The meaning of words seems to change every 10 years or so. And while the meanings for some words change, others fall out of use because we consider them too formal. “Persons” fall into the latter category.
Yes, it is correct to say “persons” if you use it in the right context. “Persons” is one of the plural forms of “person,” but we only use it when writing legal documents, in law enforcement, or when referring to a group of humans as individuals and not a unit.
In this article, we will explore the right and wrong ways to use “persons” and other words you can use instead of “persons.” We will also explain the difference between “persons” and “people” and how to use countable nouns.
What Does “Persons” Mean?
“Persons” is one of the plural forms of “person,” which means an individual or human being (source). English derives “person” from the Latin word “persona,” which means “human being or assumed character,” and the French word “persone,” which means human being (source).
“Persona” also meant “a mask or false face” at one time because, in Roman theater, actors often wore masks or some type of head covering.
“Person” is a countable noun, which means you can count it using numbers. However, it has two plural forms: “persons” and “people.”
How Do You Use “Persons”?
“Persons” is the plural noun form of “person,” which means you can use the word in the same way you do any plural noun. It is a common, countable noun that follows simple grammar rules and will require a plural verb.
We can use “persons” whenever we refer to more than one “person.” However, for many people, “persons” is a strange word to hear because, unless you work in the legal world, you aren’t used to hearing it. Once upon a time, English speakers used it more widely than “people,” but today, that isn’t the case.
Now, we most often use “people” as the plural for “person.” “People” is an exception to normal plural rules because it doesn’t simply add an “s” to the existing noun and is one of those we must learn, such as “child/children,” “mouse/mice,” etc.
“Persons” is a countable noun, which means it is a noun that we can count. We often use countable nouns with quantifier or quantity words because they show how we should count the noun.
For example, we may say, “the police were looking for the five persons who saw Mary before the incident.” In this case, the quantifier “five” tells you how many individuals the police were looking for.
When Can You Use “Persons”?
You can use “persons” in two main circumstances: in a legal document and when speaking about a group of individuals. When writing public policies and rules, you can also use the word to ensure absolute clarity.
We would mainly reserve “persons” for legal writing. In this case, we need to be clear that we refer to several separate individuals and not a collective whole.
According to the law, “person” can refer to an individual human being or a corporation having the same rights and obligations as a person (source). A corporation is a legal entity or a legal person because it can do what a person can do, like sue, sign, and create contracts and own property.
We would most often use “persons” when we need to formally specify that we are referring to more than one individual. The following sentences demonstrate the use of this word:
- There are hundreds of missing persons following the floods.
- This department deals with displaced persons.
- Only eight persons are permitted in the elevator.
In What Context Can You Use “Persons”?
When writing a legal document or public notice, you can use “persons” in a context where you are referring to more than one individual. We would usually use “persons” in a formal or legal context.
When writing public notices, rules, and regulations, we would view the group the rules are for as a group of individuals and not as a unit, so you use “persons.” Consider the examples below.
- Any persons found eating in the library will be escorted from the premises
- This notice informs all persons that this is a dangerous area.
- All persons must report to the site office on arrival.
In legal documents, the law uses “persons” because it can refer to a natural person (human being) or a legal person, which includes entities that have the same rights as a natural person (source).
You can also use “persons” instead of people in a formal way, although it may prompt someone to try and correct your grammar. If speaking about a group of individuals, you could use “persons.”
Using “Persons” In a Full Sentence
Again, if you write legal documents or talk about a group of individuals, you can use “persons.” You can also use “persons” when writing a policy or a public notice.
Here are some examples:
- Jack Levi and his brother Tom were persons of interest in the murder of Colt Dunn.
- Any persons caught eating or drinking near the pool will be banned.
- There are eight missing persons cases in the small town of Kent.
- Four persons that ate the shrimp salad got food poisoning.
These examples show the different ways “persons” function today. Here, the word is in legal contexts, public notices, or official reports. Although not technically wrong, we would be unlikely to use “persons” in casual everyday conversation.
When Not to Use “Persons”
You don’t use “persons” when talking about a group collectively. You would use “persons” only when referring to more than one individual. In contrast, you use “people” rather than “persons” when referring to a group as a whole or to an ethnic group or nationality.
