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:
|
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.
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Tags: attorneys general grammar, grammar attorneys general attorney generals
Thank you! It never ceases to amaze me how quickly we can judge others (and be judged) on poor grammar.
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.
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?