Re[2]: Acronyms and "the" Article

[Sharon K Loverne <sk_loverne -at- CCMAIL -dot- PNL -dot- GOV>]

Bob,
          I prefer to use it as you do.  I'm glad you asked
          that question, though, because I have been wondering
          about that, too.

          Sharon Loverne


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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