| Latin 101 | |
| Or "What do alumni, alumnus, alumna, and alumnae mean anyway?" | |
| alumni = plural masculine or generic | |
Ex: |
"These ten friends of mine graduated last year. They are alumni of Virginia Tech." |
| alumnae = plural feminime | |
Ex: |
"My three sisters are alunmae of Virginia Tech." |
| alumnus
= singular masculine or generic |
|
| Ex: |
"He graduated last May, so he's an alumnus of Virginia Tech." |
Ex: |
"I'm going to search for an alumnus of Virginia Tech to interview about his or her career path." |
| alumna
= singular feminine |
|
| Ex: |
"She's in law school now. She's an alumna of Virginia Tech, having completed a bachelor's degree in biology." |
| Common
error and how to fix it: |
|
Error: |
Saying "I'm an alumni." It's like saying "I'm a students." |
Correct: |
Women say, "I'm an alumna." |
Correct: |
Men say, "I'm an alumnus." |
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