Since late 16th century, borrowed from Middle French essay , essai ( “ essay ” ) , meaning coined by Montaigne in the same time, from the same words in earlier meanings 'experiment; assay; attempt', from Old French essay , essai , assay , assai , from Latin exagium ( “ weight; weighing, testing on the balance ” ) , from exigere + -ium .
Pronunciation
( Received Pronunciation , General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈɛs.eɪ/ (1), IPA ( key ) : /ɛˈseɪ/ (2-4)
Audio ():
( )
Rhymes: -ɛseɪ
Homophone : ese
essay ( plural essays )
2013 January, Katie L. Burke, “Ecological Dependency”, in American Scientist [1] , volume 101 , number 1, archived from the original on 9 February 2017 , page 64 : In his first book since the 2008 essay collection Natural Acts: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature , David Quammen looks at the natural world from yet another angle: the search for the next human pandemic, what epidemiologists call “the next big one.”
( obsolete ) A test , experiment ; an assay .
1861 , E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley , page 16 : My first essay at getting employment was fruitless; but after no small number of mortifying rebuffs from various parties to whom I applied for assistance, I was at last rewarded by a comparative success.
1988 , James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom , Oxford, published 2003 , page 455 : This was Lee's first essay in the kind of offensive-defensive strategy that was to become his hallmark.
( philately , finance ) A proposed design for a postage stamp or a banknote .
From Middle French essayer , essaier , from Old French essaiier , essayer , essaier , assaiier , assayer , assaier , from essay , essai , assay , assai ( “ attempt; assay; experiment ” ) as above.
( UK , US ) IPA ( key ) : /ɛˈseɪ/
essay ( third-person singular simple present essays , present participle essaying , simple past and past participle essayed )
1900 , Charles W. Chesnutt , chapter II, in The House Behind the Cedars : He retraced his steps to the front gate, which he essayed to open.
1950 April, R. A. H. Weight, “They Passed by My Window”, in Railway Magazine , page 260 : The train took the slow to branch spur at the north end at a not much slower speed, then essayed the short sharply curved climb with a terrific roar, smoke rising straight from the chimney to a height of some 60 ft., the long train twisting and curling behind.
2023 October 12, HarryBlank, “Fire in the Hole”, in SCP Foundation [2] , archived from the original on 22 May 2024 : There was the counter, there was the bulletin board, above her the dull sound of music being played over headphones. Something jaunty. She liked the beat. Then the sound of a chair being pushed back, and someone humming as they walked away from her, and she darted up to plunge the bayonet into their kidneys from behind. A followup stroke through the back of the neck, and the second soldier was down. She didn't even stop to see if it was a man or a woman, young or old. There were further hurdles to essay before she reached her destination.
( intransitive ) To move forth, as into battle.
Sayes , Seays , Sesay , eyass
Borrowed from English essay ( “ essay ” ) , from Middle French essai ( “ essay; attempt, assay ” ) , from Old French essai , from Latin exagium (whence the neuter gender).
IPA ( key ) : /ɛˈseː/ , /ˈɛ.seː/
Hyphenation: es‧say
Rhymes: -eː
essay n ( plural essays , diminutive essaytje n )
Descendants
Norwegian bokmål.
Borrowed from English essay , from Middle French essai .
essay n ( definite singular essayet , indefinite plural essay or essayer , definite plural essaya or essayene )
an essay , a written composition of moderate length exploring a particular subject
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What Is a Plural Noun? | Examples, Rules & Exceptions
What Is a Plural Noun? | Examples, Rules & Exceptions
Published on April 14, 2023 by Jack Caulfield .
A plural noun is a noun that refers to more than one of something (as opposed to a singular noun, which refers to just one). Like singular nouns, they may refer to people, animals, things, concepts, or places.
Plural nouns are normally formed by adding -s to the singular noun (e.g., the singular “cat” becomes the plural “cats”). With certain nouns, you need to add or change some of the other letters. The rules are explained in the table below.
There are also some irregular plurals that don’t end in -s at all. The following section explains them.
How to form regular plural nouns
Word ending
How to form the plural
Examples
—
Add to form most plurals that don’t fall into the categories below and to form the plurals of names.
dog: dog ; house: house ; editor: editor ; concept: concept ; Monday: Monday ; Kennedy: Kennedy
Replace with , but only if it’s preceded by a consonant or by . If preceded by a different vowel, pluralize normally.
city: cit ; baby: bab ; spy: sp ; soliloquy: soliloqu ; day: day ; ploy: ploy
Table of contents
Irregular plurals, plurals of compound nouns, common mistake: adding an apostrophe, plural nouns with singular functions, nouns that are always plural, uncountable nouns, worksheet: plural nouns, other interesting language articles, frequently asked questions about plural nouns.
Some plural nouns don’t end in -s at all. These are generally called irregular plurals . They are typically either leftovers from older ways of forming plurals in English or foreign words that were imported into English.
Only a small proportion of nouns have irregular plurals, but some of them are very commonly used words, so it’s important to be aware of them. There are a few main groups of irregular plurals, which are explained in the table below.
If you’re unsure about how to pluralize a word that isn’t mentioned in the table, consult a dictionary.
Irregular plurals
A small number of nouns have retained their Old English plural form, using and sometimes altering other parts of the word.
brother: [only used in certain religious or organizational contexts; otherwise “brothers”]; child: ; ox:
Some nouns become plural by simply in the middle of the word.
foot: ; goose: ; man: ; mouse: ; tooth: ; woman:
often (but not always) retain their original plural forms.
such as French, Italian, and Hebrew occasionally retain their original plural forms, although it’s usually acceptable to use a normal English plural instead.
bureau: or ; cherub: or ; timpano:
Some nouns—often the names of animals—have .
; ; ; ;
There are a few that don’t fit any of the categories above.
die: ; penny: ; person:
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Compound nouns are nouns that are made up of multiple words. They may be open compounds (written with spaces; e.g., “head of state”); hyphenated compounds (written with hyphens ; e.g., “brother-in-law”); or closed compounds (no spaces or hyphens; e.g., “household”).
To create the plural of a compound noun, you often pluralize only the final word (e.g., “high schools “), but there are also cases where you pluralize an earlier word (e.g., “ heads of state”) or occasionally multiple words (e.g., “ men-children “).
To determine how to pluralize a compound noun, consider which word is the “head” of the noun—the thing being represented, which the other words modify. For example, “high schools” refers to multiple schools, not multiple “highs.”
When it’s still not obvious, consult a dictionary to find the correct plural.
A common mistake when forming plural nouns is to add an apostrophe before the “s.” In English, apostrophes are used to form possessive nouns and contractions , not plurals. You also don’t need an apostrophe to pluralize a number, acronym , or proper noun .
Maya loves pop music from the 1980’s .
Maya loves pop music from the 1980s .
SUV’s are bad for the environment and for road safety.
SUVs are bad for the environment and for road safety.
The Jones’s have gone on vacation.
The Joneses have gone on vacation.
There’s one context in which it’s standard to use an apostrophe to form the plural. This is when you’re pluralizing a single letter. The apostrophe is generally added in such cases to avoid confusion with other words (e.g., “a’s” vs. “as”).
Some nouns are said to be plural in form but singular in construction . These words originate as plural forms but are now primarily used in a singular sense.
This is most common in the names of fields of study: for example, “physics,” “mathematics,” “ethics,” and “aesthetics.” Other examples include “news,” “measles,” and “billiards.”
“Singular in construction” means that these words have singular subject-verb agreement . For example, you’d write “the news is …” rather than “the news are …”
Similarly, some nouns are always plural and have no singular form—typically because they refer to something that consists of a pair of something. For example, “scissors” consist of two blades, “pants” of two legs, and “glasses” of two lenses.
Even a single pair of scissors, for example, is referred to in the plural (e.g., “the scissors are over there”). These nouns are sometimes referred to by the Latin term plurale tantum (“plural only”).
Because it’s wrong to use an indefinite article with a plural noun (e.g., “a scissors”) and no singular form exists (e.g., there’s no such thing as “a scissor”), the phrase “a pair of” is used before the noun when an indefinite article is needed. “Pairs of” is also used to specify quantities of these nouns (e.g., “three pairs of pants,” not “three pants”).
Your new spectacles suit you very nicely.
How many pairs of shorts do you own?
Uncountable nouns (also called mass nouns or noncount nouns ) are nouns that don’t have a plural form and can’t be preceded by an indefinite article (“a” or “an”). They often refer to abstract ideas or processes (e.g., “research”), physical substances (e.g., “water”), or areas of study (e.g., “geography”).
Uncountable nouns are singular, not plural, in terms of subject-verb agreement, and the words themselves cannot be pluralized. An alternative phrasing or word choice must be used instead:
Several researches have been performed on this subject.
A substantial amount of research has been performed on this subject.
