Abbreviation rules

Lessons for copyeditors

By Jeff South VCU School of Mass Communications

General rules
Save space
Make reading easier

Months without dates

Always capitalize and write out:

The election is in November. School starts in August. He hopes to graduate in December. It will start in January 2000. The battle ended in October 1866.
If theres just a month and a year, no comma!
3

Dates
Abbreviate months of > 5 letters: Jan. 5, 1997 Feb. 28, 1864 Dont use ordinal numbers like: Aug. 10, 2000 Feb. 2nd Sept. 9, 1999 Aug. 23rd Oct. 14, 1784 Dec. 12th Nov. 1, 1965 Dec. 22, 1696
4

Dates
Write out months of 5 or fewer letters: March 30, 2000 April 5, 1974 Dont use ordinal numbers like: May 26, 1998 March 10th June 12, 1863 May 1st July 31, 1997
June 23rd
(But July Fourth is OK!)
5

Now you try!

June 3rd June 3 They will visit in Oct. They will visit in October. December 7, 1941 Dec. 7, 1941 He graduated in May, 1997. He graduated in May 1997.
6

Now you try!

Nov. 12th
Nov. 12 January 1999

Correct.
Which months are never abbreviated?

March, April, May, June, July

7

Copy-edit
The tax was scheduled to expire on January 15, 1999, but in August 1998, legislators passed a bill to extend the levy until July 1st, 2005. The tax was scheduled to expire on Jan. 15, 1999, but in August 1998, legislators passed a bill to extend the levy until July 1, 2005.
8

Days of the week

Simple rule:
Always write them out! Monday Tuesday Wednesday...

Places
Write out states when they stand alone: She is from New Jersey. He was born in Alaska. Killer bees invaded Texas.

10

Places
Abbreviate the state if: Its preceded by a town or city The state has 6 or more letters Dont abbreviate: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, Utah Check AP Style for state abbreviations

AP doesnt use the postal code abbreviations!

11

Places
He is from San Mateo, Calif. The game will be in Morgan, W.Va. They met in Austin, Texas. She lives in Hilo, Hawaii.

12

Omit the state if...

You write for a publication

covering that state:

A tornado flattened Hopewell today. The new city manager is from Norfolk.

Its a widely known city

(See Datelines in the AP Stylebook.)

The 1998 Olympics were in Atlanta. A hurricane hit Miami last year.
13

Always include the state if...

The town straddles the state line: The meeting was held in Bristol, Va.
There could be some confusion: After growing up in Springfield, Ill., he worked in Springfield, Va.

14

Now you try!

They flew to San Francisco, Calif.
They flew to San Francisco. She taught in Knoxville, Tennessee.

She taught in Knoxville, Tenn.

Anchorage, Alaska, is a beautiful place.

Correct.
15

Now you try!

A winter storm hit Ogden, UT.
A winter storm hit Ogden, Utah. He is from Fairfax.

Correct.
The mine collapsed near Allentown, Pa.

Correct.
16

Streets and addresses

If its an exact address, abbreviate

everything you can (the direction & street, boulevard and avenue):
901 W. Main St. 2005 Grove Ave. 70 Monument Blvd.

If theres no street address, spell out: He lives on Floyd Street. The building is on Monument Boulevard.

17

Streets and addresses

Always write out road, drive,

circle and court.

1067 Staples Mill Road 10215 Windbluff Drive

18

Now you try!

945 West Franklin Street
945 W. Franklin St. on First Street in Richmond.

Correct.
Its at 10532 West Broad St.

Its at 10532 W. Broad St.

19

Now you try!

The city has condemned homes

at 98 Cedar Rd., 7853 E. Hill St. and 309 Commerce Avenue. The city has condemned homes at 98 Cedar Road, 7853 E. Hill St. and 309 Commerce Ave. Whats your address?
20

Names and titles

On first reference,

use a persons full name On subsequent references, use the last name only (for adults; for kids, use the first name) Generally, no courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Ms.) unless theres confusion Use courtesy titles in a direct quote
21

Now you try!

Mr. Tom Ferguson will speak. Tom Ferguson will speak. Mrs. Allen will accompany me, the

candidate said. Correct. The Smiths both ate the shrimp, but only Mr. Smith got sick. He was up all night, Mrs. Smith said. Correct.

22

Names and titles

If used directly before a name,

abbreviate:

Gov. Mark Warner Dr. Terry Oggel Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine Rep. Robert Scott Sen. John Warner
Formal titles accompany only the full name. Example: Sen. Barbara Boxer, not Sen. Boxer.
23

Names and titles

Dont abbreviate: Superintendent Albert Williams Commonwealths Attorney David Hicks Professor Paula Otto Attorney General Mark Earley President Eugene Trani Chairman Yasser Arafat
Formal titles accompany only the full name. Example: Delegate Viola Baskerville, not Delegate Baskerville.
24

Which titles to abbreviate?

Professor No. District Attorney No. Governor Yes: Gov. President No.
25

Which titles to abbreviate?

Lieutenant Governor Yes: Lt. Gov. Senator Yes: Sen. Congressman No, and try not to use it anyway. U.S. Representative Yes: U.S. Rep.
26

Names and titles

the Rev. Always includes the the Rev. Billy Graham

27

Names and titles

For state and federal legislators,

put political party ID after name

Use R or D, then a hyphen ... Then the state abbreviation (for members of Congress) or the city (for state legislators)

28

Names and titles

Examples of state and federal

legislators, on first reference:

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., State Sen. John Watkins, R-Chesterfield, ... Delegate Emily Couric, D-Charlottesville, ...
You can also write: Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts ... 29

Now you try!

