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Subject:Re: Acronyms and "the" Article From:"David L. Bergart" <bodafu -at- CCVAX -dot- SINICA -dot- EDU -dot- TW> Date:Sun, 8 May 1994 12:39:33 +0800
In article <re_allen -at- pnl -dot- gov> writes:
>How about using "the" with initialisms & acronyms when you would
>have used it with the spelled out phrase? Like:
>I work for the Department of Energy. (I don't; it's an example)
>I work for the DOE.
>I work for DOE.
>I prefer the last version, without "the."
>It does feel better to use "the" when the acronym is an adjective:
> I work at the DOE site.
>Does anyone know of a rule? Does anyone have an opinion? Does
>anyone care?
>Bob Allen
I prefer to include 'the' when writing. In general, I treate acronyms
as though they were expanded -- the only exception is that I select 'a'/'an'
depending on whether the acronym is usually spoken as a sequence of letters or
is expanded into words. I do, however, get enough flack about pluralization of
acronmyms that I may stop the vile habit. Or retire.
David
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David L. Bergart bodafu -at- ccvax -dot- sinica -dot- edu -dot- tw bodafu -at- TWNAS886 -dot- bitnet
Copy oddity^h^h^h^h^h^heditor, Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica, Taiwan
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