English Vocabulary in Use Pre-intermediate and Intermediate » Unit 100: Abbreviations

Word List
  • a paper
  • ad/advert
  • advert
  • and so on
  • gym
  • i.e.
  • ID
  • in other words
  • ISP
  • lab
  • maths
  • MP
  • Mr
  • Mrs
  • PC
  • phone
  • photo
  • plane
  • PM
  • sales rep
  • St
  • telly
  • that’s to say
  • UN
  • vet
  • What does X stand for?
Exercises

100.1 ‣ Are these sentences correct or incorrect? If a sentence is incorrect, change it to make it correct.

  1. ISP stands for Internet Service Player.
  2. BBC stands for British Broadcasting Company.
    _____
  3. MP stands for Minister of Parliament.
    _____
  4. PC stands for personal computer.
    _____
  5. UN stands for Unified Nations.
    _____
  6. ID stands for identification.
    _____
  7. CV stands for curricular vitae.
    _____

100.2 ‣ What abbreviations in written English are often used for these words or phrases?

  1. Mister
  2. for example _____
  3. and so on _____
  4. Street _____
  5. in other words _____
  6. Saint _____
  7. Doctor _____

100.3 ‣ Complete the sentences with suitable words, shortened words or abbreviations.

  1. It was a warm day, so I put the milk and butter in the .
  2. He didn’t want to walk, so he went on his _____.
  3. If you go to Mediterranean islands, _____ Sardinia or Corsica, it’s a good idea to hire a car.
  4. If you want to apply for the job, you’ll need to send your _____ with a letter of application.
  5. The dog was sick, so we had to take her to the _____.
  6. In that shop on the corner you can get books, pens, writing paper, _____.
  7. I took my large bag with me on the plane, but I didn’t have a _____.
  8. When I sold my CDs, I put _____ an in the paper and had three replies the same day.
  9. If you use the cashpoint, remember you’ll need your _____ number.
  10. What does MP _____ for?
  11. We did some experiments in the chemistry _____.
  12. My uncle is a sales _____.
Answer Key
A ‣ Letters or words?

Most abbreviations are spoken as individual letters.

EU European Union
UN United Nations
PM Prime Minister
MP Member of Parliament
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation
ID identification, e.g. Do you have an ID card?
PC personal computer
CV curriculum vitae[a history of your job experience]
ISP Internet Service Provider

Occasionally abbreviations are spoken as words, e.g. AIDS /eɪdz/ and PIN /pɪn/ [personal identification number, especially used with a bank / credit card]

Language help

We use the verb stand for to ask about the meaning of an abbreviation.

A: What does EU stand for?
B: European Union.

B ‣ Written forms only

Some abbreviations are written forms only, but pronounced as full words.

Mr Scott (mister Scott)
St Mark’s Church (Saint Mark’s Church)
Mrs Bryant (misses Bryant)
Dean St (Dean Street)
Dr Chapman (doctor Chapman)

C ‣ Abbreviations as part of the language

Some abbreviations (from Latin) are used as part of the language.

Latinabbreviationpronunciationmeaning
et ceteraetc./et ˈsetərə/and so on
exempli gratiae.g./iːˈʤiː/for example
id esti.e./aɪˈiː/that’s to say / in other words
D ‣ Shortened words

Some common English words can be shortened, especially in spoken English. In some cases, the shorter form is more common and the full form sounds quite formal, e.g. refrigerator, influenza, gymnasium and veterinary surgeon.

phone (telephone)
fridge (refrigerator)
maths (mathematics)
exam (examination)
board (whiteboard/smartboard/blackboard)
plane (aeroplane)
case (suitcase)
photo (photograph)
ad/advert (advertisement)
flu (influenza) [illness like a cold but more serious]
gym (gymnasium)
lab (laboratory)[special room where scientists work]
bike (bicycle)
sales rep (sales representative; syn salesperson)
TV/telly (television)
vet (veterinary surgeon)
paper (newspaper)

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