Eseys or Essays – Which is Correct?

  • by Sarah Thompson
  • March 3, 2024

Let’s have a conversation about the common mistake people make when writing the word “Essays.” Many individuals seem to get confused between “Eseys” and “Essays” and find themselves wondering which spelling is correct. Today, we will debunk this confusion and establish the correct spelling once and for all.

To address this issue, it is pertinent to emphasize that “Essays” is the correct spelling of the word. The incorrect term “Eseys” is a common misspelling resulting from a typographical error or a lack of familiarity with the correct spelling.

Now, let’s learn the reasons why “Essays” is the right spelling. Firstly, “Essays” is the plural form of the singular noun “Essay.” When we want to refer to more than one essay, we simply add an “s” to the end of the word. This is the conventional English rule for forming plurals of nouns, and it applies to “Essay” as well. For example, “I have written multiple essays on various topics.” Here, the correct plural form of “Essay” is used to convey the idea that the speaker has written more than one essay.

Moreover, we can also look at past forms of verbs to further solidify the correct spelling. For instance, the verb form of “Essay” is “Essayed.” “Essayed” is the past tense form, and by examining the conjugation of the verb, we can recognize that “Essays” is indeed the accurate plural form. You might say, “He essayed his thoughts on the subject,” to convey that someone expressed their ideas in the form of an essay.

To illustrate the incorrect spelling, “Eseys,” it is crucial to emphasize that this word does not exist in Standard English. It is a mistake that has often emerged due to a lack of knowledge or inattentiveness during writing. Therefore, it is essential to be attentive and avoid this misspelling in formal writing, as it may weaken your language skills and leave a negative impression on the reader.

In conclusion, we have effectively established that the correct spelling of the word referring to multiple essays is “Essays.” “Eseys” is an erroneous form that should be avoided. Remember, using proper grammar and spelling not only enhances your communication skills, but it also showcases your proficiency in the English language. So, the next time you find yourself unsure about whether to write “Eseys” or “Essays,” confidently choose the latter for an accurate and grammatically correct sentence!

So, keep practicing your writing skills, pay attention to proper grammar, and remember the correct spelling of “Essays.” With dedication and practice, you will become an exceptional writer and expert in the English language.

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What is the proper way to write the plural of a single letter? Or a word used as a word ('mention' usage)? (another apostrophe question)

When writing (a blog post, script, etc..) what is the proper way to indicate two or more instances of a single letter? For instance, in Monty Python's Bookshop Sketch :

C: I wonder if you might have a copy of "Rarnaby Budge"? P: No, as I say, we're right out of Edmund Wells! C: No, not Edmund Wells - Charles Dikkens. P: (pause - eagerly) Charles Dickens?? C: Yes. P: (excitedly) You mean "Barnaby Rudge"! C: No, "Rarnaby Budge" by Charles Dikkens. That's Dikkens with two Ks, the well-known Dutch author. P: (slight pause) No, well we don't have "Rarnaby Budge" by Charles Dikkens with two Ks, the well-known Dutch author, and perhaps to save time I should add that we don't have "Karnaby Fudge" by Darles Chickens, or "Farmer of Sludge" by Marles Pickens, or even "Stickwick Stapers" by Farles Wickens with four M's and a silent Q!!!!! Why don't you try W. H. Smith's? C: Ah did, They sent me here.

I had always believed that plural never uses an apostrophe before the 's' (it's only used for possession), but I have rarely seen in written material the format "four Ms". (On a side note, whoever wrote this transcript also used "two Ks".)

On a side note, and perhaps this should be a separate question, if a Compact Disc is a CD, then two Compact Discs would be two CDs right? (I see "CD's" written everywhere )

  • grammatical-number

Edwin Ashworth's user avatar

  • 3 for the second issue about the acronym CD, see english.stackexchange.com/questions/503/… –  Bogdan Lataianu Commented May 13, 2011 at 18:27
  • 2 The Canadian Government's "style manual" also lists some other cases where the apostrophe can be used. btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/… –  Jedidja Commented Nov 29, 2012 at 14:04

4 Answers 4

The Chicago Manual of Style , one of the more widely used style guides in the United States, says:

Capital letters used as words, numerals used as nouns, and abbreviations usually form the plural by adding s . To aid comprehension, lowercase letters form the plural with an apostrophe and an s .

