Apostrophes to show the plural of abbreviations


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An apostrophe can be used to show the plural of an abbreviation. (Read this section carefully.)

Apostrophes in Plurals

The plurals of abbreviations, letters and numbers can be written using apostrophes.

Examples:

He sent 3 SOS's between midnight and 6 a.m.

There are two a's in accommodation.

Your 2's look like your 7's.

1000's of bargains.

Assist your Reader

The advantage of using an apostrophe is that the abbreviation or letter is instantly recognisable. However, apostrophes can also be used for possession. Therefore, when apostrophes are used to show plurals, it can lead to ambiguity.

Example:

MP's plan failure
(Is this about:

- MPs planning to fail, or
- the failure of an MP's plan?)

Only use an apostrophe in the plural of an abbreviation, a letter or number to assist your reader. Using 's to show a plural can lead to ambiguity or, at the least, cause the reader to pause momentarily while a mental check is performed to determine whether the abbreviation is a plural or showing possession. In summary, you should be aware that the 's version is an option you can employ to assist the reader in spotting an unwieldy abbreviation instantly. However, in all other cases, you should opt for the s version. (Very few grammar books condone the 's version.) Consider these examples:

You use too many and's in your writing.

(The apostrophe assists the reader in this example.)

There are two consecutive i's in the words skiing and taxiing.

(The apostrophe assists the reader in this example.)

No Apostrophe for Normal Abbreviations

Do not use apostrophes for the plurals of normal abbreviations.

Examples:

He had 4 CCJ's against him.

( He had 4 CCJs against him.

)
(CCJ - County Court Judgment)

M.O.T.'s

(M.O.T.s

)
(MOT - Ministry of Transport / also Ministry of Transport test)

MOT's

(MOTs

)

Note: It is often the writer's choice whether to use full stops

(periods

) in abbreviations. See lesson Full Stops (Periods) in Abbreviations.

AVOID USING AN APOSTROPHE

Some grammar books (not all) claim that apostrophes cannot be used in any plurals. This is considered an outdated view by many. In the four examples to the left, the apostrophes assist the reader and are acceptable. However, the plural of a normal-looking abbreviation should be shown by adding a small s (without an apostrophe).