid the redundant ICBM missiles
Acceptable on second reference for surface-to-air missile(s)
A unit of power - mostly associated with electricity. Electrical energy is measured in watt-hours (or kilowatt-hours or mega-watt hours). Do not use 'megawatts Per hours.' Abbrev.: W - kW - MW.

10. Accept
Is possessive
Headquarters is in Seoul - South Korea
AM is acceptable in all references
To receive

11. emigrate
Not amidst
One who leaves a country emigrates from it
Sacrilegious
If comprise or compose doesn't fit - sense of form or make up

12. tear gas
Two Words.
Untrue statement - lie -lied -lying
Spell out and capitalize first through ninth use figures for others Ave. Blvd. St. only ones allowed to be abbreviated when numbered address is present. Do Not abbreviate compass points if number is omitted
The new term is kilohertz

13. their - there - they're

14. in - into
A measurement of the diameter of a gun barrel except for most shotguns. Measurement is in either millimeters or decimal fractions of an inch. The word caliber is not used when giving the metric measurement. The forms: a 9 mm pistol - a .22-caliber ri
Tail wind
Most significant word is made plural: daughters-in-law - assistant attorneys general - major generals
In indicates location: He was in the room. Into indicates motion: She walked into the room

15. ampersand (&)

16. Sardinia
Weak-kneed
Use instead of Italy in datelines on stories from communities on this island
Use figures EXCEPT for zero spell out minus and degrees; temperatures get higher & lower
Sandwich

17. carbine
Not anchor or co-anchor
State of reclining lie - lay - lain - lying
A short - lightweight rifle - usually having a barrel length of less than 20 inches. The form: an M-3 carbine
Capitalize in religious references; lowercase to mean a period of rest

18. KGB
The abbreviation Ste. instead St. because the full name is Sault Sainte Marie
Acceptable on first reference - but the story should contain a phrase identifying it as the former Russian secret police and intelligence agency. The initials stand for the Russian words meaning Committee for State Security
Means to guarantee
2 c's and m's

19. telephone numbers
Use figures. The form: 212-621-1500. For international numbers use 011 (From the United States) - the country code - the city code and the telephone number: 011-44-20-7535-1515. Use hyphens - not periods. The forms for toll free numbers: 800-111-1000
Writers or speakers imply in the words they use. A listener or reader infers something from the words
Only used in a direct quote or part of a title
Noun and verb denoting completeness or supplementing something

20. handgun
Take up (v.) takeup (n. and adj.)
Handgun
Is pronoun that is always a subject
The city in Utah stands alone in datelines

21. gender-neutral titles
Firefighter preferred over fireman or firewoman
Gun is an acceptable term for any firearm
Headquarters of this airline is in Tempe - Ariz.
Use only the initials in referring to the previously designed Scholastic Aptitude Test or the Scholastic Assessment Test. Example: The students scored above average on the SAT

22. whose
See pardon - parole - probation
The metric term for 1000 grams. A kilogram is equal to approximately 2.2 pounds or 35 ounces. To convert to pounds - multiply by 2.2 (9 kilograms x 2.2 equals 19.8 pounds)
Sacagawea
Is possessive

23. Illinois
Plural alumnae woman
Abbreviate Ill. in datelines or stories. Postal code: IL
NOT teaspoonsful
Use KANSAS CITY - Kan. - or KANSAS CITY - Mo. - in datelines to avoid confusion between the two

24. ice age
Connotes success in argument and almost always implies an editorial judgement DON'T USE instead deny - dispute - rebut - or respond to
Also: keynote speech
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)
Lowercase - because it denotes not a single period but any series of cold periods marked by glaciation alternating with periods of relative warmth. Capitalize the proper nouns in the names of individual ice ages - such as the Wisconsin ice age. The m

25. one another
Preferred to persons as the plural
More than two look at one another
Implausible
Follow the guidelines in composition titles. Put quotation marks around show only if it is part of the formal name. The word show may be dropped when it would be cumbersome - such as in a set of listings. In text or listing - treat programs named aft