Here are some examples of the wrong way to use “persons”:
Incorrect: The persons that live in the house across the street are quiet.
Correct: The people that live in the house across the street are quiet.
Incorrect: Five persons came to the party dressed as nurses.
Correct: Five people came to the party dressed as nurses.
Incorrect: The Indigenous persons of the world are often overlooked.
Correct: The Indigenous people of the world are often overlooked.
What Can You Use Instead of “Persons”?
If you are writing legal text, talking about a group of individuals, or writing policies or procedures, you should use “persons.” However, if your situation doesn’t fall into those categories, there are other words that you can use.
In the right circumstances, you can use “people.” “People” refers to a group as a collective unit instead of individuals.
If you are talking about a group collectively, you can use “people” or its synonyms. For instance, if you are talking about a community, you can use:
- Mob
- Crowd
- Mass
- Populace
- Society
If you are talking about people while referring to human beings, you can use:
- Folks
- Humankind
- Humanity
- Public
And if you are talking about a group that is descendants of the same ancestor, then you can use:
- Family
- Clan
- Kinfolk
- Lineage
- Race
- Folks
- Kin
Which Is Correct: “Persons” or “Person’s”?
This depends entirely on how you are using the words. “Persons” is one of the plural forms of “person,” while “person’s” is the possessive form of “person.” Therefore, you do not use the words in the same context.
Again, you use “persons” when referring to a group of individuals and in legal documents. However, you’ll use “person’s” when you want to show ownership.
If you would like more information on using plural and possessive nouns, you can read another one of our articles, “Kids’ or Kid’s: Singular, Plural, and Possessive.”
For example, let’s examine the following sentences:
- That person’s hat flew into my yard.
- Persons unable to comply will be escorted from the premises.
In the first sentence, we use “person’s” to show ownership. A person owns the hat, so “person’s” is the right word, especially if you don’t know their name.
The second sentence exemplifies using “persons” in legal documents and policies and has nothing to do with ownership. The above sentence is clearly part of a building’s policy, so you would use “persons” and not “person’s.”
“Persons” vs. “People”
One thing that many people find irritating about English is that so many words have the same meaning. “People” and “persons” are both the plural form of “person.” While there are subtle nuances in their meanings, they mean the same thing for the most part (source).
As we have already discussed, “persons” works in legal documents, formally and when speaking about a group of individuals. “People” means “multiple humans or men and women.” It comes from the Latin word “populous,” which means “a people or nation, multitude, or crowd.”
Since the 18th century, linguists have debated when it is correct to use “people” vs. “persons,” though we have largely settled on using “people” in the past few decades. Meanwhile, we reserve “persons” for particularly formal situations.
Countable Nouns
Countable nouns like “person” occur in specific units, and we can modify them with numbers, like one dog, two lizards, four pictures, or five books (source). You use singular countable nouns with singular verbs and plural countable nouns with plural verbs.
- Alice already had a lizard, but she wanted another one.
- Mark placed five books on the table.
- She held several pictures in her hand.
- Four dogs stood on the curb, sniffing each other.
For more on countable nouns, read “Is It Correct to Say ‘Accounts’?” or “Is It Correct to Say ‘Revenues’?”
What Are Mass Nouns?
In contrast, mass nouns or uncountable nouns are those you can’t count with numbers because they are indivisible (source). In American English, we treat mass nouns as singular and use them with a singular verb.
Unlike countable nouns, we cannot modify mass nouns with quantifiers like “few” or “many” or use them with an indefinite article. However, we can modify mass nouns we can weigh or measure using a number.
There are many things that you use in your day-to-day life that fall into the category of mass nouns — for instance, water. You can’t count water, and there is typically no plural form of water either.
Therefore, water is an uncountable noun, along with “cheese,” “garbage,” “information,” “bread,” “coffee,” and “furniture.”
- The water in the lake dried up.
- The coffee was robust and had some caramel notes.
- Bread is her favorite food.
- They had to pick up the garbage in the yard.
- The new furniture looked perfect in the living room.
- She loved cheese so much she put it on everything.
As we stated above, uncountable nouns are singular, and we use them in combination with singular verbs. But other words in the sentence can answer the question of “how many?”
- I had to drink four glasses of water before I left the house this morning.
