"McDonald's" in plural

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.
Can I use McDonald's in plural?
"In the big cities of Georgia we have many McDonald's. " "The" can be omitted, if I am not wrong.

 

[GoesStation]

Can I use McDonald's in plural?
"In the big cities of Georgia we have many McDonald's. " "The" can be omitted, if I am not wrong.

You've used the plural correctly. You need the article.

 

[Rachel Adams]

You've used the plural correctly. You need the article.

I am talking about the cities generally. I thought I could omit "the."
If I use "In the big city of Tbilisi" the article should also be used. Right?

 

[GoesStation]

If I use "In the big city of Tbilisi" the article should also be used. Right?

Yes.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I am talking about the cities generally. I thought I could omit "the."
If I use "In the big city of Tbilisi" the article should also be used. Right?

These are natural:

- In the big cities of Georgia . . . .

- In big cities in Georgia . . . .

- In Georgia's big cities . . . .

You can also use bigger in all of those.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Yes.

I understand that the article should be used in "in the big cities of Georgia" but I can't explain why.

 

[GoesStation]

I understand that the article should be used in "in the big cities of Georgia" but I can't explain why.

There are many big cities. We're talking about a specific set of them: Georgia's big cities; the big cities of Georgia.

 

[Yankee]

These are natural:

- In the big cities of Georgia . . . .

- In big cities in Georgia . . . .

- In Georgia's big cities . . . .

You can also use bigger in all of those.

In your second example as stated I would prefer to use "of Georgia".

 

[Rachel Adams]

There are many big cities. We're talking about a specific set of them: Georgia's big cities; the big cities of Georgia.

So it has nothing to do with "of" being used in that sentence? I thought perhaps with "of" I should use "the". "In big cities in Georgia" there is no "of" but am I not speaking about the same specific cities?
"In big cities in Georgia" is correct while "In big cities of Georgia" isn't.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

In your second example as stated I would prefer to use "of Georgia".

I wouldn't, but you can go right ahead! (It's fine.)

 

[Phaedrus]

Can I use McDonald's in plural?
"In the big cities of Georgia we have many McDonald's."

Sometimes McDonald's appears in the plural form McDonald'ses, though the preferred plural seems to be the uninflected name.

Some people say that restaurants is implied after McDonald's, many McDonald's being short for many McDonald's restaurants.

Interestingly, on that analysis, McDonald's isn't a plural form at all, but a modifier of an implied plural noun (restaurants).

Sometimes we do pluralize business names ending in -s: Midas --> many Midases; Vons --> many Vonses.

But you are unlikely to hear many Starbuckses, many Wendy'ses, many Macy'ses, etc.

I used to work for the dead corporate bookstore chain named Borders. I never once heard Borderses used. We would say many Borders stores.

In your sentence, I think the following revision sounds a bit nicer than many McDonald's: In the big cities of Georgia, we have McDonald's aplenty.

 

[Rachel Adams]

In your sentence, I think the following revision sounds a bit nicer than many McDonald's: In the big cities of Georgia, we have McDonald's aplenty.

I was going to ask about Starbucks if I could use it in the following way "We have many Starbucks". Or with "aplenty" as you suggested with "McDonald's.

 

[Rachel Adams]

I wouldn't, but you can go right ahead! (It's fine.)

Thus, "In big cities of Georgia..." not specific cities.
"In big cities in Georgia.." not specific cities.
"In the big cities of Georgia.." Specific cities.
"In the big cities in Georgia.." Specific cities.

 

[Phaedrus]

I was going to ask about Starbucks if I could use it in the following way "We have many Starbucks".

According to Wiktionary, Starbuckses is in fact the plural of Starbucks.

We have many Starbuckses.

I can't say whether the company itself uses Starbuckses. I tend to doubt it.

 

[GoesStation]

I was going to ask about Starbucks if I could use it in the following way "We have many Starbucks". Or with "aplenty" as you suggested with "McDonald's.

I would not use the word "aplenty".

 

[Rachel Adams]

I would not use the word "aplenty".

Just many "MacDonalds and Starbucks." Right?

 

[GoesStation]

Just many "MacDonalds and Starbucks." Right?

Can you give me a complete sentence to consider?

Regarding "aplenty": I don't think I've ever spontaneously used that word in my life. You'll sound odd if you use it.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Can you give me a complete sentence to consider?

Regarding "aplenty": I don't think I've ever spontaneously used that word in my life. You'll sound odd if you use it.

For example, "There are many Starbucks and McDonald's in my city."

 

[GoesStation]

For example, "There are many Starbucks and McDonald's in my city."

That's grammatically correct. I'd use "a lot of" though.

 

[Phaedrus]

That's grammatically correct.

That depends on how you analyze it. From a grammatical standpoint, Starbucks and McDonald's are not plurals as words.

I regret that my use of the old-fashioned word "aplenty" in an example seems to have caused people to disregard all the main points in my first post above.

The best defense of Starbucks and McDonald's being plurals is that they could be followed by a plural noun which they would modify IF it were there:

many Starbucks cafes
many McDonald's restaurants

Notice that even in those constructions Starbucks and McDonald's are not plurals; they are attributive nouns modifying plural nouns.

Countless company names get pluralized for plural reference: Toyotas, Hondas, Hiltons, Motel Sixes, Safeways, Burger Kings, Jack in the Boxes, BevMos, etc.

But when the company name ends in -s, there is a resistance to doing the logical grammatical thing to pluralize the name.

Different native speakers will have different reactions to, say, a number of Toyota Priuses/Four Seasonses/Lowe'ses.

Lawlessness reigns here, grammatically. The "rule" for native speakers seems to be: "If it sounds good, do it; if it doesn't, don't."