What is the plural of the noun “go” (as in “have a go”)?

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up vote
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If I were to try to achieve something you could say I "had a go".



If I tried it multiple times, how would I write that down?




I had many goes




or




I had many go's




or




I had many gos







nouns grammatical-number orthography







share|improve this question























  • Just an example (If I understand you correctly): "I had a go on Tom's bike", "He let me have many **** on it". Instinct tells me it has to be the third option, but a Google books search says nobody else agrees with that. Plus, TFD has a listing for the plural noun, so I guess we have to go with that.
    – Pam
    11 hours ago






  • 6




    I believe it's "goes".
    – BillJ
    10 hours ago










  • You can find it in the dictionary that 'go' as a singular noun has the plural form of 'goes'. I often hear this 'go' in the phrase: 'on the go'; or 'have a go' ... I almost never hear this as a plural in this context though...and since this phrase is rather informal, I wonder if our discussion will be beneficial for the improvement of English language. Be careful with the noun 'go' which means a Japanese board game of territorial possession and capture (it is a mass noun) or a street name for methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Source: en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/go
    – Flonne Lightberry
    10 hours ago







  • 1




    Goes is already established as the spelling for go + 3SgPres; since the NPlural morpheme is identical in shape to 3SgPres, goes is the plural spelling, too.
    – John Lawler
    9 hours ago







  • 2




    As the answers indicate, "goes" is correct. Still, I would use "tries", or "attempts", or "turns" instead To my ear, it sounds much better to say, 'I had many tries' rather than 'I had many goes'. Quite honestly, the latter sounds like you may be having some digestive problems.
    – Michael J.
    8 hours ago
















up vote
13
down vote

favorite
1












If I were to try to achieve something you could say I "had a go".



If I tried it multiple times, how would I write that down?




I had many goes




or




I had many go's




or




I had many gos







nouns grammatical-number orthography







share|improve this question























  • Just an example (If I understand you correctly): "I had a go on Tom's bike", "He let me have many **** on it". Instinct tells me it has to be the third option, but a Google books search says nobody else agrees with that. Plus, TFD has a listing for the plural noun, so I guess we have to go with that.
    – Pam
    11 hours ago






  • 6




    I believe it's "goes".
    – BillJ
    10 hours ago










  • You can find it in the dictionary that 'go' as a singular noun has the plural form of 'goes'. I often hear this 'go' in the phrase: 'on the go'; or 'have a go' ... I almost never hear this as a plural in this context though...and since this phrase is rather informal, I wonder if our discussion will be beneficial for the improvement of English language. Be careful with the noun 'go' which means a Japanese board game of territorial possession and capture (it is a mass noun) or a street name for methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Source: en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/go
    – Flonne Lightberry
    10 hours ago







  • 1




    Goes is already established as the spelling for go + 3SgPres; since the NPlural morpheme is identical in shape to 3SgPres, goes is the plural spelling, too.
    – John Lawler
    9 hours ago







  • 2




    As the answers indicate, "goes" is correct. Still, I would use "tries", or "attempts", or "turns" instead To my ear, it sounds much better to say, 'I had many tries' rather than 'I had many goes'. Quite honestly, the latter sounds like you may be having some digestive problems.
    – Michael J.
    8 hours ago












up vote
13
down vote

favorite
1









up vote
13
down vote

favorite
1






1





If I were to try to achieve something you could say I "had a go".



If I tried it multiple times, how would I write that down?




I had many goes




or




I had many go's




or




I had many gos







nouns grammatical-number orthography







share|improve this question















If I were to try to achieve something you could say I "had a go".



If I tried it multiple times, how would I write that down?




I had many goes




or




I had many go's




or




I had many gos







nouns grammatical-number orthography




nouns grammatical-number orthography






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 11 mins ago









sumelic

44k7105206




44k7105206










asked 11 hours ago









Tom.Bowen89

1,9072714




1,9072714











  • Just an example (If I understand you correctly): "I had a go on Tom's bike", "He let me have many **** on it". Instinct tells me it has to be the third option, but a Google books search says nobody else agrees with that. Plus, TFD has a listing for the plural noun, so I guess we have to go with that.
    – Pam
    11 hours ago






  • 6




    I believe it's "goes".
    – BillJ
    10 hours ago










  • You can find it in the dictionary that 'go' as a singular noun has the plural form of 'goes'. I often hear this 'go' in the phrase: 'on the go'; or 'have a go' ... I almost never hear this as a plural in this context though...and since this phrase is rather informal, I wonder if our discussion will be beneficial for the improvement of English language. Be careful with the noun 'go' which means a Japanese board game of territorial possession and capture (it is a mass noun) or a street name for methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Source: en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/go
    – Flonne Lightberry
    10 hours ago







  • 1




    Goes is already established as the spelling for go + 3SgPres; since the NPlural morpheme is identical in shape to 3SgPres, goes is the plural spelling, too.
    – John Lawler
    9 hours ago







