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Abbreviated plurals

Nature Boy · 2006-11-24 12:03:36

When you abbreviate a word, like PC, some people put an apostrophe before the s when writing the plural of it, e.g. PC's. I'd usually write it as PCs as you would with a normal plural. Which is correct?

24-11-2006 12:03pm

#1

Nature Boy

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When you abbreviate a word, like PC, some people put an apostrophe before the s when writing the plural of it, e.g. PC's. I'd usually write it as PCs as you would with a normal plural.

Which is correct?

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Comments

#2 24-11-2006 7:23pm

FlutterinBantam

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I would say PCs as the apostrophe would denote possesion,as in the PC's screen.

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#3 29-11-2006 2:07pm

Yakuza

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According to the first few posts from this google search, you are correct in that you don't use the apostrophe.

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#4 07-12-2006 12:07am

Talliesin

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The use of an apostrophes for the plurals of an initialism is generally considered more old-fashioned than the form without. Similarly with the use of periods after each letter, though there's also a matter of some initialisms traditionally having them and some, particularly those acronyms pronouced as words, not.

Both forms are received English though.

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#5 02-01-2007 10:17pm

Twinkle-star15

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IMO, if you use full stops (eg- P.C.) then you use the apostrophe, but if not, you don't. I think that's preference more than an actual guideline though.

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