Grammar question - Writers Forum

safari invasion · 06-01-2004, 07:24 PM

I have never really been taught the proper way to do this, so I figure I'll ask you fine people. When you have an acronym for something, a noun of some kind, and you have many of them, how is that denoted properly? Let's say that we renamed the paperclip the Paper Clasp Convenience Device, or PCCD. Let's say I have six of them. Would I say I have six PCCDs or six PCCD's? Apostrophe yay or nay? When I don't use an apostrophe, Microsoft Word yells at me and says its wrong.
I came across this problem while writing my story. It seemed like such a simple little thing, but I want to get it right. Which is it?

Leapord · 06-01-2004, 07:27 PM

I think you are supposed to use an apostrophe. I think. I'm not sure. I didn't know there was a rule of grammar I'd be unsure on. I must go retake a grammar course now.

Leapord · 06-01-2004, 07:37 PM

Nevermind, I was wrong. Don't use the apostrophe.

Quote:

We use an apostrophe to create plural forms in two limited situations: for pluralized letters of the alphabet and when we are trying to create the plural form of a word that refers to the word itself. Here we also should italicize this "word as word," but not the 's ending that belongs to it. Do not use the apostrophe+s to create the plural of acronyms (pronounceable abbreviations such as laser and IRA and URL*) and other abbreviations. (A possible exception to this last rule is an acronym that ends in "S": "We filed four NOS's in that folder.")

site: http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/plurals.htm