Abbreviations Quiz You can do this quiz online or print it on paper. It’s based on our Abbreviations pages. 1. The verb abbreviate means to provide an example make shorter reduce in quality a) a provide an example b) make shorter c) reduce in quality 2. Which type of abbreviation is BBC? an initialism a contraction a shortening a) an initialism b) a contraction c) a shortening 3. When an abbreviation is a shortening, the front and/or end of the word is cut up cut off cut in a) cut up b) cut off c) cut in 4. The modern approach to punctuating acronyms is to use no full stops one full stop two full stops a) no full stops b) one full stop c) two full stops 5. When you cut out part of the inside of a word, you form a contraction an acronym an initialism a) a contraction b) an acronym c) an initialism 6. In contractions of more than one word, missing letters are replaced by a full stop a comma an apostrophe a) a full stop b) a comma c) an apostrophe 7. Contractions may be used to save space in writing or ink in printing time in speaking choice in punctuation a) ink in printing b) time in speaking c) choice in punctuation 8. Initialisms are usually pronounced as letters contractions words a) letters b) contractions c) words 9. An acronym is usually pronounced as letters a word a phrase a) letters b) a word c) a phrase 10. Shortenings like app, zoo and bike are usually spoken in the original form informal form initial form a) original form b) informal form c) initial form Your score is: Correct answers: