Drop vs. Drops – Which is Correct?
Both drop and drops are correct forms but they have different grammatical uses. Drop is the base verb or singular noun. Drops is the third-person singular present-tense verb or plural noun. Choose based on the subject and meaning: “I drop” but “she drops,” while “one drop” becomes “two drops.”
Just as number changes the form of drop, Difference vs. Diffrence highlights why spelling accuracy matters.
Drop or Drops – Which is Correct?
Drop and drops are both correct. The choice depends on whether you need a base-form verb, a singular noun, a third-person singular verb, or a plural noun.
Use drop after subjects such as I, you, we, and they. It is also used after modal verbs and other helping verbs, as in “You should drop the package.” As a noun, drop refers to one small amount of liquid, one decrease, or one act of falling.
Use drops with a singular third-person subject such as he, she, or it: “She drops the keys.” As a noun, drops refers to more than one drop: “Several drops of rain landed on the window.”
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the one-versus-more-than-one test for nouns: one drop, two drops. For verbs, replace the subject with I or she. If the sentence works with “I,” use drop; if it works with “she,” use drops: “I drop the ball,” but “She drops the ball.”
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| drop | Base verb or singular noun | To let something fall; one small amount or decrease | Please drop the letter in the mailbox. |
| drops | Third-person singular verb or plural noun | He or she lets something fall; more than one drop | The bottle releases several drops. |
How to Use Drop
Drop functions as both a verb and a noun. As a verb, it can mean to let something fall, lower or release something, stop participating in something, visit briefly, or decrease. It is the correct form after I, you, we, and they, as well as after modal verbs such as can, should, and will.
As a noun, drop can describe a small quantity of liquid, a reduction in value or level, a fall, or a brief visit. The word is common in casual and formal English, although some meanings are more informal than others. For example, “drop by” is conversational, while “a drop in revenue” is suitable for business writing.
Example 1: Please drop the documents at the front desk.
Example 2: I noticed a drop in temperature overnight.
Example 3: We can drop by your office after lunch.
What are the different forms of drop?
Drop is a regular verb. Its main forms are drop, drops, dropped, and dropping. The third-person singular present form is drops: “The temperature drops at night.” The simple past and past participle are both dropped: “She dropped her phone” and “The package was dropped.” The present participle is dropping: “Rain is dropping from the roof.”
As a noun, drop usually forms its plural by adding -s: drops. The spelling doubles the final consonant before -ed and -ing because drop ends in a single vowel followed by a single consonant: dropped and dropping.
Etymology of the word drop
Drop comes from Old English dropa, meaning a small quantity of liquid, and is related to similar words in other Germanic languages. Over time, it developed related verb meanings, including letting something fall, lowering something, and abandoning or discontinuing an activity.
How to Use Drops
Drops has two principal grammatical uses. As a verb, it is the third-person singular present form of drop. It follows singular subjects such as he, she, it, or a singular noun: “The machine drops the material into a container.”
As a noun, drops is the plural of drop. It refers to two or more small amounts of liquid, multiple decreases, several falls, or repeated releases. The meaning comes from the surrounding context.
Example 1: The faucet drops water onto the sink.
Example 2: A few drops of lemon juice improve the flavor.
Example 3: The company expects further drops in demand.
What are the different forms of drops?
When drops is a verb, it is the third-person singular present form of drop: “The child drops the toy.” The other verb forms are drop, dropped, and dropping. When drops is a noun, it is simply the regular plural form of drop: “Two drops fell from the leaf.”
Do not use drops after a plural subject or after I, you, we, or they. Say “The students drop their bags,” not “The students drops their bags.”
Etymology of the word drops
Drops does not have a separate historical root from drop. It is formed by adding -s to drop. The ending marks either a plural noun, as in “raindrops,” or a third-person singular present-tense verb, as in “the faucet drops water.”
Related Concepts
Understanding number and subject-verb agreement makes the difference between drop and drops straightforward.
- Subject-verb agreement: A singular third-person subject usually takes a verb ending in -s in the present tense. Therefore, “She drops” is correct, while “They drop” uses the base form.
- Singular and plural nouns: A singular noun names one item, while a plural noun names more than one. Use “one drop” but “several drops.”
- Base verb: The base form is used after modal verbs, including can, may, should, and will: “The glass may drop.”
- Compound words: Words such as raindrop, teardrop, and backdrop can also form plurals with -s: raindrops, teardrops, and backdrops.
Examples from Media and Literature
The forms drop and drops appear in many kinds of writing, including fiction, journalism, advertising, and entertainment.
- Fiction: A narrative may describe a character who “drops the letter” or notice that “a tear drops onto the page.”
- News reporting: Financial journalism commonly uses phrases such as “stocks drop” for a plural subject and “the index drops” for a singular subject.
- Weather reporting: A report may state that “temperatures drop overnight,” while a forecast may say that “the temperature drops after sunset.”
- Advertising: Product descriptions often refer to “a few drops of essential oil” or instruct users to “drop the solution into water.”
- Film and television dialogue: Informal speech frequently uses “Drop by later,” while a narrator might say, “The curtain drops at the end of the scene.”
Practice Exercises
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.
- I usually ______ my keys in the bowl by the door.
- The temperature ______ sharply after sunset.
- Two ______ of paint fell onto the floor.
- You should ______ the package at the shipping counter.
- She ______ the volume when the meeting begins.
Answer Key
- drop — The subject “I” takes the base verb.
- drops — The singular subject “temperature” takes the third-person singular form.
- drops — “Two” requires the plural noun.
- drop — A base verb follows the modal verb “should.”
- drops — The singular subject “she” requires the third-person singular form.
Drop Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| fall | To move downward, usually because of gravity |
| release | To let go of or set free |
| lower | To move something to a lower position or level |
| decrease | To become or make smaller in amount, degree, or value |
| abandon | To stop doing or participating in something |
Drops Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| droplets | Very small amounts of liquid |
| beads | Small rounded amounts of liquid on a surface |
| decreases | Reductions in amount, level, or value |
| falls | Movements downward or declines |
| releases | Acts of letting go, discharging, or making available |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “drop” or “drops” correct?
Both are correct. Use drop as the base verb or singular noun, and use drops as the third-person singular present verb or plural noun.
Question 2: Is it “the temperature drop” or “the temperature drops”?
Use “the temperature drops” when describing what the temperature does in the present tense. Use “the temperature drop” when drop is a noun, as in “the temperature drop was sudden.”
Question 3: Is it “a drop” or “a drops”?
The correct phrase is a drop because the article a identifies one singular noun. Use drops without a when referring to more than one: “a drop of water” but “several drops of water.”
Question 4: Should I write “the prices drop” or “the prices drops”?
Write “the prices drop.” The subject prices is plural, so it takes the base verb drop. A singular subject takes drops: “The price drops.”
Conclusion
Drop and drops are both correct, but they cannot always be substituted for each other. Use drop with plural subjects, with I and you, after modal verbs, or as a singular noun. Use drops with singular third-person subjects or as a plural noun. Pro Tip: Correct subject-verb agreement and noun number strengthen your professional reputation by making your writing appear careful and credible.
