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Pluralizing Compound Nouns

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Today we’ll be talking about pluralizing compound nouns. The general rule is that we add the plural ending to the main part of the compound noun.

Main Part at the End

Usually it means adding the plural ending to the last part of the noun:

bookstore → bookstores

football → footballs

bathroom → bathrooms

dinner table → dinner tables

headache → headaches

If the main part does not take an ending, but instead forms the plural in a different way, it forms the plural in the same way in compound nouns.

fireman → firemen

policewoman → policewomen

compound nouns

Main Part Not at the End

But if the main part of a compound noun is not at the end, it’s still the part that is pluralized:

passerby → passersby

brother-in-law → brothers-in-law

man-of-war → men-of-war

hanger-on → hangers-on

Secretary–General → Secretaries–General

compound nouns

Verb + Preposition

If the compound noun consists of a verb and preposition, we add the plural ending to the end:

takeout → takeouts

drive-through / drive-thru → drive-throughs / drive-thrus

check-out → check-outs

spin-off → spin-offs

compound nouns

No Main Part

If there is no main part in the compound noun, we add the plural ending to the end:

forget-me-not → forget-me-nots

haircut → haircuts

Sometimes there’s more than one form:

court-martial → court-martials or courts-martial

compound nouns
compound nouns


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