- There were three pieces of garbage in my yard.
- She had six cups of coffee this morning, which explains her jitteriness.
- The piece of furniture was too big for the room.
Collective Nouns
Not to be confused with mas nouns, collective nouns are nouns referring to a collection of people or things. In American English, we treat these nouns as singular, and we use them with singular verbs and pronouns.
But that isn’t the case with British English, where hearing the plural form of collective nouns is quite common. This article was written for strategiesforparents.com.
For example, let’s look at the following sentence:
- The team is going to play the game.
“Team” is a collective noun referring to a group of players. However, in British English, “The team are going to play the game” is perfectly normal.
Final Thoughts
Language is fluid, ever moving and evolving as time marches on. The words we say today may disappear in the next 20 years, or they may take on a new meaning. “Persons” is proof of this, along with other long-forgotten words.
Once upon a time, we used “persons” more often than “people,” but today, that is not the case. Most people only see the word “persons” when reading a legal document or a public policy. These days, “people” is the main word used when referring to more than one person.
As we have mentioned above, “person” is a countable noun with two plural forms, “people” and “persons.” You use “persons” when writing legal documents, public policies, or rules and when referring to a group of individuals. “People” works in most other circumstances.
Knowing when to use certain words can be difficult to discern, but remember, if saying “persons” doesn’t feel right or you need a collective noun, you should use “people.”
Persons, people, and peoples: we know what they mean, but the relationship between them can be confusing. What’s the correct plural of person—persons or people? Why does people have its own plural?
Some of these questions have easy answers. But there are a number of nuanced aspects to their use, including those related to legal language, personal identity, and decisions about whether to emphasize individuals or groups. Then there are questions about capitalization, particularly for terms like people of color and Indigenous Peoples.
In this article, we’ll address the frequently asked questions surrounding persons, people, and peoples, including:
- When should persons be used instead of people?
- When should peoples be used instead of people?
- When should peoples be capitalized?
- What are the possessive forms of persons, people, and peoples?
⚡ Quick summary
Both persons and people can be used as plural forms of person. Persons is often used in formal, legal contexts to emphasize individuals as opposed to a group. People is the plural of person that’s most commonly used in everyday communication to simply refer to multiple humans. But people can also be used as a singular noun to refer to a population or particular community. The plural of this sense of people is peoples, and it’s often used in terms like Indigenous Peoples (in which it’s often capitalized since it refers to specific communities).
What is the plural of person? Persons or people?
Both persons and people are acceptable plural forms of person. They’re not necessarily always interchangeable, but there is some overlap.
The plural form people is more common. That’s because it can be used in any context to refer to multiple individuals—one person, two people (or 100 people or 8 billion people, etc.).
Usually, you’ll see persons in more formal contexts, especially in legal and technical text, as well as a few other situations.
When to use persons vs. people
Persons is especially associated with its use in legal language, in which it’s often used rather than people to ensure clarity by emphasizing that the text is referring to multiple individuals, as opposed to a group as a whole, as in Occupancy is limited to 200 persons or Any person or persons found to be in violation of these rules shall be prohibited from participating.
When persons is used in this way outside of legal texts, it has historically been regarded as overly formal or stilted—it wouldn’t be natural to say I invited 10 persons to the party, for example. Increasingly, however, there are cases in which persons is thought to be more appropriate than people for other reasons.
This is especially the case in situations when you want to talk about individuals within a group, rather than the group as a whole. In this way, persons is sometimes used with terms related to identity to emphasize individuality, such as saying Jewish persons instead of Jewish people. Regardless of intent, though, statements that are about individuals with a common identity can lead to overgeneralizations or stereotyping, so it’s always best to consider whether the individuals’ common identity is an essential part of what you’re trying to say. Choosing how to refer to people can also be informed by preferences around language that’s person-first (as in person with autism) or identity-first (as in autistic person).
More generally, the word people can also be a collective noun that refers to a specific group, nation, tribe, or community, as in We are a resilient people or The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the American people.
Learn more about collective nouns and how to use them.
When to use peoples
The word peoples is specifically used as the plural of people in its sense as a collective singular noun referring to a nation, or tribe, or other community, as in Indigenous Peoples or the many peoples of the world.