  • 2




    As the answers indicate, "goes" is correct. Still, I would use "tries", or "attempts", or "turns" instead To my ear, it sounds much better to say, 'I had many tries' rather than 'I had many goes'. Quite honestly, the latter sounds like you may be having some digestive problems.
    – Michael J.
    8 hours ago
















  • Just an example (If I understand you correctly): "I had a go on Tom's bike", "He let me have many **** on it". Instinct tells me it has to be the third option, but a Google books search says nobody else agrees with that. Plus, TFD has a listing for the plural noun, so I guess we have to go with that.
    – Pam
    11 hours ago






  • 6




    I believe it's "goes".
    – BillJ
    10 hours ago










  • You can find it in the dictionary that 'go' as a singular noun has the plural form of 'goes'. I often hear this 'go' in the phrase: 'on the go'; or 'have a go' ... I almost never hear this as a plural in this context though...and since this phrase is rather informal, I wonder if our discussion will be beneficial for the improvement of English language. Be careful with the noun 'go' which means a Japanese board game of territorial possession and capture (it is a mass noun) or a street name for methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Source: en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/go
    – Flonne Lightberry
    10 hours ago







  • 1




    Goes is already established as the spelling for go + 3SgPres; since the NPlural morpheme is identical in shape to 3SgPres, goes is the plural spelling, too.
    – John Lawler
    9 hours ago







  • 2




    As the answers indicate, "goes" is correct. Still, I would use "tries", or "attempts", or "turns" instead To my ear, it sounds much better to say, 'I had many tries' rather than 'I had many goes'. Quite honestly, the latter sounds like you may be having some digestive problems.
    – Michael J.
    8 hours ago















Just an example (If I understand you correctly): "I had a go on Tom's bike", "He let me have many **** on it". Instinct tells me it has to be the third option, but a Google books search says nobody else agrees with that. Plus, TFD has a listing for the plural noun, so I guess we have to go with that.
– Pam
11 hours ago




Just an example (If I understand you correctly): "I had a go on Tom's bike", "He let me have many **** on it". Instinct tells me it has to be the third option, but a Google books search says nobody else agrees with that. Plus, TFD has a listing for the plural noun, so I guess we have to go with that.
– Pam
11 hours ago




6




6




I believe it's "goes".
– BillJ
10 hours ago




I believe it's "goes".
– BillJ
10 hours ago












You can find it in the dictionary that 'go' as a singular noun has the plural form of 'goes'. I often hear this 'go' in the phrase: 'on the go'; or 'have a go' ... I almost never hear this as a plural in this context though...and since this phrase is rather informal, I wonder if our discussion will be beneficial for the improvement of English language. Be careful with the noun 'go' which means a Japanese board game of territorial possession and capture (it is a mass noun) or a street name for methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Source: en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/go
– Flonne Lightberry
10 hours ago





You can find it in the dictionary that 'go' as a singular noun has the plural form of 'goes'. I often hear this 'go' in the phrase: 'on the go'; or 'have a go' ... I almost never hear this as a plural in this context though...and since this phrase is rather informal, I wonder if our discussion will be beneficial for the improvement of English language. Be careful with the noun 'go' which means a Japanese board game of territorial possession and capture (it is a mass noun) or a street name for methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Source: en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/go
– Flonne Lightberry
10 hours ago





1




1




Goes is already established as the spelling for go + 3SgPres; since the NPlural morpheme is identical in shape to 3SgPres, goes is the plural spelling, too.
– John Lawler
9 hours ago





Goes is already established as the spelling for go + 3SgPres; since the NPlural morpheme is identical in shape to 3SgPres, goes is the plural spelling, too.
– John Lawler
9 hours ago





2




2




As the answers indicate, "goes" is correct. Still, I would use "tries", or "attempts", or "turns" instead To my ear, it sounds much better to say, 'I had many tries' rather than 'I had many goes'. Quite honestly, the latter sounds like you may be having some digestive problems.
– Michael J.
8 hours ago




As the answers indicate, "goes" is correct. Still, I would use "tries", or "attempts", or "turns" instead To my ear, it sounds much better to say, 'I had many tries' rather than 'I had many goes'. Quite honestly, the latter sounds like you may be having some digestive problems.
– Michael J.
8 hours ago










4 Answers
4






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
24
down vote













The dictionaries I've checked seem to be unanimous that the plural of the noun "go" is "goes". I didn't see one list its plural as "gos". However, I didn't check all dictionaries.



American Heritage Dictionary:

n. pl. goes



Collins Dictionary:

n, pl goes



Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

plural goes



Cambridge Dictionary:

plural goes



Random House Unabridged Dictionary (dictionary.com):

plural goes



Google NGram Viewer does not show any results for "two gos at" or "two gos at", but does when written as "goes".



A Google search shows the following results:



"two gos at" = 453 results.

"two goes at" = 19,500 results.

"three gos at" = 252 results.

"three goes at" = 20,200 results.



Note that both Google search and Ngram Viewer may show false positives, as Google search, as far as I know, doesn't take punctuation into account when giving search results, ie., full stops, commas. But I think it's safe to assume the consensus is that the plural of go (attempt or try) is "goes".



