In AP style, which option correctly describes date formatting in body copy?

• A. Dates: write as 2024-04-04.
• B. Dates: use month-day-year format with a comma before the year in body copy (April 4, 2024).
• C. Dates: use year-month-day format with no comma.
• D. Dates: use numeric only (4/4/2024).

Answer: (B)

Dates in AP style are written with the month spelled out, followed by the day as a numeral, then the year, with a comma between the day and the year. This yields formats like April 4, 2024. This approach keeps date details clear within flowing narrative text and avoids the ambiguity or stiffness of numeric-only forms. The ISO-like 2024-04-04 isn’t used in body copy, and numeric formats such as 4/4/2024 can be confusing or read differently by readers, so they aren’t standard in AP news prose. If you include a weekday, you place it before the month with a comma, as in Thursday, April 4, 2024. In contexts where the year isn’t needed, you might drop it, but when anchoring a date for readers, the month-day-year format with a comma is the go-to in AP style.