Several studies have been performed on this subject.
Several pieces of research have been performed on this subject.
If you need to refer to a specific quantity of an uncountable noun, you use a unit of measurement to do so, since the noun itself doesn’t represent a specific quantity:
There are 70 waters in the glass.
There are 70 ml of water in the glass.
Test your understanding of how plural nouns are formed with the worksheet below. In each sentence, add the correct plural form of the noun in brackets. Some of the plurals are regular, some irregular.
Practice questions
Answers and explanations
I love visiting [church] _______ on my [travel] _______.
The atmosphere is made up of several [gas] _______.
I bought two [loaf] _______ of bread and some [tomato] _______ at the market.
Many [species] _______ of [fish] _______ live in [river] _______.
A lot of [game of chance] __________________ involve rolling [die] _______.
The singular noun “church” ends in “-ch,” so “-es” is added to form the plural noun. “Travels” is pluralized in the normal way, by adding “-s.”
“Gas” ends in “-s,” so “-es” is added to pluralize it.
As with some other nouns ending in “-f,” the plural form of “loaf” ends in “-ves.” “Tomato” follows the rule for most nouns ending in “-o” by adding “-es.”
Both “species” and “fish” have the same form in the singular and the plural, so nothing is added to them. “River” is pluralized normally.
The open compound noun “game of chance” is pluralized by adding “-s” to the head of the phrase, “game.” “Chance” is not pluralized. The word “die” has the irregular plural “dice.”
If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations and examples.
Nouns & pronouns
Common nouns
Proper nouns
Collective nouns
Personal pronouns
Uncountable and countable nouns
Verb tenses
Phrasal verbs
Sentence structure
Active vs passive voice
Subject-verb agreement
Interjections
Determiners
Prepositions
The plural of “moose” is the same as the singular: “moose.” It’s one of a group of plural nouns in English that are identical to the corresponding singular nouns. So it’s wrong to write “mooses.”
For example, you might write “There are several moose in the forest.”
The correct plural of “octopus” is “octopuses.”
People often write “octopi” instead because they assume that the plural noun is formed in the same way as Latin loanwords such as “fungus/fungi.” But “octopus” actually comes from Greek, where its original plural is “octopodes.” In English, it instead has the regular plural form “octopuses.”
For example, you might write “There are four octopuses in the aquarium.”
Normally, the plural of “fish” is the same as the singular: “fish.” It’s one of a group of irregular plural nouns in English that are identical to the corresponding singular nouns (e.g., “moose,” “sheep”). For example, you might write “The fish scatter as the shark approaches.”
If you’re referring to several species of fish, though, the regular plural “fishes” is often used instead. For example, “The aquarium contains many different fishes , including trout and carp.”
The plural of “crisis” is “crises.” It’s a loanword from Latin and retains its original Latin plural noun form (similar to “analyses” and “bases”). It’s wrong to write “crisises.”
For example, you might write “Several crises destabilized the regime.”
Sources in this article
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
Caulfield, J. (2023, April 14). What Is a Plural Noun? | Examples, Rules & Exceptions. Scribbr. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/nouns-and-pronouns/plural-noun/
Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar . Oxford University Press.
Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Garner, B. A. (2022). Garner’s modern English usage (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
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Jack Caulfield
Other students also liked, possessive noun | examples, definition & worksheet, when to use apostrophe s ('s) | guide & examples, how to tell if a noun is countable or uncountable | examples, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".
I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”
Eseys or Essays – Which is Correct?
by Sarah Thompson
March 3, 2024
Let’s have a conversation about the common mistake people make when writing the word “Essays.” Many individuals seem to get confused between “Eseys” and “Essays” and find themselves wondering which spelling is correct. Today, we will debunk this confusion and establish the correct spelling once and for all.
To address this issue, it is pertinent to emphasize that “Essays” is the correct spelling of the word. The incorrect term “Eseys” is a common misspelling resulting from a typographical error or a lack of familiarity with the correct spelling.
Now, let’s learn the reasons why “Essays” is the right spelling. Firstly, “Essays” is the plural form of the singular noun “Essay.” When we want to refer to more than one essay, we simply add an “s” to the end of the word. This is the conventional English rule for forming plurals of nouns, and it applies to “Essay” as well. For example, “I have written multiple essays on various topics.” Here, the correct plural form of “Essay” is used to convey the idea that the speaker has written more than one essay.
Moreover, we can also look at past forms of verbs to further solidify the correct spelling. For instance, the verb form of “Essay” is “Essayed.” “Essayed” is the past tense form, and by examining the conjugation of the verb, we can recognize that “Essays” is indeed the accurate plural form. You might say, “He essayed his thoughts on the subject,” to convey that someone expressed their ideas in the form of an essay.
To illustrate the incorrect spelling, “Eseys,” it is crucial to emphasize that this word does not exist in Standard English. It is a mistake that has often emerged due to a lack of knowledge or inattentiveness during writing. Therefore, it is essential to be attentive and avoid this misspelling in formal writing, as it may weaken your language skills and leave a negative impression on the reader.
In conclusion, we have effectively established that the correct spelling of the word referring to multiple essays is “Essays.” “Eseys” is an erroneous form that should be avoided. Remember, using proper grammar and spelling not only enhances your communication skills, but it also showcases your proficiency in the English language. So, the next time you find yourself unsure about whether to write “Eseys” or “Essays,” confidently choose the latter for an accurate and grammatically correct sentence!
So, keep practicing your writing skills, pay attention to proper grammar, and remember the correct spelling of “Essays.” With dedication and practice, you will become an exceptional writer and expert in the English language.
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Mastering Singular vs. Plural in Writing: A Guide to Clarity and Agreement
Understanding when to use singular or plural forms is crucial for effective written communication. Correctly matching subjects, verbs, pronouns, and nouns in terms of number ensures clarity and coherence in your writing. This blog explores the rules of singular and plural usage, highlight common mistakes to avoid, and provides practical tips to ensure you understand singular and plural forms.
1. Subject-Verb Agreement
One of the key areas to focus on is ensuring agreement between subjects and verbs. Let's examine an example of a common mistake and its correction:
Mistake: "The books on the shelf was dusty."
Correction: "The books on the shelf were dusty."
Explanation: The subject "books" is plural, so it requires the plural form of the verb "were" to maintain agreement.
2. Singular and Plural Nouns
Using the correct form of nouns is essential for maintaining consistency throughout your writing. Consider this example:
Mistake: "The child's toy are scattered all over the floor."
Correction: "The children's toys are scattered all over the floor."
Explanation: The possessive form "children's" matches the plural noun "toys" to denote ownership by multiple children.
3. Pronoun Agreement
Ensure that pronouns agree in number with the nouns they replace. Here's an example of a common mistake and its correction:
Mistake: "Each of the students should bring their textbooks."
Correction: "Each of the students should bring his or her textbook."
Explanation: When referring to singular nouns, the pronoun should be singular ("his or her") rather than plural ("their").
*However, this rule is generally being overlooked and the use of ‘their’ to denote a singular person is now accepted. The use of ‘their’ can also appear more concise instead of clunky constructs like ‘his/her’ or ‘his and/or her’.
4. Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns to select the appropriate verb forms and determiners. Consider this example:
Mistake: "There is too much furnitures in the room."
Correction: "There is too much furniture in the room."
Explanation: "Furniture" is an uncountable noun, so it does not require a plural form or "s" at the end.
5. Quantifiers and Indefinite Pronouns
Ensure that the quantifiers and indefinite pronouns used align with the singular or plural nature of the noun they refer to. Let's examine an example:
Mistake: "Somebody left their umbrella in the hallway."
Correction: "Somebody left his or her umbrella in the hallway."
Explanation: The indefinite pronoun "somebody" is singular, so the corresponding possessive pronoun should be singular as well ("his or her").
*As noted before, the use of ‘their’ as a singular is now widely accepted and thus this convention of using ‘his or her’ could be in decline.
Tips for Mastering Singular vs. Plural
a) Understand the rules: Familiarise yourself with the rules of subject-verb agreement, noun forms, pronoun agreement, and quantifier usage.
b) Practice with exercises: Engage in grammar exercises or create your own sentences to reinforce the correct usage of singular and plural forms
c) Read and analyse: Pay attention to how singular and plural forms are used in professional writing and literature.
d) Proofread and edit: Review your writing for consistency in singular and plural usage, specifically focusing on subjects, verbs, pronouns, and nouns.
e) Seek feedback: Ask for feedback from peers, teachers, or professional editors to identify any instances of incorrect singular or plural usage.
Mastering singular and plural usage in writing is essential for maintaining clarity, coherence, and grammatical correctness. By understanding the rules, practicing with examples, and seeking feedback, you can develop a strong command of singular and plural forms. Remember to ensure agreement between subjects and verbs, use appropriate pronouns and nouns, and pay attention to countable and uncountable nouns.
