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In Reply to: RE: Writer preference posted by Bigjimsguitars on March 21, 2015 at 16:21:45
No authoritative source I know of states that an apostrophe is an acceptable mechanism for creating the plural form. The link you posted only states that "some writers" do this, and the examples given (80's and 90's) are non-standard, i.e. incorrect usage. I've also noticed that you use the apostrophe even to pluralize the standard form, such as "Maggie's." So, just to stay on track with my question, are you saying you learned this construction from the link you posted, or was it from (as you say) a "biased" English teacher?
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English PhD and former university composition teacher here. The apostrophe typically is omitted when pluralizing numbers, as Triode_Kingdom says--that is, unless the omission may cause confusion, which it easily could in denoting tube or component model numbers. Furthermore, notable writer handbooks (Simon & Schuster, e.g.) allow the apostrophe, tout court, if the writer prefers, as Bigjimsguitars says, as long as the choice is consistent throughout the text. So there you have it: both are right!
"unless the omission may cause confusion, which it easily could in denoting tube or component model numbers"
Such allowance does not justify the use of an apostrophe in virtually every plural on the page. How odd that during my years as a technical writing manger, such use was strongly discouraged, yet the audience was never - so far as we know - confused. Perhaps the average reader now requires more assistance. No matter, the OP has answered my question to the best of his ability. It's time to move on. :)
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Triode, why so snarky and condescending? Who made you the almighty...
Jim
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You shouldn't take anything said here as a personal attack. It wasn't intended that way. FWIW, I've had this discussion with people on both sides, and I can tell you that many people in my camp (mostly tech writers and engineers) have described this issue using terms I wouldn't even consider posting here. It really was my intent to make this inquiry as inoffensive as possible. Thanks for your input!
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I didn't take it personal. It is clear that you have a deep rooted opinion of how the English language should be used. One problem, technical writing and the real world are two completely different beasts. To give an example of how your way would ultimately be confusing:
300B, 12AX7A, 6V6GTA, and so on.
In the end, conveying a thought is the true goal.
Jim
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"300B, 12AX7A, 6V6GTA, and so on. "
So, if someone tells you they just bought two 300Bs, four 12AX7s and four 6V6GTAs, you would be confused? What if I said that a poker player's hand contains 3s and 5s? One of the best English language references I've seen over the last 30-odd years uses that specific example to explain where the apostrophe is not warranted. OTOH, I remember seeing something you wrote in which the term "Maggies" (speakers, plural) was written "Maggie's." It was that particular non-standard usage that prompted me to ask the question.
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Nt
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I should have referred this to my nephew, Vice President/Editor of the Motherboard. Wait, we have clarification of the Flexible Rule. Can we move on back to the discussion of Vacuum Tubes and Audio?
Jim
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