Singular or Plural

Updated on Apr 3, 2026

The choice between singular or plural, the existing grammatical numbers in English, makes texts more clear and much easier to read.

General

  • When a noun indicates a single object or person, the noun is in a singular form.
  • When a noun indicates more than one object or person, the noun is in a plural form.

Guidelines

  • When an action can apply to both single and multiple objects, use the plural form of the object.

    Not so goodMuch better
    (As a title) Applying Formatting to a Cell(As a title) Applying Formatting to Cells
  • Avoid using generalizing notations such as "cell(s)", "column(s)", or "row(s)".

    Not so goodMuch better
    Select the cell(s) that you want to format.Select one or more cells that you want to format.
  • Use plural to avoid gender problems.

    Not so goodMuch better
    Your user may experience downtime. She needs to contact Support.Your users may experience downtime. They need to contact Support.
In this article
GeneralGuidelines
Not finding the help you need?
Contact Support