Both styles aim for clarity and accuracy, but CP style aligns more closely with British punctuation rules, while AP style follows standard American conventions.
Let's take a look at some key examples of their differences:
1. Punctuation Placement
AP Style: Places commas and periods inside the quotation marks.
CP Style: Places commas and periods outside the quotation marks unless they are part of the quoted material.
✅ AP Style Example:
The mayor said, "We will rebuild," after the storm devastated the town.
✅ CP Style Example:
The mayor said, "We will rebuild", after the storm devastated the town.
2. Quotations Within Quotations
AP Style: Uses single quotation marks (‘ ’) for a quote inside another quote.
CP Style: Uses double quotation marks for both the main quote and the inner quote.
✅ AP Style Example:
The teacher said, "When I asked the student, ‘Did you complete your assignment?’ she nodded."
✅ CP Style Example:
The teacher said, "When I asked the student, 'Did you complete your assignment?' she nodded."
3. Partial Quotations
AP Style: A partial quote should not alter the meaning of the original sentence.
CP Style: Similar to AP, but is more likely to paraphrase rather than break a sentence into multiple quotations.
✅ AP Style Example:
The CEO said the company is "on track to meet its goals" by the end of the year.
✅ CP Style Example:
The CEO said the company is on track to meet its goals by the end of the year.
4. Quotes in News Headlines
AP Style: Uses single quotation marks in headlines.
CP Style: Uses double quotation marks in headlines.
✅ AP Style Headline:
City Official: ‘Budget Cuts Are Necessary’
✅ CP Style Headline:
City Official: "Budget Cuts Are Necessary"