U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Dem.-Conn., is

the vice presidential nominee. vice presidential nominee.

U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., is the Former U.S. Rep. Richard Cheney, R-

Wyoming, is Bushs running mate. Bushs running mate.

Former U.S. Rep. Richard Cheney, R-Wyo., is

30

Military titles
See AP Stylebook
Many titles are abbreviated Use titles only with full name

31

Military titles
Abbreviate Gen. Col. Maj. Lt. Sgt. Adm. Cmdr. Pvt. Pfc. Spell out Warrant Officer Petty Officer Seaman Ensign Airman
Partly spell out Staff Sgt. Lance Cpl. Rear Adm.

32

Now you try!

the Reverend Jerry Falwell the Rev. Jerry Falwell Adm. Elizabeth Cross Correct. Prof. Ted Smith Professor Ted Smith former Senator Robert Dole, R-Kansas, ... former Sen. Robert Dole, R-Kan., ...
33

Periods in abbreviations
Use periods if the abbreviation

spells an unrelated word:

c.o.d. - not cod (like the fish) U.S. - not US (like Give US liberty!) U.N. - not UN (like UN-American)

34

Speaking of U.S. and U.N.

Write out United States and United

Nations when they are nouns Abbreviate them when they are adjectives
In the United States ... the U.S. Army the U.N. peacekeepers at the United Nations today ...

35

Pop quiz!
A (US / U.S. / United States) embargo A U.S. embargo A (UN / U.N. / United Nations) treaty A U.N. treaty Andrew Young served as (US / U.S. / United States) ambassador to the (UN / U.N. / United Nations). Andrew Young served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. in the (US / U.S. / United States). in the United States.

36

Periods in abbreviations
Otherwise, no periods North Atlantic Treaty Organization > NATO American Medical Association > AMA Virginia Commonwealth University > VCU Federal Bureau of Investigation > FBI

37

Periods or not?
The Virginia Education Association

is known as the V.E.A. No periods: VEA The speed limit is 65 mph. Correct as is. No periods: mph The students used 35 mm cameras. Correct as is. No periods (and no hyphen either just a space). Class started at 8 am. Need periods: at 8 a.m.

38

a.m. and p.m.

Why does a.m. take periods?
Because it does, so does p.m. 6 a.m. 7:45 p.m.

39

Academic degrees
Lowercase when written out
Uppercase and use periods

when abbreviated

masters degree or M.A. medical degree or M.D. bachelor of arts or B.A. doctor of philosophy, doctoral degree, doctorate or Ph.D.
40

Copy-edit
The United Nations resolution, passed at 3 A.M., called on the U.S. to intervene in Kosovo.
The U.N. resolution, passed at 3 a.m., called on the United States to intervene in Kosovo.
41

Copy-edit
Phil Oswald, Ph.D., published an article on UN treaties that were opposed by the U.S.
Phil Oswald, Ph.D., published an article on U.N. treaties that were opposed by the United States.
42

Organizations
Spell out first reference: Public Relations Society of America
Abbreviate subsequent references: PRSA Some organizations can be abbreviated

on first reference:

NAACP, AFL-CIO, FBI

43

Organizations
When an abbreviation is unfamiliar, use

a shortened name of the organization

Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce > the bureau Office of Instructional Technology > the office

44

Now you try!

Central Intelligence Agency CIA (or the agency) National Organization to Reform

Marijuana Laws NORML (or the organization, the group) Drug Enforcement Agency DEA (or the agency) School of Mass Communications 45 the school

Symbols
Always write out cents (not )

and percent (not %) Always use numerals with cents and percent
5 cents, 50 cents, 92 cents, 1 cent 1 percent, 20 percent, 100 percent

46

Symbols
Use $ if it accompanies a number: $3 $10.99 $2 billion
Round sums, like clock hours, carry no

zeros or punctuation:

Average gasoline prices rose from $1 to $1.65.

Spell out casual uses of money: The homeless man asked for a dollar. I gave him my two cents.

47

Now you try!

The Washington Post costs $0.50. The Washington Post costs 50 cents. We paid several dollars for the book. Correct. That doesnt make cents. That doesnt make sense. The plane cost 1 million dollars. The plane cost $1 million.
48

Symbols
Use & only when its part of a groups

name:

Dow Jones & Co. Florida A&M

49

Miscellaneous
Abbreviate time zones: Eastern Standard Time > EST
No periods in call letters WCVE, WRVA Always spell out Fort and Mount Mount Vernon, Fort Pickett, Fort Worth, Mount Trashmore
50

Miscellaneous
Abbreviate Saint when it is part of a

proper noun (river, city, school, a holy persons name)

St. Paul, Va.; St. Lawrence River; St. Catherines School

Never abbreviate Christmas

51

Miscellaneous
Abbreviate Co. (company), Corp.

(corporation), Ltd. (limited) and Inc. (incorporated) when they appear at the end of a companys name:
Reynolds Inc. Philip Morris Co. Circuit City Corp.
52

Now you try!

Merry Xmas
Merry Christmas Fort Lee

Correct: Fort Lee.

Mount Saint Helens

Mount St. Helens

53

Now you try!

Weyerhaeuser Company
Weyerhaeuser Co. Westvaco Corporation

Westvaco Corp.
W.R.I.C.

WRIC
54