TOPIC – 8 - ABBREVIATION AND ACRONYM
Acronyms: When each letter is pronounced in most acronyms, capitalize every letter. Capitalize
only the first letter in most acronyms with more than six letters. Leave out periods in most
acronyms unless the result would spell an unrelated word. Check your style manual or
dictionary for exceptions to these guidelines. Don't use the before acronyms pronounced as
words instead of letter by letter: OSHA, CAD.
Abbreviations: Put a period after each letter in most two-letter abbreviations: U.N., U.S., M.A.
When each letter is pronounced in longer abbreviations, capitalize every letter but don't include
periods: NBC, EIS, NEA. Check your style manual or dictionary for exceptions to these
guidelines. Use only one period when a sentences ends with an abbreviation that includes
periods. Use the before abbreviations only when you would use the before the full name (usually
as a noun, not an adjective): the ESA, ESA requirements, the state DOT, DOT funds, IBM.
To form most common plural abbreviations, add an s: ABCs, CDs, chaps., Drs., IOUs, TVs, UFOs.
Sometimes, an apostrophe may go before the s: when the abbreviation has internal periods
(M.A.'s, M.B.A.'s, Ph.D.'s), when the abbreviation is composed of lowercase letters (pdf's), when
the abbreviation is a single letter (A's, S's) and when the abbreviation would be confusing if
only the s were added (OWS's instead of OWSs). In the last example, if your readers might
misinterpret an abbreviation like OWS's as showing possession, leave out the apostrophe.
Abbreviations and acronyms may be used in charts, tables and certain types of technical
writing.
If the meaning is clear, abbreviations and acronyms may be used in headlines and headings.
Avoid using e.g., i.e.; et al.; etc.
Before a name: See legislative titles; Miss, Mr., Mrs., Ms.; titles.
After a name: See junior, senior; academic degrees, titles; company names.
With dates or numerals: See dates, days of the week, months, No., numbers, time.
For addresses and locations: See addresses, highway designations, state names, United States,
Rules for abbreviation sentence examples

abbreviation of a longer phrase, meaning " the digits must remain single " .
Best advice is to use consistently and to always expand the abbreviation somewhere in
the main body of the text.

abbreviation in parentheses.
Some parameters offer a selection from a menu to which you give an unambiguous
abbreviation to select an option.

The three-letter abbreviation for a table is separated from rest of the abbreviation for
the attribute name with a period.

abbreviations of the titles of medical periodicals should conform to those used in index
medicus.

Avoid abbreviations, even if you are sure everyone understands them.

abbreviation in brackets.

Using the system of latin abbreviations, the first quotation from a text is referenced fully
with an endnote.

Authors ' initials should precede their names; journal title abbreviations should conform
to the style of the american physical society.

In the absence of a common name, use the full name or a defined abbreviation, in
preference to a trade name.

The most common abbreviation for the area name is normally used.

In the list of hundreds where the same name was used for the rd the three letter
abbreviation is repeated.

Drug names using abbreviations for drug names is very bad practice.

The name sudoku is the japanese abbreviation of a longer phrase, meaning " the digits
must remain single " .

Authors ' initials should precede their names; journal title abbreviations should conform
to the style of the american physical society.

Appendix b lists and explains the abbreviations used in this report.

Guidance on each of these items appears below, followed by a short note of copyright
requirements and an appendix dealing with recommended abbreviations.

The first is simply to provide an extensive list of all terms that may be used, indicating
three- letter abbreviations for each.

