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Plural of Offspring
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The Quick Answer
offspring is a mass noun. It has no plural form.The Plural of Offspring
Offspring is a mass noun. It has no plural form.- Human offspring are referred to as children.
- Cloning is the production of an offspring which represents the identical genes as its parent.
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 | offspring rice
|
some nouns do not have a plural form |
offspring 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 Offspring?
Confusion arises because offspring 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).Another Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from another exercise on plurals, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?