what is plural for homework

bottom_desktop desktop:[300x250]

	go
Word Tools Finders & Helpers Apps More Synonyms Copyright WordHippo © 2024 More from M-W To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In Definition of homework Examples of homework in a sentence. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homework.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples. Word History 1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Dictionary Entries Near homework Cite this entry. “Homework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homework. Accessed 10 Sep. 2024. Kids Definition Kids definition of homework, more from merriam-webster on homework. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for homework Nglish: Translation of homework for Spanish Speakers Britannica English: Translation of homework for Arabic Speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about homework Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Can you solve 4 words at once? Word of the day. See Definitions and Examples » Get Word of the Day daily email! Popular in Grammar & Usage Plural and possessive names: a guide, 31 useful rhetorical devices, more commonly misspelled words, absent letters that are heard anyway, how to use accents and diacritical marks, popular in wordplay, 8 words for lesser-known musical instruments, it's a scorcher words for the summer heat, 7 shakespearean insults to make life more interesting, 10 words from taylor swift songs (merriam's version), 9 superb owl words, games & quizzes. Stack Exchange Network Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Q&A for work Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Is "homework" countable? I was wondering if "homework" is countable? I remember it is an uncountable noun when I learned English in middle school. Suppose now I would like to ask my teacher to hand back my graded "homeworks" of last three times. How shall I ask him? uncountable-nouns countable-nouns 4 Answers 4 "Homework" is uncountable since it is treated as a general meaning not a particular item, like "work", "money" etc. In your case, use "assignment" instead. May I have my last three graded assignments back please? Both 'work' and 'money' are countified and have well-documented plural forms. 'Homeworks' has not got the same pedigree, though some dictionaries license it with caveats. –  Edwin Ashworth Commented Jun 22, 2019 at 18:44 While I've seen the word homeworks used, I've never seen anything legitimate to indicate that it's correct. In any case, you can use the term homework assignments to refer to multiple homework items. That's a fairly common term, at least in American English. Thanks! But I don't ask my teacher for assignments, but my homework that I have worked out and handed to my teacher, and the homework is from last three times. How shall I ask him? –  Tim Commented May 22, 2011 at 1:39 1 @Tim: In American English, assignments is used for what you describe. In British English, homeworks is at least marginally acceptable — we used it at at least one school I went to, although I do remember it feeling awkward/slangy to me at first. –  PLL Commented May 22, 2011 at 8:10 What I’ve seen to indicate it is correct is its frequent use by native speakers –  Casey Commented Nov 20, 2021 at 22:37 Traditionally, it is not countable, and most dictionaries list it as such. However, the Merriam-Webster thesaurus (although not the Merriam-Webster dictionary) does have an entry for homeworks . Moreover, the plural form is used by at least some groups of educated native speakers. One's best bet is to try to find out if one's audience belongs to a group that tends to use homeworks . If yes, then go ahead and use that word yourself. If not, rephrase as homework assignments or something similar. Merriam-Webster Thesaurus Notice that the Merriam-Webster thesaurus has the following entry : homeworks noun plural of homework Synonyms of homeworks as in schoolwork Synonyms & Near Synonyms for homeworks schoolwork assignments, lessons, reading lectures drills, exercises, practices (also practises ) études, studies (Interestingly, the Merriam-Webster dictionary entry does not give a plural form for homework .) Examples of usage by educated native speakers Such examples are not hard to find at all. For instance, American professors of linguistics, physics, and mathematics, at least, use the word homeworks quite frequently. All of the examples below are from native speakers, as best as I can tell. Here are five examples from linguistics professors: Final grades will be calculated as follows: 30% for homeworks, 20% for the midterm, … Penny Eckert and Ivan A. Sag , Linguistics 1: Introduction to Linguistics (Syllabus), 2011, here . Late assignments are not accepted, but your two lowest-scoring homeworks will be dropped. Adam Jardine , Introduction to Linguistic Theory (Honors) (Syllabus), 2018, here . Homeworks are due at the beginning of class on the days indicated. Emily M. Bender, Linguistics 461: Introduction to Syntax (Syllabus), here . If turned in ​complete​, the homeworks will be graded 8 (well below average), 9 (average), or 10 (well above average​); but 0 if not done. Anthony C. Woodbury, Linguistics 306: Introduction to the study of language (Syllabus), here . Homeworks: 25% (lowest score dropped) Dani Byrd and Toby Mintz , Ling 275: Language & Mind (Syllabus), 2006, here . Here are five examples from physics professors: Some homeworks are 'secret' assessment exercises: General GRE, Praxis and Major Field Tests Richard Robinett, Penn State Physics Undergraduate Program Better Practices, 2010, p. 12 here . Homeworks are like sports practice Tom Moore , Teaching General Relativity with Tensors, 2006, here . These concepts can be introduced to students through labs, homeworks, and discussion questions. Brianna Billingsley and Cory Christenson, Incorporating Non-Western Contributions Into the Intro Physics Curriculum, 2019, here . With their flexible design, PhET sims are used in many ways—as demos, homeworks, or inexpensive, accessible lab alternatives—and getting started is easy with our database of over 500 activities. Katherine K. Perkins, Teaching Physics with PhET Simulations: Engaging Students and Increasing Learning (Abstract) 2012, p. 58 here . In this talk, we will outline the reforms—including consensus learning goals, “clicker” questions, tutorials, modified homeworks, and more—and present evidence of the effectiveness of these reforms relative to traditional courses. Katherine K. Perkins, Steven Pollock, Stephanie Chasteen, Steve Goldhaber, Rachel Pepper, Michael Dubson, and Paul Beale, Colorado's Transformed Upper-Division E&M and QM courses: Description and Results (Abstract) 2010, p. 119 here . And here are five examples from mathematics professors: Homeworks 1-3 David Blecher, here . There will be two midterm exams, weekly homeworks, and a final exam. Scott Sutherland, MAT 141: Honors Calculus 1 (syllabus), 2012, here . MIT 3.016 Homeworks W. Craig Carter, Mathematics for Materials Science and Engineers, MIT 3.016 (syllabus), 2011, (here) . Click on the link 'Problem Sets and Solutions'; you will reach this page , which is where the word homeworks appears (in the page heading). Homeworks (41/42 Track); Homeworks (51 Track) Andrew Schultz, SSEA 2006: Mathematics Track, 2006, here . All homeworks, except the first one, are due on Thursday at 3:30pm Mike Clancy and David Wagner, CS 70, Spring 2005: Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science, 2005, here . In searching for examples, I also saw examples of similar usage by professors of comparative literature , philosophy, computer science, chemistry, and sociology. Even Wiktionary fails to concede the plural form as a possibility, but this is doubtless an ongoing countification (and 10 years is a substantial time for the evolution to progress). –  Edwin Ashworth Commented Nov 20, 2021 at 16:42 American professors of physics and mathematics, at least, use the word homeworks... I wonder if I should take seriously pronouncements on quantum physics by English professors... –  Greybeard Commented Nov 20, 2021 at 18:18 @EdwinAshworth I just looked at Wiktionary , and it says 'usually uncountable, plural homeworks '. The edit that added that note was on 5 October 2015‎. So indeed, things change in ten years! –  linguisticturn Commented Nov 21, 2021 at 17:18 Whoops, I had SimpleWiktionary , which I didn't know existed. Obviously homeworks is harder. –  Edwin Ashworth Commented Nov 21, 2021 at 17:53 @Greybeard Apologies if your comment was meant as a joke, but if it wasn't (and for the benefit of those who don't take it as a joke), the answer is, no you shouldn't. And indeed, conversely, if physics or math professors were to start making 'pronouncements' about whether a particular word is acceptable English, you shouldn't take that seriously, either. But that's not what's going on in my answer. My answer simply points out that there is a U.S.-wide, loosely connected group of educated native speakers who rather frequently and unselfconsciously use homeworks in day-to-day life. –  linguisticturn Commented Nov 21, 2021 at 18:38 Ask for "items" or "pieces" of homework. Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged nouns uncountable-nouns countable-nouns or ask your own question . Featured on Meta Join Stack Overflow’s CEO and me for the first Stack IRL Community Event in... Bringing clarity to status tag usage on meta sites Hot Network Questions What's the best format or way to generate a short-lived access token? How does registration work in a modern accordion? Why do "modern" languages not provide argv and exit code in main? Coloring a 4×4 Grid Movie / episode where a spaceplane is stuck in orbit Does plan guide consider spaces or not? Advice how to prevent sin Switching x-axis and z-axis To appear instead of each other Getting lost on a Circular Track Did Queen (or Freddie Mercury) really not like Star Wars? Thread-safe write-efficient register method for load balancer Pólya trees counted efficiently How long should a wooden construct burn (and continue to take damage) until it burns out (and stops doing damage) Model reduction in linear regression by stepwise elimination of predictors with "non-significant" coefficients Inspector tells me that the electrician should have removed green screw from the panel Convert double rocker switch into single digital timer - how to make this work Is the white man at the other side of the Joliba river a historically identifiable person? Flats on gravel with GP5000 - what am I doing wrong? Mistake on car insurance policy about use of car (commuting/social) Is there a Christian denomination that teaches that God cannot heal? Overstaying knowing I have a new Schengen visa How much technological progress could a group of modern people make in a century? Electromagnetic Eigenvalue problem in FEM yielding spurious solutions Can the planet Neptune be seen from Earth with binoculars? 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3.1 Usage notes 1.3.2 Hypernyms 1.3.3 Coordinate terms 1.3.4 Derived terms 1.3.5 Translations 1.4 See also 1.5 References 1.6 Anagrams From home +‎ work . Pronunciation ( Received Pronunciation ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk/ ( General American ) IPA ( key ) : /ˈhoʊmˌwɝk/ Audio ( ): ( ) homework ( usually uncountable , plural homeworks ) 2013 July 1, Peter Wilby , “Finland's education ambassador spreads the word”, in The Guardian ‎ [1] , archived from the original on 2022-10-15 : Even 15-year-olds do no more than 30 minutes' homework a night. 2023 January 12, Kevin Roose, “Don't Ban ChatGPT in Schools. Teach With It.”, in The New York Times ‎ [2] , archived from the original on 2023-01-17 : And I'm sympathetic to teachers who feel that they have enough to worry about, without adding A.I.-generated homework to the mix. 2024 May 15, 'Industry Insider', “Labour's plan for the railway”, in RAIL , number 1009 , page 68 : Under the proposals, an assurance is given that GBR (in the words of the plan) will not be marking its own homework . 2012 April 10, John Hudson, “North Korea Has a Clumsy Way of Soothing Concerns About Its Rocket Launch”, in The Atlantic ‎ [3] , archived from the original on 2022-01-22 : Since the whole world is watching this launch, they probably should've done some homework on their talking points. 2017 May 9, “Mindful sex is better sex, says B.C. researcher promoting new workbook”, in CBC News ‎ [4] , archived from the original on 2022-11-22 : Four years after her first sexual health book came out, Dr. Lori Brotto is giving her readers a little bit of homework for the bedroom. 2022 July 18, Donald Mcrae , quoting Michael Yormark, “Roc Nation's Michael Yormark on Romelu Lukaku: 'You have to play to his strengths... I don't think that happened'”, in The Guardian ‎ [5] , archived from the original on 2022-12-26 : I didn't even know who he was until I did my homework and realised he was a premier footballer for Bayern. 2023 August 7, Suzanne Wrack , “England beat Nigeria on penalties to reach Women’s World Cup quarter-finals”, in The Guardian ‎ [6] : Nigeria had done their homework and were well organised. Halimatu Ayinde was exceptional in her marking of James, who had scored twice and provided three assists as she ran the show against China. 1989 , Eileen Boris, Cynthia R. Daniels, Homework: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Paid Labor at Home , University of Illinois Press , →ISBN , page 241 : Hatch perceived homework to be one tool—along with various workfare schemes and private sector training programs—that would take women off welfare and make poor women "independent." 1933 , James T. Farrell , Gas-House McGinty , page 186 : My wife and I want a kid, and we do plenty of homework , but goddamn it, Dutch, I just can't connect. ( BDSM ) Tasks assigned by a dominant for a submissive to perform when they are physically away from their dominant or otherwise free. Usage notes ( exercises assigned by a teacher ) The term homework generally implies that the work is mandatory and worth marks; exercises that are optional are usually referred to as practice problems , review problems , extra practice , exercises , etc. ( exercises assigned by a teacher ) Work of a larger scale than homework (which involves a series of relatively simple exercises) is usually referred to as an assignment or project . Coordinate terms Derived terms. bit of homework do one's homework homework club homework diary piece of homework the dog ate my homework Translations       (wājib),   (wājib manziliyy) (wājib) (tnayin ašxatankʻ),   (das) (öygə eş)   (xátnjaje zadánnje),   (xátnjaja práca)   (domášna rábota)   (imca)       ／ (gung fo ) ／   (zuòyè), ／   (jiātíng zuòyè), ／   (gōngkè)       ,     ,     ,           ,           (sašinao davaleba)       (ergasía gia to spíti) ,   (gŕhakārya)           ,         (しゅくだい, shukudai) (üi tapsyrmasy)   (sukje) (üy tapşırması) (wīak bān)         (domašna rabota),   (domašna zadača) , (geriin daalgavar)   or ,   or   (mašq), (kâr dar xâne), (taklif-e madrese), (kâr-e xânagi) (Dari)     ,       , , ,           (domášneje zadánije),     (domášnjaja rabóta),     (domáška) (colloquial)     ,     ,   ,           (Argentina, Spain, Uruguay),     (Latin America)     ,     ,     (vazifa-yi xonagi), (kor-i xonagi)   (gaan-bâan)   ,   (domášnje zavdánnja),   (domášnja robóta)   (sabaq) (tapshuruq) ,   ,     (heymarbet)     (yánjiū), ／ (zhǔnbèi gōngzuò)       ,             (podgotovítelʹnaja rabóta),     (isslédovanije)         English compound terms English 2-syllable words English terms with IPA pronunciation English terms with audio links English lemmas English nouns English uncountable nouns English countable nouns English terms with usage examples English terms with quotations English terms with rare senses English slang English euphemisms English endocentric compounds en:Education Pages with 1 entry Terms with Afrikaans translations Terms with Albanian translations Terms with Arabic translations Terms with Gulf Arabic translations Terms with Armenian translations Terms with Azerbaijani translations Terms with Bashkir translations Terms with Basque translations Terms with Belarusian translations Terms with Bulgarian translations Terms with Burmese translations Terms with Catalan translations Terms with Cantonese translations Terms with Mandarin translations Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations Terms with Cornish translations Terms with Czech translations Terms with Danish translations Terms with Dutch translations Terms with Esperanto translations Terms with Faroese translations Terms with Finnish translations Terms with French translations Terms with Georgian translations Terms with German translations Terms with Greek translations Terms with Haitian Creole translations Terms with Hebrew translations Hindi terms with non-redundant manual transliterations Terms with Hindi translations Terms with Hungarian translations Terms with Icelandic translations Terms with Indonesian translations Terms with Irish translations Terms with Italian translations Terms with Japanese translations Terms with Kazakh translations Terms with Korean translations Terms with Kyrgyz translations Terms with Lao translations Terms with Latin translations Terms with Lithuanian translations Terms with Macedonian translations Terms with Malay translations Terms with Maltese translations Terms with Maori translations Terms with Mongolian translations Terms with Navajo translations Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations Terms with Persian translations Terms with Polish translations Terms with Portuguese translations Terms with Romanian translations Terms with Russian translations Terms with Scottish Gaelic translations Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations Terms with Slovak translations Terms with Slovene translations Terms with Spanish translations Terms with Swedish translations Terms with Tagalog translations Terms with Tajik translations Terms with Thai translations Terms with Turkish translations Terms with Ukrainian translations Urdu terms with redundant transliterations Terms with Urdu translations Terms with Uyghur translations Terms with Uzbek translations Terms with Vietnamese translations Terms with Welsh translations Terms with Yiddish translations Navigation menu Dictionaries home American English Collocations German-English Grammar home Practical English Usage Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta) Word Lists home My Word Lists Recent additions Resources home Text Checker Definition of homework noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary acquire/get/lack experience/training/(an) education receive/provide somebody with training develop/design/plan a curriculum/course/program/syllabus give/go to/attend a class/lesson/lecture/seminar hold/run/conduct a class/seminar/workshop moderate/lead/facilitate a discussion sign up for/take a course/classes/lessons go to/start preschool/kindergarten/nursery school be in the first, second, etc. grade (at school) study/take/drop history/chemistry/German, etc. finish/drop out of/quit school graduate from high school/college be the victim/target of bullying/teasing skip/cut/ ( informal ) ditch class/school cheat on an exam/a test get/be given a detention (for doing something) be expelled from/be suspended from school do your homework/a project on something work on/write/do/submit an essay/a dissertation/a thesis/an assignment/a paper finish/complete your dissertation/thesis/studies hand in/turn in your homework/essay/assignment/paper study/prepare/review/ ( informal ) cram for a test/an exam take/ ( formal ) sit for a test/an exam grade homework/a test do well on/ ( informal ) ace a test/an exam pass/fail/ ( informal ) flunk a test/an exam/a class/a course/a subject apply to/get into/go to/start college leave/graduate from college (with a degree in computer science)/law school study for/work towards a law degree/a degree in physics major/minor in biology/philosophy earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a master's degree/a bachelor's degree/a Ph.D. in economics Want to learn more? Find out which words work together and produce more natural-sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
1750	0.0054
1760	0.0036
1770	0.0017
1780	0
1790	0.0002
1800	0.0015
1810	0.0016
1820	0.0016
1830	0.0005
1840	0.0017
1850	0.0024
1860	0.0048
1870	0.0053
1880	0.0079
1890	0.02
1900	0.052
1910	0.098
1920	0.29
1930	0.53
1940	0.91
1950	1.3
1960	1.7
1970	2.6
1980	3.8
1990	5.3
2000	6.2
2010	6.6

How is the noun homework pronounced?

British english, u.s. english, where does the noun homework come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun homework is in the mid 1600s.

OED's earliest evidence for homework is from 1653, in the writing of Edmund Chillenden, parliamentarian army officer and General Baptist leader.

homework is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: home n. 1 , work n.

Nearby entries

• homeward-bounder, n. 1837–
• homeward-bound pennant, n. 1853–
• homewardly, adv. 1797–
• homewards, adv. & adj. Old English–
• homeware, n. 1782–
• home waters, n. 1838–
• home wear, n. 1836–
• home-whining, n. a1657
• home wind, n. 1732–
• home-woe, n. 1838–
• homework, n. 1653–
• homework club, n. 1900–
• homework diary, n. 1973–
• homeworker, n. 1843–
• homeworking, n. 1844–
• home-working, adj. 1850–
• home worship, n. 1849–
• homewort, n. Old English–
• home-wreck, n. 1845–
• home-wrecker, n. 1878–
• home-wrecking, n. 1878–

Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary

To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.

Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for homework, n..

homework, n. was revised in September 2011.

homework, n. was last modified in June 2024.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

• further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into homework, n. in June 2024.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

A Supplement to the New English Dictionary (1933)

• Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

• View homework in OED Second Edition

Please submit your feedback for homework, n.

Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose.

Citation details

Factsheet for homework, n., browse entry.

What is the plural form of homework?

Homework is a mass noun and uses singular verbs. There is no plural.

To express a plural, you could use a number or similar adjective, such as "piece."

- One piece of homework

- Two pieces of homework

Add your answer:

Top Categories

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

What's the correct unit for homework?

Consider the case when a teacher has thirty students in the class. The noun "homework" is uncountable so he cannot say "I have thirty homeworks to grade every week." My question is that if there is any unit of homework so that the sentence "I have thirty (units) of homework to grade every week" can be valid?

• After reading the replies, I think I should make the situation more clear. I myself am a math TA. What our students need to do for homework is usually about ten exercises from the textbook. I feel if I ask another TA how much homework he needs to grade, the usual reply will be like, "I have two sections, fifteen students each, and we have one assignment every week." Since the amount of exercises is usually the same, we don't really care about it. The amount of homework to grade mainly depends on how many students we have. But I always feel this kind of reply to be very indirect. So my precisely question is if there is any way to reply the question "how much homework do you need to grade?" by saying "I need to grade thirty (units) homework every week."
• Based on what I see from the replies, I have the impression that different countries have different answers for this question. Is this true? I'm on the west coast of the US so the way in which people there answer this question is what I care about the most. But I'm still interested in knowing the difference.
• uncountable-nouns

• 7 But, Chris, you'd need to tell us what unit is important. What did you count to reach thirty? Was it questions, exercises, assignments, workbooks? Was it students or classes? Until you tell us, we don't know. –  Gary Botnovcan Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 15:21

9 Answers 9

In your example, you could use pieces , as in I have thirty pieces of homework to grade every week .

piece noun [ C ] (THING) a single object of a particular type: a piece of furniture/clothing/equipment a piece of paper (= a whole sheet) a piece of china (= an object made of china) a piece of information/advice (Cambridge Dictionary)

However, that doesn't seem particularly idiomatic to me. You could use assignments , as in homework assignments :

assignment noun [ C/U ] us ​ /əˈsɑɪn·mənt/ a particular job or responsibility given to you: [C] The homework assignment was to read Chapter 2 in our history book. (Cambridge Dictionary)

However, in my experience, it's more common to use the type of assignment instead of homework . I think the most broad term is assignment , but you could be more specific: I have 30 ______ to grade every week.