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To 'Essay' or 'Assay'?
You know what an essay is. It's that piece you had to write in school, hopefully not (but probably) the night before it was due, about a subject such as What Freedom Means to You—at least five pages, double-spaced, and don't even try to get away with anything larger than a 12-point font. (Kudos for thinking to tweak the margins, though.)
Remember the difference and get an 'A' for effort.
You might also know that essay can be a verb, with its most common meaning being "to try, attempt, or undertake":
A very close approach to the evil of Idi Amin is essayed in Giles Foden's 1998 novel The Last King of Scotland , whose narrator is the Scottish personal physician to the dictator. — Norman Rush, The New York Review of Books , 7 Oct. 2004 The principal accidents she remembers, before last summer's, involved chipping a couple of teeth while, as a fifth grader, she was essaying a back flip off a diving board,... — E. J. Kahn, Jr., The New Yorker , 17 Aug. 1987
The verb assay , meanwhile, is used to mean "to test or evaluate" and can be applied to anything from laboratory samples to contest entries:
He bounced from job to job, working on a shrimp boat and later for Pan American Laboratories assaying chemicals coming in from Mexico. — Steve Clark, The Brownville Herald , 21 Apr. 2017 "Each burger will be assayed by visitors and a panel of judges, including local chefs Jen Knox, Gina Sansonia, Judith Able, Bret Hauser, Camilo Cuartas and Peter Farrand." — Phillip Valys, SouthFlorida.com , 19 May 2017
While this distinction might seem clear-cut on the surface, there exists a great deal of historical overlap between essay and assay . The two words derive from the same root—the Middle French essai , which ultimately derives from a Late Latin noun, exagium , meaning "act of weighing."
At one time, assay and essay were synonyms, sharing the meaning "try" or "attempt." In the 17th century, an essay was an effort to test or prove something:
Edmond: I hope, for my brother's justification, he wrote this but as an essay or taste of my virtue. — William Shakespeare, King Lear , 1606
For the modern noun use of essay to mean "a written exploration of a topic," we can almost certainly thank Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), a French writer noted for working in the form. Borrowing a word that emphasized their identity as literary "attempts," Montaigne devised Essais as a title for the vignette-typed pieces that he began publishing in 1580 and spanned over a thousand pages, covering subjects as varied and wide-ranging as solitude, cannibalism, and drunkenness.
Those last ones probably won't be in the final exam.
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What is the proper way to write the plural of a single letter? Or a word used as a word ('mention' usage)? (another apostrophe question)
When writing (a blog post, script, etc..) what is the proper way to indicate two or more instances of a single letter? For instance, in Monty Python's Bookshop Sketch :
C: I wonder if you might have a copy of "Rarnaby Budge"? P: No, as I say, we're right out of Edmund Wells! C: No, not Edmund Wells - Charles Dikkens. P: (pause - eagerly) Charles Dickens?? C: Yes. P: (excitedly) You mean "Barnaby Rudge"! C: No, "Rarnaby Budge" by Charles Dikkens. That's Dikkens with two Ks, the well-known Dutch author. P: (slight pause) No, well we don't have "Rarnaby Budge" by Charles Dikkens with two Ks, the well-known Dutch author, and perhaps to save time I should add that we don't have "Karnaby Fudge" by Darles Chickens, or "Farmer of Sludge" by Marles Pickens, or even "Stickwick Stapers" by Farles Wickens with four M's and a silent Q!!!!! Why don't you try W. H. Smith's? C: Ah did, They sent me here.
I had always believed that plural never uses an apostrophe before the 's' (it's only used for possession), but I have rarely seen in written material the format "four Ms". (On a side note, whoever wrote this transcript also used "two Ks".)
On a side note, and perhaps this should be a separate question, if a Compact Disc is a CD, then two Compact Discs would be two CDs right? (I see "CD's" written everywhere )
grammatical-number
3 for the second issue about the acronym CD, see english.stackexchange.com/questions/503/… – Bogdan Lataianu Commented May 13, 2011 at 18:27
2 The Canadian Government's "style manual" also lists some other cases where the apostrophe can be used. btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/… – Jedidja Commented Nov 29, 2012 at 14:04
4 Answers 4
The Chicago Manual of Style , one of the more widely used style guides in the United States, says:
Capital letters used as words, numerals used as nouns, and abbreviations usually form the plural by adding s . To aid comprehension, lowercase letters form the plural with an apostrophe and an s .
So: Dikkens with two Ks , but mind your p's and q's . (And always CDs , unless you're talking about something the CD owns.)
2 And my Chicago Manual of Style sits in the basement of my parent's house about 4000km away. Thanks! :) – Jedidja Commented May 13, 2011 at 16:32
4 I like that this is purely a stylistic question, nobody is pretending it's the "correct way to do things". It does read a lot easier on the eyes if someone says "There are four i's in this sentence" than "There are four is in this sentence." – Lou Commented Dec 5, 2016 at 13:07
If someone starts the sentence by referring to multiples of the letter A or I, does the Chicago Manual of Style allow for an apostrophe to avoid confusion with the words "As" and "Is"? – Christopher Bradshaw Commented Nov 8, 2021 at 23:06
Could the letter ‘s’ to the right of the apostrophe (or the apostrophe itself) in p ’s be italicized in normal text? (The Penguin Guide to Punctuation recommends that the letter ‘p’ is italicized’.) – AfterMath Commented May 3, 2023 at 8:11
Harbrace College Handbook 6th edition section 15d
Use the apostrophe and s to form the plural of letters, figures, symbols, and words referred to as words. Examples Congreve seldom crossed his t's, his 7's looked like 9's, and his and's were usually &'s. Note: This apostrophe is sometimes omitted when there is no danger of ambiguity: the 1930's, or the 1930s; two B's and three C's, or two Bs and three Cs.
This is one of those annoying exceptions to the general rule of never using an apostrophe to form plurals. It can be used when treating letters and numerals as nouns.
Personally, I only use it with lowercase letters where it is distinctly helpful ( mind your p's and q's ); for uppercase and numerals, adding a lowercase 's' should be clear enough.
To form plural of letters, figures, symbols and abbreviations put the concerned thing in single inverted comma and then add s.
Like this: '123's ?! – Solomon Ucko Commented Apr 28, 2019 at 18:01
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged grammatical-number alphabet or ask your own question .
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Your assignment is to write a 500-word essay on one of Shakespeare's sonnets.
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Singular or Plural? Sometimes, It Depends
The distributive plural.
When each part of a plural subject possesses something individually, the thing possessed must generally be in the plural as well. For example:
The two women blew their noses .
Each woman possesses one nose, so, logically, two women possess two noses. Some usage experts call this type of plural “the distributive plural” (Quirk et al. 768).
The Distributive Singular
But in several cases, the thing possessed should be in the singular.
To Indicate Joint Possession
For example, use the singular when two people possess something jointly:
While traveling together, the two women got lost and consulted their map .
To Convey Universal, Abstract, and Figurative Ideas
Wilson Follett remarks that the thing possessed also “remains in the singular when what is plurally possessed is universal, abstract, or figurative” (211). So if, after blowing their noses, our two women celebrated with a bottle of wine, we might say, The two women toasted their health (universal). If the doorbell rang while they were drinking the wine, we might say, The two women were led by their curiosity to open the door (abstract). But if no one was there when they opened the door, we might say, The visitors wanted to get something off their chest but had a change of heart (figurative).
To Avoid Ambiguity
Quirk et al. observe that sometimes the singular is needed if the plural would be ambiguous (768):
We asked the children to name their favorite animal .
If they were asked to name their favorite animals , the children might not be sure if they should name more than one. To make clear that each child, rather than the group as a whole, should give an answer, we could revise as follows:
We asked each child to answer the question, What is your favorite animal?
Mind Your Nouns
As Words into Type warns, when the sentence has more than one noun, you must be careful to use the singular for the correct noun (357): You should have seen the expression on their faces when they heard the news (not the expression on their face ).
Works Cited
Follett, Wilson. Modern American Usage: A Guide . Revised by Erik Wensberg, Hill and Wang, 1998.
Quirk, Randolph, et al. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language . Longman, 1985.
Words into Type . 3rd ed., Prentice Hall, 1974.
10 Comments
Tamara herring 15 august 2019 at 09:08 pm.
What is the correct style for writing the plural of a word that is being used as a noun within a sentence? For example, “You are using too many ands in your writing.” From what I’ve found, the Chicago Manual of Style dictates that it be written exactly as included in my example—no underline, apostrophe, quotation marks, etc. Is it the same rule for MLA?
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Jennifer A. Rappaport 18 August 2019 AT 08:08 AM
Great question. See our related post on how to form the plural of so : https://style.mla.org/plural-so/.