So: Dikkens with two Ks , but mind your p's and q's . (And always CDs , unless you're talking about something the CD owns.)

phenry's user avatar

  • 2 And my Chicago Manual of Style sits in the basement of my parent's house about 4000km away. Thanks! :) –  Jedidja Commented May 13, 2011 at 16:32
  • 4 I like that this is purely a stylistic question, nobody is pretending it's the "correct way to do things". It does read a lot easier on the eyes if someone says "There are four i's in this sentence" than "There are four is in this sentence." –  Lou Commented Dec 5, 2016 at 13:07
  • If someone starts the sentence by referring to multiples of the letter A or I, does the Chicago Manual of Style allow for an apostrophe to avoid confusion with the words "As" and "Is"? –  Christopher Bradshaw Commented Nov 8, 2021 at 23:06
  • Could the letter ‘s’ to the right of the apostrophe (or the apostrophe itself) in p ’s be italicized in normal text? (The Penguin Guide to Punctuation recommends that the letter ‘p’ is italicized’.) –  AfterMath Commented May 3, 2023 at 8:11

Harbrace College Handbook 6th edition section 15d

Use the apostrophe and s to form the plural of letters, figures, symbols, and words referred to as words. Examples Congreve seldom crossed his t's, his 7's looked like 9's, and his and's were usually &'s. Note: This apostrophe is sometimes omitted when there is no danger of ambiguity: the 1930's, or the 1930s; two B's and three C's, or two Bs and three Cs.

htoip's user avatar

This is one of those annoying exceptions to the general rule of never using an apostrophe to form plurals. It can be used when treating letters and numerals as nouns.

Personally, I only use it with lowercase letters where it is distinctly helpful ( mind your p's and q's ); for uppercase and numerals, adding a lowercase 's' should be clear enough.

Erik Kowal's user avatar

To form plural of letters, figures, symbols and abbreviations put the concerned thing in single inverted comma and then add s.

Vijaykumar Tuppe's user avatar

  • Like this: '123's ?! –  Solomon Ucko Commented Apr 28, 2019 at 18:01

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged grammatical-number alphabet or ask your own question .

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correct plural of essays

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The Plural Forms of Words

What are the plural forms of words.

Word TypeExample in the
Singular Form
Example in the
Plural Form
Noun
Determiner
Pronoun
Verb trying trying

the plural forms of words

Forming the Plurals of Nouns

  • 1 dog > 2 dogs
  • 1 house > 2 houses
  • 1 video > 2 videos
  • How to form the plurals of nouns (spelling rules)
  • How to form the plurals of compound nouns (e.g., mothers-in-law, Knights Templar)
  • How to form the plurals of abbreviations (e.g., MOTs, L.R.S.s)

What Are the Plural Pronouns?

PronounName
Ifirst person singular
Yousecond person singular
He / She / Itthird person singular
Wefirst person plural
Yousecond person plural
Theythird person plural

What Is the Plural Form of a Verb?

PronounNameExample Verb
Example Verb
Example Verb
Ifirst person singularI ateI eatI will eat
Yousecond person singularYou ate You eat You will eat
He / She / Itthird person singularHe ate He eatsHe will eat
Wefirst person pluralWe ateWe eatWe will eat
Yousecond person pluralYou ateYou eatYou will eat
Theythird person pluralThey ateThey eatThey will eat

What Are Plural Demonstrative Determiners?

wrong cross

Forming the Plurals of Foreign Words

  • stadium > stadia or stadiums
  • datum > data
  • radius > radii or radiuses
  • agendum > agenda

"Plural" Also Applies to Zero

  • 0 dogs (plural)
  • 1 dog (singular)
  • 2 dogs (plural)
  • 3 dogs (plural)
  • There are no alligators in the lake.