I think this is a good question, as somewhere in my head I have an instinct to write it "gos". However the answer is gotten easily by checking some dictionaries.



Also, if you wrote "I had three gos at it before giving up", I have a feeling the typical reader probably wouldn't even be surprised by it or notice it particularly as wrong. This is just my opinion. I have this feeling because the "-os"/"-oes" plural ending rules are wildly inconsistent. Potatoes, tomatoes and heroes are correct. But "photos" and "burritos" are correct. However most dictionaries seem to list either "-os" or "-oes" ending as acceptable in "ghetto" and "mosquito".



Both "mosquito" and "burrito" most likely come from Spanish, yet most dictionaries say only "mosquito" can have plural ending either "-os" or "oes", whereas they're consistent in listing "-os" for burrito plural. Same goes for "canto", "manifesto" and "grotto". These words most likely come from Italian, yet the plural of "canto" is "cantos", whereas the dictionaries say the plural of "grotto" or "manifesto" can end in either "-os" or "-oes". It's actually a tricky topic.






share|improve this answer






















  • You can find 'goes' in the WordWeb Dictionary" wordwebonline.com/search.pl?w=go
    – Flonne Lightberry
    9 hours ago






  • 2




    "I have a feeling the typical reader probably wouldn't even be surprised by it or notice it particularly as wrong." This typical British reader would. "Gos" looks like it's a singular noun pronounced "Goss" to rhyme with "boss" or "moss" (with a British English "o" sound, not the American English vowel which is closer to a long "a" than a BrE "o").
    – alephzero
    8 hours ago






  • 1




    @alephzero Yes, you're right, I hope the way I phrased it didn't come off as being a certain claim, it was just my feeling of the "typical" person. I probably exclude people who use this site as typical readers, like you. Sorry if this wasn't clear. We also have the case the of "yeses and nos/noes", where many dictionaries recognise the plural of "no" as either "nos" or "noes". The "nos" spelling I imagine would look like what you have pointed out, ie., "noss".
    – Zebrafish
    7 hours ago






  • 2




    If I read "I had three gos on Bob's bike" I would never guess that it referred to "a go". Apart from the borrowed words which have brought their native plurals along with them, nouns that end in "o" take "es" to form the plural, so it's "goes" for sure.
    – CCTO
    5 hours ago






  • 1




    The "-os"/"-oes" endings aren't all that inconsistent. The default is to include the e, but words imported from Romance languages use "-os". The increasing use of "mosquitoes" is a study in the normalization of an imported Spanish word.
    – chrylis
    5 hours ago

















up vote
3
down vote













There is an alternate construction which expresses plurality using a singular conjugation, which may be of interest. Tho slightly odd, it has a history of use, and is readily understood:




"many a go"




As in:




We've had many a go at this.



I'll have many a go.







share|improve this answer




















  • Technically, verbs are conjugated, nouns are inflected.
    – Acccumulation
    5 hours ago

















up vote
0
down vote













In most usage I have heard, I would consider the phrase "a go at it" to be non-count. In other words, it does not specify the number of tries and thus neither singular nor plural.



Though, VizJS answer does seem to be a logical plural.






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    up vote
    -2
    down vote













    Not what the OP intended...



    The noun go (a Japanese board game) has the English plural gos. Perhaps one could even say "I had a go" with this meaning.






    share|improve this answer
















    • 3




      No, you can't say 'gos' for Go which means a Japanese board game. It's a mass noun (uncountable): en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/go (example: ‘The game that does seem to me to be superior to chess, in that it has both depth and simplicity, is the Japanese game of Go.’)
      – Flonne Lightberry
      9 hours ago






    • 7




      So the plural of chess is chesses, right? "I had a chess"? I don't think so...
      – TonyK
      8 hours ago







    • 6




      I had a chess set. I played many chess games. I had a go set. I played many go games. I had many goes at go. I had many goes at chess.
      – DoverAudio
      7 hours ago






    • 1




      I've never had a chess at go though, in my entire checkered past.
      – Monty Harder
      3 hours ago






    • 1




      @MontyHarder Get a Clue, you don't have a Monopoly on Go.
      – Barmar
      2 hours ago










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    4 Answers
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    active

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    4 Answers
    4






    active

    oldest

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    up vote
    24
    down vote













    The dictionaries I've checked seem to be unanimous that the plural of the noun "go" is "goes". I didn't see one list its plural as "gos". However, I didn't check all dictionaries.



    American Heritage Dictionary:

    n. pl. goes



    Collins Dictionary:

    n, pl goes



    Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

    plural goes



    Cambridge Dictionary:

    plural goes



    Random House Unabridged Dictionary (dictionary.com):

    plural goes



    Google NGram Viewer does not show any results for "two gos at" or "two gos at", but does when written as "goes".



    A Google search shows the following results:



    "two gos at" = 453 results.

    "two goes at" = 19,500 results.

    "three gos at" = 252 results.

    "three goes at" = 20,200 results.



