Pioneer Style: The Basics
(60).webp "Pioneer Style: The Basics - Quiz")
How well do you know basic Pio/AP style?
- 1.
CITING SOURCES: STUDENTS You have not yet cited this person in your article. Which of the following is correct?
- A.
"Bon Appétit makes great dessert but otherwise the food is pretty mediocre," said Cara Lowry, freshman.
- B.
"Bon Appétit makes great dessert but otherwise the food is pretty mediocre," said first-year Cara Lowry.
- C.
"Bon Appétit makes great dessert but otherwise the food is pretty mediocre," said Cara Lowry '15.
Correct Answer
B. "Bon Appétit makes great dessert but otherwise the food is pretty mediocre," said first-year Cara Lowry.Explanation
When citing a student source for the first time, always include his or her class year (first-year, sophomore, junior, senior—not the numerical year) followed by his or her full name.Rate this question:
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- 2.
CITING SOURCES: FACULTY, STAFF, ADMINISTRATORS, OTHER PEOPLE WITH TITLES You have not yet cited this person in your article. Which of the following is/are correct?
- A.
Chuck Cleveland, dean of students, agrees.
- B.
Dean of Students Chuck Cleveland agrees.
- C.
Dean of students Chuck Cleveland agrees.
- D.
Chuck Cleveland, Dean of Students, agrees.
- E.
Chuck Cleveland agrees.
Correct Answer(s)
A. Chuck Cleveland, dean of students, agrees.
B. Dean of Students Chuck Cleveland agrees.Explanation
When citing faculty, staff, administrators or other people with titles for the first time always state his or her full name and full title. (Ask for the full, correct title during your interview. If in doubt, people search).
If you put the title before the name, capitalize it in full.
If you put the title after the name, do not capitalize it.
(Can't keep them straight? Put titles consistently before or after the name and learn one rule instead of two.)Rate this question:
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- 3.
CITING SOURCES: ALUMNI You have not yet cited this person in your article. Which of the following is/are correct?
- A.
Derek Thurber '11 has fond memories of Bon Appétit.
- B.
Alumnus Derek Thurber '11 has fond memories of Bon Appétit.
- C.
Alumni Derek Thurber '11 has fond memories of Bon Appétit.
- D.
Alumna Derek Thurber '11 has fond memories of Bon Appétit.
- E.
Alum Derek Thurber '11 has fond memories of Bon Appétit.
Correct Answer
B. Alumnus Derek Thurber '11 has fond memories of Bon Appétit.Explanation
When citing alumni for the first time, always put alumnus/alumna/alumni/alumnae, his or her full name(s) and his or her graduation year(s), in that order.
alumnus: male singular
alumna: female singular
alumni: male plural or male and female plural
alumnae: female pluralRate this question:
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- 4.
CITING SOURCES You have already cited this person in your article. Which of the following is correct?
- A.
"My favorite Bon Appétit dessert is the vegan chocolate cake," said first-year Cara Lowry.
- B.
"My favorite Bon Appétit dessert is the vegan chocolate cake," said Cara.
- C.
"My favorite Bon Appétit dessert is the vegan chocolate cake," said Lowry.
Correct Answer
C. "My favorite Bon Appétit dessert is the vegan chocolate cake," said Lowry.Explanation
When citing a source (student, faculty/staff/etc., alumni) for the second time, only refer to him or her by his or her last name.
EXCEPTION: If there are two sources with the same last name in an article, repeat their full names throughout the article to avoid confusion.Rate this question:
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- 5.
ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS Which of the following correctly references an academic department?
- A.
Faculty voted to phase out the Biology Department.
- B.
Faculty voted to phase out the French department.
- C.
Faculty voted to phase out the biology department.
- D.
Faculty voted to phase out the french department.
Correct Answer(s)
B. Faculty voted to phase out the French department.
C. Faculty voted to phase out the biology department.Explanation
Academic departments (except for languages: English, French, Spanish, German, etc.) are always in lower case.Rate this question:
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- 6.
NUMBERS Which of the following is/are correct?
- A.
75 juniors studied abroad during the fall 2011 semester.
- B.
Seventy-five juniors studied abroad during the fall 2011 semester.
- C.
The French department employs 4 professors.
- D.
The French department employs four professors.
- E.
Whitman's class of 2013 has 10 chemistry majors.
- F.
Whitman's class of 2013 has ten chemistry majors.
Correct Answer(s)
B. Seventy-five juniors studied abroad during the fall 2011 semester.
D. The French department employs four professors.
E. Whitman's class of 2013 has 10 chemistry majors.Explanation
Numbers one through nine are almost always written out.
EXCEPTION: Dates, times, sports scores, dollar amounts ($3).
Numbers 10 and higher almost always appear numerically
EXCEPTION: Any number at the beginning of the sentence is always written out.Rate this question:
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- 7.
DATES Which of the following is/are correct
- A.
The Board of Trustees is next scheduled to meet in February and again in May 2012.
- B.
The Board of Trustees is next scheduled to meet in Feb. and again in May 2012.
- C.
The Board of Trustees is next scheduled to meet on Thursday, February 2 and again on Thursday, May 18, 2012.
- D.
The Board of Trustees is next scheduled to meet on Thursday, Feb. 2 and again on Thursday, May 18, 2012.
Correct Answer(s)
A. The Board of Trustees is next scheduled to meet in February and again in May 2012.
D. The Board of Trustees is next scheduled to meet on Thursday, Feb. 2 and again on Thursday, May 18, 2012.Explanation
The longer months of the year are abbreviated when accompanied by a precise date (Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.). The other months are never abbreviated.
Months are never abbreviated when they appear alone or are followed by just a year.Rate this question:
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- 8.
