I see it everywhere! You do NOT pluralize words with apostrophes. The most popular examples are usually "CD's" or "DVD's," when it should just be "CDs" and "DVDs." Or how about, "I got three A's on my report card"? LAME! You don't do it "because it looks right," because it honestly doesn't. Who were these offenders' teachers? Complete morons?
2007-02-11 13:28:43 · 9 answers · asked by Handy Leatherette 5 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Rule 1 of apostrophes
Never use an apostrophe to make a plural
Rule 2 of apostrophes
Read Rule 1 again and understand it.
There are no exceptions to the rule. Dates, abbreviations, acronyms - it doesn't matter. If it doesn't have an apostrophe in the singular it doesn't get one in the plural. Mind your Ps and Qs in the 2000s and watch your DVDs on your TVs if you get As on your report cards.
2007-02-11 13:57:12 · answer #1 · answered by tentofield 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tentofial is wrong. Sonyack is right. Acronyms and other sets of initials do use an apostrophe. It is correct. However you're right, people pluralize EVERYTHING. You asked why. People do it because they mistakenly feel that it is better to stick it in when it's not needed, than to leave it off when it is needed. In school, the teacher is always making them stick in the apostrophe for possessives and contractions, so they use it all the time, rather than learn the very simple rules of correct usage. Oh, and the reason why the apostrophe is used for initials is that those kinds of things are not always capitalized and then there is confusion. Always dot your is and cross your ts. See why it's needed there?
2007-02-11 14:28:30 · answer #2 · answered by teachermama 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
CD and DVD are not words - they are acronyms. In the US, single letters and acronyms are pluralized by " 's." Mind your P's and Q's, for example. Cross your t's and dot your i's. It's taught in school because that's what's correct.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dict.asp?Word=P%27s+and+Q%27s
This link from a dictionary shows the correctness of it all.
2007-02-11 13:39:33 · answer #3 · answered by sonyack 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes it make things more clear to use an apostrophe for plurals after initials or just one letter.
Crossing ts and dotting is - that looks very confusing.
Crossing t's and dotting i's - that looks much better.
If you type the following in all capitals:
I GOT ALL AS IN MY TEST - that looks very confusing.
I GOT ALL A'S IN MY TEST - that looks much better.
.
2007-02-11 17:37:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
actually in some circumstances it is more correct to use the 's than the s. The rules on such I am a little unclear, however I believe A's on a report card are as such. Nice try though.
2007-02-11 13:34:48 · answer #5 · answered by Modus Operandi 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Don;t even get me started on the whole its/it's thing.
That makes me more crazy than "most unique"
2007-02-11 14:53:17 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a life, or you will end up as an old spinster english teacher
2007-02-11 13:42:06 · answer #7 · answered by bob shark 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
We just wanted to see how really, really smart you are.........you get three A''''s
2007-02-11 13:44:22 · answer #8 · answered by MIGHTY MINNIE 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Don't forget the "Your" and "You're" debacle... â¥
2007-02-11 13:37:34 · answer #9 · answered by clever nickname 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