Jennifer Diaz 14 December 2021 AT 09:12 AM
Should a state name be used as a plural noun? For example, which sentence would be correctly written: California sent all their trash to Nevada. OR California sent all its trash to Nevada.
C. Barney Latimer 25 January 2022 AT 05:01 PM
A state name is a singular noun, so the correct sentence is “California sent all its trash to Nevada.” Many nouns known as collective nouns—such as team, family, and class—can be treated as singular or plural, depending on how they are used, but state names are not collective nouns and therefore always take singular verbs.
Luke 17 January 2022 AT 05:01 AM
Hi Jennifer,
Could you please help me with this?
If I was writing the following, which is correct or are both acceptable?
Left and Right Engine Bays or Left and Right Engine Bay
Thank you for your help.
Regards, Luke
C. Barney Latimer 10 March 2022 AT 05:03 PM
Since you are naming two distinct bays, the left one and the right one, the correct formulation would be plural—“left and right engine bays.”
Guru 22 April 2022 AT 03:04 AM
Every time people blows or blow?
Singular or Plural?
Vera Rodrigues 15 June 2022 AT 07:06 AM
Can you tell me witch one is correct: Part of the goods are made of organic cotton, and the other part are made in regular cotton or Part of the goods is made of organic cotton, and the other part is made in regular cotton?
Samantha Spinner 03 November 2022 AT 07:11 PM
When writing an essay, can some paragraphs be in the plural form and some in the singular form?
Sally 29 January 2024 AT 01:01 PM
How should I handle a situation in which there may be more than one of something, but that's entirely up to the participants? Example: There may be more than one car used by a team participating in an event, though most teams will work with only one. There are a lot of instructions for those participating, and writing "car or cars" at every reference is clunky and uses up valuable space, while using "car(s)" every time makes for confusing grammar. However the person running the event wants to be sure teams know they can provide multiple cars if they choose to, and not all participants will be involved in or see every piece of communication about the event, so we can't really refer to it as car(s) just once.
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Grammar Guide
Plural Nouns: Definition, Meaning and Examples
By Allison Bressmer
Pluralizing singular nouns (also known as making plural nouns) can be as easy as just adding s or es . Or adding letters to the noun, or replacing letters, or changing the entire spelling of the noun, or just leaving the word alone.
Okay, so perhaps “easy” isn’t really the way to describe the process of pluralization. Let’s go with “interesting” instead.
What Is a Plural Noun? (And How Is It Different Than a Singular Noun?
How to make regular plural nouns, how to pluralize irregular nouns, more unique plurals, a few more irregulars, pluralize for your audience, pluralization: use resources.
A noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. This is true for both singular and plural nouns.
A singular noun is a noun representing a single (just one) person, place, thing, or idea. For example, the nouns drink , berry , and child are singular nouns.
Often, the determiners a or an are used with singular nouns :
I’d like a drink , please.
Would you like to try a berry ?
Stop acting like a child !
When you make plural nouns, you indicate that there is more than one of whatever it is the noun represents.
For example, drink becomes drinks , berry becomes berries , and child becomes children . You may use the determiners few , many , and several before a plural noun:
We’d like to order a few drinks , please.
I like to put lots of berries on my cereal.
The schoolyard was filled with children .
You’ve probably noticed that the method of pluralizing each of those noun examples is different. That’s because some nouns are considered regular—they tend to follow some simple rules—and others are irregular. The irregulars basically make their own rules.
Grab yourself one of those drinks I just pluralized and we’ll investigate. You’ll thank me for the advice later!
Regular nouns are generally straightforward when it comes to following the rules of pluralization. That’s why they are labeled as regular. For the most part, you pluralize them by adding s or es or by changing y to ies .
Of course, there are exceptions. You’ll notice a theme of exceptions throughout this study in pluralizing.
Pluralizing by Adding Letters
1. just add s.
This is probably the easiest rule of pluralization, and many nouns follow this rule.
Singular
Plural
cat
cats
bed
beds
baseball
baseballs
2. Just add es
This rule is almost as easy, and just a little less common. It is used for nouns that end in ch , x , s (or s -sounds), sh , and z (with some special additions for the z and some s -sound-ending nouns)
Singular
Plural
lunch
lunches
box
boxes
kiss
kisses
bush
bushes
quiz
quizzes
gas
gasses
bus
busses
Have you figured out the special additions for some s - and z -ending words? Sometimes it’s necessary to add an extra s or z to the noun before adding the pluralizing es .
There are a few other exceptions.
For example, the add es rule is pretty reliable for nouns ending in ch and sh , but not as reliable for nouns ending with x .
Singular
Plural
ox
oxen
matrix
matrices
vertex
vertices
Some nouns that end in is or us don’t follow the just add es rule either.
Singular
Plural
analysis
analyses
crisis
crises
hippopotomus
hippopotami
cactus
cactuses or cacti
octopus
octopuses, octopi, octopodes
With so many choices for octopus , which should you use?
3. Regular nouns ending in o
Once again, our regular nouns show their slightly rebellious side. The answer? It depends on the word. I told you you’d be happy to have that drink!
Singular
Plural
photo
photos
taco
tacos
tomato
tomatoes
hero
heroes
4. Regular nouns ending in y
If the nouns ends in a vowel + y , then just add s .
Singular
Plural
boy
boys
essay
essays
whiskey
whiskeys
(And by the way, you can spell whiskey without the e as well, if it’s Scotch.)
If the noun ends in a consonant + y , you work under the replacing letters method.
Pluralizing Regular Nouns by Replacing Letters
When a noun ends in a consonant + y , the y becomes ies .
Singular
Plural
lady
ladies
melody
melodies
family
families
Are there exceptions? Of course there are.
Nouns such as jealousy , electricity , flexibility end with a consonant + y but do not have a plural form because they are uncountable nouns . We’ll look at them more closely further down the post.
Nouns that end in f or fe also follow the replacing letters method for pluralization. The f becomes a v . If the singular noun ends in s , you add an es to that v. If it ends in fe , you just add the s .
Singular
Plural
thief
thieves
shelf
shelves
knife
knives
life
lives
And yes. There are exceptions. Say the words aloud and listen for the pattern in the exceptions.
Singular
Plural
roof
roofs
chef
chefs
safe
safes
Congratulations! You’ve made it through the rules for the nouns that are called regular even though they have exceptions to the rules somewhat, well, regularly.
If you’re wondering why there are so many exceptions, it’s because the English language has a rich but complicated history and was formed through the integration of a variety of languages. Some of its words still follow rules from their original language.
Let’s move on to the irregular nouns. You might want to refill your drink.
Irregular nouns follow their own rules. They have no use for conformity, which is why they have been labeled irregular.
Pluralizing irregular nouns basically happens using one of two opposite methods: changing the singular-noun form almost entirely or not changing the singular-noun form at all.
There is no trick for determining which method to use. And knowing how to pluralize these nouns is not intuitive. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. If you’ve ever spoken to toddlers, you’ve probably heard them say things like this:
“I went to the pet store. I saw kitty cats, puppy dogs, and mouses.”
So cute, right?
We smile because they’ve said “mouses" which is adorable but incorrect. However, toddlers’ use of “mouses” is actually quite impressive as it shows they are adapting to and internalizing the rules of language. But “mouse” as a noun does not follow the rules and after a few months or years, the toddlers learn to use the far less intuitive “mice.”
Those same toddlers might tell you they’ve seen “sheeps” at the farm. Again, their instincts are right, it’s the noun “sheep” that breaks the rules.
For these irregular nouns, you really just need to learn and remember their pluralized forms and if you aren’t certain, consult your dictionary.
1. Pluralizing irregular nouns by changing the singular-noun form
Here are some examples of commonly used nouns whose plural forms are created by changing their singular forms.
Singular
Plural
child
children
goose
geese
mouse
mice
person
people
man
men
woman
women
foot
feet
tooth
teeth
2. Pluralizing nouns by changing absolutely nothing from the singular-noun form
Here are some examples of commonly used plural nouns spelled exactly the same as their singular forms.
Singular
Plural
sheep
sheep
deer
deer
moose
moose
series
series
species
species
We aren’t done yet! There are still more special pluralization situations: nouns that are only plural, uncountable nouns, and compound nouns.
Only-Plural Nouns
Some nouns do not have a singular form. They only exist in plural form. For example,
pants : you can try on pants, but not a pant. You can, however, try on a pair of pants.
clothes : you hang clothes in your closet. If you only have one shirt, you would say “I only have one shirt” not “I only have one clothe.”
glasses : you wear glasses, or a pair of glasses, but you do not wear a glass. (If you’re talking about drinking glasses, then you can have just one glass.)
shenanigans: you may get up to shenanigans, but are never just up to a shenanigan (what fun would just one shenanigan be anyway?)
