Misuses of abbreviations
In formal writing, abbreviations for the following are not commonly accepted. Abbreviations for some of these terms are acceptable in notes and bibliographies.
Personal name
Charles (not Chas.)
Days of the week
Monday (not Mon.)
Holidays
Christmas (not Xmas)
Months
January, February, March (not Jan., Feb., Mar.)
Courses of study
political science (not poli. sci.)
Divisions of written works
chapter, page (not ch., p.)
States and countries
Massachusetts (not MA or Mass.), except with a zip code in an address
Parts of a business name
Adams Lighting Company (not Adams Lighting Co.); Kim and Brothers, Inc. (not Kim and Bros., Inc.), except when part of an official corporate name
Common words in running text
Titles that stand alone
Do not abbreviate a title if it is not used with a proper name.
Redundant titles
Avoid redundant titles such as Dr. Amy Day, MD. Choose one title or the other: Dr. Amy Day or Amy Day, MD.
Exercise: Abbreviations