Posted: 1/13/2009 11:30:58 PM EDT
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When typing in reference to letters in plural, should there be an apostrophe before the letter when not possessive?
Example sentences: 1. I hate when websites like flickr.com and tumblr.com don't use E's before the R. 2. I hate when websites like flickr.com and tumblr.com don't use Es before the R. Also, should the E and R be capitalized? What about quotation marks? 
ETA: According to MLA |
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Quoted:
Lowercase, with apostrophe. It would only be uppercase if the letter would be uppercase. However, uppercase letters are not made plural with an apostrophe-s. Examples: There are two m's in "grammar." There are two As in "NASCAR." Thanks! Changing gears, am I correct in thinking that when referring to eras such as the 1970s there should be no apostrophe (unless posessive)? |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Lowercase, with apostrophe. It would only be uppercase if the letter would be uppercase. However, uppercase letters are not made plural with an apostrophe-s. Examples: There are two m's in "grammar." There are two As in "NASCAR." Thanks! Changing gears, am I correct in thinking that when referring to eras such as the 1970s there should be no apostrophe (unless posessive)? That's correct. You could use a leading apostrophe to denote a contraction, though: I like the Ferrari Formula1 cars of the early '70s. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Unless of course the letter is the first word in the sentence. E's are difficult to do without when writing in the English language.  tsk, tsk No apostrophe-s for capital letters. Hmmm, can't find that in The Little, Brown Handbook but it is only the Fifth Edition. There are some things in the English language that I refuse to adhere to though. Such as, I will always use the word, "their" in place of "his/her" even if I am speaking in the singular. Unless I'm being graded by a college professor then I'll just use "his" and argue with "her" about later. 
Yeah I know I just probably violated a quotes rule there. 
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