Which is better usage: USA or U.S.A.? The punctuation of abbreviations is an area that is subject to considerable differences of opinion. For example, as demonstrated by the question above, not everyone agrees on when (or if) to use full stops. It's an indication of just how confused this area is that even the basic terminology isn't agreed upon. You'd think that a simple term like abbreviation was easy to define, wouldn't you? Sure you would, yet some camps distinguish between abbreviations and contractions (giving each different punctuation rules), while others lump everything in together as abbreviations. A common definition of abbreviation goes something like this: An abbreviation is a shortened version of a word or phrase and is often followed by a period. For example, c.o.d., ft-lb, St. or publ. Unfortunately, there is rarely any cogent explanation of what is meant by "often followed by a period", so just *when* does an abbreviation take a period, and when doesn't it? In an effort to provide clear answers to these questions, I present the following more precise definitions: An ABBREVIATION is a shortened form of a word that does not include the full word's final letter. A CONTRACTION is a shortened form of a word that does include the full word's final letter. Here are some examples of abbreviations: Tues. Tuesday approx. approximately doz. dozen Aug. August Prof. Professor Aust. Australia a.m. anti meridian p.m. post meridian i.e. id est e.g. exempli gratia Abbreviations are followed by a full stop. You can think of the full stop as being a replacement for the missing final letter. Note that abbreviations like "p.m." are actually two separate abbreviations: "p." for "post" and "m." for "meridian." Here are some examples of contractions. Contractions should not be followed by a full stop as they retain the final letter of the original word. Rd Road govt government St Street ft feet Mr Mister mfg manufacturing Dr Doctor Mme Madame Pty Proprietary Ltd Limited dept department yds yards * * * Not everyone will agree with this approach. Still, in my view, distinguishing between abbreviations and contractions is a better way to proceed than the ambiguous definition quoted earlier that relies on you guessing what "often followed by a period" means. I hope you find this useful. About the Author Tim North |
More Writing and other resouces to help you locate great articles just like ABBREVIATIONS MADE EASY :
| Here are other categories to find more must know information
on anything and everything. Auto and Trucks Business and Finance Computers and Internet Education Environment Family Food and Drink Gadgets and Gizmos Gardening Government Health Hobbies Home Improvement Kids and Teens Legal Matters Marketing Music and Entertainment Online Business Parenting Pets and Animals Recreation and Sports Self Improvemen Site Promotion Travel and Leisure Web Development Women Writing |
Here are more
Writing articles to give you more must know information just like in
ABBREVIATIONS MADE EASY article.
How to Profit From Fear and Greed
Keep Thy Journal Private!
How To Write Poetry
How Can a White Paper Support Sales and Marketing?
Golden Rules for Writing |
Thank you very much for viewing this must know article:
ABBREVIATIONS MADE EASY . Hopefully you have found all the information you were
looking for in "
ABBREVIATIONS MADE EASY ". If you feel like you need more information feel
free to check out Info Pom HOMEPAGE
to look for more articles in our humangous database |