This usage emphasizes that you’re talking about several different specific groups that share a commonality. This can be important for clarity—the many people of the world means something different than the many peoples of the world.
In practical terms, using peoples in this way can help to prevent erasure and homogenization of groups that are often lumped together in ways that obscure their specific, complex identities. In this way, the term Indigenous Peoples emphasizes the vast diversity among the world’s Indigenous groups while also implying that there are, in fact, separate and distinct groups.
When should People and Peoples be capitalized?
You may have noticed that Peoples is capitalized in Indigenous Peoples in this article (and in other articles that use the term).
Capitalization is increasingly used as a form of respect and distinction for terms that relate to identity. (Dictionary.com capitalizes Indigenous across the dictionary when it relates to identity in this way, just as we do for the word Black.)
The word Peoples is most often capitalized when it follows a specific modifier, as in Hispanic Peoples and Indigenous Peoples. In cases when it’s capitalized, it is often due to the fact that it refers not to people in general but to specific, distinct communities.
Similarly, the term People of Color is also sometimes capitalized, though not always, likely because it is typically used as a broad term that encompasses more specific identities, including Black and Indigenous people, for example (relatedly, this is what’s represented in the first part of the the abbreviation BIPOC).
What are the possessive forms of person, persons, people and peoples? Where should I put the apostrophe?
Is it people’s or peoples’? Person’s or persons’? All of these are valid possessives, but they indicate different things. Here is a breakdown of each possessive form, along with examples of their use.
Person
- Possessive form: person’s (singular possessive)
- Example: One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.
Persons
- Possessive form: persons’ (plural possessive)
- Example: The suspect confessed to the theft of several persons’ social security numbers.
People
- Possessive form: people’s (plural and singular possessive)
- Plural example: Tech support should be able to fix all six people’s issues by the end of the day.
- Singular example: The French people’s love of fine food is well known.
Peoples
- Possessive form: peoples’ (plural possessive)
- Example: The goal of the festival is to celebrate many different peoples’ cultures.
Examples of persons, people, and peoples used in a sentence
Here are some examples of the ways that each word is commonly used.
- We were hoping that at least one person would apply for the job, but we received applications from 60 people!
- The person or persons who may have witnessed the incident are being sought by police.
- My partner and I, as persons with autism, have a unique perspective on the issue.
- The class will be focused on the history, peoples, and cultures of the region.
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a time to honor Indigenous Peoples in the Americas and around the world.
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#1
I used to think that person was the singular form of people (much like men and man).
I recently read this, however, coming from the free dictionary:
A body of persons living in the same country under one national government; a nationality.When should we use »persons»? Can we interchange »persons» and »people» at will, or is »persons» specific context? If so, in which context should we use »persons» instead of »people»?
Thanks.
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#2
I used to think that person was the singular form of people (much like men and man).
I recently read this, however, coming from the free dictionary:
A body of persons living in the same country under one national government; a nationality.When should we use »persons»? Can we interchange »persons» and »people» at will, or is »persons» specific context? If so, in which context should we use »persons» instead of »people»?
Thanks.
I can’t, at this moment, offer you a reason or reasons why, Noego. I think it’s enough for now that you recognize that it can be used in such a manner. Now for the next while, it’ll only be part of your passive vocabulary, in much the same way that it is part of mine, a native speaker of many a year and an ESL teacher for over eighteen years now.
[I’m presently teaching my dog English but it’s taking her quite awhile to get the hang of it. She’s always complaining that I told her that after fractions and trigonometry, English would be a breeze.]
I don’t use this form all that much in my active language but I too know the meaning and that it’s okay when I see it used.
I’d say that it’s used in more formal instances such as police reports;
Person or persons unknown
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#3
I used to think that person was the singular form of people (much like men and man).
I recently read this, however, coming from the free dictionary:
A body of persons living in the same country under one national government; a nationality.When should we use »persons»? Can we interchange »persons» and »people» at will, or is »persons» specific context? If so, in which context should we use »persons» instead of »people»?
Thanks.
Person refers to an individual. But I have heard it used in police reporting.
The crime was committed by person or persons unknown.
Actually I think «persons» is very commonly used in legal English. It is not as commonly used in common English
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#4
Thank you for the clarifications.