    Note that both Google search and Ngram Viewer may show false positives, as Google search, as far as I know, doesn't take punctuation into account when giving search results, ie., full stops, commas. But I think it's safe to assume the consensus is that the plural of go (attempt or try) is "goes".



    I think this is a good question, as somewhere in my head I have an instinct to write it "gos". However the answer is gotten easily by checking some dictionaries.



    Also, if you wrote "I had three gos at it before giving up", I have a feeling the typical reader probably wouldn't even be surprised by it or notice it particularly as wrong. This is just my opinion. I have this feeling because the "-os"/"-oes" plural ending rules are wildly inconsistent. Potatoes, tomatoes and heroes are correct. But "photos" and "burritos" are correct. However most dictionaries seem to list either "-os" or "-oes" ending as acceptable in "ghetto" and "mosquito".



    Both "mosquito" and "burrito" most likely come from Spanish, yet most dictionaries say only "mosquito" can have plural ending either "-os" or "oes", whereas they're consistent in listing "-os" for burrito plural. Same goes for "canto", "manifesto" and "grotto". These words most likely come from Italian, yet the plural of "canto" is "cantos", whereas the dictionaries say the plural of "grotto" or "manifesto" can end in either "-os" or "-oes". It's actually a tricky topic.






    share|improve this answer






















    • You can find 'goes' in the WordWeb Dictionary" wordwebonline.com/search.pl?w=go
      – Flonne Lightberry
      9 hours ago






    • 2




      "I have a feeling the typical reader probably wouldn't even be surprised by it or notice it particularly as wrong." This typical British reader would. "Gos" looks like it's a singular noun pronounced "Goss" to rhyme with "boss" or "moss" (with a British English "o" sound, not the American English vowel which is closer to a long "a" than a BrE "o").
      – alephzero
      8 hours ago






    • 1




      @alephzero Yes, you're right, I hope the way I phrased it didn't come off as being a certain claim, it was just my feeling of the "typical" person. I probably exclude people who use this site as typical readers, like you. Sorry if this wasn't clear. We also have the case the of "yeses and nos/noes", where many dictionaries recognise the plural of "no" as either "nos" or "noes". The "nos" spelling I imagine would look like what you have pointed out, ie., "noss".
      – Zebrafish
      7 hours ago






    • 2




      If I read "I had three gos on Bob's bike" I would never guess that it referred to "a go". Apart from the borrowed words which have brought their native plurals along with them, nouns that end in "o" take "es" to form the plural, so it's "goes" for sure.
      – CCTO
      5 hours ago






    • 1




      The "-os"/"-oes" endings aren't all that inconsistent. The default is to include the e, but words imported from Romance languages use "-os". The increasing use of "mosquitoes" is a study in the normalization of an imported Spanish word.
      – chrylis
      5 hours ago














    up vote
    24
    down vote













    The dictionaries I've checked seem to be unanimous that the plural of the noun "go" is "goes". I didn't see one list its plural as "gos". However, I didn't check all dictionaries.



    American Heritage Dictionary:

    n. pl. goes



    Collins Dictionary:

    n, pl goes



    Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

    plural goes



    Cambridge Dictionary:

    plural goes



    Random House Unabridged Dictionary (dictionary.com):

    plural goes



    Google NGram Viewer does not show any results for "two gos at" or "two gos at", but does when written as "goes".



    A Google search shows the following results:



    "two gos at" = 453 results.

    "two goes at" = 19,500 results.

    "three gos at" = 252 results.

    "three goes at" = 20,200 results.



    Note that both Google search and Ngram Viewer may show false positives, as Google search, as far as I know, doesn't take punctuation into account when giving search results, ie., full stops, commas. But I think it's safe to assume the consensus is that the plural of go (attempt or try) is "goes".



    I think this is a good question, as somewhere in my head I have an instinct to write it "gos". However the answer is gotten easily by checking some dictionaries.



    Also, if you wrote "I had three gos at it before giving up", I have a feeling the typical reader probably wouldn't even be surprised by it or notice it particularly as wrong. This is just my opinion. I have this feeling because the "-os"/"-oes" plural ending rules are wildly inconsistent. Potatoes, tomatoes and heroes are correct. But "photos" and "burritos" are correct. However most dictionaries seem to list either "-os" or "-oes" ending as acceptable in "ghetto" and "mosquito".



    Both "mosquito" and "burrito" most likely come from Spanish, yet most dictionaries say only "mosquito" can have plural ending either "-os" or "oes", whereas they're consistent in listing "-os" for burrito plural. Same goes for "canto", "manifesto" and "grotto". These words most likely come from Italian, yet the plural of "canto" is "cantos", whereas the dictionaries say the plural of "grotto" or "manifesto" can end in either "-os" or "-oes". It's actually a tricky topic.






    share|improve this answer






















    • You can find 'goes' in the WordWeb Dictionary" wordwebonline.com/search.pl?w=go
      – Flonne Lightberry
      9 hours ago