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Pluralizing Nouns and Verbs

Pluralizing nouns.

The plural form of a noun is the form a noun takes when it refers to more than one item—for example, apple is singular while apples is plural. In the English language, there are many rules and exceptions for pluralizing nouns. 

If you are unsure about the correct plural form of a noun, it is best to consult a dictionary. We will address some of the most common pluralization rules below.

The most common way to pluralize a noun is to add - s to the end. 

  • girl – girls
  • tree – trees
  • the Walker family – the Walkers

When a noun ends in -ss, -x, -ch, -sh, or -z, pluralize it by adding -es to the end.

  • box – boxes
  • ditch – ditches
  • business – businesses
  • the Jones family – the Joneses
  • the Pérez family – the Pérezes

The most common way to pluralize a noun ending in - o is by adding - es to the end.

  • tomato – tomatoes
  • hero – heroes
  • echo – echoes

Some nouns ending in - o are pluralized by adding - s to the end.

  • video – videos
  • piano – pianos
  • soprano – sopranos

When a noun ends in a vowel and -y, pluralize it by adding -s to the end.

  • monkey – monkeys

When a noun ends in a consonant and - y , pluralize it by removing the - y and adding - ies to the end.

  • city – cities
  • body – bodies
  • family – families

The most common way to pluralize a noun ending in - f  or - fe is by removing the - f or - fe and adding - ves to the end.

  • knife – knives
  • roof – rooves
  • wolf – wolves

Some nouns ending in - f or - fe are pluralized by adding - s to the end.

  • serif – serifs
  • gaffe – gaffes

Some nouns have irregular plural forms. Memorize such words or refer to a dictionary for assistance.

  • child – children
  • woman – women
  • mouse – mice
  • crisis – crises
  • syllabus – syllabi

Some nouns do not change spelling when pluralized.

  • deer – deer
  • moose – moose

Some nouns may be pluralized in different ways depending on the intended meaning.

  • person – people (referring to more than one person)
  • person – persons (referring to distinct individuals who should not be grouped together)
  • people – peoples (referring to distinct groups of people)  
  • fish – fish (referring to more than one fish)
  • fish – fishes (referring to distinct groups of fish)  
  • mouse – mice (referring to more than one rodent)
  • mouse – mouses (referring to more than one computer mouse)

Some nouns may be pluralized in different ways if they are loan words from another language. In such cases, all are considered valid.

  • persona – personas or personae
  • cactus – cactuses or cacti
  • stadium – stadiums or stadia
  • octopus – octopuses, octopi, or octopodes
  • mosquito – mosquitos or mosquitoes

When pluralizing a compound noun, pluralize the main noun, which is not always the first or last word in the word group. Refer to a dictionary for assistance when needed.

  • secretary of state – secretaries of state
  • father-in-law – fathers-in-law
  • surgeon general – surgeons general
  • nurse practitioner – nurse practitioners

When using a foreign compound noun or phrase from another language, pluralize the noun or phrase by adding - s to the end.

  • mise en place – mise en places
  • ne plus ultra – ne plus ultras

Pluralizing Verbs

Verbs can also be pluralized. The verb in a predicate must match forms with the noun in a subject. this is known as subject-verb agreement. When the noun in a subject is singular, the verb in the predicate should be singular. When the noun in a subject is plural, the verb in the predicate should be plural.

If you are unsure about the correct form of a verb, it is best to consult a dictionary.

The most common way to make a verb singular is by adding -s to the end.

  • The child runs .
  • The knight seizes the castle.

When a verb ends in -s s , - x , - ch ,   - sh,  - o , or - z,  make it singular by adding - es to the end.

  • Annie goes to the bank.
  • The professor teaches .
  • The evil witch hexes the prince.
  • The security officer buzzes me in.

When a verb ends in a vowel and - y , make it singular by adding - s to the end.

  • The child plays with a doll.
  • The loud truck annoys me.

