1 Names of international organizations
With, or without “the”? Although usage can vary from one organization to another, the United Nations style guide states that no definite article should be used (except when the abbreviation functions as an adjective):
Examples
e.g. ILO, WHO, UNICEF
the ILO, the WHO, the UNICEF
e.g. the ILO annual report
2(a) Educational qualifications
Do we use “a” or “an”? The solution is simple: how is the first letter pronounced?
– If it is or sounds like a vowel, use “an”.
– If it is a consonant, use “a”:
Examples
She has an MA (pron. “emm”) in human rights law.
He has a BA (pron. “bee”) in European law.
She has an LL.B. (pron. “ell”) [Bachelor of Laws]
2(b) Other abbreviations that also depend on the pronunciation of the first letter
Examples
a GP (pron. “jee”) [general practitioner]
a UNESCO (pron. “you”) conference
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Author: Carol Waites
Presentation/editing by Christina O’Shaughnessy
https://worldwidewriting.org/
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Carol Waites (PhD)
Email: carolswritingtips@gmail.com
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