Plural on the inside
Which sentences are correct?
- Several mom-to-be’s attended the baby shower.
- Several moms-to-be attended the baby shower.
- The runner-ups receive consolation prizes.
- The runners-up receive consolation prizes.
- She has two son-in-laws and two daughter-in-laws.
- She has two sons-in-law and two daughters-in-law.
- Successful people often attract hanger-ons.
- Successful people often attract hangers-on.
- Many passerbys stopped to watch the street performers.
- Many passersby stopped to watch the street performers.
- The attorney generals assembled for the briefing.
- The attorneys general assembled for the briefing.
The correct sentences are B, D, F, H, J, and L.
Why?
The pluralized words in the sentences are compound nouns, made up of two words or more that function together as a single term to name a person, a place, or a thing. A compound noun consists of a main term plus a modifier, which together may be written as a single word (e.g., passerby), two hyphenated words or more (e.g., son-in-law), or two separate words or more (e.g., attorney general).
In passerby, “passer” is the main term and “by” is the modifier.
In son-in-law, “son” is the main term and “in-law” forms the modifier.
In attorney general, “attorney” is the main term and “general” is the modifier.
According to the rules of English grammar, the main word in a compound noun is pluralized, regardless of its position. Consequently, the plural s does not appear at the end of the term in our examples.
How do you know which is the main word in a compound noun?
The main word in a compound noun is the term that tells the category being named. For example, does the compound noun son-in-law name a type of son or a type of law? It describes a type of son, so “son” is the main term, which is pluralized in “sons-in-law.”
Similarly, does the compound noun attorney general name a type of attorney or a type of general? It describes a type of attorney, so “attorney” is the main term, which is pluralized in “attorneys general.”
Now you know how to pluralize a compound noun—add an s to the main term, no matter its position in the word.
How do you form the possessive of a compound noun with internal plural?
For the possessive form of internal plurals, simply add an apostrophe + s at the end of the last word of the compound noun.
Here are our example terms in possessive form:
- The moms-to-be’s prenatal class was canceled.
- The runners-up’s prizes include gift cards and cash.
- Her sons-in-law’s birthdays are in October.
- The hangers-on’s motives were obvious to everyone.
- The passersby’s reactions to the comic scene were priceless.
- The attorneys general’s joint statement warned of potential legal action.
When the plural is on the inside, the possessive goes on the outside.
As I write this tip, Microsoft Word’s spellcheck is flagging “be’s” in “moms-to-be’s” and “attorneys” in “attorneys general’s.” If it does this to you, ignore it. Which brings me to a greater point: Never rely on spellcheck to proofread your writing. It will steer you wrong every time.