TIME Which of the following is/are correct.
- A.
The lecture is scheduled to take place in Cordiner Hall at seven thirty in the evening.
- B.
The lecture is scheduled to take place in Cordiner Hall at 7:30 pm.
- C.
The lecture is scheduled to take place in Cordiner Hall at 7:30 p.m.
- D.
The lecture is scheduled to take place in Cordiner Hall at 7:30 P.M.
- E.
The lecture is scheduled to take place in Cordiner Hall at 12 p.m.
- F.
The lecture is scheduled to take place in Cordiner Hall at noon.
Correct Answer(s)
C. The lecture is scheduled to take place in Cordiner Hall at 7:30 p.m.
F. The lecture is scheduled to take place in Cordiner Hall at noon.Explanation
Times are always represented numerically and followed by a space and then "a.m." or "p.m.," accordingly.
EXCEPTIONS: Use "noon" instead of 12 p.m. and "midnight' instead of 12 a.m.Rate this question:
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- 9.
PLACES: CITIES & STATES Which of the following is/are correct?
- A.
President Bridges travelled to Pasco, WA for an event.
- B.
President Bridges travelled to Pasco, Wash. for an event.
- C.
President Bridges travelled to Pasco, Washington for an event.
- D.
President Bridges travelled to OR for an event.
- E.
President Bridges travelled to Ore. for an event.
- F.
President Bridges travelled to Oregon for an event.
Correct Answer(s)
B. President Bridges travelled to Pasco, Wash. for an event.
F. President Bridges travelled to Oregon for an event.Explanation
Most states are abbreviated when prefaced by a city.
EXCEPTIONS: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah are never abbreviated.
When the state appears alone, it is written in full.
NB: These abbreviations are different from postal abbreviations. (Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kan., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo,. Mont., Neb., N.H., N.J., N.M., N.Y., N.C., N.D., Okla., Ore., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.D., Tenn. Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.)Rate this question:
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- 10.
PLACES: Which of the following is/are correct.
- A.
The United States is located on the North American continent between Canada and Mexico.
- B.
The U.S. is located on the North American continent between Canada and Mexico.
- C.
Washington, D.C. is home to the United States government.
- D.
Washington, D.C. is home to the U.S. government.
- E.
Washington, D.C. is home to the US government.
Correct Answer(s)
A. The United States is located on the North American continent between Canada and Mexico.
D. Washington, D.C. is home to the U.S. government.Explanation
United States is written out when used as a noun. It is abbreviated as "U.S." (capitalized and with periods) when used as an adjective.Rate this question:
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- 11.
FORMAT & PUNCTUATION True or False: It's OK to put two spaces after a period before the start of the next sentence.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
In newspaper writing, space is tight. Please put only one space after a period before the start of the next sentence.Rate this question:
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- 12.
FORMAT & PUNCTUATION: QUOTATIONS Which of the following is/are correct?
- A.
According to Cobasco, "Whitman is in the third inning."
- B.
"Whitman is in the third inning", said Cobasco.
- C.
"Whitman is in the third inning," said Cobasco.
- D.
"Whitman is in the third inning," claimed Cobasco.
- E.
"Whitman is in the third inning," says Cobasco.
Correct Answer
C. "Whitman is in the third inning," said Cobasco.Explanation
When you use a direct quotation, it should always start a new paragraph and stand alone as a sentence. It should NOT be integrated into a sentence you've written.
Always use the verb "said" (past tense) when attributing a quotation to a source.
Punctuation marks such as commas, dashes, semicolons, question marks and exclamation points go WITHIN the quotation marks when they apply to the quoted material. They go outside when they apply to the whole sentence. For quotes within quotes, use single quotation marks (apostrophe).Rate this question:
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- 13.
QUOTATION MARKS OR ITALICS? True or False: The names of books, poems, songs, video games, and TV shows always appear in quotation marks.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
A. TrueExplanation
The statement is false. The names of books, poems, songs, video games, and TV shows do not always appear in quotation marks. Instead, they are typically italicized. Quotation marks are generally used for shorter works such as short stories, articles, or individual episodes of TV shows.Rate this question:
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- 14.
QUOTATION MARKS OR ITALICS? True or False: The Pioneer and the names of other newspapers and magazines are always italicized.
- A.
True
- B.
False
Correct Answer
B. FalseExplanation
The Pioneer (or The Pio, Pioneer, Pio) and album titles are the only things that are ever italicized.
The names of other newspapers and magazines are neither italicized nor put in quotation marks.Rate this question:
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- 15.
PUNCTUATION: COMMAS Which of the following is/are correct?
- A.
Whitman's first-year residence halls are Jewett, Lyman, Prentiss, Anderson, and North.
- B.
Whitman's first-year residence halls are Jewett, Lyman, Prentiss, Anderson and North.
- C.
Prentiss dining hall offers three types of sandwiches on Mondays: grilled cheese, tuna salad, and peanut butter and jelly.
Correct Answer(s)
B. Whitman's first-year residence halls are Jewett, Lyman, Prentiss, Anderson and North.
C. Prentiss dining hall offers three types of sandwiches on Mondays: grilled cheese, tuna salad, and peanut butter and jelly.Explanation
AP style and The Pioneer usually do not use the oxford comma (the last comma in a series before "and" or "or").
EXCEPTION: Do put a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series if:
An integral element of the series also requires a conjunction (Ex: I had orange juice, chocolate milk, and ham and eggs for breakfast.)
The series involves a complex set of phrases (Ex: The three things to consider are whether the sentence is complex, whether the reader will get lost in its syntax, and whether the paper as a whole will be compromised by the omission of this Oxford comma. )Rate this question:
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