[General] change + singular or plural noun?

[Heidi L]

"When Will was sent away to school, he got into trouble several times because he liked to play with his rope. After he roped a teacher, he had to change schools."

I was told that the reason for using the plural schools is that Will had changed to a new school from a old one, so there were two schools.

But when I looked up the dictionary
(http://learnsdictionary.com/definition/change)

- change a baby = change a baby's diaper = remove a baby's dirty diaper and replace it with a clean one

- The leaves change color from green to red in the fall.

Either diaper or color used was singular, so, after the verb change, should I use a singular or plural noun?

 

[GoesStation]

Change partner would be incorrect, so I can't agree that it doesn't matter. Use the plural in change schools, too. This is a different usage from change the baby, which means change the baby's diaper. In change schools, you mean change to a different school.

 

[teechar]

I was told that the reason for using the plural schools is that Will had changed to a new school from the old one, so there were two schools.

That's right, and that's the rule you should generally follow if two things are involved.

But when I looked up the dictionary
(http://learnsdictionary.com/definition/change)

- change a baby = change a baby's diaper = remove a baby's dirty diaper and replace it with a clean one

That's a different meaning/use of the verb "change". Here, you are not swapping babies.

- The leaves change color from green to red in the fall.

That's an exception to the rule above.