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- 5. SHORT FORMS
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- LESSON 5 PROPER NOUNS - SHORT FORMS
-
- A proper noun may have a shortened form used as a COMPLETE SUBSTITUTE for
- the proper noun. These forms are used for brevity and are capitalized in
- the same pattern as the proper noun they represent:
-
- 1. ABBREVIATIONS use some of the letters of the proper noun ->
-
- Mon., Mass., Robt., W. Va., WV (zip code)
-
- 2. INITIALS, appropriately, use only the "initial" letters of the words
- of the proper noun they represent -> IBM, IRS, AMA, M.B.A., R.N.
-
- 3. "The" in short forms. Capitalize the article "The" only when it
- is part of the proper noun in its full form ->
-
- The Times (The Japan Times), The Journal (The Wall Street Journal)
-
- 4. Nicknames or well-known substitutes (also used for color, may not be
- any shorter than full form!) ->
-
- Stonewall Jackson, the Channel, the Fed, the Hub
- The Babe, The Sultan of Swat, George Herman "Babe" Ruth
- <<
- Can you identify these states by their nicknames:
- Pine Tree State Sunshine State Golden State Evergreen State
- Hint: The Post Office would identify them as ME, FL, CA, WA.
-
- If you walked directly south from North Dakota, what states would you walk
- through before getting to Mexico?
- To help, memorize the sentence easily remembered by angry tax payers:
- "NORTH or SOUTH, NOBody CAN OK TaXes." Can you make the association?
- (ND SD Neb Kan Ok Tx)
-
- Using the article "the" leads to awkward constructions
- without a special exception.
- Notice: "I read the "The New York Times."
- Although grammatically correct, eliminate the first "the"
- because the second "The" is part of the actual name.
-
- Sometimes the meaning of a nickname depends on the reader.
- If you said "the Canal" to a resident of Egypt and a
- resident of Panama they would think of different canals.
-
- "There are many things from which I might have
- derived good, by which I might not have profited,
- I dare say," returned the nephew, "Christmas among
- the rest..."
- {Source: "A Christmas Carol", short story, Dickens, 1843}
- >>
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