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Uncertain plural

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Technique marking plural ambiguity

An uncertain plural occurs when a writer does not know in advance whether a word should be written in the singular or plural. For English nouns, this may be demonstrated by enclosing the trailing s in parentheses, such as "book(s)".

In the case of articles, "they" or "their" may be used to include a single individual, when uncertain.

See also

References

  1. "King County Editorial Style Manual - Listings - P". King County. 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  2. "The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition". The Chicago Manual of Style Online. Retrieved 2024-01-17.


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