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I am writing an essay on blood types and the Japanese culture, and I am not quite sure if my use of apostrophes is correct.

I've read through this article, Apostrophes, but I can't seem to find this situation.

Here is what I have written; is this the correct format?

Type A's are cool, calm, and conscientious. Type B’s are practical, relaxed, and the most unconventional.

herisson
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Griffen
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  • Check out Rule 6. – deadrat Oct 30 '15 at 04:18
  • Since Rule 6 shows both usages, does it mean it's okay to use either one? – Griffen Oct 30 '15 at 04:19
  • It's fine. Your choice of adjectives is a little odd, though. – Ricky Oct 30 '15 at 04:24
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    This, like all punctuation, is a matter of style, and as such, you should be guided by your manual of style. I use The Chicago Manual of Style, which recommends that which will avoid ambiguity. You don't want "As" to mean the plural of "A" because that looks like the word as at the beginning of a sentence. – deadrat Oct 30 '15 at 04:25
  • @Ricky, which adjectives are youo referring to? – Griffen Oct 30 '15 at 04:30
  • @deadrat, thank you very much for your explanation about manuals of style. I'll have to do more research, as I am not familiar with manuals of style. – Griffen Oct 30 '15 at 04:31
  • If you're writing for someone other than yourself, that organization will likely have a manual of style that they require that you use. Ask your editor or instructor. If you're writing for yourself, then choose a manual geared toward the field you're writing about. – deadrat Oct 30 '15 at 04:35
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    What I tend to do is to avoid the need to pluralize individual letters by rewording slightly. Rather than "students with A's", eg, I'd write "students with A grades". It's not so big a deal in a simple reference like that, but if the text gets "busy" the plural letters get confusing, no matter how you handle them. – Hot Licks Oct 30 '15 at 11:41

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