BobK
Harmless drudge
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#5
:up: It’s formal, but not restricted to police directives (in case you had got that impression). It’s often used (in the UK) in warnings on TV. For example ‘This news item contains footage of scenes of state-sanctioned violence. Persons of an impressionable disposition should look away now.’
b
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#6
:up: It’s formal, but not restricted to police directives (in case you had got that impression). It’s often used (in the UK) in warnings on TV. For example ‘This news item contains footage of scenes of state-sanctioned violence. Persons of an impressionable disposition should look away now.’
b
Again…this is a legal phrase.
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#7
Again…this is a legal phrase.
Not precisely… In this TV warning »persons» has nothing to do with legal affairs. Actually, I doubt we can call it a phrase at all, let alone a legal one.
Additionally, lots of people use this plural form in everyday speech. But it is maybe a wee bit formal.
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#8
Not precisely… In this TV warning »persons» has nothing to do with legal affairs. Actually, I doubt we can call it a phrase at all, let alone a legal one.
Additionally, lots of people use this plural form in everyday speech. But it is maybe a wee bit formal.
Yes, it is legal language. The television puts this statement on the air to warn people not to watch the program if they are offended by its content. They do this so they don’t run into problems with people suing them.
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#9
You’ve misunderstood me. It is in a way a legal statement, but it surely is not a legal phrase, and has NOTHING, I repeat, nothing to do with »legal language».
Think about it! Would it still be a legal statement if it was written: »This block contains scenes of violent pornography. If you find yourself offended by such material, or disturbed in any other way, please look away now.»
Yes it would, regardless of using »persons» or not, I think.
Do you see my point?
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#10
You’ve misunderstood me. It is in a way a legal statement, but it surely is not a legal phrase, and has NOTHING, I repeat, nothing to do with »legal language».
Think about it! Would it still be a legal statement if it was written: »This block contains scenes of violent pornography. If you find yourself offended by such material, or disturbed in any other way, please look away now.»
Yes it would, regardless of using »persons» or not, I think.
Do you see my point?
Persons (as a plural) should be used only when it is in a direct quote or part of a title (such as the Bureau of Missing Persons).
Then American Heritage goes one further and adds a usage note:
People is a collective noun that cannot be used as a substitute for persons when referring to a specific number of individuals. Persons is used in quasilegal contexts, but it is pedantic to insist on it.
Generally, people is the plural of person….There used to be a rule that persons is used when speaking of a number of people who can be counted [ this might be the case of your sentence:
[A body of persons living in the same country under one national government; a nationality.]
and people is used when speaking of a large or uncounted number of individuals.
e.g.
There are fifteen persons on this committee but three hundred million people in the United States.
We can put twelve persons in each lifeboat.
How many people visit this mall every year?
According to Burchfield in “The New Fowler’s Modern English Usage,” however, the plural form persons is slowly retreating, and people is now widely used in whatever circumstance we need the plural of person.
source:http://www.melaniespiller.com/Articles/WordChoices/Article_PersonPeople.htm
Last edited: Oct 11, 2007
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#11
Persons (as a plural) should be used only when it is in a direct quote or part of a title (such as the Bureau of Missing Persons).
Then American Heritage goes one further and adds a usage note:People is a collective noun that cannot be used as a substitute for persons when referring to a specific number of individuals. Persons is used in quasilegal contexts, but it is pedantic to insist on it.
Generally, people is the plural of person….There used to be a rule that persons is used when speaking of a number of people who can be counted [ this might be the case of your sentence:
[A body of persons living in the same country under one national government; a nationality.]
and people is used when speaking of a large or uncounted number of individuals.
e.g.There are fifteen persons on this committee but three hundred million people in the United States.
We can put twelve persons in each lifeboat.
How many people visit this mall every year?
According to Burchfield in “The New Fowler’s Modern English Usage,” however, the plural form persons is slowly retreating, and people is now widely used in whatever circumstance we need the plural of person.
source:http://www.melaniespiller.com/Articles/WordChoices/Article_PersonPeople.htm
I agree, but you’ve gone a bit far… 
It, again, wasn’t my point. I was just stressing the difference between »legal statements», and »legal phrases».
By the way, we are posting irrelevancies and perplexing the starter.
