Addresses: Follow AP Style directions on streets and states

By Dick Thien
Chips Quinn Writing Coach

Based on Associated Press style, guidelines on street addresses:

With a street number, abbreviate directions (North: N.) and St., Ave. and Blvd. (This is easy to remember if you memorize STAB -- street, avenue and boulevard.)
EXAMPLE: He lived at 1101 E. Main St.

Spell out all other street designations, such as Road, Place, Circle, Terrace and Drive.
EXAMPLE: She lived at 1101 E. Elm Road.

When no street number is used, spell out all words.
EXAMPLE: She lived somewhere on East Main Street.

When you use one word to refer to two streets, that word no longer is a proper noun, and hence, is not capitalized.
EXAMPLE: The accident occurred at the intersection of Main and Market streets. Note: Make sure both have the same designation (street, avenue); otherwise, use both, as in: The accident occurred at the corner of Main Street and Elm Road.

States

When used alone in a sentence, state names should be spelled out.
EXAMPLE: He lived in Nebraska.

When used with a city, state names should be set off by commas (both before and after) and abbreviated according to the AP stylebook, under "state names." Do not use postal abbreviations.

In AP style, eight states are not abbreviated. They are: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah.
EXAMPLE: She lived in Springfield, Ill., before moving to New Jersey. (Note again that commas are used both before and after the state.)

In general, omit state names with cities in the state of publication. In other words, readers are to assume that if no state is specifically stated, the city is in their home state. Thus, a writer for the New York Times would simply write Albany rather than Albany, N.Y.

In other cases, include the state with the city to make sure the reader will be clear on location.

Exceptions: Under the heading "datelines" in the AP stylebook are the names of 30 cities that, because they are so well known, are run without state designation.

TRICKY PAIRS

Lead and Led
The past tense of the verb lead is led, a fact overlooked by many writers.
EXAMPLE: He leads the league in hitting. (present tense)
Last year, he led the league in hitting. (past tense)

All Ready and Already
If you are all ready, you have your bags packed, so to speak. The single-word, single-L version means "so soon" (as in, "They were already packed") or "previously" (as in "As has been stated already, . . .")

USAGE TRICKS AND TRAPS

Fewer and Less
Mixing these two words offends many editors. You should use "fewer" when you are referring to countable units, which are clearly plural.
EXAMPLE: The firm sold fewer cars this year than last.

You should use "less" when referring to items considered all part of a whole.
EXAMPLE: The firm sold less sand this year than last.

The AP stylebook uses an example that helps make the distinction:
"I had less than $50 in my pocket." (an amount, singular)
But: "I had fewer than 50 $1 bills in my pocket." (individual items)

Center Around

Many editors despise this idiom, saying that it is illogical (if you center on something, the word "around" seems inappropriate). While many good writers ignore this distinction, and the term has the acceptance of many dictionaries and usage books, you would be wise to opt for the accurate version: center on.
EXAMPLE: The debate centered on the difference between man and animal.

About the column

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