Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[christina_nguyen]

Hello

Do you say CONGRATULATION or CONGRATULATIONS to someone else?

Thanks for answering my question

[dragn]

It's congratulations, with an s. Always. The only conceivable situation where you would not add an s is if the word were being used as an adjective (that is, a noun modifying another noun). However, that doesn't apply here because the adjective form is congratulatory.

Greg

[christina_nguyen]

That was what I thought too. But when I looked it up on Merriam-Webster online dictionary, there is CONGRATULATION without the "s".

[dragn]

And notice the date: 15th century. There's your first clue.

Greg

[christina_nguyen]

oh ok...thanks Greg

[redset]

Congratulation is fine as a word, it means the act of congratulating - for example you could receive a letter of congratulation. We only ever say 'congratulations!' to other people though.

[christina_nguyen]

Hi redset

Is it wrong to say "I received a letter of congratulations."?

[redset]

Honestly that would be fine too, but it sounds more informal to me.

[dragn]

[redset]

Well in the interests of full disclosure, I'm British - so that might explain it