Uncountable Nouns
The nouns we have pluralized so far have been countable nouns. Countable nouns are nouns we use for things we can actually count using numbers. You can use a / an or another determiner in front of them in their singular form or another determiner to answer “how many” in their plural form.
For example, you might have:
Singular
Plural
a dog
several dogs
a sheep
seven sheep
an island
many islands
a foot
two feet
Uncountable nouns are nouns that represent things we cannot count with numbers. It doesn’t make sense to use a / an or other determiners that show “how many.” Phrases that answer “how much” are used with them instead.
Uncountable nouns have only one form. There is no plural form for them.
For example:
jealousy : They were filled with jealousy.
electricity : We have no electricity.
research : He did so much research for the project.
information : Can you provide me with more information?
knowledge : She has a great deal of knowledge on the subject.
evidence : There is not enough evidence to convict the defendant!
water: I’ll just have water. (If you ask for a specific number of servings of water, you would usually say “a glass of water” or “three bottles of water.”)
Compound Nouns
Compound nouns are nouns that comprise two or more words. They can be written in three different ways: one word, two words, or as a set of hyphenated words.
Most compound nouns that are made of two nouns follow the just add s method of pluralization. And, many compound nouns that comprise a noun and a non-noun also follow this method (but of course, there are exceptions).
1. One-word compound nouns
Singular
Plural
Parts of Speech
haircut
haircuts
noun + verb
pancake
pancakes
noun + noun
bookstore
bookstores
noun + noun
blackboard
blackboards
adjective + noun
2. Two-word compound nouns
Singular
Plural
bus stop
bus stops
dining room
dining rooms
tennis court
tennis courts
3. Hyphenated compound nouns
Like the two-word compound nouns, hyphenated compound nouns also work as one unit.
Singular
Plural
tip-off
tip-offs
step-brother
step-brothers
copy-editor
copy-editors
You can see that the examples used so far all follow the just add s rule. You’re probably already thinking of other common compound nouns that don’t follow that rule. For example,
Singular
Plural
passerby
passersby
hanger-on
hangers-on
runner-up
runners-up
sister-in-law
sisters-in-law
attorney-at-law
attorneys-at-law
The easiest way to get these plurals right is simply to memorize them or look them up. However, there is a grammatical reason for their different methods of pluralization.
In passerby , hanger-on , and runner-up , the compound noun is made up of a noun with an er ending and an adverb. For that combination, the s is added to the noun part of the compound.
In sister-in-law and attorney-at-law , the compound noun is made up of two nouns connected by a preposition. For this combination, the first noun is pluralized.
Another way to think about this combination is to figure out which noun is the head noun. In other words, which noun is the most important (the head), and which noun just adds more information about that noun?
For sister-in-law, sister is the head noun. The in-law just tells us more about the type of sister we’re referencing. The in-law phrase works as an adjective . That same explanation applies to attorneys-at-law or attorneys general , another example of a two-word compound noun.
What happens if there is no obvious head noun?
If we say, “he’s just a good-for-nothing” do we pluralize that by saying, “They’re all good-for-nothings ?”
If we say, “I had a serious back-and-forth with my family about our political differences,” do we pluralize that by saying, “I had some serious back-and-forths with my family about our political differences?”
Yes, we do. How do I know? I looked those compound nouns up! I had to check a few online dictionaries to verify the plural versions. These are phrases that we have adapted into use over time and it can take time for dictionaries to catch up.
Still with me? Good!
Since you’re here, take a look at this list of commonly used, or at least somewhat commonly used, nouns and their unique pluralization forms.
Singular
Plural
criterion
criteria
phenomenon
phenomena
datum
data
curriculum
curricula
stimulus
stimuli
medium
media
hypothesis
hypotheses
emphasis
emphases
Language is fluid, as the English language demonstrates in its own history, and changes continue to come. Along with consulting your dictionary when you’re uncertain about a word’s proper plural form, consider your audience as well.
Some methods of pluralization that used to be considered “improper” are now acceptable, at least in more casual situations.
For example, if you’re telling a friend you’d like “two tablespoonfuls of sugar in your iced tea” (that’s just too much, in my opinion), you’re fine! If you’re writing a fancy cookbook, then you might want to use the more formal “tablespoonsful.”
Some methods of pluralization are straightforward, and many nouns adhere to those methods. These are the plurals that you know just because you know them. You don’t even have to think about them!
Other plural forms are less compliant and it’s worth it to work on memorizing them, especially the ones you will use often.
When it comes to the outliers that pop up unexpectedly, there’s no need to guess. Take a minute and consult your dictionary and then run your work through a final ProWritingAid grammar check for accuracy assurance.
With ProWritingAid, you’ll use the right noun form every time—and avoid hundreds of other grammar, spelling, and style errors.
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Allison Bressmer
Allison Bressmer is a professor of freshman composition and critical reading at a community college and a freelance writer. If she isn’t writing or teaching, you’ll likely find her reading a book or listening to a podcast while happily sipping a semi-sweet iced tea or happy-houring with friends. She lives in New York with her family. Connect at linkedin.com/in/allisonbressmer.
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Writing Tips
Grammar Tips: Plural Nouns
7-minute read
10th March 2023
If someone asked you what a noun is , you’d probably say it’s a person, place, or thing. Pretty simple, right? But what about plural nouns? For example, what is the plural form for cat ? If you said cats , you’re right! What about the plural for foot ? If you said foots , you’re incorrect. The correct form is feet. Simply adding an s at the end works for some nouns – but not all.
Plural nouns can be confusing for many English learners. Most students struggle with regular versus irregular plurals as well as apostrophe usage with some plurals. Nevertheless, understanding plural nouns is important for effective communication. After all, you’ll encounter them in many contexts!
If you find plural nouns confusing, read on! This blog will provide essential grammar tips for using plural nouns correctly in written and spoken English. We’ll discuss pluralization rules as well as irregular and tricky plural noun forms. By the time you finish reading, you’ll feel confident using plural nouns effectively in any context. And understanding plural nouns can go a long way to improving your English grammar .
What Are Plural Nouns?
Plural nouns refer to more than one person, place, or thing. You can easily recognize most of them by their s or es ending:
There’s not much to pluralizing such nouns. However, things get tricky with irregular plurals, as they have their own unique forms. For example:
English language learners often struggle to distinguish regular plurals from irregular ones . Fortunately, to form irregular plurals, you just need to know which letters to change.
How to Make Nouns Plural
As we stated above, you can make most singular nouns plural by adding s or es to the end of the word, depending on the word’s ending. Likewise, collective nouns (nouns that represent groups) can be made plural by adding s or es . For example:
Regular Plural Nouns
Nouns such as bottle, toy, bike , and chair are the easiest to pluralize, as you simply add s to the end. However, some nouns require the es ending:
Irregular Plurals
The rules for forming these plurals are different from the rules for forming regular plurals, and interestingly enough, there are multiple ways to form irregular plurals. Examples of nouns that have irregular plurals include mouse , man , goose , wolf , and wife . Their pluralization looks like this:
Pluralizing these is usually a matter of knowing the rules regarding certain noun endings. If a noun ends in f or fe , you change the ending to ve before adding an s to form the plural:
The only exceptions to this rule are roof, belief, chef, chief , and café , which take the s ending. For nouns such as goose, foot, and tooth , you change the double o into a double e to make the plural. So the plural forms are geese, feet, and teeth , respectively.
Booth and book are exceptions: their plurals use the s ending. Therefore, changing the double o to a double e is incorrect. And for nouns such as man and woman , you only need to change the a to e to make the plural.
How to Pluralize the Word Mouse
The word mouse has a unique plural form. You simply change mouse to mice :
However, you wouldn’t apply this rule to other words ending in ouse , such as house . You would simply add the s ending for those.
More Rules for Plural Nouns
The final letter of a noun often dictates the correct spelling of the pluralized form. But just as we saw with irregular plurals, you must be aware of special rules.
Singular Nouns Ending in Y
If a singular noun ends in y and the letter before the y is a consonant, you change the ending to ies to make the plural:
If a singular noun ends in y and the letter before the y is a vowel, just add an s to make the plural:
Singular Nouns Ending in O
If a singular noun ends in o , add es to make the plural:
However, you would not apply this rule to nouns such as piano , halo , and photo , which take the s ending for the plural.
Which Nouns Take the es Ending?