    • 2




      "I have a feeling the typical reader probably wouldn't even be surprised by it or notice it particularly as wrong." This typical British reader would. "Gos" looks like it's a singular noun pronounced "Goss" to rhyme with "boss" or "moss" (with a British English "o" sound, not the American English vowel which is closer to a long "a" than a BrE "o").
      – alephzero
      8 hours ago






    • 1




      @alephzero Yes, you're right, I hope the way I phrased it didn't come off as being a certain claim, it was just my feeling of the "typical" person. I probably exclude people who use this site as typical readers, like you. Sorry if this wasn't clear. We also have the case the of "yeses and nos/noes", where many dictionaries recognise the plural of "no" as either "nos" or "noes". The "nos" spelling I imagine would look like what you have pointed out, ie., "noss".
      – Zebrafish
      7 hours ago






    • 2




      If I read "I had three gos on Bob's bike" I would never guess that it referred to "a go". Apart from the borrowed words which have brought their native plurals along with them, nouns that end in "o" take "es" to form the plural, so it's "goes" for sure.
      – CCTO
      5 hours ago






    • 1




      The "-os"/"-oes" endings aren't all that inconsistent. The default is to include the e, but words imported from Romance languages use "-os". The increasing use of "mosquitoes" is a study in the normalization of an imported Spanish word.
      – chrylis
      5 hours ago












    up vote
    24
    down vote










    up vote
    24
    down vote









    The dictionaries I've checked seem to be unanimous that the plural of the noun "go" is "goes". I didn't see one list its plural as "gos". However, I didn't check all dictionaries.



    American Heritage Dictionary:

    n. pl. goes



    Collins Dictionary:

    n, pl goes



    Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

    plural goes



    Cambridge Dictionary:

    plural goes



    Random House Unabridged Dictionary (dictionary.com):

    plural goes



    Google NGram Viewer does not show any results for "two gos at" or "two gos at", but does when written as "goes".



    A Google search shows the following results:



    "two gos at" = 453 results.

    "two goes at" = 19,500 results.

    "three gos at" = 252 results.

    "three goes at" = 20,200 results.



    Note that both Google search and Ngram Viewer may show false positives, as Google search, as far as I know, doesn't take punctuation into account when giving search results, ie., full stops, commas. But I think it's safe to assume the consensus is that the plural of go (attempt or try) is "goes".



    I think this is a good question, as somewhere in my head I have an instinct to write it "gos". However the answer is gotten easily by checking some dictionaries.



    Also, if you wrote "I had three gos at it before giving up", I have a feeling the typical reader probably wouldn't even be surprised by it or notice it particularly as wrong. This is just my opinion. I have this feeling because the "-os"/"-oes" plural ending rules are wildly inconsistent. Potatoes, tomatoes and heroes are correct. But "photos" and "burritos" are correct. However most dictionaries seem to list either "-os" or "-oes" ending as acceptable in "ghetto" and "mosquito".



    Both "mosquito" and "burrito" most likely come from Spanish, yet most dictionaries say only "mosquito" can have plural ending either "-os" or "oes", whereas they're consistent in listing "-os" for burrito plural. Same goes for "canto", "manifesto" and "grotto". These words most likely come from Italian, yet the plural of "canto" is "cantos", whereas the dictionaries say the plural of "grotto" or "manifesto" can end in either "-os" or "-oes". It's actually a tricky topic.






    share|improve this answer














    The dictionaries I've checked seem to be unanimous that the plural of the noun "go" is "goes". I didn't see one list its plural as "gos". However, I didn't check all dictionaries.



    American Heritage Dictionary:

    n. pl. goes



    Collins Dictionary:

    n, pl goes



    Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

    plural goes



    Cambridge Dictionary:

    plural goes



    Random House Unabridged Dictionary (dictionary.com):

    plural goes



    Google NGram Viewer does not show any results for "two gos at" or "two gos at", but does when written as "goes".



    A Google search shows the following results:



    "two gos at" = 453 results.

    "two goes at" = 19,500 results.

    "three gos at" = 252 results.

    "three goes at" = 20,200 results.



    Note that both Google search and Ngram Viewer may show false positives, as Google search, as far as I know, doesn't take punctuation into account when giving search results, ie., full stops, commas. But I think it's safe to assume the consensus is that the plural of go (attempt or try) is "goes".



    I think this is a good question, as somewhere in my head I have an instinct to write it "gos". However the answer is gotten easily by checking some dictionaries.



    Also, if you wrote "I had three gos at it before giving up", I have a feeling the typical reader probably wouldn't even be surprised by it or notice it particularly as wrong. This is just my opinion. I have this feeling because the "-os"/"-oes" plural ending rules are wildly inconsistent. Potatoes, tomatoes and heroes are correct. But "photos" and "burritos" are correct. However most dictionaries seem to list either "-os" or "-oes" ending as acceptable in "ghetto" and "mosquito".



    Both "mosquito" and "burrito" most likely come from Spanish, yet most dictionaries say only "mosquito" can have plural ending either "-os" or "oes", whereas they're consistent in listing "-os" for burrito plural. Same goes for "canto", "manifesto" and "grotto". These words most likely come from Italian, yet the plural of "canto" is "cantos", whereas the dictionaries say the plural of "grotto" or "manifesto" can end in either "-os" or "-oes". It's actually a tricky topic.