The value must be one of the strings in the table, or a unique abbreviation of one of the
strings.
When and when not to use acronyms
Text messaging has made the use of some acronyms, like the above one, commonplace.There is
a time and place for everything and the use of acronyms is no exception. The whole point of
using acronyms in your writing is to make your writing clearer. However, if you misuse or
abuse acronyms, you'll accomplish just the opposite, turning your memos and manuals into a
confusing brew.
What is an acronym?
Essentially, acronyms are shorter forms of words or phrases that can come in handy when you
need to repeat the same word or phrase a number of times throughout the same piece of
writing. For example, "World Trade Organization" is often written as "WTO." You can see how
writing the three-letter acronym can save you a lot of time and keep your business document
from sounding repetitive.
Important things to consider before using an acronym
Short forms aren't always the best way to avoid redundancies. So, if you're going to use
acronyms in your business writing, remember: The first time you use an acronym in your
document, the words should be written out with the short form placed in parentheses
immediately after. This way, it's clear to the readers exactly what the letters mean. Here's an
example:
A New World Order (NWO) came into effect after 9/11.
Be consistent
Readers will then be aware that any future reference to the "NWO" in your document really
refers to the New World Order. After you've established an acronym in your paper, you must
consistently use that acronym in place of the words.
Stick to one definition of the acronym
Always clarify in your own mind the exact definition of each acronym you use. If you define
SEM as "scanning electron microscopy" (which is a process), your acronym should refer only to
the process throughout your paper. For example, the following sentence would be incorrect if
included in the same paper:
We used an SEM in our experiments.
If you've already defined SEM as standing for the process, you cannot use SEM to refer to the
item (i.e., a scanning electron microscope, which you use to perform the process of scanning
electron microscopy), even though the first letters of each word are the same. In short, the same
acronym can only refer to one thing in a document.
Don’t forget about using articles
Remember that many acronyms still require articles (i.e., "a," "an," or "the"). Let's use the New
World Order again:
Incorrect: NWO has emerged in the 21st century.
Correct: An NWO has emerged in the 21st century.
Remember that NWO stands for a noun "New World Order," and nouns require articles before
them.
If you're confused about whether to use "a" or "an" in front of an acronym that begins with a
consonant, remember to speak the acronym out loud. If the first letter of the acronym makes a
vowel sound (regardless of whether or not the first letter is actually a vowel), you should use
"an." The acronym "NWO" is a perfect example. While "N" is a consonant, it makes the short e
sound (i.e., a vowel sound) when you say it. Consequently, "an" should be used.
Check to see there is already an established acronym for your phrase
It's also important to remember that while you can sometimes make up acronyms, there are
many words/phrases that require acronyms that are established and universal. There are a
number of online acronym dictionaries you can use to search for commonly used acronyms.
Acronyms in academic writing
If you're using acronyms in academic writing, remember that some scientific journals require
you introduce acronyms once in the abstract of your article and then again upon the first use in
the body of the article. Should you be unsure about how to use acronyms when writing an
academic article, please refer to your journal's specific requirements.
Too many acronyms can turn your business writing into alphabet soup
Please remember that acronyms should only be used for words or phrases that are repeated a
number of times throughout your document. If you use too many acronyms, readers will
become confused.
Here's an example of extreme acronym usage in a press release:
In the US, the notion of an NWO became popular after the terrorist attacks on the WTC.
However, officials in NATO and the WTO rarely refer to an NWO in proceedings relating to the
GATT, and it can be said that the MVTO, the MFN clause, and SROs have little to do with an
NWO.
As you can see, too many acronyms can make your writing more difficult to understand. If
numerous acronyms are necessary, we recommend including a glossary of acronyms; your
readers may then refer to it if they become confused.
EXERCISES FOR GRAMMAR
Choose the correct answer.
Q1 - I feel dreadful; I ____ be sick.
am going to
will
Either could be used here
Q2 - Tonight, I ____ stay in- I've rented a video.
am going to
will
Either could be used here
Q3 - If you have any problems, don't worry; I ____ help you.
am going to
will
Either could be used here
Q4 - I completely forgot about it. Give me a moment; I ____ do it now.
am going to
will
Either could be used here
Q5 - Look at those clouds- it ____ rain any minute now.
is going to
will
Either could be used here
Q6 - The weather forecast says it ____ snow tomorrow.
is going to
will
Either could be used here
Q7 - That's the phone- I ____ answer it.
am going to
will
Either could be used here
Q8 - Thanks for the offer, but I'm OK; Shane ____ help me.
is going to
will
Either could be used here
Q9 - Where are you going?
I am going to see a friend.
I'll see a friend.
Q10 - Tea or coffee?
I'm going to have tea, please.
I'll have tea, please.
ANSWERS
Q1 - I feel dreadful; I ____ be sick.
am going to
will
Either could be used here
Q2 - Tonight, I ____ stay in- I've rented a video.
am going to
will
Either could be used here
Q3 - If you have any problems, don't worry; I ____ help you.
am going to
will
Either could be used here
Q4 - I completely forgot about it. Give me a moment; I ____ do it now.
am going to
will
Either could be used here
Q5 - Look at those clouds- it ____ rain any minute now.
is going to
will
Either could be used here
Q6 - The weather forecast says it ____ snow tomorrow.
is going to
will
Either could be used here
Q7 - That's the phone- I ____ answer it.
am going to
will
Either could be used here
Q8 - Thanks for the offer, but I'm OK; Shane ____ help me.
is going to
will
Either could be used here
Q9 - Where are you going?
I am going to see a friend.
I'll see a friend.
Q10 - Tea or coffee?
I'm going to have tea, please.
I'll have tea, please.
VOCABULARY EXERCISES:
Q1 - 'Big' and 'small' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q2 - 'Big' and 'large' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q3 - 'Black' and 'white' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q4 - 'Huge' and 'vast' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q5 - 'Huge' and 'tiny' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q6 - 'Dark' and 'light' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q7 - 'Fantastic' and 'wonderful' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q8 - 'Fantastic' and 'awful' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q9 - 'Dry' and 'wet' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q10 - 'Cheap' and 'costly' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q11 - 'Expensive' and 'costly' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q12 - 'Sad' and 'miserable' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q13 - 'Sad' and 'happy' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q14 - 'Terrific' and 'terrible' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q15 - 'Wonderful' and 'terrible' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q16 - 'Wonderful' and 'terrific' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q17 - 'Glad' and 'happy' are...
synonyms.
antonyms.
Q18 - 'Dead' and 'alive' are...
synonyms
antonyms
ANSWERS
Q1 - 'Big' and 'small' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q2 - 'Big' and 'large' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q3 - 'Black' and 'white' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q4 - 'Huge' and 'vast' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q5 - 'Huge' and 'tiny' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q6 - 'Dark' and 'light' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q7 - 'Fantastic' and 'wonderful' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q8 - 'Fantastic' and 'awful' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q9 - 'Dry' and 'wet' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q10 - 'Cheap' and 'costly' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q11 - 'Expensive' and 'costly' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q12 - 'Sad' and 'miserable' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q13 - 'Sad' and 'happy' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q14 - 'Terrific' and 'terrible' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q15 - 'Wonderful' and 'terrible' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q16 - 'Wonderful' and 'terrific' are...
antonyms.
synonyms.
Q17 - 'Glad' and 'happy' are...
synonyms.
antonyms.
Q18 - 'Dead' and 'alive' are...
synonyms
antonyms