If there's one aspect of grammar that's pretty easy to understand, it's turning singular nouns into plurals. For the most part, it's simply a matter of adding an "s" or an "es" to the word.
For more complicated words, there are rules that are easy to follow. For instance, you can just change an "f" into a "v" and add "es," as is the case with loaves, dwarves, and wives. Or you change "oo"s into "ee"s, like with geese and teeth.
But what about words with a built-in adjective that comes after the noun? Now that's a plural that's going to put your noodle into a twist!
So here are some fancy plural phrases (which you might often see in legal documents and in the military) that you'll want to know how to turn into their plural form.
1. Attorney general - attorneys general
Attorneys general are members of the Cabinet and head of the Department of Justice ... at least in the US.
2. Sum total - sums total
Did you know that "total" used to be a verb that you couldn't pluralize?
3. Heir apparent - heirs apparent
If you know your history, you'll know that Henry VIII was in a hurry to produce his heir apparent. Sadly he never really got to pluralize this term.
4. Persona non grata - personae non gratae
If there happens to be a bunch of people you don't want around, this is what you can call them.
5. Mother-in-law - mothers-in-law
When you marry someone who has two mothers, never refer to them as mother-in-laws!
What other fancy plurals can you think of?
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