{"id":1783,"date":"2020-11-04T22:31:27","date_gmt":"2020-11-04T21:31:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.englishforums.com\/blog\/?p=1783"},"modified":"2020-11-04T22:31:27","modified_gmt":"2020-11-04T21:31:27","slug":"plural-of-stuff-growing-your-vocabulary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/plural-of-stuff-growing-your-vocabulary\/","title":{"rendered":"Plural of Stuff: Growing Your Vocabulary"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Part of speaking the English language better is to know singular and plural form of English nouns. Stuff is a word you hear in various conversations. But what&#8217;s the plural form of stuff?<\/p>\n<h2>So, what&#8217;s the plural form of stuff?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The plural form of \u201cstuff\u201d is the same as its singular form, which is \u201cstuff.\u201d This is because this noun is uncountable<\/strong> (<a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.cambridge.org\/grammar\/british-grammar\/thing-and-stuff?q=stuff\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">source<\/a>). An uncountable noun is seen as a whole, either as one unit, one group, or a mass that combines several elements. Hence, you use its singular form even in the plural sense. You can make uncountable nouns like \u201cstuff\u201d countable and plural in meaning by using distributive determiners (<a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.cambridge.org\/grammar\/british-grammar\/nouns-countable-and-uncountable\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">source<\/a>) and quantifiers.<br \/>\nThere are different ways to express \u201cstuff\u201d in its plural context. Here, we will share some examples and clarifications that will help you correctly express this common English word in day-to-day conversations.<\/p>\n<h2>Is \u201cstuffs\u201d the plural of stuff?<\/h2>\n<p>No. \u201cStuffs\u201d is not the plural of \u201cstuff\u201d for two reasons. <strong>The first reason<\/strong> is that they are different parts of speech. \u201cStuff\u201d is a noun while \u201cstuffs\u201d is a verb.<br \/>\nAs a noun, \u201cstuff\u201d is the word for both singular and plural forms that talk point to things, possessions, or personal effects. Here are some sentence examples:<br \/>\nMy daughter often puts her personal <em>stuff<\/em> in the basement.<br \/>\nMy daughter often puts a lot of personal <em>stuff<\/em> in the basement.\u00a0(with quantifier)<br \/>\nAs a verb, \u201cstuffs\u201d is the form for singular subjects and for actions in the present tense. In the singular tense, \u201cstuffs\u201d refers to the act of putting or placing items in the basement. For example:<br \/>\nMy daughter (singular subject) often <em>stuff<\/em>s (present tense) her personal effects in the basement.<br \/>\n<strong>The second reason<\/strong> is that they have different meanings. In the previous sentence examples above, we can see that \u201cstuff\u201d refers to objects or items while \u201cstuffs\u201d meaning in English language is to place or put objects in a certain place. \u201cStuffs\u201d can also mean to fill. For example:<br \/>\nShe <em>stuffs<\/em> her pies with meat substitutes because she is a vegan.<\/p>\n<h2>How to correctly say the plural of stuff<\/h2>\n<p>Uncountable words like \u201cstuff\u201d usually take a singular form. However, there are ways you can make it countable in meaning (<a href=\"https:\/\/owl.purdue.edu\/owl\/general_writing\/grammar\/count_and_noncount_nouns\/count_noncount_nouns_with_articles_adjectives.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">source<\/a>). Below, we share different ways you can correctly make \u201cstuff\u201d to mean more than one.<\/p>\n<h3>Use a distributive determiner<\/h3>\n<p>Determiners introduce a noun. Hence, you must place them first before the noun word. A determiner can make \u201cstuff\u201d plural in meaning. In the following example, the distributive adjective \u201cboth\u201d functions as a determiner for \u201cstuff:\u201d<br \/>\n<em>Both of your stuff<\/em> takes up a lot of space in the basement.<\/p>\n<h3>Use a quantifier<\/h3>\n<p>Quantifiers are expressions of quantity. They tell you how much or how many. You can also choose them instead of other determiners (<a href=\"https:\/\/learnenglish.britishcouncil.org\/english-grammar-reference\/quantifiers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">source<\/a>). Here is an example of how you can use a quantifier or expression of quantity to make \u201cstuff\u201d plural in meaning:<br \/>\n<em>More stuff remains<\/em> in the basement.<br \/>\nThere are a variety of quantifiers that express plural meanings. Here are some more sentence examples:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>There is <em>plenty of stuff <\/em>to sort out in the basement.<\/li>\n<li><em>Some stuff<\/em> was damaged from the flood.<\/li>\n<li><em>All that stuff<\/em> is taking up a lot of space.<\/li>\n<li><em>Loads of stuff<\/em> arrived today from the post office.<\/li>\n<li><em>Half of the stuff<\/em> in the basement belongs to my daughter.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Is it correct to say \u201cstuffs?