The dos and don’ts of dos and don’ts

Have you ever written this and wondered if you’ve gotten the apostrophes in the right places? Well, style and usage guides disagree. At Typeset, we follow The Chicago Manual of Style’s recommendation of dos and don’ts. The Associated Press and others recommend do’s and don’ts. Eats, Shoots, & Leaves recommends do’s and don’t’s.

So, what should you do and don’t do with your dos and don’ts? Unless your editor wishes otherwise, if you write books, spell it dos and don’ts. If you write for newspapers, magazines, or a blog, spell it do’s and don’ts. If you’re writing for yourself, spell it any way you darn well please.

Wendy Wood
Proofreader

Did you enjoy Super Grammar?

Get a new and super useful grammar tip from our proofreader Wendy, directly to your inbox, once a fortnight in Typeset’s The Write Fit newsletter. Subscribe here: