会話・英語 アミック Person, Persons, People and peoples
2018/06/23
Person, persons, people and peoples.
Person
A person is a human man, woman, or child. It is a singular countable noun.
- There was one person at the door.
- When did you see this suspicious person?
- She’s a very interesting person. You should talk to her.
People and peoples
The plural of person is people. It refers to a group or a number of human beings. It is a plural countable noun.
- There were three people at the door.
- How many people do you know?
- The people who live here are very rich.
People can also mean nation. Peoples is the plural form of this meaning. Peoples means nations.
- The Aztecs were a people that lived in the Americas.
- The English are a strange people.
- There are many peoples living on the Earth.
- When the peoples of the Earth unite, we will have peace.
Persons
Persons is a more formal, more polite form of people. It’s a plural countable noun and is most often seen written down – such as on signs, in newspapers and in the context of the law.
- This lift can hold a maximum of 15 persons.
- The police expect to catch the persons responsible for the theft.
- My client has never seen these persons before and so he is innocent.