    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited 9 hours ago

























    answered 10 hours ago









    Zebrafish

    8,31321132




    8,31321132











    • You can find 'goes' in the WordWeb Dictionary" wordwebonline.com/search.pl?w=go
      – Flonne Lightberry
      9 hours ago






    • 2




      "I have a feeling the typical reader probably wouldn't even be surprised by it or notice it particularly as wrong." This typical British reader would. "Gos" looks like it's a singular noun pronounced "Goss" to rhyme with "boss" or "moss" (with a British English "o" sound, not the American English vowel which is closer to a long "a" than a BrE "o").
      – alephzero
      8 hours ago






    • 1




      @alephzero Yes, you're right, I hope the way I phrased it didn't come off as being a certain claim, it was just my feeling of the "typical" person. I probably exclude people who use this site as typical readers, like you. Sorry if this wasn't clear. We also have the case the of "yeses and nos/noes", where many dictionaries recognise the plural of "no" as either "nos" or "noes". The "nos" spelling I imagine would look like what you have pointed out, ie., "noss".
      – Zebrafish
      7 hours ago






    • 2




      If I read "I had three gos on Bob's bike" I would never guess that it referred to "a go". Apart from the borrowed words which have brought their native plurals along with them, nouns that end in "o" take "es" to form the plural, so it's "goes" for sure.
      – CCTO
      5 hours ago






    • 1




      The "-os"/"-oes" endings aren't all that inconsistent. The default is to include the e, but words imported from Romance languages use "-os". The increasing use of "mosquitoes" is a study in the normalization of an imported Spanish word.
      – chrylis
      5 hours ago
















    • You can find 'goes' in the WordWeb Dictionary" wordwebonline.com/search.pl?w=go
      – Flonne Lightberry
      9 hours ago






    • 2




      "I have a feeling the typical reader probably wouldn't even be surprised by it or notice it particularly as wrong." This typical British reader would. "Gos" looks like it's a singular noun pronounced "Goss" to rhyme with "boss" or "moss" (with a British English "o" sound, not the American English vowel which is closer to a long "a" than a BrE "o").
      – alephzero
      8 hours ago






    • 1




      @alephzero Yes, you're right, I hope the way I phrased it didn't come off as being a certain claim, it was just my feeling of the "typical" person. I probably exclude people who use this site as typical readers, like you. Sorry if this wasn't clear. We also have the case the of "yeses and nos/noes", where many dictionaries recognise the plural of "no" as either "nos" or "noes". The "nos" spelling I imagine would look like what you have pointed out, ie., "noss".
      – Zebrafish
      7 hours ago






    • 2




      If I read "I had three gos on Bob's bike" I would never guess that it referred to "a go". Apart from the borrowed words which have brought their native plurals along with them, nouns that end in "o" take "es" to form the plural, so it's "goes" for sure.
      – CCTO
      5 hours ago






    • 1




      The "-os"/"-oes" endings aren't all that inconsistent. The default is to include the e, but words imported from Romance languages use "-os". The increasing use of "mosquitoes" is a study in the normalization of an imported Spanish word.
      – chrylis
      5 hours ago















    You can find 'goes' in the WordWeb Dictionary" wordwebonline.com/search.pl?w=go
    – Flonne Lightberry
    9 hours ago




    You can find 'goes' in the WordWeb Dictionary" wordwebonline.com/search.pl?w=go
    – Flonne Lightberry
    9 hours ago




    2




    2




    "I have a feeling the typical reader probably wouldn't even be surprised by it or notice it particularly as wrong." This typical British reader would. "Gos" looks like it's a singular noun pronounced "Goss" to rhyme with "boss" or "moss" (with a British English "o" sound, not the American English vowel which is closer to a long "a" than a BrE "o").
    – alephzero
    8 hours ago




    "I have a feeling the typical reader probably wouldn't even be surprised by it or notice it particularly as wrong." This typical British reader would. "Gos" looks like it's a singular noun pronounced "Goss" to rhyme with "boss" or "moss" (with a British English "o" sound, not the American English vowel which is closer to a long "a" than a BrE "o").
    – alephzero
    8 hours ago




    1




    1




    @alephzero Yes, you're right, I hope the way I phrased it didn't come off as being a certain claim, it was just my feeling of the "typical" person. I probably exclude people who use this site as typical readers, like you. Sorry if this wasn't clear. We also have the case the of "yeses and nos/noes", where many dictionaries recognise the plural of "no" as either "nos" or "noes". The "nos" spelling I imagine would look like what you have pointed out, ie., "noss".
    – Zebrafish
    7 hours ago




    @alephzero Yes, you're right, I hope the way I phrased it didn't come off as being a certain claim, it was just my feeling of the "typical" person. I probably exclude people who use this site as typical readers, like you. Sorry if this wasn't clear. We also have the case the of "yeses and nos/noes", where many dictionaries recognise the plural of "no" as either "nos" or "noes". The "nos" spelling I imagine would look like what you have pointed out, ie., "noss".
    – Zebrafish
    7 hours ago




