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English Tutoring Lab Handouts

Using abbreviations for note-taking

Examples of abbreviation | How to abbreviate 

 

Study skills >Using abbreviations for note-taking>How to abbreviate
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How to abbreviate
Your notes represent an effort to simplify and condense all the information that you read and hear as a student. To make the process of note-taking more efficient, it is important to abbreviate and to make use of symbols. The following suggestions will help you to do just that. 

 Use familiar standard abbreviations
  • co. -company
  • ex. –example
  • inc. –incorporated

Use the first syllable of a word

  • mem. –member
  • syl. -syllable

Add letters or syllables when the first syllable does not have enough meaning

  • concen. -concentration
  • freq. -frequently
  • Leave out unnecessary letters, especially vowels
  • rdg. reading
  • sm. Small

Always add periods to abbreviations


Add an "s" to make abbreviations plural

  • eds. –editors
  • reps. -representatives
  • Use an apostrophe to indicate addition of an ending
  • cont'd. –continued
  • gen'l. -general


 Use common symbols from math, science and other sources instead of words

  • + in addition to
  • > -greater than, more valuable than
  • [ ]-important


 Create your own symbolic system to represent certain phrases or ideas

  • a spiral to denote inflation
  • a circle to denote a circular argument
  • two arrows in opposite directions to indicate conflict.

Abbreviate your notes in general by omitting short words that carry very little meaning.

  • The assignment is to discuss the causes of the Civil War in three paragraphs. ~ --Assign. -disc. causes Civ. War -3 P's

Generally, good abbreviations contain no unnecessary letters, can be recognized easily and follow a consistent pattern.
 
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Updated 5/7/02
  Handout created by Dolin/Chung of the DVC Learning Center. Copyright 2003.
 

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