Uncertain plural

{{Short description|Technique marking plural ambiguity}}

An uncertain plural occurs when a writer does not know in advance whether a word should be written in the singular or plural. For English nouns, this may be demonstrated by enclosing the trailing plural or singular letters in parentheses or slashes, such as "is/are", "get(s)", "pose(s)", "fix/es", "book(s)", "answer/s" and "child(ren)".{{Cite web |date=17 January 2024 |title=King County Editorial Style Manual - Listings - P |url=https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/help/editorial-style-guide/listings/p#:~:text=When%20providing%20both%20the%20singular,%2Fbooks%2C%20bus%2Fbuses. |access-date=17 January 2024 |website=King County}}{{Cite web |title=The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition |url=https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=The Chicago Manual of Style Online |language=en}}

In the case of articles, "they" or "their" may be used to include a single individual, when uncertain.