• assignments

I was very briefly a grader (or, "reader") in a related field. I can't remember exactly how I talked about it, but if someone asked me, "How much homework do you need to grade?", I would probably reply

I need to grade thirty [assignments] every week.

You could also say sets (as others have mentioned), or even submissions (more generic). I'm thinking maybe even "papers", but that's usually used with reports or essay-like works.

I don't think I would have responded in the form you supplied, "I need to grade thirty (units) homework every week." But, that's just my personal feeling of it. You can still use pieces , as mentioned earlier. It may or may not sound slightly strange to the listener, but you will be understood.

To my surprise, BrE users are reporting that pieces of homework is idiomatic to them. I did a little Ngram search , and it appears that the phrase is more common in BrE.

I'm from the West Coast (US).

• 2 I always preferred "piece of homework", so +1 –  SovereignSun Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 9:19
• 4 Pieces was the first word I thought of. (brit here) –  WendyG Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 10:56
• 2 I've often heard " homework for 30 students ", or " papers ", as in " I have 30 papers to grade this weekend ". –  Todd Wilcox Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 13:58
• 8 "Assignment" strikes me as more likely American. I don't think we ever referred to pieces of homework as "assignments" in secondary school here in Britain. Maybe my school was just weird though, it's hard to tell with this sort of thing! –  Muzer Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 14:27
• 2 Pieces of homework sounds perfectly idiomatic to me (from UK) –  Ben Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 13:08

You are given homework assignments :

[Merriam-Webster] 2 b : a specified task or amount of work assigned or undertaken as if assigned by authority • a homework assignment The students were given a homework assignment .

• @Richard The way I see it, this definition is not so precise and clear too! What about: "a piece of work that a student is asked to do" (Quoted from here , definition number 2) –  a.RR Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 14:14
• 5 If the teacher were marking 30 assignments, I'd see that as 30 sets of different homework, not 30 submissions for the same assignment. –  Lightness Races in Orbit Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 15:16
• Agreed; one assignment to 30 students would produce (up to) 30 submissions to grade. –  chepner Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 18:19
• In Toronto, especially in high school, we always got homework assignments. They weren't called anything else. –  Jason Bassford Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 20:30
• 1 Hmm everyone I knew when I TA'd in the US would more than happily use "homeworks". Not sure if they would write since I've never had occasion to need that but in casual speech it seems completely acceptable. I wonder how many would have actually reported it as ungrammatical. –  DRF Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 13:45

You pick a different noun that is more flexible yet appropriate.

I have thirty reports to grade. I have thirty assignments to mark.

• 2 Also problem sets or essays. –  user3067860 Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 13:29

You're asking about the teacher's workload in evaluating the homework that has been returned.

I think the word 'sets' is what you're looking for.

I have 30 sets of math homework to grade, and I still have 8 sets of geography homework from yesterday that I'm not done with.

set (MW, noun definition 2)

a number of things of the same kind that belong or are used together

The dictionaries don't seem to have caught up yet but, as somebody who regularly sets and marks homework in a university in the UK, I would quite happily refer to "marking 30 homeworks". A comment on another answer says that this is also used in the US.

So, at least for informal use, I think it's fine to use homework as a countable noun and pluralize it. If you wanted to be more formal, I'd go with my usual cowardly solution of rewording to avoid the problem: "I have to grade 30 students' homework" or "I have to grade homework for 30 students."

• 1 I agree, but interestingly, if I were a student and had a math assignment, a history assignment, and an English assignment, I'd never say "I have three homeworks to do." –  thumbtackthief Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 21:21

I suggest you use the word exercise . It's one of the most frequently used words in this meaning(=homework) & it's countable too.

Well, there are other simple ways:

For homework , you're going to finish thirty exercises every week.

In other words:

Do Exercises 3, 4, 5 etc on pages 51, 52, 53 etc for homework .

