Common Errors Grammar Tip 10

Unit abbreviations

Which sentences include the correct unit abbreviations? 

1. The recipe calls for 2 lbs. of flour. 

2. I bought 3 yd of fabric yesterday. 

3. I cut 6 in off the end of the board.  

4. The tree grew 2 m. in less than a year. 

5. I used a 12-ft ladder to reach the roof. 

6. The temperature was 90 °F in the shade.

The correct sentences are B and E. 

Why? 

Unit abbreviations are:

• always written in the singular form and never end in s. 
• not followed by a period, with the exception of the abbreviation for inch: “in.” 
• separated from their magnitude, or number, by a space, with the exception of the abbreviations for temperature in degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit, of which both units directly follow their numbers, with no space. 
• connected to their magnitude, or number, by a hyphen when used as an adjective that precedes the noun it modifies. 

Expert Tip: When typing, insert a nonbreaking space (or a nonbreaking hyphen) between a number and its unit to keep them on the same line.

Here are the correct abbreviations: 

1. The recipe calls for 2 lb of flour. 

2. I bought 3 yd of fabric yesterday. 

3. I cut 6 in. off the end of the board.  

4. The tree grew 2 m in less than a year. 

5. I used a 12-ft ladder to reach the roof. 

6. The temperature was 90°F in the shade. 

No ending s. No period, except for inches. Add a [nonbreaking] space, except for temperatures. Hyphenate as an adjective.

You’ve got this!