Formulae/Formula - Which is correct

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Guest

#41382 Mon, 09 Aug 04 11:07 AM

My grammar question is this:

Which is correct:

Nine formulae buttons appear below;

OR

Nine formula buttons appear below

To contextualise, I am writing a HELP manual for a new software product.

As an aside to the moderators, I have just created a new account, but can't log in, I just get taken back to the log in screen after I have entered my password and account name - something you might want to check out!

Thanks in advance!

Guest

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Mister Micawber

#41411 Mon, 09 Aug 04 02:42 PM

The singular 'formula' is correct, because it is used as an adjective. Singular is always used for nouns as adjectives: 'a ten-minute coffee break', 'a shoe store', 'ten shoe stores'.

And should you come to need the plural noun, 'formulas' would be more appropriate for software, I believe. The Latinate 'formulae' is pretty much restricted now to mathematics and pure science, and it sounds a bit stilted elsewhere.

Mister Micawber

Joined on Wed, Aug 4 2004

Yokohama

Veteran Member (22,678)

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master-- that's all.'

Plurals, Nouns