Tough Grammar: Unusual Plurals

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:

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.

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