The plural of “believe” as a verb is “believes”, but “belief” as a noun has the plural “beliefs.”
The plural form of “believe” is “believes.” However, it’s important to note that “believe” is typically used as a verb rather than a noun, and verbs generally do not have plural forms. Nevertheless, I can provide you with an explanation that expands on this topic.
In English, verbs are typically not inflected to indicate plural or singular forms. Instead, they maintain the same form regardless of the subject’s number. This is true for most verbs, including “believe.” When using “believe” in a sentence, the verb form remains the same regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural. For example:
Singular:
- He believes in the power of positive thinking.
- She believes in equality.
Plural:
- They believe in the importance of education.
- We believe in second chances.
In these examples, “believes” is used in the singular form for the singular subjects “he” and “she,” while the plural subjects “they” and “we” also use the same form “believe.”
However, it’s worth noting that there are some irregular verbs in English that do change their form in the third person singular present tense. For instance, the verb “go” changes to “goes” in the third person singular: “He goes to school.” But “believe” is not one of these irregular verbs.
On the other hand, “belief” is a noun derived from the verb “believe.” It refers to a conviction, faith, or acceptance of something as true or real. As a noun, “belief” can be used in both singular and plural forms. When talking about multiple beliefs, you can use the plural form “beliefs.” For example:
- Different cultures have different beliefs about the afterlife.
- Our society holds diverse beliefs regarding politics and religion.
In these examples, “beliefs” is used to refer to the various sets of convictions or faith held by different cultures or within society as a whole.
In summary, the plural form of “believe” as a verb is not necessary, as verbs generally do not change their form to indicate number. However, when using “belief” as a noun, the plural form “beliefs” is used to refer to multiple sets of convictions or faith held by individuals or groups.
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