    2




    2




    If I read "I had three gos on Bob's bike" I would never guess that it referred to "a go". Apart from the borrowed words which have brought their native plurals along with them, nouns that end in "o" take "es" to form the plural, so it's "goes" for sure.
    – CCTO
    5 hours ago




    If I read "I had three gos on Bob's bike" I would never guess that it referred to "a go". Apart from the borrowed words which have brought their native plurals along with them, nouns that end in "o" take "es" to form the plural, so it's "goes" for sure.
    – CCTO
    5 hours ago




    1




    1




    The "-os"/"-oes" endings aren't all that inconsistent. The default is to include the e, but words imported from Romance languages use "-os". The increasing use of "mosquitoes" is a study in the normalization of an imported Spanish word.
    – chrylis
    5 hours ago




    The "-os"/"-oes" endings aren't all that inconsistent. The default is to include the e, but words imported from Romance languages use "-os". The increasing use of "mosquitoes" is a study in the normalization of an imported Spanish word.
    – chrylis
    5 hours ago












    up vote
    3
    down vote













    There is an alternate construction which expresses plurality using a singular conjugation, which may be of interest. Tho slightly odd, it has a history of use, and is readily understood:




    "many a go"




    As in:




    We've had many a go at this.



    I'll have many a go.







    share|improve this answer




















    • Technically, verbs are conjugated, nouns are inflected.
      – Acccumulation
      5 hours ago














    up vote
    3
    down vote













    There is an alternate construction which expresses plurality using a singular conjugation, which may be of interest. Tho slightly odd, it has a history of use, and is readily understood:




    "many a go"




    As in:




    We've had many a go at this.



    I'll have many a go.







    share|improve this answer




















    • Technically, verbs are conjugated, nouns are inflected.
      – Acccumulation
      5 hours ago












    up vote
    3
    down vote










    up vote
    3
    down vote









    There is an alternate construction which expresses plurality using a singular conjugation, which may be of interest. Tho slightly odd, it has a history of use, and is readily understood:




    "many a go"




    As in:




    We've had many a go at this.



    I'll have many a go.







    share|improve this answer












    There is an alternate construction which expresses plurality using a singular conjugation, which may be of interest. Tho slightly odd, it has a history of use, and is readily understood:




    "many a go"




    As in:




    We've had many a go at this.



    I'll have many a go.








    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered 6 hours ago









    VizJS

    774




    774











    • Technically, verbs are conjugated, nouns are inflected.
      – Acccumulation
      5 hours ago
















    • Technically, verbs are conjugated, nouns are inflected.
      – Acccumulation
      5 hours ago















    Technically, verbs are conjugated, nouns are inflected.
    – Acccumulation
    5 hours ago




    Technically, verbs are conjugated, nouns are inflected.
    – Acccumulation
    5 hours ago










    up vote
    0
    down vote













    In most usage I have heard, I would consider the phrase "a go at it" to be non-count. In other words, it does not specify the number of tries and thus neither singular nor plural.



    Though, VizJS answer does seem to be a logical plural.






    share|improve this answer








    New contributor




    ravery is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.





















      up vote
      0
      down vote













      In most usage I have heard, I would consider the phrase "a go at it" to be non-count. In other words, it does not specify the number of tries and thus neither singular nor plural.



      Though, VizJS answer does seem to be a logical plural.






      share|improve this answer








      New contributor




      ravery is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.



















        up vote
        0
        down vote










        up vote
        0
        down vote









        In most usage I have heard, I would consider the phrase "a go at it" to be non-count. In other words, it does not specify the number of tries and thus neither singular nor plural.



        Though, VizJS answer does seem to be a logical plural.






        share|improve this answer








        New contributor




        ravery is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.









        In most usage I have heard, I would consider the phrase "a go at it" to be non-count. In other words, it does not specify the number of tries and thus neither singular nor plural.



        Though, VizJS answer does seem to be a logical plural.







        share|improve this answer








        New contributor




        ravery is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.









        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer






        New contributor




        ravery is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.









        answered 1 hour ago









        ravery

        1012




        1012




        New contributor




        ravery is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.





        New contributor





        ravery is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.






        ravery is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
        Check out our Code of Conduct.




















            up vote
            -2
            down vote













            Not what the OP intended...



            The noun go (a Japanese board game) has the English plural gos. Perhaps one could even say "I had a go" with this meaning.






            share|improve this answer
















            • 3




              No, you can't say 'gos' for Go which means a Japanese board game. It's a mass noun (uncountable): en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/go (example: ‘The game that does seem to me to be superior to chess, in that it has both depth and simplicity, is the Japanese game of Go.’)
              – Flonne Lightberry
              9 hours ago






            • 7




              So the plural of chess is chesses, right? "I had a chess"? I don't think so...
              – TonyK
              8 hours ago







            • 6




              I had a chess set. I played many chess games. I had a go set. I played many go games. I had many goes at go. I had many goes at chess.
              – DoverAudio
              7 hours ago






            • 1




              I've never had a chess at go though, in my entire checkered past.
              – Monty Harder
              3 hours ago






            • 1




              @MontyHarder Get a Clue, you don't have a Monopoly on Go.
              – Barmar
              2 hours ago














            up vote
            -2
            down vote













            Not what the OP intended...