We know you’ve probably been asking this question from the beginning. The simple answer is that the es ending applies to nouns that end in s , ss , sh , ch , x , and z . For example:
Plural Noun Exceptions
While we’ve already mentioned a few exceptions, more exist. If a singular noun ends in us , the plural ending is i . For example:
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If a singular noun ends in is , the plural ending is es :
If a singular noun ends in on , the plural ending is a :
Believe it or not, some nouns don’t change at all when you pluralize them. Such nouns include sheep, fish, deer, series , aircraft , and species . They can be singular or plural:
Plural Nouns Versus Possessive Nouns
Possessive nouns demonstrate ownership, generally with the ’ s ending. Let’s say your cousin Bill owns a boat (lucky Bill!). You would indicate it like this:
Most students confuse plural nouns with possessive nouns because of the s endings. Understanding how to use apostrophes with plurals and possessives can be tricky. Plural nouns don’t have apostrophes unless they’re also possessive. Let’s consider the following examples:
Common Mistakes When Using Plural Nouns
1. Adding s or es endings to irregular nouns (e.g., goose , man , child , foot )
2. Adding an apostrophe to a plural noun when it’s not possessive
3. Adding s endings with nouns that actually need the es ending
4. Adding pluralizing endings to nouns that don’t change at all (e.g., deer , fish , series )
5. Adding the wrong ending to nouns that end in us , is , and on
Tips for Avoiding Errors in Writing and Speaking
1. Remember that plural nouns don’t use apostrophes unless they’re also possessive.
2. You cannot pluralize all nouns simply by using s or es endings.
3. Remember which letters need to be changed to form irregular plurals (which all have unique forms).
4. Know which nouns use the s and es endings.
5. Know which nouns are singular and plural in sentences.
Tips for Identifying Singular and Plural Nouns in Sentences
Looking at how much of something a noun is referring to can tell you whether that noun is singular or plural. It’s singular if it refers to one person or thing. It’s plural if it refers to more than one person or thing.
When reading a sentence, look for any nouns with s or es endings. If so, they’re likely plural. Furthermore, by understanding how much of something the noun refers to, you can recognize the tricky irregular plural nouns we’ve covered.
Incorrect Plural Nouns Lead to Different Meanings
It’s important to use the correct forms of plural and possessive nouns, as incorrect plurals can change the meaning of a sentence. Take these examples:
We encourage you to practice using plural nouns correctly. One way to do this is by trying a worksheet on singular and plural nouns . The more practice you have, the more comfortable you’ll be. For our visual learners, we recommend this video on how to form plural nouns . Finally, we encourage you to proofread your written work for correct plural noun usage.
If you’re currently working on an essay or a paper, you might be interested in letting our proofreading experts review your writing. They can check for grammar and punctuation errors and make sure the spelling is perfect. They’ll also ensure the correct use of plural nouns! Consider submitting a 500-word document for free today.
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Plural Nouns
In general, a noun is a person, place, or thing. A proper noun is a specialized name for a specific person, place, or thing. Proper nouns are always capitalized (e.g., “Crayola”). Nouns can be singular (i.e., only one) or plural (i.e., more than one).
To make a noun plural, add “s” (e.g., “dogs” is the plural form of “dog”), “es” (e.g., “boxes” is the plural form of “box”; add “es” to most nouns that end in “ch,” “s,” “sh,” “x,” and “z” to make them plural), and sometimes “ies” (e.g., “babies” is the plural form of “baby”; see the Notes section for exceptions to this grammar guideline ) to the end of the noun.
Irregular plural nouns , which include terms like “women,” “men,” “children,” “alumni,” “feet,” “mice,” “data,” and so forth, usually are not made plural by adding “s,” “es,” or “ies” to their endings. However, some irregular plural nouns have the same endings as regular plural nouns, such as “leaves,” “knives,” “analyses,” and “theses.”
Plural nouns are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Sections 4.18 and 6.11 and the Concise Guide Sections 2.18 and 5.1
Plural surnames
Usually, a surname is made plural by adding an “s” to the end of it (e.g., “Ayubis” is the plural form of the surname “Ayubi”), but there are exceptions. Add “es” to most surnames that end in “ch,” “s,” “sh,” “x,” and “z” to make them plural: for example, “Burch” becomes “Burches,” “Jones” becomes “Joneses,” “Nash” becomes “Nashes,” “Knox” becomes “Knoxes,” and “Hernández” becomes “Hernándezes.”
However, if the “ch” at the end of a surname is pronounced with a hard “k,” like “Bach,” add “s” to the end of the surname to make it plural: “Bachs” (the same is true for common nouns ending in a hard “ch”: “stomachs”). Likewise, if the “x” at the end of a surname is silent, like “Rioux,” make the surname plural by adding an “s” to the end of the name: “Riouxs.”
Plural versus possessive
Although there are many unique ways to form plural nouns, please note that placing an apostrophe “s” or just an apostrophe after an “s” at the end of a noun is not one of them. “Tuesday’s” and “cat’s” are never the plurals of “Tuesday” and “cat”; the plurals are “Tuesdays” and “cats.” In general, an apostrophe “s” is used to form the possessive case of a noun .
Some nouns are spelled the same way in their singular form as they are in their plural form (e.g., “fish,” “moose,” “sheep”). Other nouns do not have a singular form and are always spelled in the plural form (e.g., “clothes,” “eyeglasses,” “scissors”). Conversely, some nouns do not have a plural form (e.g., “homework,” “milk,” “advice”).
Also, to make an abbreviation plural, add an “s” to the end of the abbreviation. For example, “HCP” is the abbreviation of “health care provider” and “HCPs” is its plural form.
The spelling guidelines on this page serve as general pluralization recommendations and are not comprehensive. They are not specific to APA Style and can be found in many dictionaries and other style guides. The APA Style Experts frequently consult the Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary for their spelling guidance .
Some common examples of nouns in their singular and plural forms are presented next.
Alex
Alexes
attorney
attorneys
branch
branches
bus
buses
case
cases
Choi
Chois
class
classes
deer
deer
Dietrich
Dietrichs
digital object identifier (DOI)
DOIs
family
families
fox
foxes
Goodrich
Goodriches
half
halves
hypothesis
hypotheses
influencer
influencers
Lacroix
Lacroixs
life
lives
Lopez
Lopezes
monarch
monarchs
patient
patients
person
people
phenomenon
phenomena
screenshot
screenshots
Smith
Smiths
theory
theories
tomato
tomatoes
tooth
teeth
Walsh
Walshes
waltz
waltzes
Williams
Williamses
wish
wishes
a “Attornies” is not the plural form of “attorney” because the letter that precedes the “y” is a vowel (i.e., an “e”) and not a consonant . In general, do not change nouns that end in “y” to “ies” to make them plural if the letter that precedes the “y” is a vowel; add an “s” to the end of the noun to make it plural.
b “Families” ends in “ies” because the letter that precedes the “y” in “family” is a consonant (i.e., an “l”). However, there are exceptions to this guidance. For example, “moneys” and “monies” are acceptable plural forms of “money.” When a term has more than one plural form, use your best judgment to determine which spelling is more appropriate to use in your work.
c The term “persons” is sometimes used in research settings to refer to groups of a specific number and in a legal context such as “missing persons” or “persons of interest.” Nevertheless, “people” is the preferred plural form of “person.”
d “Peoples” may be used to describe specific ethnic communities such as “Indigenous Peoples” or “First Peoples.”
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The Only Plural Nouns Guide You Need: Tips & Tricks to Master Every Form
In 1992, Dan Quayle was Vice President of the United States. During what should have been an uneventful appearance at an elementary school, something unexpected happened: he misspelled potato .
While younger generations won’t recall the event, this gaffe endured, and the details are easy to find: Quayle’s Wikipedia page includes the subheading “ Potatoe ” within the chronology of his Vice Presidency, and Quayle himself penned an entire chapter on the subject for his memoirs.
You can trace the Vice President’s mistake (which he has attributed to cue cards provided by the school) back to a mixup between singular and plural nouns . His incorrect potatoe was halfway to the plural noun potatoes .
This guide to plural nouns is here to help you go beyond merely learning to define plural noun , providing guidance on their rules for plural noun formation and define plural noun usage, as well.
Don’t forget: our paper checker can help you catch errors and typos and, with any luck, avoid large-scale public spelling embarrassments. Read on to answer, “ What is a plural noun?” and to understand what does plural noun mean .
What is a Plural Noun?
The definition of plural noun can be summed up as a word used for more than one person, place, thing, or idea. Click to read more about increasing numbers for other parts of speech. When answering, “What is a plural noun?,” you first need to understand this plural noun definition .
When a grammatical error occurs with this part of speech, the mistake is typically in the formation and lack of understanding of what plural noun means . Keep reading to learn the rules and see examples of regular and irregular structures.
Forming Regular Plural Nouns
Once you understand the plural noun definition , you’re ready to learn how to form regular and irregular plural nouns .
What is a regular plural noun example? Those considered regular follow standard rules (for the most part) to change their number.
Nouns Ending in Consonants
For nouns ending in most consonants, add an s. Here are examples of plural nouns with this formation :
dog = dogs
books = books
For those ending in s, sh, ch, z, or x, add es. See below for examples of plural nouns with this formation :
dish = dishes
box = boxes
Exception : if the ch sounds like a k , add only s : stomach s , loch s.
