Each week proofreader Hannah Jones discusses and offers a remedy to common problems we encounter when writing. Today she gives advice on how to form the plurals of compound nouns.

Why is it grown-ups but runners-up? What is the plural of Poet Laureate? Why is it all so confusing? These are all questions I have asked myself while writing or proofreading. As always, there are no hard-and-fast rules, but here are some general guidelines on how to form the plurals of those pesky compound nouns.