Abbreviating Continued: When to Use Cont. & Cont’d

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A grammar guide to shortening “continued” in professional and casual writing
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To be continued. To be cont. To be cont’d? Which one of these is the right way to shorten “continued” again? They’re actually both correct, but which one you use depends on the context and your preferred writing style. In this article, we’ll show you the right abbreviations of “continued” and how to write with them (plus which incorrect versions to avoid). If you’re ready to polish up your shorthand writing, continue reading!

Things You Should Know

  • Write “cont.” as the abbreviation for “continued” in business or casual writing.
  • Use “cont’d” as a contraction in informal, journalistic, or screenplay writing.
  • Avoid using “con’t” since it’s a grammatically incorrect contraction.
  • Try to use the whole phrase “Continued on next page” or leave it out entirely. If you include it, use “cont.” or “cont’d” according to your preferred style guidelines.
Section 1 of 3:

Correct Abbreviation

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  1. According to dictionaries and most English language style guides, “cont.” is the official, correct abbreviation. When you need to abbreviate the word “continued,” lop off everything after the letter “t” and add a period (the abbreviation is not correct without the period). [1]
    • Abbreviations are shortened forms of written words. Some are formed from the first few letters, and some omit letters from the middle of the word. [2]
      • For example, “Sep.” contains the first 3 letters of “September” and “govt.” leaves out letters in the middle of “government.”
      • Nearly all abbreviations end in a period.
  2. “Cont.” is pretty universally recognizable to English readers and is OK to use when space is tight and you need to shorten the word (like in a table or slideshow title). If you’re using it in business or professional writing, double check your company’s preferred style guide—they may prefer for you to use the full word or the contraction version of “continued.” [3]
    • Use abbreviations in section headings, titles, or tables and charts. Try to avoid using them in full sentences where possible. [4]
    • In formal writing, use the “cont.” abbreviation sparingly and spell out the full word “continued” if it will fit on the line, page, or box where it’s needed.
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Section 2 of 3:

Correct Contraction

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  1. “Cont’d” does not appear officially in many style guides, but is generally seen as a correct alternative to the abbreviation “cont.” To make a contraction of “continued,” omit all the letters between “t” and “d” and replace them with an apostrophe. [5]
    • A contraction is the shortening of a word by omission of a letter (or letters) that’s replaced by an apostrophe (for example: “can’t” means “cannot”). [6]
  2. “Cont’d” is seen as a more casual alternative to “cont.” and is best for informal shorthand. It appears slightly less often than “cont.” since it’s one character longer and a little less clear. It’s also used when you’re writing a news article or typing up a screenplay to show that an story or a line of dialogue continues after a page break or stage direction. [7]
    • For example, a screenplay direction might say:
      • MARIA
        “I’m tired of this town.”
        (Maria stands up.)
        MARIA (CONT’D)
        “And I’m never coming back!”
  3. “Con’t” is an incorrect contraction for several reasons. First, the apostrophe isn’t replacing any letters (it’s just thrown between the “n” and the “t”). Second, most contractions retain at least half of the letters of the full word. Since “con’t” doesn’t, it’s grammatically incorrect. Avoid using this form of the word in any scenario. [8]
    • “Con’t” is also not an abbreviation because of the apostrophe and because there’s no period at the end.
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Section 3 of 3:

Shortening “Continued on Next Page”

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  1. If there’s room, use the whole phrase “Continued on next page” or “Continued on page X” to indicate an article, table, or other writing goes on after a page break. If there’s no room, consider deleting it altogether. Page numbers and the fact that the story or article hasn’t concluded will cue the reader to read on. [9]
    • If you need to shorten “continued,” use “cont.” or “cont’d” according to your style preferences. If it’s personal or informal work, use whichever you like!
    • “Continued on page X” is useful if it’s not immediately clear where a news or magazine story picks up later on in the issue.
    • “Continued on next page” is typically written in smaller, italicized font to separate it from the main body of text.

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      Tips

      • Aim to mainly use contracted or abbreviated words in informal writing, like letters or emails, or in tables and charts where space is limited.
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      • When choosing between abbreviations or contractions in general, go with whichever is shorter and clearer to the reader.
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      • In many cases, “cont.” and “cont’d” are interchangeable. As long as it’s clear to the reader what the meaning is, the form of the word you use is up to you or your organization’s preferred style of writing.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/cont .
      2. ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abbreviation
      3. ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/continued-abbreviation/
      4. ↑ https://community.cochrane.org/style-manual/abbreviations-acronyms-and-initialisms/when-use-abbreviations-acronyms-and-initialisms
      5. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/cont%27d
      6. ↑ https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/grammar/contractions/1/
      7. ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/continued-abbreviation/
      8. ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/continued-abbreviation/
      9. ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/continued-abbreviation/

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