Grammar & Style

Acronym Use

One of the main tenets of plain language is to minimize the use of acronyms because they often distract the reader. We acknowledge that the ship has sailed on this rule in the Planning Department and many other government institutions.

Think about whether your use of an acronym is already known to the public or whether you can substitute a simple word or phrase that stands for the name.

If not, here are some guidelines to make life easier for your reader:

• Spell out the full name on first reference and include the acronym in all capital letters in parenthesis immediately following the full name.
• If the acronym is in a long document, spell out the first reference in each chapter, and again periodically if the acronym is so far from the first reference the reader may not remember it.  
• If a name is only referred to once in the document, do not use an acronym.
• There are no periods in an acronym, except for those that end in a lowercase letter.

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• ✗ "With the prior written consent of the Planning Board, which is not to be unreasonably withheld, the Planning Board can grant, within 14 days of the application, the developer permission to assign the development agreement."

✓ "The Planning Board may allow the developer to assign the development agreement within 14 days of the application. The board must give written consent prior to the assignment. The board cannot withhold consent without reasonable justification."