When a verb ends in a consonant and - y , make it singular by removing the - y and adding - ies to the end.

  • The pilot flies around the world.
  • The mother worries about her child.

The most common way to make a verb plural is by leaving it unchanged from its base form.

  • The children run.
  • The professors teach.

Some verbs have irregular singular and plural forms. Memorize such words or refer to a dictionary for assistance.

  • To be a college student is a wonderful opportunity.
  • Aiden is a college student.
  • Pam, Aiden, and Lex are college students.
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  • 1.1.1 Pronunciation
  • 1.1.2.1 Derived terms
  • 1.1.2.2 Related terms
  • 1.1.2.3 Translations
  • 1.2.1 Pronunciation
  • 1.2.2.1 Translations
  • 1.3 Anagrams
  • 2.1 Etymology
  • 2.2 Pronunciation
  • 2.3.1 Hypernyms
  • 2.3.2 Derived terms
  • 2.3.3 Descendants
  • 3.1 Etymology
  • 3.2.1 Derived terms
  • 3.3 References
  • 4.1 Etymology
  • 4.2.1 Derived terms
  • 4.3 References

Etymology 1

Since late 16th century, borrowed from Middle French essay , essai ( “ essay ” ) , meaning coined by Montaigne in the same time, from the same words in earlier meanings 'experiment; assay; attempt', from Old French essay , essai , assay , assai , from Latin exagium ( “ weight; weighing, testing on the balance ” ) , from exigere + -ium .

Pronunciation

  • ( Received Pronunciation , General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈɛs.eɪ/ (1), IPA ( key ) : /ɛˈseɪ/ (2-4)
Audio ( ): ( )
  • Rhymes: -ɛseɪ
  • Homophone : ese

essay ( plural essays )

  • 2013 January, Katie L. Burke, “Ecological Dependency”, in American Scientist ‎ [1] , volume 101 , number 1, archived from the original on 9 February 2017 , page 64 : In his first book since the 2008 essay collection Natural Acts: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature , David Quammen looks at the natural world from yet another angle: the search for the next human pandemic, what epidemiologists call “the next big one.”
  • ( obsolete ) A test , experiment ; an assay .
  • 1861 , E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley , page 16 : My first essay at getting employment was fruitless; but after no small number of mortifying rebuffs from various parties to whom I applied for assistance, I was at last rewarded by a comparative success.
  • 1988 , James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom , Oxford, published 2003 , page 455 : This was Lee's first essay in the kind of offensive-defensive strategy that was to become his hallmark.
  • ( philately , finance ) A proposed design for a postage stamp or a banknote .

Derived terms

  • argumentative essay
  • automated essay scoring
  • eight-legged essay
  • essay question
  • in this essay I will
  • photo-essay
  • photo essay
  • video essay

Related terms

Translations.

      (maqāla),     (baḥṯ)   (šaradrutʻyun),   (ēsse) (rosona)   , , ,   (inşa) (in high school)   (tvor),   (esé),   (nárys)   (probondho)     (esé),     (sǎčinénie),     (óčerk)   (cacicakum:),   (catam:ngai)     (zok man )   (záwén),   (lùnwén),   (zuòwén)       ,         ,     ,     ,   ;   ,   (in school)     ,     ,       (ese), (txzuleba)     ,         (dokímio),     (pragmateía),     (ékthesi),   (sýngrama)   (meletḗmata)     (masá)     (nibandh),   (mazmūn)                 ,     ,       (essei),   (ずいひつ, zuihitsu) (ésse),   (şyğarma), (oçerk),   (maqala) (ʼatthaʼbɑt)   (supil), (esei) (esse), (dilbayan), (ocerk) ,       (esej) ,   ,     (upanyāsaṁ)     (nibandha)     (maqāla)   (maqâle),   (jostâr)     ,     ,         ,             (sočinénije),     (essɛ́),     (óčerk)                 ,     ,        class     ,       (maqola), (navištor), (inšo)   (inşa)   (vyāsamu)   (kwaam-riiang)   ,     (esé),   (eséj),     (tvir),   (nárys) (maqālā), (inśāiyā),     (mazmūn)   (maqale)   ,   ,   ,         ,       (esey)

Etymology 2

From Middle French essayer , essaier , from Old French essaiier , essayer , essaier , assaiier , assayer , assaier , from essay , essai , assay , assai ( “ attempt; assay; experiment ” ) as above.

