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August 2001

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Subject:
From:
Ben Varner <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 5 Aug 2001 11:54:35 -0600
Content-Type:
text/plain
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text/plain (49 lines)
According to the seventh edition of _The Gregg Reference Manual_
(always a solid reference), paragraph 626 on page 150 says the
following:

"When words taken from other parts of speech are used as nouns,
they are usually pluralized by the addition of 's' or 'es.'

ifs, ands, or buts
dos and don'ts
yeses and noes
the haves and the have-nots
this year's hopefuls
pros and cons
whys and wherefores
yeas and nays
the ins and outs
ups and downs

Thus, "A" is the correct version (though I should have agreed that "B" is
preferable).

                                 Ben Varner

> I've been wrestling with this same matter, Dick. I side with you on
> preferring B for the reasons you gave, but I don't have an authority to cite
> either.
> Sue Webb
> Texas Woman's University
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Richard Veit, UNCW English Department" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2001 2:59 PM
> Subject: Do I or don't I?
>
> > Here's a usage question. I need to put a header on a web page. Which
> should
> > I choose?
> >
> >    A. Dos and Don'ts
> >    B. Do's and Don'ts
> >    C. Do's and Don't's
> >

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