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Subject:Re: Articles with Acronyms From:Dan Glovier <Mercury!tsh!dan -at- MCS -dot- NET> Date:Tue, 10 Jan 1995 11:33:21 -0600
The Gods overheard Kelly Burhenne state:
> Question: When using an acronym (as you all know, very prevalent in our
> profession) preceded by an article, should you use the article that
> agrees with the first word the acronym represents, or use the article
> that agrees with the pronunciation of the acronym.
> e.g.: an FTP
> a FTP
> a SS2000 (SiteScan 2000)
> or an SS2000
> Kelly Burhenne
> burhennk -at- smtpgw -dot- liebert -dot- com
Kelly,
Use the article that agrees with the pronunciation of
acronym (i.e. an FTP).
Quoting from my Little, Brown Handbook (pg. 546):
When you use an abbreviation or acronym in writing, the article that
precedes it depends on how the abbreviation is to be read:
She was once an HEW undersecretary. (HEW is to be read as three letters,
not as a word or as Health, Education, and Welfare.) Many Americans
opposed a SALT treaty. (SALT is to be read as one word, salt, not as
four separate leatters.)
--
Dan Glovier
dan -at- tsh -dot- com
"A million years of evolution, we get Danny Quayle."
- "Insanity" Boingo
