Many people wonder which word is right. The correct plural form is simple to learn. We will give examples using passerby, passersby, and the incorrect form passerbyers.
We will review every word in each sentence, identify parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives and ensure that verbs agree with their subjects.
By the end, you will know the right word and how to use it.
Parts-of-speech analysis
Below I look at each sentence from the introduction and mark the parts of speech. I also check verbs for tense and agreement. I use simple words so it is easy to learn.
This article answers the question: passerbyers or passersby or passerby
- This — pronoun (points to the article)
- article — noun (thing that is written)
- answers — verb, present simple; subject This article is singular → answers is correct.
- the — article (definite)
- question — noun
- : — punctuation
- passerbyers — noun (incorrect form) used as example; we will explain it is wrong.
- or — conjunction (links choices)
- passersby — noun (correct plural)
- or — conjunction
- passerby — noun (singular)
Sentence structure: simple sentence with a noun and a verb. No fragment. No run-on.
Many people wonder which word is right
- Many — determiner / adjective (describes people)
- people — noun (plural)
- wonder — verb, present simple (plural subject people → wonder correct)
- which — pronoun (asks for choice)
- word — noun
- is — verb, present simple (singular subject word → is correct)
- right — adjective (describes word)
Structure: short and clear.
The correct plural form is simple to learn
- The — article
- correct — adjective (describes plural form)
- plural — adjective (describes form)
- form — noun
- is — verb, present simple (subject form singular → is correct)
- simple — adjective
- to learn — infinitive phrase (verb phrase acting as complement)
Structure: short linking verb sentence. Good.
We will show examples with passerby, passersby, and the wrong form passerbyers
- We — pronoun (plural)
- will show — future tense (auxiliary will + base verb show). Verbs follow plural subject we (future form is same for all subjects).
- examples — noun (plural)
- with — preposition
- passerby — noun (singular)
- , — punctuation
- passersby — noun (plural)
- , — punctuation
- and — conjunction
- the — article
- wrong — adjective
- form — noun
- passerbyers — noun (incorrect)
Structure: compound object list; verbs are correct.
We will check all the words in each sentence
- We — pronoun
- will check — future tense (we will check; correct)
- all — adjective / determiner
- the — article
- words — noun (plural)
- in — preposition
- each — determiner / adjective
- sentence — noun (singular)
Verb tense: future — fine.
We will name parts of speech like nouns, verbs, and adjectives
- We — pronoun
- will name — future verb phrase
- parts — noun (plural)
- of — preposition
- speech — noun
- like — preposition
- nouns — noun (plural)
- , — punctuation
- verbs — noun (plural)
- , — punctuation
- and — conjunction
- adjectives — noun (plural)
Good structure and verb use.
We will make sure the verbs match their subjects
- We — pronoun
- will make sure — future verb phrase
- the — article
- verbs — noun (plural)
- match — verb (as part of infinitive phrase; correct)
- their — possessive pronoun (refers to subjects)
- subjects — noun (plural)
Grammar: clear.
By the end, you will know the right word and how to use it
- By — preposition
- the — article
- end — noun
- , — punctuation
- you — pronoun
- will know — future tense (correct)
- the — article
- right — adjective
- word — noun
- and — conjunction
- how — adverb / conjunction (introduces a clause)
- to use — infinitive verb
- it — pronoun (refers to word)
Structure: Complete and correct.
Key point — which form is correct?
- passerby — This is the singular noun. It means one person who walks by. Example: A passerby saw the dog.
- Parts of speech in example: A (article), passerby (noun, singular), saw (verb, past simple), the (article), dog (noun).
- Verb check: saw is past tense and matches the subject A passerby (singular) — correct.
- passersby — This is the correct plural form. It means more than one person who walk by. Example: Passersby waved to the little girl.
- Parts of speech: Passersby (noun, plural), waved (verb, past), to (preposition), the (article), little (adjective), girl (noun).
- Verb check: waved (past) is fine for plural subject Passersby (past tense works for any number).
- passerbyers — This is not correct in standard English. People sometimes say it by mistake. The right plural is passersby.
Why? The noun passerby is a compound of passer + by. The plural goes on passer (the main noun), so passersby is right. Many compound nouns with -by form plurals this way (e.g., mother-in-law → mothers-in-law). We follow the same rule.
Simple examples and POS analysis (short sentences)
I give many short examples. Each example has parts-of-speech tags and a quick verb check. This helps you see correct forms.
- One passerby helped.
- One (determiner), passerby (noun, singular), helped (verb, past).
- Verb check: helped is past and fine.
- Two passersby smiled.
- Two (number), passersby (noun, plural), smiled (verb, past).
- Verb check: smiled is fine.
- Many passersby stopped to look.
- Many (adjective/determiner), passersby (noun, plural), stopped (verb, past), to (infinitive marker), look (verb).
- Verb check: stopped matches plural subject; past tense used — fine.
- A passerby is calling for help.
- A (article), passerby (noun, singular), is calling (present progressive), for (preposition), help (noun).
- Verb check: is calling matches singular passerby.
- Passersby are standing on the corner.
- Passersby (noun, plural), are standing (present progressive), on (preposition), the (article), corner (noun).
- Verb check: are standing agrees with plural subject.
