apostrophe

[jack]

"MSN & ICQ #'s" <--what does it mean with the apostrophe?
"MSN & ICQ #s" <--what does it mean without the apostrophe?

 

[Casiopea]

"MSN & ICQ #'s" <--what does it mean with the apostrophe?
"MSN & ICQ #s" <--what does it mean without the apostrophe?

The symbol # means number. As for the apostrophe ('), it's used to form plurals, especially the plural of letters, digits, and symbols.

MSN & ICQ #'s => MSN & ICQ numbers
MSN & ICQ #s => MSN &ICQ numbers

An apostrophe is also used to form some plurals, especially the plural of letters and digits. Raoul got four A's last term and his sister got four 6's in the ice-skating competition. This is particularly useful when the letter being pluralized is in the lower case: "minding one's p's and q's" or "Don't forget to dot your i's." (In a context in which the plural is clear, apostrophes after upper-case letters are not necessary: "He got four As, two Bs, and three Cs.") It is no longer considered necessary or even correct to create the plural of years or decades or abbreviations with an apostrophe:

He wrote several novels during the 1930s.
There are fifteen PhDs on our faculty.
My sister and I have identical IQs.

(If you wrote Ph.D. with periods, you would add an apostrophe before the pluralizing "s": Ph.D.'s) If the abbreviation or acronym ends in "S," it's a good idea to separate this final "S" from the pluralizing "s" with an apostrophe: SOS's

Source

 

[jack]

"Raoul got four A's last term and his sister got four 6's in the ice-skating competition." <--why is there apostrophe? if i removed the apostrophe is it correct? what would it mean? Why can't i just i got four As?


"He got four As, two Bs, and three Cs." <--why is there no apostrophe? If I add it is it wrong? what would it mean?

 

[jack]

Get the enemy flag.
Get the enemy 's flag.

What does these sentences mean?



"What does these sentences mean?" <--incorrect?
"What does those sentences mean?" <--correct?

Since "does" is in the sentence, it should be "those" b/c it is singular right?

 

[Casiopea]

1. Get the enemy flag. (OK; adjective describing what kind of flag)
2. Get the enemy 's flag. (OK; possessive noun expressing 'belongs to')

What do these sentences mean?

Note, "do" not "does". The phrase, "these sentences" is plural:

These sentences mean what? (Plural subject + Plural verb)
What do these sentences mean? (Plural "do")

This sentence means what? (Singular subject + Singular verb, not the -s)
What does this sentence mean? (Singular "does")

"What does these sentences mean?" <--incorrect?
"What does those sentences mean?" <--correct?

Since "does" is in the sentence, it should be "those" b/c it is singular right?

What do these sentences mean? (OK)
What do those sentences mean? (OK)

Use "these/those" for plural, and "this/that" for singular:

What does this sentence mean? (OK)
What does that sentence mean? (OK)

This/These refer to something close to you the speaker.
That/Those refer to something far away from you the speaker.

EXAMPLE

What do these sentences here mean? (OK)
What does this sentence here mean? (OK)

What do those sentences over there mean? (OK)
What does that sentence over there mean? (OK)

Note, If you are referring to sentences you just wrote, use "those"; If you are referring to sentences you are about to write, use "these".

In short, use "this/these" for coming ahead/up there, and "that/those" for behind/back there/below.

EXAMPLEthose/that
Sentence #1: John likes apples.
Sentence #2: Max likes grapes.

What do those (two) sentences (up there) mean?

EXAMPLEthese/this
What do these (two) sentences (below) mean?

Sentence #1: John likes apples.
Sentence #2: Max likes grapes.


All the best,