No Plurals in Parentheses

This rule checks for and flags instances where writers use (s) to indicate optional plurals in text, such as "file(s)" or "process(es)". This style of indicating plurals is discouraged because it can make text harder to read and introduces unnecessary complexity. Instead of using parenthetical plurals, writers should either pick the singular or plural form, or rephrase the sentence to be clearer.

The rule follows Google's developer documentation style guide, which explicitly recommends against this practice to maintain clarity and readability in technical documentation.

Examples:

What it flags:

  • "file(s)" ❌
  • "process(s)" ❌
  • "customer(s)" ❌

Better alternatives:

  • "files" or "file" ✅
  • "one or more files" ✅
  • "processes" or "process" ✅
  • "each customer" ✅

Rule Source

This rule comes from: https://github.com/jump-dev/JuMP.jl

Rule Definition

extends: existence
message: "Don't use plurals in parentheses such as in '%s'."
link: 'https://developers.google.com/style/plurals-parentheses'
level: error
nonword: true
action:
  name: edit
  params:
    - remove
    - '(s)'
tokens:
  - '\b\w+\(s\)'