Multiple units of a singular shelf... If I refer to the group of units,...
I have multiple packages with a single shelf inside.If I refer to the multiple packages using some form or variation of "shelf" instead of "packages", should I use "shelfs" or "shelves?"My inclination...
View ArticleDoes "staff" take a plural verb?
Which one of these two statements is correct?Our staff do ...Our staff does ...And is staffs ever correct?
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do "elision" and "ratatouille" have unmarked plural forms?
According to Microsoft® Encarta® 2009, the word elision has an unmarked plural elision (no -s suffix) as an alternative to elisions.Can "elision" be used as a plural form? If so, is it due to its Latin...
View ArticleHow to call properties of many objects properly?
In programming, there are lots of times where we need to access attributes of multiple objects.E.g., when we want to refer to the color of many cars.Suppose each car has only one color. And I want to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The plural of "index"–"indexes" or "indices"?
A table may have one index, or it could have more [...]?Is it indexes or indices? I'm just asking this because I've noticed they're both used quite often. Even Wikipedia seems to support both variants...
View ArticleWhat's right way to talk about garlands? [closed]
'Tis the season, and garlands are cropping up in discussions. As you notice in that sentence, I pluralized the word "garland". If I were referring to a single instance, such as one strand hung on a...
View ArticlePluralization of Latin origin words
I heard that words borrowed from Latin take irregular plural form. (examples: datum/data, fungus/fungi, alga/algae)But how can we tell that whether a word (such as 'bus', 'plum', or 'idea') has Latin...
View ArticleIf one presidential term is four years, how do you say two terms in terms of...
If one presidential term is four years, how do you say two terms in terms of years? Two four years's? Two four years doesn't make a lot of sense but two four years's sounds weird.
View ArticleHow to use is and are in a sentence [closed]
Which of the following is correct:The price to pay for these favors is soulsThe price to pay for these favors are souls
View ArticleData don't lie or Data doesn't lie? [duplicate]
Which form is more appropriate and why?Data don't lieorData doesn't lie
View ArticleWhat do you call this example (I'd describe it as an "implied singular")?...
Take this sentence I found:"Too many services enabled on the firewall and switches leave an organization susceptible to compromised security."I think "leaves" is appropriate here because the subject is...
View ArticleNumber of undos? One undo - Many undos?
I'm creating an Andriod app/game. There you do moves and I'm counting the number of moves that's done. Then it is also possible to undo one or many moves.What would you call it when counting the number...
View ArticleIs the phrase "source code" intrinsically plural? [closed]
If we're talking about the phrase "source code", isn't that naturally and implicitly plural?Consider the following sentence:All of the source code for this project is in a public GitHub repository and...
View ArticlePlural of "Director and Vice President"
There is a position in a company, "Director and Vice President".If two people are in this position, are they:Director and Vice PresidentsorDirectors and Vice Presidents?
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why is “one hundreds” in plural form on this stack of hundred dollar bills?
To me, two hundreds of books or one hundred of books is natural.Why is “one hundreds” in the picture in plural form?
View ArticleWhy use 'has' when the word before it is plural noun? [closed]
I have an English book, in which there is a sentence that confuses me.The sentence isIn the past years, the business of clothes has grown well.I'm confused because why the author use the word 'has' for...
View ArticleIs it "three types of fish" or "three types of fishes"?
I have learnt that the plural of fish is still fish.However, if we refer to different types of fish, we can use fishes; for example:The aquarium has three fishes: goldfish, carp, and guppy.If that is...
View ArticleWhat is the plural form of German 'Sturm und Drang'?
Yesterday I encountered the artistic term 'Sturm und Drang' (roughly: storm and stress), a term that describes the literary and artistic movement influenced by Rousseau. It has also been co-opted in...
View Article“And to the many of you, William.”
I was taken aback by this phrase directed at me in response to my “Merry Christmas”.And to the many of you, William.Is it in any way correct?Perhaps it is Old English, or a quote from a period play of...
View ArticleWhat’s special about the word “fish” [duplicate]
When there are two or more carps, you can say “there are fish”, treating singular form of fish without plural suffix “s” as a plural, but I think normally it doesn’t apply to other nouns, is that...
View ArticleCan a stables (for horses) be used as a singular noun?
A "stable" is the compartment where an individual horse is housed.A "stables" is the building which contains multiple stables/horses.So the stables is a singular building, but the word "stables" is...
View ArticleHow did "oxen" (plural of "ox") survive as the only plural form with the Old...
Oxen is a rare exception in English where it is the only common English word that retains the original Old English plural ending -en. (Note: Children and brethren are formed a bit differently, please...
View ArticleWhat is the plural of "cost"?
I'm not sure whether the plural of "cost" is "cost" or "costs". Like "information" is as well singular as plural - I think you can't have "one cost"? So it has to be "cost" in plural?Something like the...
View ArticleWhat is the plural form of 'Achilles' when referring to the Achilles tendon?...
In Oxford Learner's Dictionary, under Achilles tendon, it says thatAchilles tendon = AchillesThen the plural of 'Achilles tendon' is 'Achilles tendons'.But, what is the plural form of "Achilles"?
View ArticleWhat are the plural equivalents of Messrs for Ms, Miss & Mrs? [duplicate]
Mr. smith and Mr. Jones can be expressed as Messrs. Smith and Jones.How can Ms. Smith and Ms. Jones, or Miss Smith and Miss Jones, or Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Jones respectively be so consolidated?
View ArticleCan I pluralize compound proper nouns, like "Aunts Jane" for two aunts with...
If I have an aunt named Jane, then I would write "Aunt Jane," where "Aunt" is capitalized because it is part of a proper noun.If I have two aunts that are named Jane, would I write "Aunts Jane" when...
View ArticleFishes and Deers
I saw a video clip with the concept of a plural of plurals. Here is an example:In the ocean there are many fish. I saw 3 different kinds of fishes.First, is this correct usage?If so, could I do the...
View ArticleWhat are the rules of inflection in making an idiom?
Although the following expressions may sound local or unnatural to some, these are examples of idiomatic expressions I hear in New York City.Does putting plural emphasis of a noun or comparative...
View ArticleThe pural opi for opus is a joke, right?
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/opus attests that some people in the classical music world use "opi" as a plural for "opus." I think this is just a joke, giving a pseudo-learned false-Latin form for the...
View ArticleHow to pluralise a proper noun that ends with an adjective
The phrase was "How many Ark Royals have there been in The Royal Navy".There have been 5 ships of the name Ark RoyalMy question however is. is "Ark Royals" the correct plural form?Should it instead be...
View Article
