Join In
Twitter
YouTube
Weekly Newsletter
Libraries
A-Z Grammatical Terms
A-Z Confused Words
FAQs by Writers
A-Z Awkward Plurals
Punctuation Lessons
Common Mistakes
(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
Plural of Beef
The Quick Answer
"Beef" is a mass noun. It has no plural form.The Plural of Beef
"Beef" is a mass noun. It has no plural form.- Beef is the third most widely consumed meat in the world.
- Beef can be cooked to various degrees, from very rare to well done.
Are You Good at Plurals?
Here's a quick test.The Standard Rules for Forming the Plurals
The table below shows the standard rules for forming the plurals of nouns in English.| Type | Example of Type | Forming the Plural | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Nouns |  cat scythe |
add s | cats scythes |
| Noun Ending s, sh, ch, x or z | bus dress |
add es | buses dresses |
| Nouns ending [consonant] o | mango zero tomato |
add either s or es (There are no rules for this - you have to know.) |
mangoes or mangos zeros tomatoes |
| Nouns ending [vowel] o | patio ratio
|
add s | patios ratios |
| Nouns ending [consonant] y | story penny |
change the y to an i and add es | stories pennies |
| Nouns ending [vowel] y | storey ( ) donkey
|
add s | storeys donkeys |
| Mass nouns | beef rice
|
some nouns do not have a plural form |
beef rice |
| Nouns ending f or fe | dwarf knife
|
ves and/or s (There are no rules - you have to know.) |
dwarfs knives |
| Exceptions | goose louse
|
some nouns undergo a vowel or letters change | geese lice |
| More exceptions | salmon sheep
|
some nouns do not change at all | salmon sheep |
Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Beef?
Confusion arises because "beef" is a mass noun. A mass noun is a noun without a plural form. They refer to items that can't be counted (e.g., music, milk, chalk).Ready for the Test?
Help Us Improve Grammar Monster
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
Find Us Quicker!
- When using a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing), you will find Grammar Monster quicker if you add #gm to your search term.
Next lesson >
Technical Help
Download Grammarly's free browser extension. It helps with:
Avoiding spelling errors
Correcting grammar errors
Finding better words
Self Help
Buy the Grammar Monster book.
Suitable for: Teachers, advanced students, and business writers.
Description: Published by London's Octopus Publishing, "Smashing Grammar" is the third, and most comprehensive, grammar reference book written by Craig Shrives (the founder of the Grammar-Monster.com). It is divided into three sections:
Description: Published by London's Octopus Publishing, "Smashing Grammar" is the third, and most comprehensive, grammar reference book written by Craig Shrives (the founder of the Grammar-Monster.com). It is divided into three sections:
- A-Z Grammar Glossary (This section explains grammar terminology, from the basics to advanced terms. It is especially useful because every entry concludes with a valuable and succinct explanation of why the grammar term matters for a writer.)
- A-Z of Punctuation (Packed with entertaining examples, this section provides definitive, well-explained rules for using all the principal punctuation marks. Punctuation should not be guesswork. There are rules.)
- A-Z of Easily Confused Words (This section covers all the homonyms and near homonyms that plague writers and offers tips on how to remember which to use.)
Next lesson >