I think we should henceforth start opening new threads (elsewhere), should we want to discuss something that is slightly different from the main topic.
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#12
You’ve misunderstood me. It is in a way a legal statement, but it surely is not a legal phrase, and has NOTHING, I repeat, nothing to do with »legal language».
So when is a legal statement NOT legal language.:loling:
I submit that I used the word «phrase» incorrectly. But this is certainly legal language.
Do you think the Television stations put such warnings up on their screens for the good of their heart!:roll:
Not at all…it is advised by their legal department to protect themselves in the event that someone is offended by the content of the program.
Think about it! Would it still be a legal statement if it was written: »This block contains scenes of violent pornography. If you find yourself offended by such material, or disturbed in any other way, please look away now.»
Yes it would, regardless of using »persons» or not, I think.
I have never stated that for a statement to be legal language it had to have the word «persons«. Reread my original post on this topic. I said it is commonly found in legal language. Obviously legal statements can be formulated many ways.
Nope, and you are equally blind to mine.
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#13
Do you think the Television stations put such warnings up on their screens for the good of their heart!
Of course not, and please, do not argue with me, there is no need.
I was refering to your post:
Again…this is a legal phrase.
As I fully agree with this one:
I said it is commonly found in legal language.
So, I think we’re done with flummoxing the poster of this topic.
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#14
Actually I thought your replies were very interesting.
Don’t worry Ivan, I can understand what you guys are discussing about, I’m not confused or drooling over my keyboard.
BobK
Harmless drudge
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#15
…
According to Burchfield in “The New Fowler’s Modern English Usage,” however, the plural form persons is slowly retreating, and people is now widely used in whatever circumstance we need the plural of person.
Bob Burchfield is a Kiwi. What does he know about English? :lol::lol::lol:
b
[ducking and taking cover]
PS In case anyone hadn’t realized, that was a :lol:. I know this is an argumentum ad antipodianem.
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#16
Bob Burchfield is a Kiwi. What does he know about English? :lol::lol::lol:
b
[ducking and taking cover]PS In case anyone hadn’t realized, that was a :lol:. I know this is an argumentum ad antipodianem.
Good one…
Esp. »ducking and taking cover»…
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#17
in canada, i think people recognize that the plural of ‘person’ is ‘people’. ‘people’ is a collective noun. try to think of an example where people use the word ‘persons’ and to use ‘people’ would be incorrect. i can’t think of one, myself.
there is a propensity in the united states, and there, among military or military-like institutions, to make up phrases and meanings that sound ‘official’ or ‘legal’. generally they are more confusing that clarifying.
remember, simple is almost always better. that means hardly any adjectives or adverbs, and a good understanding of word meanings and a well managed vocabulary.
also, it is not ALWAYS a good idea to mimic what you hear. there are many speakers of english who haven’t a clue about grammar, and who do not recognize (and learn from) mistakes either while reading or listening.
just listen to president george bush, for example. he mispronounces words all the time, and his grammar, unless he is reading something someone else wrote, is usually imperfect.
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#18
Interesting question, and it tends to always come up.
The usual plural of (one) person is (several) people.
In a formal, technical, legal, bureaucratic sense it is persons.
But then don’t forget that the plural of people is peoples!
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#19
just listen to president george bush, for example. he mispronounces words all the time, and his grammar, unless he is reading something someone else wrote, is usually imperfect.
I can’t help but to laugh!!!
Gee, what have we done with this thread… Pity!
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#20
According to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5 Edition:[FONT="]Grammar
The plural of person is usually people [FONT="]:
Sixty-four people (NOT persons) died in the fire.
Persons is also used, but only in formal notices, documents, and situations [FONT="]:
All persons born in the United States are citizens of the United States.
People meaning ‘more than one person’ is already plural and cannot form a plural with ‘s’ [FONT="]:
A lot of British people (NOT peoples) are employed by foreign firms.
People meaning ‘race’ or ‘nation’ is countable and you can add ‘s’ to form a plural in the normal way [FONT="]:
African peoples
[/FONT]
[/FONT]
[/FONT]
[/FONT]
[/FONT]
The noun person has two plurals: persons and people. Most people don’t use persons, but the sticklers say there are times when we should. “When we say persons,” says Wilson Follett’s Modern American Usage, “we are thinking, or ought to be, of ones—individuals with identities; whereas when we say people we should mean a large group, an indefinite and anonymous mass.”
