Apostrophe and Numbers: 1990s or 1990's

Some people still use an apostrophe before the "s" in such cases as three A's However, this apostrophe is functionally unnecessary (機能上不要) except in cases where it might cause confusion (混乱をもたらす).

The Gregg Reference Manual gives the following example

• His report card showed three As, two Bs, and one C.

Basically, do not use an apostrophe when you are writing numbers or letters in the plural. For example:

• Write numbers such as 6s and 8s as words.

In some cases there might be some confusion. For example:

• Dot your i's and cross your t's.

In the above example, "i's" could be be read as "is" (verb).

Some more examples and references are given below.

1. Interinstitutional Style Guide Committee of the European Union

• The 1990s
  

2. European Commission Directorate-General for Translation

• Plurals of abbreviations. Plurals of abbreviations (MEPs, OCTs, SMEs, UFOs, VDUs) do not take an apostrophe.
• Plurals of figures. Plurals of figures do not take an apostrophe: 22/115 4 July 2005
  

3. European Commission Translation Service English Style Guide

• Pilots of 747s undergo special training.
• Plurals of single letters. The plurals of single lower-case letters may, however, take an apostrophe to avoid misunderstanding: Dot your i's. Mind your p's and q's.

4. The Chicago Manual of Style by University of Chicago Press Staff

• Plurals almost never take an apostrophe. Chicago style uses an apostrophe for the plural of lowercase single letters (x's and o's), but for little else (for instance, we write "dos and don'ts"). Of course, if you come across a plural that would be misunderstood without an apostrophe, you should use one: for instance, in A's and B's, the first term would be mistaken for "As" without an apostrophe, and the second term uses the apostrophe because it would look inconsistent to style them in different ways.
  

5. International Society for Technology in Education Editorial Study Guide

• Use 1990s, not 1990's (i.e., no apostrophe). Use the shortened form (e.g., '90s) sparingly (and with a single closing quote).
  

6. Course Manual with Style Guide for Student Research Papers, 8th edition. Copyright 1998,1999 Eileen M. Mulhare.

• Use numerals to designate decades, with no apostrophe, as in "the 1980s" (not "the 1980's" or "the eighties").

7. United States Government Printing Office Style Manual

• While an apostrophe is used to indicate possession and contractions, it is not generally necessary to use an apostrophe simply to show the plural form of most acronyms, initialisms, or abbreviations, except where clarity and sense demand such inclusion.
• RIFs
• YWCAs
• ABCs
• 1920s
• IOUs
• 10s (thread)
• 412s (bonds)
• 3s (golf)
• 2 by 4s
• IQs
• in her '70s (age)
• during the '20s
• during the 1920s

Some highly recommended literature regarding this topic:

• U.S. and International Locations
• Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss

• Japan
• Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss (Japan)

• U.S. and International Locations
• The Chicago Manual of Style by University of Chicago Press Staff (U.S.)

• Japan
• The Chicago Manual of Style by University of Chicago Press Staff
  

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