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Goronsky Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Am … pm

Is it okay to just simply drop the periods in 'a.m./p.m.' and write them like this?

He will be there around 5 pm.
She woke up at 4:30 am to take a jog.

Or would the abbreviation 'am' momentarily confuse the reader with the word 'am'?
  

Top answer

Hi, The use of "am" and "pm" without periods is in widespread use in different contexts. " is confused with the auxiliary verb "am", but it is the author's discretion to write clearly to avoid such possible confusions. Regards Hamid

— Hrsanei

  • Hi, The use of "am" and "pm" without periods is in widespread use in different contexts.
  • " is confused with the auxiliary verb "am", but it is the author's discretion to write clearly to avoid such possible confusions.
  • Regards Hamid
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2 Answers
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Hi,
The use of "am" and "pm" without periods is in widespread use in different contexts.
I can't think of structure in which "a.m." is confused with the auxiliary verb "am", but it is the author's discretion to write clearly to avoid such possible confusions.
Regards
Hamid
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Both the AP Stylebook (40th Edition, 2005) and The Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition, 2010) recommend lowercase a.m. and p.m. in writing.

I have no problem with either a.m./p.m. or am/pm, but I tend to include the periods myself.
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