Tag: Plurals

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Uncategorized Write Justified

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

Singular ending

Plural ending

on (criterion, phenomenon)

a (criteria, phenomena)

ma (stigma)

mata (stigmata)

 

Latin

Singular endings

Plural endings

a (alumna, larva)

ae (alumni, larvae)

us (fungus, radius)

ii (fungii, radii)

um (datum, memorandum)

a (data, memoranda)

is (basis, thesis)

es (bases, theses)

x (matrix)

ce (matrice)

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

 

Categories
Write Justified

2 + 2 Doesn’t Always Equal 4

Students of English learn quickly that to every rule, there is an exception; sometimes the exception is the rule. That appears to be the case when forming plurals.

Most nouns form their plural by adding s or es:

  • toys
  • books
  • blocks
  • cups
  • cars

Words that end in s, x, z, ch, or sh add es (as well as another syllable) to form their plurals.

  • boxes
  • houses
  • hunches
  • wishes
  • whizzes (note the double z)

Things get a little more complicated with words that end in f or o. Words that end in f usually form the plural by turning the f to v and adding es:

  • wife  – wives
  • knife – knives
  • half – halves
  • shelf – shelves

BUT here are a couple of exceptions:

  • roof – roofs
  • safe – safes (so as not to be confused with the present tense of the verb save).

Words ending in o also present challenges. (Just ask Dan Quayle). Some add es, others only s

  • hero – heroes
  • potato – potatoes (This is the one that tripped up Vice President Quayle)
  • echo – echoes

BUT

  • ego – egos
  • portfolio – portfolios

The best thing to do with these regularly irregular plural forms is to consult the dictionary. And even then, be aware that some words have two acceptable plural forms with corresponding and distinct meanings.

The plural of staff—staffs—means a group of people. But the plural of the musical notation staff is staves.

Mediums are people with paranormal powers; media are artistic materials.

And what about hyphenated compound nouns like daughter-in-law and babe-in-arms? The answer is pretty simple. Add s to the noun portion of the compound: daughters-in-law, babes-in-arms.

Solid compounds are considered regular nouns and take an s: cupfuls, spoonfuls, handfuls, teaspoonfuls

Open compounds like attorney general also add s to the key noun: attorneys general.

The general rule—regardless of whether the compound noun is hyphenated, two words or closed—is to make the principle word plural. Another way to think of it is to pluralize the element that is subject to change in number.

Next month I’ll tackle some of the other exceptional ways to make plurals: including proper nouns, abbreviations and initialisms, and everybody’s favorite—English words adopted from the classical languages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Grammar and Grace

How to Pluralize Names for Christmas Cards

I love Christmas. I especially love sending and receiving Christmas cards. We send out a lot from our house, and we receive a lot in return. We always include a picture of the whole family. The pictures we receive from our friends find a place on our refrigerator and adorn it all year.

20151025_174741

I don’t, however, love the envelopes addressed to The Dougherty’s or closings that read, Love from the Jones’. Ack!! I’m happy to hear from old friends, but I can’t stop my toes from curling when I see those errant apostrophes.

Here are some simple rules to follow so that you can write names correctly and make sure your cards convey the happy messages you intend.

  1. Add an s to a proper noun that doesn’t end in s to make it plural.

Langston = Langstons
Maurer = Maurers
Tate = Tates

  1. Don’t change the spelling of a proper noun to make the plural.

Dougherty = Doughertys (not Dougherties)

3.  Add es to a name that ends in s, x, z, ch, or sh to make it plural.

Capps = Cappses ( I know it looks strange, but trust me.)
Edwards = Edwardses
Fox = Foxes
Rakiewicz = Rakiewiczes

Notice that at no time have I used an apostrophe. I haven’t used one because I’m making the names plural, not possessive.

Three rules.

That’s all you need to write your Christmas cards correctly. If you can’t bring yourself to add the es to someone’s name, there’s always an easy fallback—Love from The Dougherty Family.