Nouns Ending in Y
For words ending in y preceded by a consonant, change the y to i and add es. See below for examples of plural nouns with this formation :
country = countries
fly = flies
For words ending in y preceded by a vowel, add an s . Here are two examples with this formation .
monkey = monkeys
toy = toys
Nouns Ending in F or Fe
For some words ending in f or fe , add an s. Here are two examples with this formation :
roof = roofs
chef = chefs
Other words ending in f or fe change the f to v before adding s or es . Here are two examples with this formation :
knife = knives
thief = thieves
Nouns Ending in O
For most words ending in o preceded by a vowel, add an s . Here are a couple of examples with this formation :
studio = studios
video = videos
Words ending in o preceded by a consonant usually change their number by adding es . See these two examples of this formation :
potato = potatoes
hero = heroes
Some words ending in o preceded by a consonant add only an s :
sopranos = sopranos
solo = solos
Finally, some words ending in o preceded by a consonant add either s or es , as both are considered correct . These examples are unique in that you learn their proper usage through language learning, and both are grammatically acceptable :
mango = mangos/mangoes
banjo = banjos/banjoes
For guidance on which to use in your academic or professional writing, check with your style guide. Our citation resources can help guide you in APA format and more styles .
Forming Irregular Plural Nouns
A plural noun definition simply means a noun changes in number, but its spelling can change considerably if it is formed irregularly. Now that we understand what is a plural noun, we have to ask: What are irregular plural nouns ? Unlike their regular plural noun cousins, irregular plural nouns don’t follow any hard and fast rules in their formation. It’s best to just memorize the irregular plural nouns and their respective formations as part of understanding the definition of plural noun . There are, however, some patterns that they follow, as seen in these examples of irregular plural nouns.
Formation Patterns of Irregular Plural Nouns
Some nouns swap oo for ee , like these :
goose = geese
tooth = teeth
Some nouns swap a for e , such as these :
woman = women
Other nouns change considerably and must be learned in their specific usage :
mouse = mice
person = people
Exception : When referring to a computer mouse, use mouses, not mice.
Singular and Plural Nouns that Stay the Same
Some singular and plural nouns do not change at all to represent pluralization . With this type of plural noun, whether or not they are singular or plural nouns are determined through the context in which they are used .
Fish, for example, refers to one fish in the phrase caught a fish . In the phrase plenty of fish , however, it refers to many fish. Therefore, the term fish is a part of both singular and plural nouns grammatically . To define plural noun usage for both of these terms, pay close attention to the other parts of speech in the sentence, especially the verb.
For more examples of regular and irregular formation, see this .
Forming Plural Possessive Nouns & Examples of Plural Possessive Nouns
In this section, you’ll review examples of plural possessive nouns and learn how to form them, remembering to always ask, “What is a plural noun ?” Plural possessive nouns are plural nouns first, possessive nouns second. Plural possessive nouns are modified at the end of plural nouns by adding specific punctuation. They are surprisingly quite common in both conversation and writing. However, the rules are crucial when writing, since that is what can be seen and judged accordingly.
The rules for forming plural possessive nouns can trip up even the most experienced writers. Luckily, they follow a short set of possible standards that can be quickly learned. If you’re ever unsure, consult with your style guide to define plural noun usage per the guide’s advice. In addition to our citation creator, we also have style guide resources for MLA format , and others, that can help.
For a plural noun that ends in s , add an apostrophe to show possession . Here are a few examples of plural possessive nouns with this formation :
the dogs’ bones
the knives’ blades
the designers’ clothes
For a plural noun that does not end in s , add ‘s to show possession. Here are a few examples of plural possessive nouns with this formation :
men’s clothing
children’s room
people’s beliefs
Forming Compound Plural Nouns
Increasing the number of a compound word is another area that can seem tricky at first but is easy to do once you learn the patterns that these words follow and recall the plural nouns definition as simply being more than one of any given noun.
Compound nouns written as one word change their number by adding s or es :
letterheads
Compound nouns that are separated by spaces or joined by hyphens usually increase their number by adding an s to the primary word.
runners -up
poets laureate
lieutenant governors
The primary word is the word that is modified. Notice in the first example, runners is the noun, while up is playing the role of an adverb. Laureate plays the role of an adjective, along with lieutenant in the last two examples.
If you’re unsure which word is being modified, you can figure it out by temporarily changing the number of all parts. Mother-in-law , for example, is a compound to name one person. To identify the primary word, you need to identify which word is being modified. Using the tip above, you would figure this out by increasing the number for both parts and comparing their meanings.
What does each plural noun mean? Mothers refers to more than one mother, while laws is referring to more than one law. Mothers-in-law , therefore, is the correct formation, indicating more than one mother-in-law .
Some compound words increase their number irregularly:
six-year- olds
Words that fall under the third rule are typically those with no apparent primary word. You’ll need to commit these outliers to memory, or else check a dictionary for help.
More Examples of Plural Nouns
Following the guidelines above will help you with the formation of most words in determining what is a plural noun in your own writing. There are also instances that require additional consideration.
Some foreign words are pluralized based on root patterns in their original language. These words help determine what is a plural noun example based on their Greek/Latin roots :
phenomenon = phenomena
analysis = analyses
alumnus = alumni/alumnae
English rules are also commonly applied to foreign words. Here are a few plural noun examples that do not follow the rules of their original language:
formula = formulas
thesaurus = thesauruses
index = indexes
Some foreign words can use both the English and foreign formation, so check your dictionary or style guide to determine which form is appropriate when you’re unsure.
Finally, numbers, letters, signs, and words can sometimes become plural nouns when ‘s is added.
While these may seem out of place, remember: what is a plural noun ? An accurate plural noun definition requires identifying more than one person, place, thing, or idea. The plural noun examples below are in context for clarity:
She used three and’s in this sentence.
There are two 4’s and no 0’s in the answer.
To talk of two Mississippi s , you’ll need five s’s and two p’s.
A company logo can cleverly incorporate several +’s in its design.
Published March 4, 2019. Updated June 17, 2020.
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Essay Plural, What is the Plural of Essay?
Meaning: a short piece of writing on a particular subject.
Plural of Essay
Essay
Essays
dissertation
Essay as a Singular Noun in Example Sentences:
She submitted her essay before the deadline.
The student received an A+ on his essay .
The teacher assigned a persuasive essay for the assignment.
He spent hours researching and writing the essay .
The essay explored the theme of identity in literature.
The scholarship required a well-written essay on a specific topic.
The university professor provided feedback on the essay .
The essay was published in a renowned academic journal.
Essay as a Plural Noun in Example Sentences:
The students submitted their essays for grading.
The conference received numerous essays from scholars around the world.
The collection of essays covered a wide range of topics.
The professor assigned weekly essays to encourage critical thinking.
The finalists presented their essays in front of the audience.
The anthology included essays from various renowned authors.
The competition aimed to recognize outstanding essays on social issues.
The workshop focused on refining students’ persuasive essays .
Singular Possessive of Essay:
The singular possessive form of “Essay” is “Essay’s”.
Examples of Singular Possessive Form of Essay:
I need to read Essay’s conclusion.
The topic of Essay’s first paragraph is intriguing.
Have you seen Essay’s thesis statement?
I appreciate Essay’s insightful analysis.
The structure of Essay’s body paragraphs is clear.
Essay’s introduction captures the reader’s attention.
I admire Essay’s coherent argumentation.
Essay’s conclusion summarizes the main points.
Can you provide me with Essay’s bibliography?
The evidence in Essay’s supporting paragraphs is compelling.
Plural Possessive of Essay:
The plural possessive form of “Essay” is “Essays'”.
Examples of Plural Possessive Form of Essay:
I need to read the Essays’ conclusions.
The topics of the Essays’ first paragraphs are diverse.
Have you seen the Essays’ thesis statements?
I appreciate the Essays’ insightful analyses.
The structures of the Essays’ body paragraphs are well-organized.
The Essays’ introductions engage the readers effectively.
I admire the Essays’ coherent argumentations.
The Essays’ conclusions summarize the main points eloquently.
Can you provide me with the Essays’ bibliographies?
The evidence in the Essays’ supporting paragraphs is substantial.
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Complete List of Singular Plurals
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What is the plural of essay
The plural form of essay is essays. Find more words! Another word for Opposite of Meaning of Rhymes with Sentences with Find word forms Translate from English Translate to English Words With Friends Scrabble Crossword / Codeword Words starting with Words ending with Words containing exactly Words containing letters Pronounce Find conjugations ...
essay
essay (third-person singular simple present essays, present participle essaying, simple past and past participle essayed) (dated, transitive) To attempt or try. 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, chapter II, in The House Behind the Cedars: He retraced his steps to the front gate, which he essayed to open.