\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>Yes, and no. It is correct to say \u201cstuffs\u201d if you mean to express it as a verb. However, it is wrong to say \u201cstuffs\u201d if you mean it as a plural noun. The following sentence example is correct because \u201cstuffs\u201d is an action, which means to fill.<br \/>\n<em>The boy usually stuffs his lunch box with candy.<\/em><br \/>\nIn this next example, \u201cstuffs\u201d is an action word, which means to eat to fullness. Hence, the sentence is correct.<br \/>\n<em>The child often stuffs himself every mealtime.<\/em><br \/>\nThis next sentence is correct because \u201cstuffs\u201d is an action word, which means to put an item somewhere.<br \/>\n<em>The girl stuffs her Barbie doll dresses in the closet together with her own clothes.<\/em><br \/>\nHowever, using the word \u201cstuffs\u201d in this last sentence example would be incorrect because you must utilize the singular noun form \u201cstuff\u201d to mean items or objects.<br \/>\n<em>I bought a lot of stuff at the shops today.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Is stuff a collective noun?<\/h2>\n<p>Yes. A <a href=\"http:\/\/www.englishforums.com\/blog\/nouns-worksheet-why-you-need-to-learn-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">collective noun<\/a> names a group of people and\/or things. Singular verbs are generally used for collective nouns. Uncountable nouns can be considered as collective nouns when they refer to a group of people or things.<br \/>\nIn the case of \u201cstuff,\u201d we consider it as both an uncountable noun and a collective noun. However, in the case of the word \u201clove,\u201d for example, we consider it as uncountable but not collective. This is because unlike \u201cstuff,\u201d \u201clove\u201d is a singular, whole concept or emotion.<\/p>\n<h2>Is stuff a proper English word?<\/h2>\n<p>Yes. Some people wonder if \u201cstuff\u201d is a real, legitimate English Word or just a slang word. Slang words are deemed permissible only for informal English language compositions and conversations.<br \/>\nIn the case of the word \u201cstuff,\u201d this term is used in both formal and informal English writing and speaking. This is because \u201cstuff\u201d carries different meanings.<br \/>\nThere are formal and informal usages of this word. We share this table below to show some formal and informal expressions of the word \u201cstuff.\u201d<br \/>\n[table id=6 \/]<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions about stuff<\/h2>\n<h3>Is it correct to say \u201cother stuffs?\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>No. &#8220;Other&#8221; is a determiner you can place before \u201cstuff,\u201d which is an uncount noun. The following sentence shows how you would say or write this expression correctly:<br \/>\n<em>I have other stuff to put in the basement tomorrow.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Is it correct to say \u201call the stuffs?\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>No. &#8220;All&#8221; is a determiner you can use for \u201cstuff.\u201d The sentence below shows how you would say or write this expression correctly:<br \/>\n<em>All the stuff I need is right here.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Is \u201cseveral\u201d singular or plural for \u201cstuff\u201d?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes. \u201cSeveral\u201d expresses the plural of count nouns. You can also use it for the plural meaning of an uncount word, such as \u201cstuff.\u201d The sentences below show how \u201cseveral\u201d is correctly used:<br \/>\nExample 1: plural for count nouns<br \/>\n<em>Nowadays, people stay indoors for several important reasons.<\/em><br \/>\nExample 2: plural for uncount nouns<br \/>\n<em>Several of the stuff in the basement belongs to my daughter.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>The plural of stuff is also \u201cstuff\u201d because it is uncountable. To express it in its plural meaning, you have to utilize determiners such as \u201ca few\u201d or \u201cmore.\u201d You may also utilize expressions of quantity such as \u201ca lot of\u201d and \u201cloads of.\u201d Remember to place any determiner or expression of quantity first before \u201cstuff\u201d in English writing and conversations.<br \/>\nUsing the word \u201cstuff\u201d to express its singular and plural form can be confusing, but with constant practice, you will be able to master this common expression in the English language.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Part of speaking the English language better is to know singular and plural form of English nouns. Stuff is a word you hear in various &#8230; <a title=\"Plural of Stuff: Growing Your Vocabulary\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/plural-of-stuff-growing-your-vocabulary\/\" aria-label=\"More on Plural of Stuff: Growing Your Vocabulary\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1791,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_generate-full-width-content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[304],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}