THE WEEK

11 nouns that only have a plural form

Of all the grammar concepts we have, "plural" seems to be one of the most straightforward. You got one thing? It's singular. Got more than one thing? It's plural. But alas, language is always less ...
Los Angeles Times

A Word, Please: It’s sometimes tricky to navigate plural possessives

When I saw “men’s’ clothing” with two apostrophes, I figured it must be a typo. I was editing a professional writer who’s been on the job for years, and I know from experience that writers make typos, ...
Los Angeles Times

A Word, Please: A simple rule for nouns that are singular and plural at the same time

The couple is going to purchase the house? Or the couple are going to purchase the house? Even after all my years of editing, I can still get tripped up trying to make verbs agree with collective ...
The Atlantic

The Trouble With Pluralizing Emoji

Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021. This afternoon, a reader emailed to say that he believed I was muddling ...
Nasdaq

Indexes or Indices? What’s the deal?

Both "indexes" and "indices" are acceptable plural forms of the word "index" or to refer to more than one index. Index is one of those rare words that have two different plurals in English. "Indices" ...
The New York Times

ARE OR IS?; Whether a Plural or a Singular Verb Goes With the Words United States.

Written for THE NEW YORK TIMES SATUR- DAY REVIEW By the Hon. John W. Foster. Formerly Secretary of State, United States Minister To Russia, Spain, &C. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home ...
Western Michigan University

Alumni and Emeriti

Alumna (emerita) is singular female. Jane is an alumna. Jane is an emerita. Alumnus (emeritus) is singular male. John is an alumnus. John is an emeritus. Alumnae (emeritae) is plural female. Jane and ...