  • ( UK , US ) IPA ( key ) : /ɛˈseɪ/

essay ( third-person singular simple present essays , present participle essaying , simple past and past participle essayed )

  • 1900 , Charles W. Chesnutt , chapter II, in The House Behind the Cedars : He retraced his steps to the front gate, which he essayed to open.
  • 1950 April, R. A. H. Weight, “They Passed by My Window”, in Railway Magazine , page 260 : The train took the slow to branch spur at the north end at a not much slower speed, then essayed the short sharply curved climb with a terrific roar, smoke rising straight from the chimney to a height of some 60 ft., the long train twisting and curling behind.
  • 2023 October 12, HarryBlank, “Fire in the Hole”, in SCP Foundation ‎ [2] , archived from the original on 22 May 2024 : There was the counter, there was the bulletin board, above her the dull sound of music being played over headphones. Something jaunty. She liked the beat. Then the sound of a chair being pushed back, and someone humming as they walked away from her, and she darted up to plunge the bayonet into their kidneys from behind. A followup stroke through the back of the neck, and the second soldier was down. She didn't even stop to see if it was a man or a woman, young or old. There were further hurdles to essay before she reached her destination.
  • ( intransitive ) To move forth, as into battle.
  • Sayes , Seays , Sesay , eyass

Borrowed from English essay ( “ essay ” ) , from Middle French essai ( “ essay; attempt, assay ” ) , from Old French essai , from Latin exagium (whence the neuter gender).

  • IPA ( key ) : /ɛˈseː/ , /ˈɛ.seː/
  • Hyphenation: es‧say
  • Rhymes: -eː

essay   n ( plural essays , diminutive essaytje   n )

Descendants

Norwegian bokmål.

Borrowed from English essay , from Middle French essai .

essay   n ( definite singular essayet , indefinite plural essay or essayer , definite plural essaya or essayene )

  • an essay , a written composition of moderate length exploring a particular subject
  • essaysamling
  • “essay” in The Bokmål Dictionary .

Norwegian Nynorsk

essay   n ( definite singular essayet , indefinite plural essay , definite plural essaya )

  • “essay” in The Nynorsk Dictionary .

correct plural of essays

  • English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
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english plurals

I have a love/hate relationship with the English language. I love writing and communicating ideas to fellow readers. I (sometimes) hate all the weird rules.

Take plurals, for instance. English has many strange plural words that defy rules or make their own. In this article, we'll cover several tricky plurals (such as "moose" and "moose") and do our best to explain how they work. I hope it drives your love/hate relationship more toward the former!

Regular Plurals

You probably don't need our help with these. For most words, simply add an "s" to the end of the singular form to make a plural. For instance:

Singular: paper / Plural: paper s

Singular: cat / Plural: cat s

Singular: tree / Plural: tree s

Easy enough. Things get slightly complicated when the word already ends with an "s," or with a "ch," "sh," "x," or "z." In this case, it's often correct to add "es" instead:

Singular: grass / Plural: grass es

Singular: bench / Plural: bench es

Singular: radish / Plural: radish es

What about words like "memory"? To pluralize a word ending in a consonant and the letter "y," replace the "y" with "ies":

Singular: memory / Plural: memor ies

Singular: baby / Plural: bab ies

Singular: glory / Plural: glor ies

Now let's advance to the truly tricky stuff.

Irregular Plurals

irregular plurals

As the name implies, irregular plurals don't follow the rules of their regular counterparts. The best way to learn these is to memorize them. Here are a few examples:

Calf and Calves

One might think calfs is the right word, but it's actually cal ves . There are a few others with a similar construction, including leaf and lea ves , knife and kni ves , and life and li ves .

