Plurals and possessives

The use of plurals and possessives can make documentation harder for users to understand. Whenever possible, use the following guidance to avoid plurals and possessives.

Don't add the letter "s" to the name of a UI element or API element. Instead, find a way to rewrite the sentence that preserves the exact name of that element.

Avoiding plurals and possessives reduces the potential for user confusion, because it preserves the exact name of the element. It is also better for localization, and makes your documentation easier to understand for non-native English speakers. In most cases, your sentence rewrite will also include more information, which makes your content clearer for all users.

For general guidance on plurals and possessives for nouns, refer to Microsoft Style Guide: Nouns and pronouns.

Plurals

The use of plurals can change a word's spelling or meaning. Don't pluralize specific names of elements in the API or in the user interface. Instead, add an extra noun to the sentence that allows you to preserve the exact name of the element.

Common relevant nouns include "component," "object," or "instance."

Incorrect	Correct
If there are multiple Rigidbodies in the scene...	If there are multiple Rigidbody components in the scene... If there are multiple instances of the Rigidbody class in the scene... If the scene contains multiple GameObjects that have a Rigidbody component...
To modify multiple PolygonCollider2Ds, do the following...	To modify multiple Polygon Collider 2D components, do the following... To modify multiple instances of the PolygonCollider2D class, do the following... To modify multiple PolygonCollider2D objects attached to different GameObjects, do the following...

note

The generic word "GameObject" is an exception. You can write this in the plural form ("GameObjects"). However, don't use a plural form if you are specifically referring to the GameObject class.

Possessives

Possessive forms of a word can make the relationship between different elements unclear. Avoid using the possessive form for the specific names of elements in the API or in the user interface. Instead, use language that makes it clear how one element relates to the other.

Incorrect	Correct
Set the light's Type.	Set the Type property of the Light component. Set the type property of the Light component.
Modify the selected GameObject's Rigidbody.	Modify the Rigidbody component on the selected GameObject.