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I read on https://meta.stackexchange.com/q/361097/178179:

[Stack Overflow has] more than 31 million answers, compared to 11 million for the rest of the network.

Should million be in plural of singular form? I don't know what the correct rule is here since "answers" implicitly follows million.

Franck Dernoncourt
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  • Does this answer your question? [A few millions results or a few million result](https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/59626/a-few-millions-results-or-a-few-million-result) – Weather Vane Mar 01 '21 at 07:10
  • Another suggestion: [Why is there no plural 's' after “hundred” or “thousand” in cardinal numbers?](https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/38635/why-is-there-no-plural-s-after-hundred-or-thousand-in-cardinal-numbers) – Weather Vane Mar 01 '21 at 07:12
  • @WeatherVane Thanks for the suggestions, it is a different question because in my question I don't know what the correct rule is here since "answers" implicitly follows million. – Franck Dernoncourt Mar 01 '21 at 07:13
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    Specific numbers are used in the singular, when there is a noun or implied noun following. So there might be 11 million, or 11 million answers, but there are 'millions **of** answers'. – Weather Vane Mar 01 '21 at 07:34
  • @WeatherVane got it, thanks! You're welcome to convert your comment into an answer. – Franck Dernoncourt Mar 01 '21 at 07:36
  • Does this answer your question? [Why is there no plural 's' after "hundred" or "thousand" in cardinal numbers?](https://ell.stackexchange.com/questions/38635/why-is-there-no-plural-s-after-hundred-or-thousand-in-cardinal-numbers) – ColleenV Mar 01 '21 at 13:01

1 Answers1

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  1. The word million can be used as a noun or an adjective in English. million

  2. In your example "million" is an adjective.

  3. We don't pluralise adjectives

Let us substitute a different adjective. We will substitute "good" for "million".

[Stack Overflow has] more than 31 good answers, compared to 11 good for the rest of the network.

"11 good" is an abbreviation for "11 good answers".

chasly - supports Monica
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