Punctuation and Capitalization
Acronyms and Initialisms
Units of Measurement
Abbreviations
Like symbols, abbreviations-shortened forms of words or phrases-are especially useful in tables, bibliographies, and other places where space is at a premium. In most text, however, keep abbreviations to a minimum, except for those commonly used with dates or figures (for instance, A.D. 735, 11:15 a.m.) and those for titles conventionally abbreviated when they appear with names (Me Bruce Lee, Jr.; Dr. Anna Cortez or Anna Cortez, M.D.; Ms. Adams, and so forth). Abbreviate the names of organizations and other terms only if you are sure that all your readers will understand the abbreviations readily. A good rule of thumb: When in doubt, spell it out.
Except for commonly used abbreviations ( U.S.A. , a.m.), spell out a term the first time you use it, and give its abbreviation in parentheses. Thereafter, you can use the abbreviation alone.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has accomplished much in its short history. But is NASA worth what it costs?
PUNCTUATION AND CAPITALIZATION
Usage of periods and of capital letters with abbreviations varies; check current practice (or specific abbreviations in an up-to-date dictionary. Note also that various professional organizations, such as the Modern Language Association of America (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA), have their own preferred forms of abbreviation. For a list of association style guides, see the appendix, The Research Paper.
Do not divide and hyphenate an abbreviation at the end of a line.
Do not add an additional period at the end of a sentence that ends with an abbreviation.
The official name of the company is Data Base, Inc. [not Inc..]
ACRONYMS AND INITIALISMS
An acronym is an abbreviation pronounced as a word (usually formed by combining the first, and sometimes other, letters of several words).
AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
RAM random-access memory
ROM read-only memory
HUD Department of Housing and Urban Development
An initialism is formed in the same way as an acronym and, like an acronym, is used as a name for the thing it stands for, but its letters are individually pronounced.
FTP file transfer protocol
FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation
CIA Central Intelligence Agency
CPR cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Acronyms and initialisms follow most of the same rules. They are written without periods and in capital letters (unless they have been fully integrated into the language as common nounsfor example, radar, sonar, scuba, laser- in which case they are no longer thought of as abbreviations and follow the same rules as any other words). Again, if in doubt, consult a dictionary.
Form the plurals of acronyms or initialisms by adding an s, with or without an apostrophe (but be consistent).
CDs or CDs VCRs or VCR's
UNITS OF MEASUREMENT
Here are some common abbreviations for units of measurement. Except for abbreviations such as in. (inch), which could be misread as a word (in), most abbreviations of measurements do not require periods. If in doubt, consult a dictionary or the style guide for the academic discipline in which you are writing.
In college writing, do not abbreviate measurements except in tables or graphs.
bu bushel
cm centimeter
C Centigrade, Celsius
doz dozen
cal calorie
F Fahrenheit
ft foot (or feet)
oz ounce
gal. gallon
pt pint
hp horsepower
qt quart
hr hour
rpm revolutions per minute
in. inch
sec second
KB kilobyte
T tablespoon
km kilometer
tsp teaspoon
Ib pound
yd yard
m meter
yr year
min minute
The plural of abbreviations of units of measurement is usually the same as the singular: 1 cm and 3 cm (not 3 cms).
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