The traditional rule is that persons is used for either an exact or a small number. So we might estimate that a hundred people were there. Or if we know the exact number, we’d say ninety-eight persons were there.
As for “a small number,” how small is “small”? In Words on Words, John B. Bremner suggests fewer than fifty. Theodore M. Bernstein concurs, saying in The Careful Writer that fifty people is acceptable. To Bernstein, two people is nearly unthinkable but 4,381 persons is “quite proper.”
Meanwhile, the language moves on. In A Dictionary of Modern American Usage, Bryan A. Garner calls the persons-people distinction “pedantic.” Garner says that twelve persons on the jury “sounds stuffy” and that most Americans today would say people instead. Roy H. Copperud agrees. In A Dictionary of Usage and Style he dismisses the grammatical superiority of persons as “superstition,” a law that “usage has in fact repealed.”
Because persons sounds aloof and clinical, the word still thrives in legal, official, or formal usage. A hotel chain’s website offers “options for three and more persons.” Elevators carry signs saying, “Occupancy by more than eight persons is unlawful.” The Department of Justice has a database called the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.
A more timely debate these days would be people vs. folks. Traditionalists regard folks with suspicion and contempt. Bernstein says, “Folks is a casualism … not suitable for general straightforward writing.” Bremner calls it “deliberately folksy” and “corny in formal speech and writing.” But judging by its growing popularity and acceptance in this informal age, folks will probably be synonymous with people in another ten years.
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Table of Contents
- Can you say persons?
- Is persons an actual word?
- How many persons are in grammar?
- What are the first person in English grammar?
- What are 2nd person words?
- Which is the first person in the world?
- What color was the first person on earth?
- Who is the best person in the world?
- Who was the first person to breathe?
- What gases do humans exhale?
- Do we inhale only oxygen?
- Can you breathe 100% oxygen?
- What percentage of oxygen do we breathe in?
- How long can you breathe 100 oxygen?
- Does being on oxygen weaken your lungs?
- Do astronauts breathe pure oxygen?
- Can pure oxygen explode?
- Can oxygen get you high?
- Can fire burn in pure oxygen?
Many usage guides over the years have suggested that there is a clear distinction between these two words; people is used when referring to a collective group or indeterminate number, and persons serves better when referring to individuals (or a number of individuals).
Can you say persons?
The noun person has two plurals: persons and people. Most people don’t use persons, but the sticklers say there are times when we should. The traditional rule is that persons is used for either an exact or a small number.
Is persons an actual word?
The words people and persons can both be used as the plural of person, but they are not used in exactly the same way. People is by far the more common of the two words and is used in most ordinary contexts: a group of people; there were only about ten people; several thousand people have been rehoused.
How many persons are in grammar?
It also frequently affects verbs, sometimes nouns, and possessive relationships as well. There are three grammatical persons in English: 1) First person.
What are the first person in English grammar?
First, Second, and Third Person Pronouns
| Person | Subjective Case | Objective Case |
|---|---|---|
| First Person Singular | I | me |
| Second Person Singular | you | you |
| Third Person Singular | he/she/it | him/her/it |
| First Person Plural | we | us |
What are 2nd person words?
Second Person Second-person pronouns. Examples: you, your, yours. always refer to the reader, the intended audience. They include you, your, and yours. A writer should use second-person pronouns when speaking directly to the reader.
Which is the first person in the world?
Adam
What color was the first person on earth?
Pink Was the First Color of Life on Earth.
Who is the best person in the world?
Top 100 List
- Muhammad (570 – 632 AD) Prophet of Islam.
- Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727) – British mathematician and scientist.
- Jesus of Nazareth (c.
- Buddha (c 563 – 483 BC) Spiritual Teacher and founder of Buddhism.
- Confucius (551 – 479 BC) – Chinese philosopher.
- St.
- Ts’ai Lun (AD 50 – 121) Inventor of paper.
Who was the first person to breathe?
Ibn al-Nafis
What gases do humans exhale?
When we take a breath, we pull air into our lungs that contains mostly nitrogen and oxygen. When we exhale, we breathe out mostly carbon dioxide.