If you are student you can say:

My science teacher always sets a lot of homework. The teacher told us to do thirty exercises for homework.

If you are teacher you can also say:

For homework I want you to do thirty exercises.

• 1 But if you set thirty exercises as homework then one 'unit' of homework would be thirty exercises, so 'exercise' isn't the unit for 'the homework received from one pupil'. –  Pete Kirkham Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 15:01
• @PeteKirkham All in all, " One exercise " can be a " Piece of homework " or " A part of assignment " . So I definitely disagree with you. –  a.RR Commented Aug 9, 2018 at 15:43
• 2 Probably an American thing, but "my teacher sets a lot of homework" sounds very weird to me. I would always use the verb "gives." I also agree with @PeteKirkham; to me, "exercise" only refers to a part of an assignment and not the assignment as a whole. –  Doorknob Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 14:35
• @Doorknob "Set" seems very normal to me in British English so, yes, this probably is a US/UK thing. –  David Richerby Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 16:07
• This is incorrect. If the teacher has set 30 exercises to each of 30 students, then they have 900 exercises to mark but only 30 units of homework. "Exercise" and "homework" are not synonyms: one's homework is the total work one has been set to do at home and that may consist of multiple exercises, as your answer makes clear. –  David Richerby Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 16:09

I'd quantify it by the amount of students whose homework you have to grade.

"I have homework of 30 students to grade this weekend"

• 2 Or, more simply, "30 students' homework". With your phrasing, I think you need the definite article, "I have the homework of 30 students to grade this weekend." –  David Richerby Commented Aug 10, 2018 at 16:00

At MIT, most courses assign homework in " problem sets ".

A typical engineering student has to do four problem sets per week: one for each course that he or she is enrolled in.

A typical TA (Teaching Assistant) has to grade dozens of problem sets per week: one for each student in his (or rarely her) recitation section(s).

A typical problem set consists of several problems.

Some courses (especially in Technical Writing and the Humanities) require students to write weekly essays, instead of solve weekly problem sets.

'30 sets of homework' perhaps.

But 'I've got 30 homeworks to mark' doesn't sound wrong.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged nouns uncountable-nouns ..

• Featured on Meta
• Join Stack Overflow’s CEO and me for the first Stack IRL Community Event in...
• Bringing clarity to status tag usage on meta sites

Hot Network Questions

• Bathroom fan venting options
• How does registration work in a modern accordion?
• Problem in solving an integral equation.
• "With" as a function word to specify an additional circumstance or condition
• ESTA for dual national: what can happen if I lie about being American?
• Are there carbon fiber wing spar pins?
• Do images have propositional content?
• On the convex cone of convex functions
• Humans are forbidden from using complex computers. But what defines a complex computer?
• Are there epistemic vices?
• How to fold or expand the wingtips on Boeing 777?
• How can I make this equation look better?
• What prevents random software installation popups from mis-interpreting our consents
• Does innate sorcery apply to every attack from storm sphere?
• How much does a ma'ah cost in £/$ in today's world?
• Starting with 2014 "+" signs and 2015 "−" signs, you delete signs until one remains. What’s left?
• Is there a way to prove ownership of church land?
• How cheap would rocket fuel have to be to make Mars colonization feasible (according to Musk)?
• What is the least number of colours Peter could use to color the 3x3 square?
• What is this phenomenon where a narrow stream of airflow off a nacelle becomes visible?
• what is the purpose of long plastic sleeve tubes around connections in appliances
• Is the white man at the other side of the Joliba river a historically identifiable person?
• I want to be a observational astronomer, but have no idea where to start
• What do these expressions mean in NASA's Steve Stitch's brief Starliner undocking statement?

• Rules/Help/FAQ Help/FAQ
• Members Current visitors
• Interface Language

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

• Spanish-English / Español-Inglés
• Spanish-English Grammar / Gramática Español-Inglés

homework: plural?

• Thread starter deluay
• Start date Oct 5, 2007

Senior Member

• Oct 5, 2007

Hi..! Is it correct to say: >I'm doing my homeworks. >I'm going to do my homeworks. Can I use the plural for homework to show that I have several kinds of homework to do? Is it common? thanks!  

SerinusCanaria3075

Is it correct to say: >I'm doing my homeworks. >I'm going to do my homeworks. Click to expand...

