Not only do we need to clarify DKA for readers, we also need to block this quote as it is more than 40 words. “In fact, increased incidence of DKA among children with type 1 diabetes has been observed due to a delay in seeking medical treatment and in providing routine healthcare for newly developed symptoms, as patients are afraid of contracting COVID-19 from healthcare settings” (Katulanda et al., 2020, p. Option 1: Use square brackets to introduce the acronym Let’s start with the easiest solution first. You could also paraphrase the part of the quote that includes the acronym. This practice is common for defining terms used in the quoted passage, or for adding or changing words within the quote to fit the grammar of the sentence. The easiest solution is to use square brackets: Whenever you have text within quoted material that needs to be clarified for the reader, put the explanation into square brackets. We have only done two M.O.T.s since January.Yes, you can still use this quote-or any quote with an acronym, abbreviation, or initialism.Anna was refused credit due to three C.C.J.s.This garage sign in the UK should say M.O.T.s not M.O.Ts. Not one of the S.O.S.'s was received by the coastguard.ĭo not put a period after the 's' when forming the plural of an abbreviation with full stops.Once I have finished this P.C., I will only have 3 P.C.s to configure.The rule above applies to abbreviations with periods / full stops too. Pluralizing Abbreviations with Periods ( ) / Full Stops ( ) Read more about using apostrophes to form awkward plurals. (There is no good reason to write BA's - especially after showing how abbreviations are pluralized with RTAs i.e., it's also inconsistent.) (RTA - Road Traffic Accident / BA - Breathing Apparatus)

The firefighters could not assist with three of the RTAs because the BA's were still in the stores.Nevertheless, it is the writer's decision whether to use the apostrophe to aid understanding.) Be aware though that this could irk a fair proportion of your readers. (In this example, the writer considers SUS's to be clearer than SUSs and has opted to use the 's version. We have a dozen SUS's to collect from the station.However, although not a popular practice, it is permissible to use 's (apostrophe s) if it assists the reader. Once I have finished this PC, I will only have 3 PCs to configure.The plural of an abbreviation or acronym is usually formed by adding 's' to the end. Forming Plurals of Abbreviations and Acronyms

Parenthetical abbreviations for words