How do you write the 1980s in AP style?

Dates in AP Format In addition, never use an apostrophe when writing about a decade or century. The only time an apostrophe is required is when referring to a decade and omitting the first half of the figure ('80s). Otherwise, follow these guidelines: b. 1960-1989 - Use hyphens instead of apostrophes for decades.

C. 1990 and later - Leave out the hyphens and begin with "1990's." Alternatively, if using digital technology, start with "In 1990," or simply "In '90."

Before 1990 - Use apostrophes to indicate years before 1960 or after 1979. For example, if making reference to the 1920s, use an apostrophe because the decade begins with 0 rather than 1. If referencing the 1950s, however, there are no years between 1945 and 1959 that need to be written with an apostrophe so you can say "the 1950's without putting yourself at risk of being labeled as inaccurate or outdated.

All other times - Leave them out entirely unless necessary for clarity reasons. So, for example, if wanting to mention that John Lennon was born in 1940 but died in 1980, you would not need to include any apostrophes in your article because it is obvious from the context what decade he belongs to.

How do you write the Roaring 20s?

There is no apostrophe. When referring to a decade, such as the 1920s, the same criteria applies. It is quite acceptable to place a letter after a number without using an apostrophe. If, on the other hand, you remove the 19 from the 1920s, you would substitute an apostrophe to indicate that something is missing: the '20s.

The 1910's was a common usage until the 1990's when it became less common. The 2000's will become the new standard in a few years when people stop calling the 1990's the new century.

Also, there are no commas used in writing the year of our lord 1920. Commas were not used in writing dates until the 16th century, and even then they were not required by any official body.

How do you write the fifties?

Because there are no missing letters in decade names like the 50s and 60s, there is no need for an apostrophe before the "S," yet it is appropriate to include one. The phrase may be spelt "'50s" because the "19" is deleted, although "50s" is also acceptable. There are two ways to write the fifties: with or without an apostrophe.

How do you write in the 1930s?

There have been several previous conversations regarding decade names rather than punctuation. They are all written without apostrophes (that I have seen).

How do you write a decade apostrophe?

When shortening a decade, place an apostrophe before the digits (facing the proper way), but NOT before the "s." Nothing can be possessed by a decade! Decades are forms that function as modifiers. They can modify many things including years, months, days, and hours.

Here are some examples: "a decade of rain" means "ten years of rain"; "the decade of the 1920's" means "the 1920's"; and "the century with its feet up" means "let's have fun while we're alive!".

Apostrophes are used to indicate omission of letters or words. For example, if someone asks you how long it takes to drive from New York to Montreal and you say "It's about eight hours", you've omitted the word "to". Eight is a common time for travelers between these two cities.

In writing, an apostrophe is used to indicate that something is being omitted, either because there's no space to include it or because it doesn't belong there. For example, if I said "New York is a big city, don't worry about finding a job; maybe Toronto will be better suited to your skills", you would know that I had omitted the word "to" because there's not enough room on this page to include it.

How do you write the 1960s?

On the second reference, it is acceptable to spell out a decade span and to shorten a decade span. A decade can't possess anything! The temperature is in the 60s, not the 60s. It's September, not Septembers.

The 1970s was a decade of energy crisis, oil price increase, environmental concern, hot water heaters, hot air balloons, and disco. The 1980s was a decade of computerization, Internet, cell phones, and online shopping. The 1990s was a decade of 24-hour television, adult chat rooms, and cyberbullying. The 2000s was a decade of terror, war, and climate change action. Can you guess what the next decade will be?

To make sure you don't get any questions about this topic, take a look at how others have answered it on our Writing Tips page.

How do you write "Decades 60s"?

Writing "the 1960s" when referring to the whole decade, for example, is wrong; instead, use "the 1960s." The same restriction applies to the plural form of any other sort of number, such as stating someone's age (e.g., "clients in their 80s"), and is covered in further detail in section 4.38 on page 114 of the...

The short answer is that you don't. You can't go wrong simply writing out the full name of the period: "the 1960s".

Because that's what people will understand you to mean. If you want to refer to specific years within the decade, it is necessary to use numbers: "the 1960" means year 1960, "the 1969" means year 1969. But why "the 1960s" rather than just "1960" or "1969"? That's simple - because there were 10 years in the 1960s.

So if you want to refer to the whole decade, then give it its full name. There are no restrictions on how many words you can use to describe the decade - decades. And if you want to mention specific years, then use numbers.

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Bradley Smith

Bradley Smith has been writing and publishing for over 15 years. He is an expert on all things writing-related, from grammar and style guide development to the publishing industry. He loves teaching people how to write, and he especially enjoys helping others improve their prose when they don't feel like they're skilled enough to do it themselves.

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