Urgent apostrophe question

[amyinva]

I am editing a report, and the family's name is not used- only the initial. So when he means the Browns (not the real name), the author keeps using "the B's." I find this confusing. It looks like it is a possessive, not a pluralized initial. However, I cannot find anything trustworthy stating that one doesn't use an apostrophe in this case. The closest I can find are rules for acronyms.

Can anyone give me a link to anything somewhat official that I can show the author to support my feeling that this is incorrect? Or is it actually ok to write it this way?

[poppy]

What is the discipline of the report? Different schools of academia use different style guides.

I agree with you that the apostrophe is incorrect.

[amyinva]

Clinical psychology evaluation

[Angie in VA]

Clinical psychology evaluation

 

 

So APA, then?

 

Adding:

 

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/

 

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/21/ (not sure this is right)

 

http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2013/11/pluralize-numbers-and-abbreviations-without-apostrophes.html

 

If Laughing Lioness sees your OP, she or Mr. Laughing Lioness might help you.

[EKS]

I would change everything to "B family" throughout.

[milovany]

I've seen it said that with an initial like that, or with a decade, using an apostrophe is considered appropriate (as is not using an apostrophe). With the initial, I think the apostrophe reads better:  "The B's" is better than "The Bs."  With decades, it can go either way:  Either the 1970s or the 1970's.  I don't have a definitive link for you, but as a former copy editor I remember this intriguing me a few years ago; my preference was for 1970s (without the apostrophe) and I was surprised to learn that the apostrophe in a non-possessive way is in fact okay in some situations. 

[trulycrabby]

I don't know if this goes with the current edition of APA, but as far as I know, abbreviations that are not possessive should not contain apostrophes:

 

http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2013/11/pluralize-numbers-and-abbreviations-without-apostrophes.html

 

If you have a current APA manual, check "abbreviations" or "abbreviations and apostrophes."

[plansrme]

This is one of those things that has gone back and forth over the years.  Some grammar programs teach it with an apostrophe, some without.  I prefer without, but it is one of the few grammatical questions on which reasonable minds may vary.  Pick one and stick with it.  It is probably more common to use the apostrophe, especially with single letters.  

[Word Nerd]

It depends on the style guide whether to add an apostrophe to make a single letter plural. I don't like that approach to naming the family and think it would affect the readability. (I find posts here hard to follow when people use single initials instead of names too.) You might suggest using a false name instead and saying at the beginning that names have been changed.

[Mrs Mungo]

This is one of those things that has gone back and forth over the years. Some grammar programs teach it with an apostrophe, some without. I prefer without, but it is one of the few grammatical questions on which reasonable minds may vary. Pick one and stick with it. It is probably more common to use the apostrophe, especially with single letters.

I agree with this in general terms. But, I also agree with posters who say you should check with the specific style guide for the discipline and/or school.

[poppy]

I certainly wouldn't ding someone for using the apostrophe in that manner in a forum, but it is unambiguously grammatically incorrect for an academic paper in that field.

[Tsuga]

I hate the apostrophe with acronyms and abbreviations for plurals, but it's very common. I looked it up once and it depends.

 

It is one of those grammar things I feel strongly about but can do nothing to change.

[Word Nerd]

I certainly wouldn't ding someone for using the apostrophe in that manner in a forum, but it is unambiguously grammatically incorrect for an academic paper in that field.

 

 

Do you mean when making surnames plural? I agree it's unambiguously incorrect to say the Brown's instead of the Browns if you're talking about the Brown family. Whether to use As or A's or CDs or CD's is a style issue, though. AP, Chicago, APA, and others say to omit the apostrophe to make single letters plural (except with lowercase letters like p's and q's) and that's definitely my preference, but that style isn't universal.

[poppy]

Do you mean when making surnames plural? I agree it's unambiguously incorrect to say the Brown's instead of the Browns if you're talking about the Brown family. Whether to use As or A's or CDs or CD's is a style issue, though. AP, Chicago, APA, and others say to omit the apostrophe to make single letters plural (except with lowercase letters like p's and q's) and that's definitely my preference, but that style isn't universal.

 

I mean it is unambiguously incorrect in a paper that requires the APA style.