Abbreviations are shortened versions of longer words or phrases. For example, the contraction “don’t” is combination of two individual words: do + not.
There are many types of abbreviations in English; including (but not limited to) acronyms, contractions, truncations, initialisms, portmanteaus and clipped words.
Technically, both cont. and cont’d are correct abbreviations for continued. Cont. is a truncated form, and cont’d is a contracted form for continued.
I.e. is Latin for id est, meaning ‘in essence’. In English, this is understood as ‘that is to say’, or ‘in other words’.
Acronyms are a type of abbreviation where each word in a series or phrase forms a single word that’s pronounced differently, like YOLO (You Only Live Once).
Contractions are words that have been conjoined through the use of an apostrophe, and the omission of certain letters and sounds: haven’t, wouldn’t couldn’t.
If you thought Latin was a language of the past—think again! Learn how to use e.g. in writing, understand its meaning, and a whole lot more.
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PS? Postscript? What does this mean? We’re not talking about your PlayStation, though they do share the same initials as the subject of this GrammarFlex article!