26. improvised explosive device
Gun is an acceptable term for any firearm
Use only the initials in referring to the previously designed Scholastic Aptitude Test or the Scholastic Assessment Test. Example: The students scored above average on the SAT
AMA is acceptable on second reference. Also: the medical association - the association. Headquarters is in Chicago
IED is acceptable on second reference. Roadside bomb is preferable

27. over
Wastebasket
Spatial relationships
Headquarters is in Seoul - South Korea
A handgun that can be a single shot or a semi-automatic. It is measured in calibers. The form: a .45-caliber revolver

28. American Stock Exchange
Use Taiwan - not Formosa - in reverences to the government in Taiwan and the island itself
A unit of power - mostly associated with electricity. Electrical energy is measured in watt-hours (or kilowatt-hours or mega-watt hours). Do not use 'megawatts Per hours.' Abbrev.: W - kW - MW.
In second reference: the America Exchange - Amex - or the exchange
A fully automatic gun that fires as long as the trigger is depressed. The form: a .50 caliber Browning machine gun.

29. between
A firearm designed or made to be fired from the shoulder and having a rifled bored. It uses bullets and cartridges for ammunition. Its size is measured in calibers. The form: a .22-caliber rifle
2 c's and m's
The '90s - 1920s
Introduces two items; between him and her - between you and me

30. farther
This acronym - drawn from the words American travel by track - may be used in all references to the National Railroad Passenger Corp. Do not use AMTRAK. The corporation was established by Congress in 1970 to take over intercity passenger operations f
Physical distance
Weak-kneed
See John F. Kennedy Space Center

31. tablecloth
Tablecloth
Bad should not be used as an adverb only exceptation is I feel bad.
Means to guarantee
Headquarters is in Minneapolis

32. teleprompter
Don't use unless asked
A unit of measurement for digital data storage. In the metric system - a kilobyte is 1000 bytes; in computer binary terms - it is 1 -024 bytes. Thus - 64KB means 64 times 1 -024 bytes - or 65 -536 bytes (not 64000). Abbrev.: KB. (similarly - MB for m
Anemia - anemic
It has become a generic term - no longer a trademark - for a type of television cuing device

33. decades

34. Single Letter

35. kilometer
A measurement of the diameter of a gun barrel except for most shotguns. Measurement is in either millimeters or decimal fractions of an inch. The word caliber is not used when giving the metric measurement. The forms: a 9 mm pistol - a .22-caliber ri
The metric term for 1000 meters. (Abbrev.: km) A kilometer is equal to approximately 3 -281 feet - or five-eighths (0.62) of a mile. To convert to miles - multiply by 0.62 (5 kilometers x 0.62 equals 3.1 miles).
Most significant word is made plural: daughters-in-law - assistant attorneys general - major generals
Named for Samuel Colt - it designates a make of weapon or ammunition developed for Colt handguns. The forms: a Colt .45-caliber revolver - .45 Colt ammunition

36. teaspoon
Equal to one-sixth of a fluid ounce - or one-third of a tablespoon. The metric equivalent is approximately 5 milliliters
A device used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit - ready for insertion into the magazine of a repeating firearm
AMA is acceptable on second reference. Also: the medical association - the association. Headquarters is in Chicago
Use alone in datelines on stories from the Republic of San Marino

37. ensure
See pardon - parole - probation
Headquarters of this airline is in Tempe - Ariz.
No hyphen when it means not: inaccurate - insufferable Other uses without a hyphen: inbound - indoor - infield - infighting - inpatient A few combinations take a hyphen - however: in-depth - in-group - in-house - in-law Follow Webster's New World Col
Means to guarantee

38. time element
Use days of the week not today or tonight in print avoid saying next Monday or last Monday
Acceptable on first reference - but the story should contain a phrase identifying it as the former Russian secret police and intelligence agency. The initials stand for the Russian words meaning Committee for State Security
Acronym for improvised explosive device. IED is acceptable on second reference. Roadside bomb is preferable
The name for the worldwide association of the 22 national Anglican churches. Each national church is independent. A special position of honor is accorded to the archbishop of Canterbury - as the pre-eminent officer in the original Anglican body - the

39. pour
Abbreviate St. in the names of saints - cities - and other places: St. Jude - St. Paul - Minn.; St. John's - Newfoundland; St. Lawrence Seaway
Never alright; sometimes all-right as a compound modifier
Ketchup
To flow in a continuous stream

40. buckshot
A heavy - large-caliber shoulder firearm fired by means of a matchlock - a wheel lock - a flintlock or a percussion lock. Its ammunition is a musket ball
A rifle that is capable of being fired in fully automatic and semi-automatic modes - at the user's option. Designed for - and used by - military forces. Also used by some law enforcement agencies. The form: an M16 assault rifle.
Contraction for Who is NOT POSSESSIVE
See shot

41. constitute

42. sandwich
The city in California stands alone in datelines
Sandwich
Use the ampersand when it is part of a company's formal name or company position title: House & Garden - Procter & Gamble - Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway. The ampersand should not otherwise be used in place of and.
A heavy - large-caliber shoulder firearm fired by means of a matchlock - a wheel lock - a flintlock or a percussion lock. Its ammunition is a musket ball

43. a.m. - p.m.
Lowercase when describing the leader of a prayer in a Muslim mosque. Capitalize before a name when used as the formal title for a Muslim leader or ruler
The metric term for 1000 grams. A kilogram is equal to approximately 2.2 pounds or 35 ounces. To convert to pounds - multiply by 2.2 (9 kilograms x 2.2 equals 19.8 pounds)
Lowercase with periods. Avoid the redundant 10 a.m. this morning.
A measurement of the diameter of a gun barrel except for most shotguns. Measurement is in either millimeters or decimal fractions of an inch. The word caliber is not used when giving the metric measurement. The forms: a 9 mm pistol - a .22-caliber ri

44. bad/ badly
A scale of temperature based on - but different from - the Celsius scale. It is used primarily in science to record very high and very low temperatures. The Kelvin scale starts at zero and indicates the total absence of heat (absolute zero). Zero on
Capitalize building in Washington
Bad should not be used as an adverb only exceptation is I feel bad.
Headquarters is in Seoul - South Korea

45. saint

46. take-home pay
The maxim that between introduces two items and among introduces more than two covers most questions about how to use these words: The funds were divided among Ford - Carter and McCarthy. However - between is the correct word when expressing the rela
A firearm designed or made to be fired from the shoulder and having a rifled bored. It uses bullets and cartridges for ammunition. Its size is measured in calibers. The form: a .22-caliber rifle
Take-home pay
Salable

47. impromptu
It means without preparation of advance thought
Implausible
More than two look at one another
If comprise or compose doesn't fit - sense of form or make up

48. weapons
Use it to mean one or the other - not both
Gun is an acceptable term for any firearm
This acronym - drawn from the words American travel by track - may be used in all references to the National Railroad Passenger Corp. Do not use AMTRAK. The corporation was established by Congress in 1970 to take over intercity passenger operations f
A compact - relatively inexpensive handgun

49. compliment
It has become a generic term - no longer a trademark - for a type of television cuing device
Indicate position or rank ex No.1 man; don't use in names of schools
Formerly a trademark - now a generic term
Noun or verb denotes praise or expression of courtsey

50. Capitol
Sacrilegious
Capitalize building in Washington
Abbreviate St. in the names of saints - cities - and other places: St. Jude - St. Paul - Minn.; St. John's - Newfoundland; St. Lawrence Seaway
Use Saudi as the adjective in referring to the people or culture of Saudi Arabia. It's Saudi diplomacy - not Saudi Arabian diplomacy. For the Saudi monarchy - follow the syle on British and other monarchies. Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal wou