Chapter 41. Using Phrase Elements Properly
Phrase elements are a series of HTML tags for identifying the particular structure of a segment of text within a larger element such as a paragraph.
GEEKSPEAKA phrase element is an HTML tag that defines the structure of a segment of text within a larger element such as a paragraph. |
TAG | IDENTIFIES | TYPICALLY DISPLAYS AS | EXAMPLE |
---|---|---|---|
em | Emphasized text | Italic | <em>What</em> did you say? |
strong | Really emphasized text | Boldface | You can't be <strong>serious!</strong> |
cite | A citation; a reference or source | Italic | What's up, doc? <cite>-- Bugs Bunny</cite> |
dfn | A term that is defined in the following text | Italic | A <dfn>tag</dfn> is an HTML markup element. |
code | Computer code | Monospaced text | The <code>em</code> tag identifies emphasized text. |
samp | Sample output froma computer program, function, etc. | Monospaced text | When this happens, the computer displays <samp>Error: Please Reboot.</samp> |
kbd | Keys or text that the user presses or enters | Monospaced text | Press <kbd>Enter</kbd> to continue. |
var | A variable in a computer program, equation, etc. | Italic | Check the value of <var>x</var> before you continue. |
abbr | An abbreviation | Normal text[*] | Your site looks fantastic, but the <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> would not approve, as usual. |
acronym | An acronym | Normal text | Send your complaints to <acronym title="National Aeronautics and Space Administration">NASA</acronym>. |
Most of the phrase elements are self-explanatory, but the abbreviation and acronym tags need further clarification.First, a quick refresher. An abbreviation is a group of letters that stands for a word or a series of words. You pronounce each letter in some abbreviations separately, even if the abbreviation is pronounceable. A good example is the abbreviation UN, which stands for United Nations. When you see this abbreviation, you don't say "unn," but "you, enn."You don't pronounce certain abbreviations at all, instead replacing them with the actual words that they represent. Consider the abbreviation for the state of California, CA. Typically, when you see this abbreviation, you just say "California" instead of "see, ay."An acronym, by contrast, is an abbreviation that you pronounce as if it were a word. When you see the acronym NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), you don't say "enn, ay, ess, ay," but "nassuh," and rarely do you substitute the agency's real name. You just pronounce the acronym and get on with your life.
GEEKSPEAKAn abbreviation is a group of letters that stands for a word or a series of words. An acronym is an abbreviation that you pronounce as if it were a word. |
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