As far as I know homework is an uncountable noun and has no plural. I'm doing / I'm going to do my homework  

deluay said: Hi..! Is it correct to say: >I'm doing my homeworks. >I'm going to do my homeworks. Can I use the plural for homework to show that I have several kinds of homework to do? Is it common? thanks! Click to expand...

Cracker Jack

Even if you have to do homework in several subjects, it is still called homework. You can say exercises or compositions. But you only say homework.  

• Nov 6, 2013

Cracker Jack said: Even if you have to do homework in several subjects, it is still called homework. You can say exercises or compositions. But you only say homework. Click to expand...

Homework Plural, What is the plural of Homework?

Meaning: schoolwork that a pupil is required to do at home.

Plural of Homework

Homework as a Singular Noun in Example Sentences:

• I finished my homework before dinner.
• The teacher assigned a lot of homework
• Sarah forgot to bring her homework to school.
• The math homework was challenging but interesting.
• Can you help me with my English homework ?
• I need to complete my homework by tomorrow morning.
• The homework deadline is at midnight tonight.
• I can’t go out tonight because I have homework .
• My sister always finishes her homework
• The homework assignment was confusing and difficult.

Homework as a Plural Noun in Example Sentences:

• The students submitted their homework
• The teacher collected the students’ homework .
• Did you finish all your homework before the deadline?
• The students were given a lot of homework this week.
• I have to grade the students’ homework over the weekend.
• The homework tasks were varied and challenging.
• The students discussed their homework answers in class.
• The teacher reviewed the correct answers to the homework .
• The homework assignments were returned with feedback.
• The students received high scores on their homework .

Singular Possessive of Homework

The singular possessive form of “Homework” is “Homework’s”.

Examples of Singular Possessive Form of Homework:

• I need to complete Homework’s assignment.
• The teacher checked Homework’s answers.
• Homework’s due date is tomorrow.
• I left Homework’s notebook at school.
• I have to organize Homework’s papers.
• The dog chewed up Homework’s textbook.
• I struggled with Homework’s math problems.
• The tutor explained Homework’s instructions.
• Homework’s complexity overwhelmed me.
• The library is a quiet place for Homework’s concentration.

Plural Possessive of Homework

The plural possessive form of “Homework” is “Homeworks'”.

Examples of Plural Possessive Form of Homework:

• The students exchanged Homeworks’ answers.
• The pile of Homeworks’ assignments grew.
• The teacher collected the Homeworks’ notebooks.
• I struggled to complete all the Homeworks’ requirements.
• The group divided the Homeworks’ workload.
• The school organized a competition for the best Homeworks’ presentations.
• The students helped each other with the Homeworks’ difficulties.
• The online platform stores the Homeworks’ files.
• The classmates shared their Homeworks’ solutions.
• The parents checked their children’s Homeworks’ progress.

Explore Related Nouns:

• Complete List of Singular Plurals

Related Posts

Piranha Plural, What is the Plural of Piranha?

Fresco Plural, What is the plural of Fresco?

Bra Plural, What is the plural of Bra?

Museum Plural, What is the Plural of Museum?

Ass Plural, What is the plural of Ass?

Coach Plural, What is the Plural of Coach?

About the author.

Hi, I'm USMI, engdic.org's Author & Lifestyle Linguist. My decade-long journey in language and lifestyle curation fuels my passion for weaving words into everyday life. Join me in exploring the dynamic interplay between English and our diverse lifestyles. Dive into my latest insights, where language enriches every aspect of living.

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Definition of homework – Learner’s Dictionary

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

• Go upstairs and do your homework.
• For your homework, please do exercise 3 on page 24.
• When I finish my homework, can I watch TV?
• Get on with your homework.
• She was trying to duck out of doing her homework.

(Definition of homework from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of homework

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

a toy made from cloth and filled with a soft material so that it is pleasant to hold, often in the form of an animal

Like a bull in a china shop: talking about people who are clumsy

Learn more with +Plus

• Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
• Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
• Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
• Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
• English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
• English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
• English–Dutch Dutch–English
• English–French French–English
• English–German German–English
• English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
• English–Italian Italian–English
• English–Japanese Japanese–English
• English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
• English–Polish Polish–English
• English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
• English–Spanish Spanish–English
• English–Swedish Swedish–English
• Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
• do your homework
• Translations
• All translations

To add homework to a word list please sign up or log in.

Add homework to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.