Essay Definition & Meaning
The meaning of ESSAY is an analytic or interpretative literary composition usually dealing with its subject from a limited or personal point of view. How to use essay in a sentence. ... Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide. 31 Useful Rhetorical Devices. More Commonly Misspelled Words. Why does English have so many silent letters?
What Is a Plural Noun?
What Is a Plural Noun? | Examples, Rules & Exceptions
Eseys or Essays
Firstly, "Essays" is the plural form of the singular noun "Essay." When we want to refer to more than one essay, we simply add an "s" to the end of the word. This is the conventional English rule for forming plurals of nouns, and it applies to "Essay" as well. For example, "I have written multiple essays on various topics."
What Are Plural Nouns? Rules and Examples
What Are Plural Nouns? Rules and Examples
ESSAY definition in American English
essay in American English. (noun for 1, 2 ˈesei, for 3-5 ˈesei, eˈsei, verb eˈsei) noun. 1. a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative. 2. anything resembling such a composition. a picture essay.
essay noun
essay (by somebody) a collection of essays by prominent African American writers; essay on somebody/something The book contains a number of interesting essays on women in society. essay about somebody/something Pierce contributes a long essay about John F. Kennedy. in an essay I discuss this in a forthcoming essay.
Mastering Singular vs. Plural in Writing: A Guide to Clarity and Agreement
Understanding when to use singular or plural forms is crucial for effective written communication. Correctly matching subjects, verbs, pronouns, and nouns in terms of number ensures clarity and coherence in your writing. This blog explores the rules of singular and plural usage, highlight common mistakes to avoid, and provides practical tips to ensure you understand singular and plural forms ...
Plurals
Plurals - The Grammar Guide
To 'Essay' or 'Assay'?
To 'Essay' or To 'Assay'? | Merriam- ...
What is the proper way to write the plural of a single letter? Or a
The Chicago Manual of Style, one of the more widely used style guides in the United States, says:. Capital letters used as words, numerals used as nouns, and abbreviations usually form the plural by adding s.To aid comprehension, lowercase letters form the plural with an apostrophe and an s.. So: Dikkens with two Ks, but mind your p's and q's. (And always CDs, unless you're talking about ...
Essay Definition & Meaning
Essay definition: A testing or trial of the value or nature of a thing. Dictionary Thesaurus Sentences Grammar Vocabulary Usage Reading & Writing Articles Vocabulary; Usage ... Plural: essays. Origin of Essay French ...
Exploring Plurals in English: Rules and Examples
We can appreciate the flexibility of the English language by reviewing the many pluralisation patterns and norms. Here are some sample plural noun examples: Child (singular); Children (plural) Goose, singular; geese, plural. Man, singular; Men, plural. These examples show how plural nouns can be constructed, illuminating the nuances of English ...
essay noun
Definition of essay noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Essay Definition & Meaning
1 essay / ˈ ɛˌseɪ/ noun. plural essays. Britannica Dictionary definition of ESSAY. [count] : a short piece of writing that tells a person's thoughts or opinions about a subject. Your assignment is to write a 500-word essay on one of Shakespeare's sonnets. The book is a collection of his previously unpublished essays on/about a variety of ...
Singular or Plural? Sometimes, It Depends
Quirk et al. observe that sometimes the singular is needed if the plural would be ambiguous (768): We asked the children to name their favorite animal. If they were asked to name their favorite animals, the children might not be sure if they should name more than one. To make clear that each child, rather than the group as a whole, should give ...
Plural Nouns: Definition, Meaning and Examples
Plural Nouns: Definition, Meaning and Examples
ESSAY definition and meaning
ESSAY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
Grammar Tips: Plural Nouns
Adding s or es endings to irregular nouns (e.g., goose, man, child, foot) 2. Adding an apostrophe to a plural noun when it's not possessive. 3. Adding s endings with nouns that actually need the es ending. 4. Adding pluralizing endings to nouns that don't change at all (e.g., deer, fish, series) 5.
Plural Nouns
Plural Nouns - APA Style
What Is a Plural Noun and How to Use One
For a plural noun that ends in s, add an apostrophe to show possession. Here are a few examples of plural possessive nouns with this formation: the dogs' bones. the knives' blades. the designers' clothes. For a plural noun that does not end in s, add 's to show possession.
Essay Plural, What is the Plural of Essay?
The essay was published in a renowned academic journal. Essay as a Plural Noun in Example Sentences: The students submitted their essays for grading. The conference received numerous essays from scholars around the world. The collection of essays covered a wide range of topics. The professor assigned weekly essays to encourage critical thinking.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
The plural form of essay is essays. Find more words! Another word for Opposite of Meaning of Rhymes with Sentences with Find word forms Translate from English Translate to English Words With Friends Scrabble Crossword / Codeword Words starting with Words ending with Words containing exactly Words containing letters Pronounce Find conjugations ...
essay (third-person singular simple present essays, present participle essaying, simple past and past participle essayed) (dated, transitive) To attempt or try. 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, chapter II, in The House Behind the Cedars: He retraced his steps to the front gate, which he essayed to open.
The meaning of ESSAY is an analytic or interpretative literary composition usually dealing with its subject from a limited or personal point of view. How to use essay in a sentence. ... Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide. 31 Useful Rhetorical Devices. More Commonly Misspelled Words. Why does English have so many silent letters?
What Is a Plural Noun? | Examples, Rules & Exceptions
Firstly, "Essays" is the plural form of the singular noun "Essay." When we want to refer to more than one essay, we simply add an "s" to the end of the word. This is the conventional English rule for forming plurals of nouns, and it applies to "Essay" as well. For example, "I have written multiple essays on various topics."
What Are Plural Nouns? Rules and Examples
essay in American English. (noun for 1, 2 ˈesei, for 3-5 ˈesei, eˈsei, verb eˈsei) noun. 1. a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative. 2. anything resembling such a composition. a picture essay.
essay (by somebody) a collection of essays by prominent African American writers; essay on somebody/something The book contains a number of interesting essays on women in society. essay about somebody/something Pierce contributes a long essay about John F. Kennedy. in an essay I discuss this in a forthcoming essay.
Understanding when to use singular or plural forms is crucial for effective written communication. Correctly matching subjects, verbs, pronouns, and nouns in terms of number ensures clarity and coherence in your writing. This blog explores the rules of singular and plural usage, highlight common mistakes to avoid, and provides practical tips to ensure you understand singular and plural forms ...
Plurals - The Grammar Guide
To 'Essay' or To 'Assay'? | Merriam- ...
The Chicago Manual of Style, one of the more widely used style guides in the United States, says:. Capital letters used as words, numerals used as nouns, and abbreviations usually form the plural by adding s.To aid comprehension, lowercase letters form the plural with an apostrophe and an s.. So: Dikkens with two Ks, but mind your p's and q's. (And always CDs, unless you're talking about ...
Essay definition: A testing or trial of the value or nature of a thing. Dictionary Thesaurus Sentences Grammar Vocabulary Usage Reading & Writing Articles Vocabulary; Usage ... Plural: essays. Origin of Essay French ...
We can appreciate the flexibility of the English language by reviewing the many pluralisation patterns and norms. Here are some sample plural noun examples: Child (singular); Children (plural) Goose, singular; geese, plural. Man, singular; Men, plural. These examples show how plural nouns can be constructed, illuminating the nuances of English ...
Definition of essay noun in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
1 essay / ˈ ɛˌseɪ/ noun. plural essays. Britannica Dictionary definition of ESSAY. [count] : a short piece of writing that tells a person's thoughts or opinions about a subject. Your assignment is to write a 500-word essay on one of Shakespeare's sonnets. The book is a collection of his previously unpublished essays on/about a variety of ...
Quirk et al. observe that sometimes the singular is needed if the plural would be ambiguous (768): We asked the children to name their favorite animal. If they were asked to name their favorite animals, the children might not be sure if they should name more than one. To make clear that each child, rather than the group as a whole, should give ...
Plural Nouns: Definition, Meaning and Examples
ESSAY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
Adding s or es endings to irregular nouns (e.g., goose, man, child, foot) 2. Adding an apostrophe to a plural noun when it's not possessive. 3. Adding s endings with nouns that actually need the es ending. 4. Adding pluralizing endings to nouns that don't change at all (e.g., deer, fish, series) 5.
Plural Nouns - APA Style
For a plural noun that ends in s, add an apostrophe to show possession. Here are a few examples of plural possessive nouns with this formation: the dogs' bones. the knives' blades. the designers' clothes. For a plural noun that does not end in s, add 's to show possession.
The essay was published in a renowned academic journal. Essay as a Plural Noun in Example Sentences: The students submitted their essays for grading. The conference received numerous essays from scholars around the world. The collection of essays covered a wide range of topics. The professor assigned weekly essays to encourage critical thinking.