Search
Home | Healthy | Wealthy | Wise | Products | Newsletters | About Us| Contact

Tough Grammar: Unusual Plurals

By Suzanne Richardson

Making a singular noun into a plural one is first-grade grammar. Usually, you just stick an s (or es or ies) on the end. Right? Unfortunately, it’s not always that easy – especially when you get involved with compound nouns.

Instead of just slapping on a final s, pluralize only the principal noun or base element of a compound noun. So if you saw former Attorney General John Ashcroft and former Attorney General Janet Reno at a party, you would have seen two former attorneys general.

Here’s a list of the most common tricky compound nouns and their plurals:

Singular

Plural

board of directors

boards of directors

point of view

points of view

mother-in-law

mothers-in-law

passerby

passersby

notary public

notaries public

chief of staff

chiefs of staff

bill of fare

bills of fare

attorney general

attorneys general

cul-de-sac

culs-de-sac

This rule doesn’t apply to words like spoonful, bucketful, or cupful, which aren’t compound nouns in the same sense as the ones above. Just tack the s on the end of those words to get the plural.

Similar Articles:

VN:F [1.6.9_936]
Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)
VN:F [1.6.9_936]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Sign up for our free newsletter!


:   Address:



3 Responses to “Tough Grammar: Unusual Plurals”

  1. Jonathan Crane says:

    Thank you! It never ceases to amaze me how quickly we can judge others (and be judged) on poor grammar.

  2. eric says:

    I do not believe it is so easy as you think. If it were so, then some of your examples listed would not sound as awkward as they do such as “attorneys general”. That is offensive to the ear and I do not believe it is correct. I believe that tacking an s on the end of the compound is the way to go in these examples if you don’t want to sound silly and pretentious.

  3. Derrick Gibson says:

    Excellent discussion on a tricky subject! Thanks for putting this up as a resource.

    I do not know if you had further conversation with your second poster ‘eric’, but it would be interesting to hear if he had a response to just why he would see two attorneys – Janet Reno and John Ashcroft and turn them into two generals?

Leave a Reply


Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

OVER 450,000 Subscribers Have!

:

Address:


What's Hot Now!


You Won't Get 'Lost in the Crowd' at Bootcamp
When you attend Early to Rise's Info-Marketing conference in November you won't just hear from speakers on the stage. All the speakers and all our crackerjack in-house Internet experts will be there to answer your questions and help you customize a plan to rapidly grow your online revenues.

The Perfect Business Literally in Your Pocket
Flick through a step-by-step set of simple 1-2-3 instructions. Follow them (should take about 20 minutes). The next conversation you have, simply say the "Magic Words" per the instructions. The next thing you know, your bank account could start filling up.

ETR Reader Challenges Us to "Put Up or Shut Up"
We just got a note from longtime reader Peter Genot. He's taken the home-study courses and worked hard at building his Internet business. But, he said, it's still just limping along. He's ready for a real online income - a raging river of cash is more like it. Here's what we told him...

Testimonials

I want to thank you for providing the ETR Goals Program

"I want to thank you for providing the ETR Goals Program.

"This year, with everything that I received by entering into the program – the workbook and DVD, the weekly planner, the weekly power surge messages, the twice a month teleconferences, the website forum, and Bob and Karin Cox’s personal phone mentoring – I have been able to:

  • "define my goals, keep to task on those goals, and accomplish those goals.
  • "improve my attitude toward myself, my life, my career, and those around me.
  • "improve my daily routine – make each hour, each minute, count – and use my time efficiently and wisely.
  • "in a professional manner, complete employment in one career and begin self-employment in another career.
  • "efficiently and without too many headaches move from one town to another.
  • "find a supportive school for my 6th grade son who is affected by ADHD and autism.

"This program has made ahuge difference to me in the outcome of 2008, and I look forward to Bob and Karin’s mentoring in 2009 as I successfully launch my home business… despite the doom and gloom we hear on the news!

"Obviously, I recommend this program to anyone who wants to get focused and get things done."

- Dave S.



Home | Healthy Living | Wealth Creation | Success Secrets | Products | About Us | Useful Links | Contact Us | Past Issues
Meet the Experts | Meet the Staff | Speak Out Forum | Success Books | Success Stories| Vocabulary Words
Partner With Us | Join the Team | RSS | Site Map

Republish ETR's Powerful Content On Your Website Or Blog Without Charge!
Get the no-hassle details, today!

Early To Rise 245 NE 4th Ave., Suite 201, Delray Beach, FL 33483 | Phone 800-718-2269 or visit our help desk.

Content Disclaimer | Whitelist Information | Resources | RSS News Feed | Press Releases

We respect your privacy. View our privacy policy.

©Copyright ETR, LLC, 2001-2009