These small sentences are good to practice. They are short and clear. No fragments, no run-ons.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Many mistakes come from adding -s to the end of the whole compound (making passerbyers). Here are common errors and fixes.
I saw many passerbyers.
- Fix: I saw many passersby.
- Why: Put plural marker on passer part: passersby.
She is one passersby.
- Fix: She is a passerby.
- Why: Use singular passerby for one person.
Passerby were helping.
- Fix: Passersby were helping. or A passerby was helping.
- Why: Match plural noun with plural verb were; match singular with was.
Passerby is coming.
- Fix: A passerby is coming. or Passersby are coming.
- Why: Add article for singular or change noun to plural and verb to are.
When you check your sentence, do this: find the subject (the person or thing), find the verb, and make sure they agree in number (singular vs plural). Use simple words. This will stop many mistakes.
American vs British English — same rule, small style notes
Both American and British English use passersby as the plural. The grammar rule is the same. But you may see slight style differences in speech or writing.
- Americans and Brits both say passersby.
- Example (American): Passersby watched the parade.
- Example (British): Passersby watched the parade.
- POS and verb check are the same.
- Informal speech may shorten or change words, but the correct plural stays passersby. In very casual talks, people may use wrong forms by mistake. Good writing uses the correct form.
Idiomatic expressions and related words
Sometimes passerby appears in idioms or set phrases. Here are a few related words and notes.
- passerby — single person who passes by.
- passersby — more than one person passing by.
- onlooker — a person who watches. A synonym.
- bystander — a person nearby who watches or is present. Synonym.
- crowd of passersby — phrase that uses the correct plural in context.
Example: A crowd of passersby gathered.
- A (article), crowd (noun), of (preposition), passersby (noun, plural), gathered (verb, past).
- Verb check: gathered works with crowd (singular) or you could write A crowd of passersby were gathered, but typical usage is A crowd of passersby gathered.
Practical tips — how to remember the correct plural
- Find the head noun. In passerby, the head noun is passer. Put the s on passer: passersby.
- Think of mother-in-law → mothers-in-law. The s goes on the main noun.
- Try small sentences. Use one idea per sentence. Check subject and verb. Example: Passersby laughed. Clear.
- Read aloud. Say the sentence. Passersby sounds right. Passerbyers sounds odd.
- Use synonyms if stuck. If you forget, use bystanders or onlookers. These are simple plurals: bystanders.
- Write and check. After you write, find the noun and change it to plural. Then check the verb. This makes your sentence correct.
Exercises you can do (easy practice)
Try these short activities. Each has a correct answer and a parts-of-speech check.
- Change to plural: A passerby waved. → Many passersby waved.
- A (article), passerby (noun, singular) → Many (determiner), passersby (noun, plural), waved (verb, past).
- Fill the blank: Two _____ stopped to help. → Two passersby stopped to help.
- Two (number), passersby (noun, plural), stopped (verb, past).
- Find the error: She saw several passerby. → Error: passerby should be plural. Fix: She saw several passersby.
- She (pronoun), saw (verb, past), several (determiner), passersby (noun, plural).
- Make a sentence: Use passerby in present tense. Example: A passerby helps the lost child.
- A (article), passerby (noun), helps (verb, present), the (article), lost (adjective), child (noun).
Check verbs: helps matches singular a passerby.
Rewrite — improve clarity, grammar, and style (simple words, polished)
Now I rewrite key points in short, clear lines. This keeps the grade 2–3 level and tightens wording.
- Word to use for one person: passerby.
- Example: A passerby smiled.
- Word to use for many people: passersby.
- Example: Passersby clapped.
- Wrong form: passerbyers. Do not use this.
- If you see it, change to passersby.
- To check your sentence: find the noun and the verb. Make them match. If the noun is one person, the verb is is, was, or ends with s in present (helps). If the noun is many people, the verb is are, were, or no s in present (help).
Short examples with checks:
- A passerby helps the bird.
- A (article), passerby (noun, singular), helps (verb, present), the bird (noun). helps matches singular.
- Passersby help the family.
- Passersby (noun, plural), help (verb, present), the family (noun). help matches plural.
Conclusion
Use passerby for one person. Use passersby for more than one person. Do not use passerbyers. Check your sentence: find the subject and the verb, and make sure they agree. If you are not sure, say bystanders or onlookers. These words are easy and make sense.
FAQs
- Q: Is passerby singular or plural? A: Passerby is singular. It means one person who walks by.
- Q: Is passersby correct? A: Yes. Passersby is the correct plural.
- Q: Is passerbyers a real word? A: No. Passerbyers is not correct in standard English.
- Q: How do I make mother-in-law plural? A: You say mothers-in-law. Put s on the main noun.
- Q: Which verb goes with passersby? A: Use plural verbs. Example: Passersby were watching.
- Q: Which verb goes with passerby? A: Use singular verbs. Example: A passerby is walking.
- Q: Can I say many passerby? A: No. You must say many passersby.
- Q: What if I forget the right word? A: Use bystanders or onlookers. These are easy.
- Q: Why is the plural not passerbies? A: Because the word is passerby. The plural puts s on passer: passersby.
- Q: What is a quick check for correctness? A: Say the sentence aloud. If it sounds odd, change to passersby or a synonym.