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Hoof and hoofs (or hooves).

Some irregular plurals are actually acceptable in multiple forms, as in the case of the word hoof . The logical plural hoof s actually works here. Yet using hoo ves is also valid. As the writer, it's your choice which you use, so long as you're consistent.

Just don't get tripped up with words that sound similar. For example, hooves is an acceptable plural of hoof . However, prooves is not the plural of proof . The correct plural is proof s . It's just one of those things you have to remember (though ProWritingAid's homonym report can help).

Person and People

This is certainly one of the stranger ones on this list. The preferred plural of person is not persons . It's people .

However, you've probably heard the word persons used before, such as in the phrase "Missing Persons Case." That's because persons is a formal version of the plural and therefore used almost exclusively in legal settings. So unless you're a law enforcement official, you should opt for people .

What about peoples ? In the words of Jane Mairs , Director of English Language Learning Publishing, "the only time you will want to use the word 'peoples' is when you are referring to groups of people from multiple ethnic, cultural, racial, or national backgrounds." For example:

"The American people." (We use people because we're referring only to Americans.)

"The American, Chinese, Mexican, and English peoples." (We use peoples because we're referring to many folks from many countries.)

Latin and Greek Plurals

There are a few tricky holdovers from these languages that have remained in English. A few examples:

Stimulus and Stimuli

There's no such word as stimuluses (even though that would make logical sense). According to our Ancient Greek friends, the proper plural is stimuli .

Genus and Genera

Again, you'd probably guess that the plural form of genus would be genuses . However, it's actually genera . Fortunately, if you're not a scientist, this probably won't be a concern too often.

Alumnus and Alumni

This one came up when I revisited my alma mater the other day. When asked for the reason for my visit, I said, "I'm an alumni." I feared I'd botched it and, sure enough, I had.

What I should've said was, "I'm an alumnus ." That's the singular form for male graduates. For female graduates, the generally accepted form is alumna . The plural form for both is alumni . So if my wife had been there as well, she would've said, "I'm an alumna," or, "We're alumni."

As if that wasn't tricky enough, there's also another plural form for a group of graduates who are all women. It's alumnae . So if my wife was with a female friend who graduated from the same school, she would've said, "We're alumnae."

So to reiterate: alumni can refer to a group of all-male graduates or a group of both men and women. Alumnae can refer only to a group of all-female graduates. If there's even one dude in there, you'd use alumni .

invariants

Many animals use the same word for both their singular and plural form. Thanks, animals! These are called invariants. For example, "I saw a moose " is correct, as is, "I saw several moose ." Mooses , meese , and moocices are not real words. Here are some others that fit this category:

Miscellaneous Weird Plurals

Ox and oxen.

Logic rarely factors into English. Therefore, the plural of ox is not oxes . It's oxen ! You probably knew that one if you're a fan of the Oregon Trail computer games.

Fox and Foxes

Since fox rhymes with ox , you might think the plural of fox would be foxen . It's not! The plural of fox is foxes . I made this error several times and felt silly for doing so.

Data and Datas(?)

There's a constant debate over the plural form of data . Is it datas ? Is datas even a word?

First of all, data is already a plural word; its singular companion is datum —or was. Unless you're in a technical field, that singular has been largely abandoned. Instead, most grammarians accept data as both a singular and plural form.

So what about the word datas ? It's mostly a matter of opinion. Though some use datas as a plural, others oppose the word. It seems most authorities agree that the preferred form for both singular and plural is data , and that it should be never used with the indefinite article ("a"). Easy to remember, since sentences like "I found a data I think you should see" just sound weird.

If you're still confused, I found this article immensely helpful when researching the topic myself. Check it out!

What are some tricky plurals we missed? Let us know in the comments below!

