In everyday written English abbreviations are often used instead of full words. It is not always easy to know when to use these and when to use full words instead. As a general rule it is acceptable to use these in informal writing but if you are writing a formal letter, or document, always write these words in full.

c/o: short for care of

Use this when writing the address on a letter to someone who does not live at a particular address but is having their mail sent sent there.

Do: short for ditto

Ditto is Latin for 'already said'. Use it to indicate that you are repeating something. The short form of the word 'ditto' is sometimes written with two commas (,,) which are placed underneath the word, or number being repeated.

eg: means exempli gratia

This is used to indicate that an example follows to illustrate a point. The words 'exempli gratia' are Latin and mean ' for example'.

etc: short for et cetera

This is Latin for 'and other things'. It is used when you want to let the reader know that the list could be longer. In formal English this is not really suitable (although not incorrect) and it is better to write 'such as' and then list some examples rather than use the abbreviation 'etc'.

i.e : short for id est

This is Latin for 'that is' and it can be used to clarify meaning by putting what has been written in another way.

NB : short for nota bene

This Latin expression means 'note well' and it often added at the end of a statement to indicate that it is a very important point.

PS : Short for post scriptum

This again is Latin and is used to add a bit more to the end of an informal letter. If you think of something you forgot to say it is correct to use PS at the end of an informal letter but if the letter is formal the whole thing needs to be rewritten to include the extra point, don't use a PS.

RSVP : French for 'please reply'

The French phrase 'repondez s'il vous plait' means 'please reply'. It is always abbreviated to RSVP and should only be used at the bottom of an invitation. For example a wedding, engagement, or birthday party invitation. Never use this in a formal letter.

ult : means last month

This too is Latin and is short for ultimo and means 'last month'. It is only used in very formal documents and letters, particularly in the legal profession.

If you are unsure about using abbreviations in written English, don't use them. The examples given above have very specific uses and using them in the wrong places will make your written English look and sound ridiculous. Only use the ones that you are comfortable with.

Copyright: Louie Jerome 2008

Louie Jerome is a UK writer, editor and publisher. She is also a teacher of English as a foreign language. Writer Soup is a monthly internet magazine for writers and readers. http://www.learn-english-now.co.uk