Have you ever noticed how “they walk” sounds right, but “they walks” feels off? Welcome to the fascinating world of third person plural numbers in English grammar! This fundamental aspect of language helps us talk about groups of people, things, or ideas in a way that flows naturally. As someone who’s taught English for years, I can tell you that mastering this concept opens up a whole new level of confidence in both speaking and writing.

Third Person Plural Number Meaning

The third person plural refers to groups or multiple entities (they, these, those) and usually takes the base form of the verb without any additional endings. Think of it as the simpler cousin of the third person singular – no extra ‘s’ or ‘es’ needed!

Basic Usage Patterns

Subject Type	Base Form	Third Person Plural	Example Sentences
Regular Verbs	walk	walk	They walk together
Irregular Verbs	have	have	The dogs have food
Be/Do/Go	are/do/go	are/do/go	The children are playing
Action Verbs	run	run	The athletes run fast
State Verbs	know	know	The teachers know the answer

Common Examples in Context

Subject	Verb Form	Example Sentence	Usage Context
They	study	They study medicine	Academic
The cats	sleep	The cats sleep all day	Animals
These books	belong	These books belong here	Possessions
My friends	travel	My friends travel often	Activities
The clouds	move	The clouds move slowly	Nature

Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct verb form:
   • The students _____ (write) essays
   • Those cars _____ (need) repairs
   • My neighbors _____ (work) late
2. Error Correction:
   • ❌ They walks to school
   • ✅ They walk to school

Third Person Plural Number Meaning , Examples, and Exercises

Singular and Plural Number Rules in English

Here’s a comprehensive guide to English singular and plural number rules, organized in an easy-to-reference format.

Basic Rules with Examples

Rule Category	Rule Description	Singular Example	Plural Example
Regular Nouns	Add ‘s’	book	books
Words ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z	Add ‘es’	box	boxes
Nouns ending in consonant + y	Change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’	baby	babies
Nouns ending in vowel + y	Add ‘s’	toy	toys
Words ending in -f/-fe	Change to ‘v’ and add ‘es’	leaf	leaves

Special Cases and Exceptions

Rule Type	Singular Form	Plural Form	Additional Examples
Irregular Plurals	mouse	mice	foot → feet, tooth → teeth
Latin/Greek Origins	criterion	criteria	phenomenon → phenomena
No Change	sheep	sheep	deer, fish, species
Always Plural	–	scissors	trousers, pants, glasses
Compound Words	mother-in-law	mothers-in-law	sister-in-law → sisters-in-law

O-Ending Words

Rule	Singular	Plural	Notes
Add ‘s’	piano	pianos	Most modern/foreign words
Add ‘es’	hero	heroes	Traditional English words
Either ‘s’ or ‘es’	volcano	volcanos/volcanoes	Both forms accepted

Foreign Word Plurals

Language Origin	Singular	Plural	Additional Example
Latin	nucleus	nuclei	fungus → fungi
Greek	analysis	analyses	crisis → crises
Italian	spaghetto	spaghetti	graffito → graffiti
Hebrew	kibbutz	kibbutzim	cherub → cherubim

Numbers, Letters, and Symbols

Category	Singular	Plural	Example in Sentence
Numbers	5	5’s	I got two 5’s on my test
Letters	A	A’s	She got straight A’s
Abbreviations	PhD	PhDs	Many PhDs attended
Decades	1990	1990s	The 1990s were great

Special Collections

Collection Type	Singular	Plural	Usage Note
Groups	team	teams	Can use singular or plural verb
Pair Items	sock	socks	Usually used in pairs
Mass Nouns	water	–	No plural form
Abstract Concepts	happiness	–	Usually no plural

Remember:

1. When in doubt about foreign words, the anglicized plural (adding ‘s’) is usually acceptable
2. Some words have multiple accepted plural forms
3. Context can sometimes determine whether to use singular or plural
4. Regional variations might affect which plural form is preferred
5. Professional/academic writing might require strict adherence to traditional plural forms

Practice Exercise: Try pluralizing these words:

1. child (children)
2. ox (oxen)
3. datum (data)
4. medium (media)
5. cactus (cacti/cactuses)
6. index (indices/indexes)
7. formula (formulae/formulas)
8. criterion (criteria)
9. phenomenon (phenomena)
10. appendix (appendices/appendixes)

Practice Exercise Answers with Explanations

1. Child → Children

Explanation: This is an irregular plural form using the ancient Germanic suffix ‘-en’. This same pattern appears in a few other English words like ‘oxen’ and ‘brethren’.

2. Ox → Oxen

Explanation: Like ‘children’, this word maintains the Old English plural suffix ‘-en’. It’s one of the few words in modern English that still uses this plural formation.

3. Datum → Data

Explanation: This word comes from Latin. While ‘data’ is technically the plural form, it’s now commonly used as both singular and plural in everyday English, especially in computing and statistics.

4. Medium → Media

Explanation: Another Latin-derived word. While ‘media’ is the correct plural, it has also evolved to become a collective noun, especially when referring to mass communications.

5. Cactus → Cacti/Cactuses

Explanation: Both forms are correct. ‘Cacti’ follows the Latin plural pattern, while ‘cactuses’ follows the standard English plural formation. Both are widely accepted.

6. Index → Indices/Indexes

Explanation: Both plurals are correct but often used in different contexts. ‘Indices’ is more common in mathematical or technical contexts, while ‘indexes’ is more common in general use.

7. Formula → Formulae/Formulas

Explanation: ‘Formulae’ is the traditional Latin plural, while ‘formulas’ is the anglicized version. Both are correct, with ‘formulas’ being more common in everyday use.

8. Criterion → Criteria

Explanation: This word follows the Greek plural pattern. Note that ‘criteria’ is plural – a common mistake is using it as singular.

9. Phenomenon → Phenomena

Explanation: Another Greek-origin word. ‘Phenomena’ is the plural form, though sometimes mistakenly used as singular in casual speech.

10. Appendix → Appendices/Appendixes

Explanation: Both forms are acceptable. ‘Appendices’ is more formal and follows the Latin pattern, while ‘appendixes’ follows regular English pluralization.

Pro Tip: When using these words in professional or academic writing, it’s best to use the traditional plural forms (like ‘criteria’ and ‘phenomena’). In everyday communication, the anglicized versions are usually acceptable.

FAQs on Third Person Plural Number

Why don’t we add ‘s’ in third person plural?

The absence of ‘s’ in third person plural forms represents a fascinating aspect of English language evolution. This simplification occurred naturally over centuries as English moved away from the complex inflectional systems of its Germanic roots. The lack of additional markers in plural forms makes the language more efficient for communication while maintaining clarity through context and subject-verb agreement. This pattern also helps reduce cognitive load for both native speakers and language learners, allowing for more fluid expression of ideas involving multiple subjects or groups.

How can I remember when to use plural forms?

Mastering third person plural forms involves understanding the underlying patterns and relationships between subjects and verbs. The key is to identify the subject clearly – if it represents more than one person, animal, or thing, you’ll use the base form of the verb. Think of it like a dance – when multiple dancers are involved, they all follow the same basic steps without any extra flourishes. This systematic approach helps create a natural rhythm in your speech and writing, making it easier to maintain proper grammar even in complex sentences.

What about irregular plural forms?

English irregular plural forms present a unique challenge because they evolved from various historical influences and language changes. While most verbs maintain their base form with plural subjects, some nouns have special plural forms that must be learned individually. Understanding these irregularities requires recognizing patterns within smaller groups of words that share similar transformations. For instance, words like “children,” “oxen,” and “brethren” follow an ancient plural-forming pattern that has survived in modern English.