Common Questions about Plurals

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Definition of essay noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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correct plural of essays

Jack Caulfield

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Cambridge Dictionary

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Meaning of essay in English

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  • I want to finish off this essay before I go to bed .
  • His essay was full of spelling errors .
  • Have you given that essay in yet ?
  • Have you handed in your history essay yet ?
  • I'd like to discuss the first point in your essay.
  • boilerplate
  • composition
  • corresponding author
  • dissertation
  • essay question
  • peer review
  • go all out idiom
  • go down swinging/fighting idiom
  • go for it idiom
  • go for someone
  • go out of your way idiom
  • smarten (someone/something) up
  • smarten up your act idiom
  • square the circle idiom
  • step on the gas idiom
  • stick at something

essay | American Dictionary

Examples of essay, collocations with essay.

These are words often used in combination with essay .

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

Translations of essay

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a toy made from cloth and filled with a soft material so that it is pleasant to hold, often in the form of an animal

Like a bull in a china shop: talking about people who are clumsy

Like a bull in a china shop: talking about people who are clumsy

correct plural of essays

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Grammar Exercises: Plural Nouns (Plurals In English)

Grammar exercises - plurals, do the exercises below on plurals and click on button to see the correct answer., what is the correct plural of the word, write down the correct form of the plural:, related materials.

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What’s the Plural of Research?

What’s the Plural of Research?

  • 2-minute read
  • 22nd March 2022

Research is an example of a mass noun (also known as an uncountable noun or a non-count noun ). Mass nouns can cause confusion, especially if English isn’t your first language , because they aren’t pluralized like most other nouns. In this post, we’ll explain how to use research correctly in your writing . 

Research: Detailed Study

Research means the systematic study of a subject . Regardless of how much study you’re referring to, you should always use the singular form of this noun :

The research is conclusive.

The team did a great deal of research.

We cannot draw conclusions without further research .

It’s very rare for research to take the plural form. So, if you were to write “researches” in an essay or paper , it would look like a mistake. If you want to be specific about the amount of research done, we suggest using a countable noun that can be pluralized instead:

A study / 16 studies

An investigation / two investigations

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An analysis / several analyses

Alternatively, you can combine research with a countable noun:

Three separate research programs were carried out.

I did four pieces of research .

In these examples, research is still written in the singular form, but programs and pieces are plural because we’re referring to more than one of them.

Summary: What’s the Plural of Research?

Research is an example of a mass noun, and you should always write it in the singular form. There’s also a plural form (researches), but it’s very uncommon, and if you use it in your writing, it could look like a mistake.

If you need more help with spelling or word use, check out our blog for more writing tips. If you want an expert to check your writing for errors, our proofreading team is always available. You can even send us your first 500 words to be proofread for free .

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Usage Notes

Plural and possessive names: a guide, 31 useful rhetorical devices, more commonly misspelled words, absent letters that are heard anyway, how to use accents and diacritical marks, on 'biweekly' and 'bimonthly', a guide to using semicolons, is it 'home in' or 'hone in', what's the difference between …, what's the difference between 'sympathy' and 'empathy', famous vs. infamous, 'a' and 'an' and the patterns of their use, on synecdoche and metonymy, the history of 'ampersand', all about ellipses ..., should that word have a hyphen, comma splices: what they are and how to correct them (or not), why do we use apostrophes to show possession, spelling & pronunciation, commonly misspelled words, revealing what rhymes with 'orange', 7 uncommonly doubled letters, how to remember the spelling of 'definitely', the many plurals of 'octopus', is singular 'they' a better choice, 8 grammar terms you used to know, but forgot, fun, funner, funnest, using bullet points ( • ), is it 'graduated' or 'was graduated from'.

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  1. 20 Examples of Plural Nouns in Sentences » Onlymyenglish.com

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  2. Plural Nouns in English

    correct plural of essays

  3. 20 Examples of Plural Nouns In Sentences

    correct plural of essays

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  6. Regular & Irregular Plural Nouns: How to Make Plurals in English?

    correct plural of essays

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COMMENTS

  1. Eseys or Essays

    Here, the correct plural form of "Essay" is used to convey the idea that the speaker has written more than one essay. Moreover, we can also look at past forms of verbs to further solidify the correct spelling. For instance, the verb form of "Essay" is "Essayed." "Essayed" is the past tense form, and by examining the conjugation ...

