Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and I have a sweatshirt that says “Hillsdale College Alumni.” I love this sweatshirt. I worked my butt off for four years to get it. But every time I see that “alumni,” I can’t help thinking that it’s not quite right.
“Alumni” is a Latin word and so the pluralization doesn’t work quite the same as it does in English. “Alumni” is plural for both or mixed genders, “alumna” is singular for a woman, and “alumnus” is singular for a man. So to have a sweatshirt that says “alumni” implies membership in a group, rather than naming me as “an alumni,” which would be totally incorrect.
This is nitpicky, but when it comes to English grammar, the details are often what makes the difference between professional writing and just pretty good writing.
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