When 2 + 2 Still Don’t = 4

Now that you’ve mastered the basics of plurals (see 2 + 2 Doesn’t Always = 4), let’s look at some more exceptions to the rules of pluralization.

For some reason, proper nouns or names often trip folks up. There’s no need, really. The plurals of proper names, including family names that end in s follow the same rules as regular nouns: add s or es.

• A month of Sundays
• The two Germanys reunited in the 1990s.
• All the Johnnys and Marys raised their hands.

The same pluralization rules apply to family names as to regular nouns – add s, or in the case of proper nouns/names that end in s, x, z, ch, or sh, add es:

• The Kennedys aspired to public service.
• The Browns vacationed in Hawaii.
• The Joneses live on Pleasant Avenue.
• The Martinezes have four children.

BUT nicknamed geographical terms:

• Rocky Mountains becomes the Rockies
• Smokey Mountains becomes the Smokies

You will often see proper names pluralized with an apostrophe s, but don’t you try it. Adding an apostrophe makes nouns possessive, not plural.

We should also talk about letters, numerals, and abbreviations as well as common phrases used as nouns. If you follow the KISS rule (Keep It Simple, Sweetie), you will be right 99 percent of the time:

• Add an s to abbreviations such as CDs, JPEGs, IRAs, and FAQs

BUT when lower case letters are forming plurals, use an apostrophe (only to aid comprehension).

• Mind your p’s and q’s
• Dot your i’s and cross your t’s

• Add an s to numerals, including years or decades such as: 7s, 1990s, 1000s

Some hyphenated words or phrases are not nouns, but can be used as nouns; these form a plural by adding s.

• Ifs, ands, or buts
• Thank-yous
• Twos and threes
• Dos and don’ts

And finally, those lovely words we’ve adopted from the classical Latin and Greek. Although these plurals may not come naturally to most English speakers, they do follow a pattern.

Greek

Latin

And when all else fails, do what I do. Refer to the dictionary. You do keep one handy, don’t you?