Do we inhale only oxygen?
While we breathe, we inhale oxygen along with nitrogen and carbon dioxide which co-exist in air. In alveoli, partial pressure of oxygen is relatively higher than carbon dioxide whereas, in the blood which enters in to the lungs, partial pressure of carbon dioxide is higher than oxygen.
Can you breathe 100% oxygen?
Oxygen radicals harm the fats, protein and DNA in your body. This damages your eyes so you can’t see properly, and your lungs, so you can’t breathe normally. So breathing pure oxygen is quite dangerous.
What percentage of oxygen do we breathe in?
21%
How long can you breathe 100 oxygen?
Evidence of decline in lung function as measured by pulmonary function testing can occur as quickly as 24 hours of continuous exposure to 100% oxygen, with evidence of diffuse alveolar damage and the onset of acute respiratory distress syndrome usually occurring after 48 hours on 100% oxygen.
Does being on oxygen weaken your lungs?
Unfortunately, breathing 100% oxygen for long periods of time can cause changes in the lungs, which are potentially harmful. Researchers believe that by lowering the concentration of oxygen therapy to 40% patients can receive it for longer periods of time without the risk of side effects.
Do astronauts breathe pure oxygen?
Inside spacesuits, astronauts have the oxygen they need to breathe. They have the water they need to drink. Once in their suits, astronauts breathe pure oxygen for a few hours. Breathing only oxygen gets rid of all the nitrogen in an astronaut’s body.
Can pure oxygen explode?
It may be hard to believe, but oxygen can also be dangerous. The dangers are fire and explosion. Pure oxygen, at high pressure, such as from a cylinder, can react violently with common materials such as oil and grease. Other materials may catch fire spontaneously.
Can oxygen get you high?
It’s absolutely true: pure oxygen can give rise to feelings of euphoria.
Can fire burn in pure oxygen?
Oxygen makes other things ignite at a lower temperature, and burn hotter and faster. But oxygen itself does not catch fire.”
When To Use “Persons” or “People”
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There’s a time and place for “persons” and “people.” We’ll teach you when each of these words should be used.
- There was a time when persons was the favored plural form of the word person. But in Modern English, people has become the more common word to use when referring to person in plural.
- Use people when referring to a group of individuals from a signal ethnic group or nationality.
- The use of persons is most often seen in legal writing, and in established expressions like “missing persons.”
- If you’re in doubt, the safest bet is to always use people when referring to a group of individuals.
- ○ So many people donated gifts to the charity.
- ○ ✅ The American people flock to the voting stands every four years to vote in the presidential elections.
- ○ ❌ The American persons flock to the voting stands every four years to vote in the presidential elections.
If you’re here, you may be asking yourself, “is persons grammatically correct?” The answer is that technically speaking, it’s not wrong. But people has become the more common word to use when referring to person in the plural form. In fact, some style guides explicitly state not to use the word persons.
People and persons have Latin roots. People came from the word “populus,” which means “the people” or “nation.” Person derived from the word “persona,” which originally meant “a mask,” but then evolved to mean “an individual human being.”
Below, we’ll go over when to use persons and when to use people.
Understanding When To Use “Persons” or “People”
Although people has become the favored plural form of the word person, there are still a few instances where one might encounter the word persons. For example, persons is commonly found in legal or technical writing. This is done to emphasize a group of individuals and not a group of people as a whole.
Any person or persons found trespassing will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
In this example, persons is used instead of people because the law applies to the individuals and never to the group as a whole.
There are also some instances where persons is part of an established term, like internally displaced persons or missing persons.
He was a detective who worked for the Missing Persons Unit.
People, on the other hand, is primarily used as a collective noun, or a noun that represents one entity or a group of individuals. For that reason, you’ll usually see people is commonly used to refer to multiple individuals from an ethnic group or nationality.
The people of Canada are known to be extremely kind.
It is not uncommon to encounter the word peoples. It’s often reserved for when referring to multiple different yet specific groups that share a commonality, like Indigenous peoples. The use of peoples in this case helps indicate that there are separate and distinct groups.
“People” or “Persons”?
In short, persons is typically only found in legal or technical writing. But if you’re referring to the plural of person as a collective noun, then the word you should use is people. For example:
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