Acronyms and Abbreviations

When we have a term which uses two or more words, we can use the first letter of each word to stand in for the whole word. Acronyms traditionally usually use a period, but some modern conventions don’t use it. If you’re not sure, consult a dictionary.

To take the T.T.C. streetcar, you need correct change or a token.

By the time he finished his M.A., Carey no longer wanted to be a history teacher.

Does the professor want the report written in APA format?

NYC is a hotspot for the arts.

The Harry Potter series was written by J.K. Rowling.

Abbreviations are parts of whole words, where we take out unimportant letters (usually the vowels are the first to go). A period is always used after an abbreviation – even if it’s in the middle of a sentence – to show that the abbreviation is deliberate and not a typo.

Sarah just bought a copy of Virginia Woolf’s Diary, Vol. 1.
Pour cake batter into greased pan. Bake 45 min. at medium heat.

Please take this box of books to Mr. Allan in the library.

If I don’t hurry up, I’m going to miss my entire Can. Lit. class.

Capitals should only be used for proper nouns (e.g. initials, provinces and states, names of educational degrees). If the nouns are common, use lower-case letters.