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Dos and Don'ts vs. Do's and Don'ts vs. Do's and Don't's
We're back this week with another highly debated style issue! How do you correctly format dos and don'ts or do's and don'ts?
The general grammar consensus is that you don't use apostrophes to make words or abbreviations plural. Take DVDs, elephants, or 1950s, for example, since no apostrophes were used, but these words and phrases reference multiple of the same objects, years, animals, etc.
However, the English language isn't always black and white and does have some funky rules and expectations, and dos and don'ts definitely falls into this category.
Additionally, this issue has the uncommon case that major style guides actually disagree with each other. Some prefer one way and others another.
So, how do you decide to format this phrase correctly? The short answer is, it is up to you!
Dos and Don'ts:
- The Chicago Manual of Style recommends dos and don'ts.
- This is the most popular way this phrase is formatted. Dos and don'ts gets the message across that it is plural without using an apostrophe.
- This format is heavily used in books, poetry, and other literature.
Do's and Don't:
- The Associated Press recommends do's and don'ts.
- This format has everything to do with readability. Without the apostrophe in do, it could be read as "dos" instead of "do."
- This format is used within many news organizations, magazines, and other web publications.
Do's and Don't's:
- Eats, Shoots & Leaves recommends do's and don't's.
- This is the most uncommon way to format this phrase, and it is only endorsed by one organization.
- Many people believe this format actually makes the readability harder and more confusing, which we here at HubPages agree with.
With that being said, the best piece of advice we have is to be consistent with one format. If your editor prefers Chicago over AP Style, follow their recommendation or vice versa.
Happy formatting!
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