  2. What is the proper way to write the plural of a single letter? Or a

    The Chicago Manual of Style, one of the more widely used style guides in the United States, says:. Capital letters used as words, numerals used as nouns, and abbreviations usually form the plural by adding s.To aid comprehension, lowercase letters form the plural with an apostrophe and an s.. So: Dikkens with two Ks, but mind your p's and q's. (And always CDs, unless you're talking about ...

  3. The Plural Forms of Words

    Plural Forms of Words

  4. ESSAY definition and meaning

    ESSAY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

  5. To 'Essay' or 'Assay'?

    To 'Essay' or To 'Assay'? | Merriam- ...

  6. What is the plural of essay

    The plural of essay is essays. Find more words at wordhippo.com!

  7. Plural Words With Multiple Spellings

    Plural Words With Multiple Spellings

  8. Plurals

    The plural form of a noun is the form a noun takes when it refers to more than one item—for example, apple is singular while apples is plural. In the English language, there are many rules and exceptions for pluralizing nouns. If you are unsure about the correct plural form of a noun, it is best to consult a dictionary.

  9. Rules for Plural and Possessive Names

    Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

  10. essay

    essay (third-person singular simple present essays, present participle essaying, simple past and past participle essayed) (dated, transitive) To attempt or try. 1900, Charles W. Chesnutt, chapter II, in The House Behind the Cedars: He retraced his steps to the front gate, which he essayed to open.

  11. Simple Rules for Plural Acronyms and Abbreviations

    Plural acronyms and plural abbreviations are a little trickier to figure out than singular ones. Learn some basic rules of forming them with our helpful guide.

  12. Plurals

    Regular Plurals. You probably don't need our help with these. For most words, simply add an "s" to the end of the singular form to make a plural. For instance: Singular: paper / Plural: papers. Singular: cat / Plural: cats. Singular: tree / Plural: trees. Easy enough.

  13. Plural Rules: How to Use Plural Nouns in English [+ Examples]

    How to Use Plural Nouns in English [ Examples]

  14. Grammar Tips: Plural Nouns

    Adding s or es endings to irregular nouns (e.g., goose, man, child, foot) 2. Adding an apostrophe to a plural noun when it's not possessive. 3. Adding s endings with nouns that actually need the es ending. 4. Adding pluralizing endings to nouns that don't change at all (e.g., deer, fish, series) 5.

  15. essay noun

    2 essay (on something) a short piece of writing on a particular subject, written in order to be published The book contains a number of interesting essays on women in society. 3 essay (in something) (formal) an attempt to do something His first essay in politics was a complete disaster.

  16. What Are Plural Nouns? Rules and Examples

    What Are Plural Nouns? Rules and Examples

  17. What Is a Plural Noun?

    What Is a Plural Noun? | Examples, Rules & Exceptions

  18. ESSAY

    ESSAY definition: 1. a short piece of writing on a particular subject, especially one done by students as part of the…. Learn more.

  19. Grammar Exercises: Plural Nouns (Plurals In English)

    What is the correct plural of the word? These (person) are protesting against the president. The (woman) over there want to meet the manager. My (child) hate eating pasta. I am ill. My (foot) hurt. Muslims sacrifice (sheep) in a religious celebration called Eid Al Adha. I clean my (tooth) three times a day.

  20. ESSAY definition in American English

    essay in American English. (noun for 1, 2 ˈesei, for 3-5 ˈesei, eˈsei, verb eˈsei) noun. 1. a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative. 2. anything resembling such a composition. a picture essay.

  21. What's the Plural of Research?

    What's the Plural of Research? | Proofed's Writing Tips

  22. Grammar Rules & Usage Guide

    Grammar Rules & Usage Guide

  23. Tomatos or Tomatoes

    Tomatos or Tomatoes - Which is Correct?