            The noun go (a Japanese board game) has the English plural gos. Perhaps one could even say "I had a go" with this meaning.






            share|improve this answer
















            • 3




              No, you can't say 'gos' for Go which means a Japanese board game. It's a mass noun (uncountable): en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/go (example: ‘The game that does seem to me to be superior to chess, in that it has both depth and simplicity, is the Japanese game of Go.’)
              – Flonne Lightberry
              9 hours ago






            • 7




              So the plural of chess is chesses, right? "I had a chess"? I don't think so...
              – TonyK
              8 hours ago







            • 6




              I had a chess set. I played many chess games. I had a go set. I played many go games. I had many goes at go. I had many goes at chess.
              – DoverAudio
              7 hours ago






            • 1




              I've never had a chess at go though, in my entire checkered past.
              – Monty Harder
              3 hours ago






            • 1




              @MontyHarder Get a Clue, you don't have a Monopoly on Go.
              – Barmar
              2 hours ago












            up vote
            -2
            down vote










            up vote
            -2
            down vote









            Not what the OP intended...



            The noun go (a Japanese board game) has the English plural gos. Perhaps one could even say "I had a go" with this meaning.






            share|improve this answer












            Not what the OP intended...



            The noun go (a Japanese board game) has the English plural gos. Perhaps one could even say "I had a go" with this meaning.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered 9 hours ago









            GEdgar

            13k22043




            13k22043







            • 3




              No, you can't say 'gos' for Go which means a Japanese board game. It's a mass noun (uncountable): en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/go (example: ‘The game that does seem to me to be superior to chess, in that it has both depth and simplicity, is the Japanese game of Go.’)
              – Flonne Lightberry
              9 hours ago






            • 7




              So the plural of chess is chesses, right? "I had a chess"? I don't think so...
              – TonyK
              8 hours ago







            • 6




              I had a chess set. I played many chess games. I had a go set. I played many go games. I had many goes at go. I had many goes at chess.
              – DoverAudio
              7 hours ago






            • 1




              I've never had a chess at go though, in my entire checkered past.
              – Monty Harder
              3 hours ago






            • 1




              @MontyHarder Get a Clue, you don't have a Monopoly on Go.
              – Barmar
              2 hours ago












            • 3




              No, you can't say 'gos' for Go which means a Japanese board game. It's a mass noun (uncountable): en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/go (example: ‘The game that does seem to me to be superior to chess, in that it has both depth and simplicity, is the Japanese game of Go.’)
              – Flonne Lightberry
              9 hours ago






            • 7




              So the plural of chess is chesses, right? "I had a chess"? I don't think so...
              – TonyK
              8 hours ago







            • 6




              I had a chess set. I played many chess games. I had a go set. I played many go games. I had many goes at go. I had many goes at chess.
              – DoverAudio
              7 hours ago






            • 1




              I've never had a chess at go though, in my entire checkered past.
              – Monty Harder
              3 hours ago






            • 1




              @MontyHarder Get a Clue, you don't have a Monopoly on Go.
              – Barmar
              2 hours ago







            3




            3




            No, you can't say 'gos' for Go which means a Japanese board game. It's a mass noun (uncountable): en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/go (example: ‘The game that does seem to me to be superior to chess, in that it has both depth and simplicity, is the Japanese game of Go.’)
            – Flonne Lightberry
            9 hours ago




            No, you can't say 'gos' for Go which means a Japanese board game. It's a mass noun (uncountable): en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/go (example: ‘The game that does seem to me to be superior to chess, in that it has both depth and simplicity, is the Japanese game of Go.’)
            – Flonne Lightberry
            9 hours ago




            7




            7




            So the plural of chess is chesses, right? "I had a chess"? I don't think so...
            – TonyK
            8 hours ago





            So the plural of chess is chesses, right? "I had a chess"? I don't think so...
            – TonyK
            8 hours ago





            6




            6




            I had a chess set. I played many chess games. I had a go set. I played many go games. I had many goes at go. I had many goes at chess.
            – DoverAudio
            7 hours ago




            I had a chess set. I played many chess games. I had a go set. I played many go games. I had many goes at go. I had many goes at chess.
            – DoverAudio
            7 hours ago




            1




            1




            I've never had a chess at go though, in my entire checkered past.
            – Monty Harder
            3 hours ago




            I've never had a chess at go though, in my entire checkered past.
            – Monty Harder
            3 hours ago




            1




            1




            @MontyHarder Get a Clue, you don't have a Monopoly on Go.
            – Barmar
            2 hours ago




            @MontyHarder Get a Clue, you don't have a Monopoly on Go.
            – Barmar
            2 hours ago

















             

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